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Debbie Jensen - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
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Debbie Jensen Email Alerts
- Tattoos: For the Love of Art?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Tattoos] How far are you willing to go for your love of art? Do you have art, designs, emblems, or icons written on your body? If art is your passion, why damage your skin with images you may later regret? To love and embrace art does not mean you need to tattoo yourself.
- What are Design Elements?
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] What are design elements? Design elements are what we see, sense, visually select, and perceive as we look at graphic designs, paintings, cartoons, photography, television, typography, and computers. Examples of design elements are: line, shape, form, space, value, texture, and color. Here is a list of them with a brief explanation for each:
- Gestalt: Law of Common Fate
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Photography] The law of common fate is one of four visual perception laws as theorized by gestalt psychologists. Paul Martin Lester, the author of Visual Communication, an expert in the field wrote: “The fourth law of Gestalt psychology is the law of common fate. A viewer mentally groups five arrows or five raised hands pointing to the sky because they all point in the same direction. An arrow or a hand pointed in opposite direction will create tension, because the viewer will not see it as part of the upwardly directed whole."
- Why Photograph Old Barns
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Photography] Why photograph old barns? What is the best way to capture them? Are people really interested in them? Let's face it; old barns have so much character. Here in the United States and especially in California, old architecture is not that prevalent. New buildings seem to be everywhere! Old architecture is constantly being torn down while new cities arise. Not only this, but storms and the passage of time take them down too.
- Versals & Typography
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] The better a person understands software, the more flexibility there is when designing with typography especially when it comes to versals. According the Google’s dictionary, versals are the “oversized initial letters usually colored in red or blue and characterized by exaggerated curves, vertical strokes, and serifs (also called Lombardic Capitals)."
- A Fun Craft: Painting Birdhouses
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Painting birdhouses can be a fun hobby! Most unpainted birdhouses range from $5.00 to $20.00 at Michaels, a chain craft store here in the U.S., and they keep them in stock year 'round. Slowly and gradually, I have improved my artistic skills (thanks to birdhouses). You might wonder, why birdhouses?
Since birdhouses are made out of wood, they can be painted over and over. They are great to practice on. In fact, the more paint, the better (especially if they end up outside).
- Gestalt's Law of Continuation
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] The law of continuation is one of four visual perception laws as theorized by gestalt psychologists. Paul Martin Lester, the author of Visual Communication, an expert in the field wrote: “The law of continuation rests on the principle, again assumed by Gestalt psychologists, that the brain does not prefer sudden or unusual changes in the movement of a line. In other words, the brain seeks as much as possible a smooth continuation of a line."
- Let Music Influence Art
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Today, I find myself interested in graphic arts and multimedia; albeit with music written upon my heart and soul.
- A Website's Visual Presence
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] What is the visual presence of a website? Do you get the feeling you are in a discount store or in a stylized, up-scale boutique? Do you see sophistication and elegance? Or, to the contrary, do you see a warehouse sort of look? Simplicity doesn’t have to look cheap and low-class. In fact, simplicity can have “good figure” aesthetically speaking, as long as you have logical intellectual hierarchy and good lines.
- Designing an Online Portfolio
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] When designing an online portfolio, pay special attention to your colors, design elements, layout style, and content. Typically, artists and designers are the ones who have to obsess about these things; but really, if you are selling anything from a service to a tangible product, you need to be careful how you choose to design your presentations. Portfolios are no different from websites, inasmuch as they are highly organized presentations.
- Gestalt: Law of Proximity
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] The law of proximity is one of four visual perception laws as theorized by gestalt psychologists. Paul Martin Lester, the author of Visual Communication, an expert in the field wrote: “The law of proximity states that the brain more closely associates objects close to each other than it does [when] two objects are far apart."
- Does the V-Chip Work? Is it Only a Bandage?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Movies-TV] Are V-Chips (in televisions) designed to block indecent technology the answer to censorship? Do they really work? Why do some television programs get publicized in the first place? What is the FCC thinking? Shouldn't all multimedia be censored as if children are viewing everything anyway?
- Make Art Adjustments for What's Ahead!
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Photography] Time flies. The clock keeps ticking, and without fail, the sun religiously rises and falls day in and day out. We witness the seasons passing as the years systematically march on. Out with the old and in with the new. Forever, we are leaving one passage of life and entering another―it's non-stop. Is this a good thing? For digital art and photography it is!
- The Art of Photographing Food
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Photography] Photographing food is not much different than photographing anything else. Even though the average person is not too interested in taking close-ups of food, there are times when images of food are necessary. Typically, we see photographs of food as editorial illustrations in cookbooks, magazine recipes, and advertisements.
- Gestalt: Law of Similarity
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] The law of similarity is one of four visual perception laws as theorized by gestalt psychologists. Paul Martin Lester, the author of Visual Communication, an expert in the field wrote: “The law of similarity states that, given a choice by the brain, you will select the simplest and most stable form to concentrate on. This law stresses the importance of basic shapes in the form of squares, circles, and triangles.”
- Gestalt: An Artist's Dream
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] Tim McCreight, the author of Design Language, wrote: “Our need for wholeness is so great we assemble elements into as large a unit as possible. We will see a row of dots as a dotted line rather than a collection of small marks” (1996). This is just one example of the gestalt theory. It has gained world recognition and has become part of an artist’s formal study. Surprisingly, *gestalt* is not the name of the person who discovered the series of visual perceptions which are now recognized as design laws; instead, the word *gestalt* means “form or shape.”
- Visual Communication: What Does It Mean?
[Writing-and-Speaking] “The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something. . . To see clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion, all in one.” ~ John Ruskin, Painter
Visual communication involves our eyes, heart, and mind. By the time we reach adulthood, we have millions of visual images stored in the dark recesses of our minds. Our memories serve us and ground us. Our minds reminiscence and recall visual messages during our waking and sleeping hours; which in turn, visual imagery form our thinking, attitudes, and personalities. Since visual messages are penetrating our hearts and souls, take a moment to learn what visual literacy and visual communication actually mean.
- Written Communication vs. Visual Communication
[Writing-and-Speaking] 'Written truth' meaning non-fictional educational books, in this instance, is the cornerstone to higher education. Yet, 'written truth' is only part of how we gather information in visual communication. The written word, known as 'meaningful content' on the Internet takes precedence over website graphics. Website graphics and editorial illustrations illustrate the content, and that in itself tells us that text ranks higher in website hierarchy. Even though 'a picture is worth 1,000 words,' the written message is still more intelligent and is the most accurate way of communicating online.
- Memory Leaks: Our Minds
[Reference-and-Education:Psychology] Anybody who has spent a lot of time studying computers knows that computers suffer from memory leaks. Lost information and *breaks* seem to be the norm with today's technology. Could we be experiencing the same problem? What about our human memories? Could we (regardless of our age) be experiencing the same thing? Should we rely on our memories? Should we view our memories as incorruptible and as the sacred truth?
- Memory Leaks: Put It In Writing
[Business:Workplace-Communication] When an artist draws or paints from memory, creative artwork will result. Some of our memories are scary, childish, fairytale-like and fun to chase and artistically express. Most often, artists may not understand what their artwork means until years later.
- Designs & Typography
[Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] When typography is used creatively, it can accurately express and illustrate emotion and create a mood. Letterforms can be elegant and even visually exciting when used correctly. In the way letters are shaped for headlines and logos, they can reach out and get a reaction out of someone. When typography is used as an art form, it does not necessarily have to be read; in fact, it can stimulate the eye and carry a message without ever needing to actually read it.
- Acrylic Craft Paints
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Acrylic paints are so nice to work with. From easy clean-up to an array of brilliant colors―who could ask for more? In working with acrylics, I've noticed a few aspects about this water based paint that I'd like to pass on.
- A Method To Find Your Favorite Artistic Style
[Arts-and-Entertainment] Do you know what your favorite artistic style is? Is it abstract, contemporary, retro, art nouveau, expressionism, folk art, romanticism, realism, naive, cartoon, or surrealism? And this is only the beginning; the list of artistic styles seems to be endless. Which style do you prefer? Why is it important to know?
- Garden Accessories
[Home-and-Family:Gardening] Garden Accessories can be functional; but most often, they are placed in gardens for their charm and whimsy. From cheap mechanical croaking frogs to expensive gazebos, we just can't get enough of them. A garden cart can hold a watering can, hand tools, and gloves and be used as a garden end table or just placed there for visual appeal only.
- Unity: Why It's a Design Principle
[Arts-and-Entertainment] The design principle of unity is the backbone to professional layouts, artwork, and movies. The movie, "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a great period piece. It's a good movie to see how the design principle of unity was carried out throughout the entire storyline.
- Typography and the Internet
[Computers-and-Technology] At this point in time, decorative typography and the Internet are not completely in jive yet! There are still some kinks and restrictions in designing with decorative fonts for web pages. It may not seem like there is a problem on the surface, because much of the problems are masked. How so?
- Try, Try Again
[Arts-and-Entertainment] "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again... Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it." ~Mark Twain Let your motto be to never stop trying as you pursue your artistic expressions. The more you practice, the better you'll get! Go on, try, try again! Here's the problem though―do we need to know when to quit? Was Mark Twain serious?
- What's Going On In Your Life?
[Arts-and-Entertainment] Without a doubt, artists are influenced by their physical limitations, energy levels, and personal surroundings. After studying art for several years, I came to the conclusion that regardless of wherever artists live, they are influenced by their gender, relationships, interests, moods, intellect, health, biological age, culture, when they were born, peers, spiritual beliefs, pets, knowledge about the arts, and how they understand and relate to their surroundings.
- The Art of Videotaping a Childbirth
[Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] From my experience of professionally videotaping women giving birth (including one cesarean), I learned the art of videotaping a childbirth. Most of the shoots I did were for the parent's personal use; but a few times, the footage was produced for training purposes, and one tape was produced for public television. Only in looking back and speaking as I an older person, I believe it is imperative to keep the mother's dignity a priority.
- Screen Shot: How Is It Done?
[Computers-and-Technology:Personal-Tech] Have you ever wondered how to make a screen shot? Just click the "ctrl" key and the "prt sc" key at the same time―but then what? Where did it go to? Actually, it didn't go anywhere―it's on hold in the same way as when we *save* something. When we *save* something, we have to put it somewhere. Well, the same holds true of "ctrl" (meaning control) and "prt sc" (meaning print screen). Is all that happens is that you took a shot (or picture) of the screen from your keyboard. Suppose the whole page doesn't fit on the screen? What then? Read on, and I'll tell you how get it all.
- Should Artists With Low Self-Esteem Bid Their Work?
[Arts-and-Entertainment] If you are an artist who is experiencing low self-esteem either about yourself or your work while attempting to bid jobs, you may be short-changing yourself! Low self-esteem can be a huge and gigantic problem, because objectivity about the artwork may be too critical. Just as in the wild animal kingdom, animals prey on the weak; I believe the same holds true for us as humans. If someone discerns that low self-esteem is a factor, they could easily be taken advantage of. What is to stop someone from taking advantage of this type of situation?
- Creating Business Plans: Why So Hard?
[Business:Strategic-Planning] Artists beware! By far, the most difficult areas in creating successful and agreeable business plans have to do with working within proposed budgets and agreeing upon realistic time constraints. Typically, from my experience in providing the service of wedding photography, there are many hidden hours working on projects where clients typically underestimate processing time, skill level, and time spent in correspondence with them. I worry about my client accepting the cost of what it takes to pull together a top-notch product.
- Crafts: A Great Winter Hobby
[Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Crafts don't have to be messy or expensive, but they have to be something you are interested in. It's always fun to give away your crafts as gifts!
- The Meaning Behind Colors
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] As we endure the mood of others for both good and bad, we also endure the mood deriving from colors for both good and bad. Colors are the visual manifestation of moods placed on objects.
- You Want to Build Your First Website?
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] Before you start to build your first website, you need a website logo, tagline, a few graphics, headlines, and text to work with. To start, you need something to put into the website. What is difficult about the first website is your ideas may not be well formulated yet. Personally, I feel “breaking ground” is the most difficult part. As you can see, the heart of the problem could stem from lack of content and lack of direction. Unless you have a specific agenda in mind, developing an appropriate color scheme and design is near impossible.
- Restoring Old Photographs
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Photography] Restoring old family photographs can easily be done from our own personal computers. Years back, prior to home software, old black-and-white images were restored in photo labs by lab technicians. In the past, the process of restoring old memoirs was much of a mystery; but today, children can do it. Photoshop CS is amazing software—it has so many capabilities and special effects. Each family can become their own master photographer and lab technician now. With Photoshop CS, you can crop, clone, rotate, enhance, and change tones and values, just to name a few of the features!
- To Succeed
[Self-Improvement:Success] "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Wedding Day Blues: "Buyer's Remorse"
[Relationships:Wedding] Should the average middle class person be spending several thousand dollars on an event they cannot afford or might not work out? Is planning an expensive, elaborate wedding appropriate for a person who is barely getting by and survives on a tight, modest income? Many people have asked my opinion about the sky-rocketing cost of weddings and receptions and are baffled at what to do. From what I saw from my twenty year career as a wedding photographer, most people feel obligated to finance and provide a traditional wedding day for their family and friends.
- Do You Really Want a Wedding Videographer?
[Relationships:Wedding] So, you want to have your wedding videotaped? I tell you what―you better think long and hard about it. Talk to your friends about it or to anyone who has had it done. Videotaped weddings are not for everyone! I know, I've videotaped countless weddings, childbirths, parties, and special events. During the course of shooting for the public as a self-employed videographer, I was able to see the before, during, and after effects of the events I serviced.
- Gardening Sentiments
[Home-and-Family:Gardening] As every season passes, I am so thankful to still be here as if life will never end. Today, as we experience the first day in the Fall and embrace the ol' world charm and beauty of it, I write my heartfelt expressions about it.
- Creative Cooking in the Wintertime
[Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] It is so fun to cook and bake in the winter when it's cold and the days are shorter. In northern California where I live, our temperature ranges from 35° to 105° (more or less). The seasons change abruptly; and sometimes, it's physically challenging to keep up with the climate changes.
- Photographing Flowers
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Photography] Good timing is one of the most important instincts a photographer should have. A good sense of timing for photographers is as important as saying the right word at the right time. By good timing, I'm not necessarily referring to the time of day; but more importantly, it is when the flower is at its peak and the full-bloom is fresh void of any wilting. Sometimes, buds make good photographs; but usually the full-bloom is considered to be the *peak* time to capture a flower’s beauty and visual essence. In photography, premium quality photography occurs when the *peak* moment is captured and frozen in time.
- Website Redesign: A Dirty Job?
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] In time, all websites become awkward and unmanageable, and even out-dated. So often, websites grow over time, and they need to be redesigned, because the information within them needs to be condensed or reorganized. Authority and eCommerce websites, often contain several pages and are in the constant state of flux.
- Gutenberg and Movable Type
[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] The first book Gutenberg printed with his movable type was the Bible. His invention alone changed the world as we know it. "Good typography is like bread: ready to be admired, appraised, and dissected before it is consumed." ~ Bringhurst Elements of Typographic Style
- Tips for Photographing Animals
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Photography] You can't pose undomesticated animals per say, but you can capture the moment―even if it looks like you posed them. You can't pose undomesticated animals per say, but you can capture the moment―even if it looks like you posed them. Much of the same principles apply towards photographing animals as it does towards humans. Keep these basic principles in mind as you photograph animals:
- Straight, Angular Lines are So Powerful in Art!
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Philosophy] "Straight, angular lines bring structure, strength, and stability to designs, while curved lines can generate movement and grace" (Debbie Jensen)
- Typography and the Use of Stylized Fonts
[Computers-and-Technology] On the Internet, typography can be read as an object or as fonts depending on how the graphic artist wants it to be read. Software converts type to artwork which enables a wider variety of font styles to be seen on the Internet.
- Setting Up a Website
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Web-Design] Where does a person start when setting up a website? What software is best to use? Setting up a website is not an easy proposition. If you are interested in knowing what the first step is in setting up your own website, continue reading.
- Tips for Digital Designs
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Animation] Motivational thoughts and ethics to keep in mind while designing or creating artwork.
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