The city of London has loads to offer art lovers and the best thing is that it is virtually all free to explore. The art industry is huge in Britain, with collections from artists all over the world available to view in London’s galleries and at exhibitions. The city is also home to a lot of British art, so when you are next in the capital why not check some of it out. There are a range of galleries to choose from. The Tate Modern, which is found on the South Bank of the Thames, has the world’s biggest collection of Modern Art. Its free to enter and has two huge floors which contain a range of art work including abstract pieces, such as piles of bricks and canvases with random splodges of paint.
There is the national gallery on the north side of Trafalgar Square. It has a wide collection of Western European art which dates back to from the middle ages, to the early 20th century. Again it is free to enter and with so much on offer it is worth splitting your visit into two trips. The Tate Britain is on the north side of the Thames not far from Victoria Bridge. If you fancy arriving in style you can get a river bus to the Tate Britain which also travels across the river to the Tate Modern. The gallery is the home of British art dating back from the 1500 to the present day. For those that are new to the arts scene you can get an art guide for a small fee.
One other place worth visiting is the National Portrait Gallery. Home to a huge collection of portraits which include those of Kings, Queens and other influential historical figures, the gallery is unique it what it offers visitors. When it opened in 1856, it was the first portrait gallery in the world. Since then it has been expanded twice and one of the gallery’s most famous portraits is of William Shakespeare.
Tags: Art Galleries, Artists, Modern Art
All the professional watercolor artists understand the importance of a good watercolor brush. However the problem is that most of the beginners do not understand how to select the watercolor brush for different types of paintings. Here is a guide on how to select watercolor brush. It is important to choose a watercolor brush which is made of really fine hair. You can select a brush made of sable as well as other types of hair fibers. The sable or other hair fibers make it possible for you to perform better brush strokes. It helps a lot to improve the painting techniques. This is because such fibers tend to retain a higher quantity of paint when you use them on a canvas or a drawing paper.
Always select a watercolor brush with a good handle. Most of the watercolor artists follow a certain standard when it comes to the brush handle. You should select a brush with a handle that is 6 to 7 inches long. This type of handle is easy to grip and is not too tough to use. Many water color artists use a Kolinsky brush. It is a natural hair brush with a properly pointed round tip. It is preferred by most of the artists because of its slender tip as well as the inherent flexibility. If you do not want to spend too much money on a Kolinsky brush, there are other less expensive offerings that you can use. You can opt for brushes made from squirrel hair. These brushes are perfect for various simple techniques. However it can be used for limited purposes only.
You should go for at least two flat brushes. The two brushes should be of 3/4-inch and 1-inch size. Also select at least a total of 3 round brushes. You should go for number 3, 6 and 10 brushes. These brushes will help to complete most of your painting projects. While buying flat brushes keep in mind that they are labeled based on the brush end’s width. When you buy round brushes keep in mind that they will be labeled with a number. The smaller the label number is the finer the brush will be. You will find these labels on the handle.
Select different types of brushes for different tasks. For an instance you should select riggers when you want to create fine detail. You should select fan brushes when you are looking forward to create special effects. If you want to cover large areas, you should select wash brushes. A wonderful way to learn about a lot of wonderful watercolor brushes being used by the professional artists is to attend the various watercolor art events like seminars and workshops.
Tags: Drawing, Painting Techniques, Watercolor