Category: Art

Address Labels

If you like sending letters, invitations, and cards, you definitely need address labels. Say goodbye to writing your address manually on every envelope you send for hours and hours – with address labels , you just stick and send!

Address labels are so easy to use – with them in hand, you can afford to spend more time actually writing the letter than labeling the envelope. Address labels also look more professional than handwriting, and best of all, leave no room for human error.

And because they can be personalized anyway you want, so you can be sure you’ll find something tailor fit to your requirements. You can either order online, go personally to a print shop or make your own, but before you do so, keep in mind some of these reminders.

Plan and design your address label well. Clearly write down the information you want to appear on it and double check spelling and accuracy. Make sure your information fits in a certain number of lines, and that the text size is clear and readable but proportionate to the size of the address label you want. Remember that your recipients will be seeing (and scrutinizing) your address label, so it is best to choose s design that reflects your personality. Some people order two kinds of labels – one kind for formal letters, one kind for more laid back letters (such as cards sent to family and friends).

Size does matter. There are literary dozens upon dozens of mailing label sizes, and even if you can’t find one that’s suitable to your taste and requirements, you can easily have special sizing done.

Small return address labels are typically 1.5” x 1.75”. Since return address labels are not processed by a mail sorting machine, you can go creative and add fancy font, color, and illustrations. If you need addressing labels, on the other hand, consider the standard 1”x4” to 2”x4” size. De sure to choose a large and easy-to-read font that is machine-readable. And be careful about putting fancy illustrations or logos on your addressing labels – if you don’t place them properly, they confuse the sorting equipment.

Acrylic Paintings

Acrylic paintings are relatively new as acrylic paint for painting was first introduced around 1950. Acrylic paint has now become an essential element of the arts and craft market. Many artists consider acrylic paint as a viable option for oil paints. Acrylic paints differ from the conventional oil paints in terms of their physical and chemical properties and thus necessitates special care of acrylic paintings.

Typically, acrylic paints are of two types, namely water-based and solvent-based. However, water-based acrylics are more popular among painters. Acrylic paints dry quickly as compared to oil paints and may hardly require half an hour for the entire painting to dry. Acrylic films are not very hard and may easily gather dust and grime.

Various types of additives, such as stabilizers, defoamers, coalescing solvents, thickeners, and preservatives, are added to the acrylic paint to produce the desired results.

The chances of acrylic paintings cracking are relatively low as the paint is flexible and can withstand pressure. However, acrylic paintings may become very brittle and crack in freezing temperatures. Sometimes acrylic paintings may develop a gray veil on the surface or form a yellow discoloration over a long period of time.

Since acrylic films are soft at room temperature, dust particles can settle on the surface and become mixed with the paint, resulting in stained paintings. Protective framing can combat this problem up to a certain extent. Varnishes can protect the paintings considerably from scratches and dust. Many artists do not like to varnish their paintings. Another major problem faced by acrylic painters is that of mold growth and as of now, no perfect solution has been devised for this problem.

There is a wide range of acrylic paints available in the market. It is imperative for acrylic painters to purchased superior quality products as poor quality paints fade easily when exposed to ultra violet light.

Regardless of high standards of care and maintenance, many artists continue to use acrylic paints because of their fast-drying quality and versatility.

Abstract Paintings

If you think abstract paintings are a phenomenon of the 20th century, you can’t be further from the truth. Islamic and Jewish religions have from their very beginnings prohibited the depiction of human forms. As a result, these religions developed a high skill in decorative art. And artists as early as James McNeill Whistler had begun talking of art as a depiction of visually appealing colors, just as music was a presentation of appealing sound. Perhaps, Pablo Picasso and his style of painting, known as cubism (which used geometric figures to simplify or exaggerate complex structures such as the human form), firmly established and set in motion a trend of what came to be known as abstract painting.

Synonymous with abstract painting, cubism developed as a backlash to the impressionist era, which emphasized light and color. Painters of abstract art believed they could show, through the use of geometric figures, views of an image that cannot actually be seen in real life. Famous among the many abstract paintings, are Pablo Picasso’s Guernica and The Guitar Player.

Georges Braque was another cubist. He used to shade his cubes in a way that made them look both flat and three-dimensional at the same time. His famous paintings include The Fruit Dish and Violin and Pitcher.

Abstract paintings thrived with artists such as Piet Mondrain, who took cubism a step further and established what came to be called neoplasticism. The underlying belief of this art form was that art should not reproduce real forms, but express the absolutes of life, which, according to them, were only vertical and horizontal lines and primary colors.

After neoplasticism came abstract expressionism, an art form that celebrated not forms, objects or images, but colors and brush strokes. Mark Rothko’s painting Red, Orange, Tan and Purple is one of the best abstract paintings in this from.

Abstract paintings, in essence, moved away from depicting life forms as they appeared, toward depicting them as interpretations, and showing emotions through colors.

A Guide To Free Screensavers

There are millions of Screensavers available on the Internet. Almost all of these can be downloaded and installed easily. These are usually categorized according to themes. Nature lovers can choose picturesque locations. Fish lovers can choose from different kinds of aquariums with multi-colored fish that are swishing through colored water. Those who really like adventure sports or aircraft can choose from a wide array of moving images and clips of death-defying stunts. Screensavers can also be slide shows that have various pictures of movie celebrities, sportspersons and politicians.

However, some precautions need to be taken before downloading Screensavers. The most important one is that Screensavers must be downloaded from trusted sites. It’s also always a good idea to scan Screensavers for viruses and other potentially dangerous elements, such as spyware and adware. If an anti-virus is already installed on the system, a right click enables a menu which provides for a ‘scan with…’ option. This option can be selected and left-clicked to check the selected download before double-clicking it and installing it.

Sometimes Screensavers are extremely graphic-intensive. This means that they contain so many graphics that they are huge files. Huge files take a lot of space on the computer when they run, and make the computer work so much harder and so much faster than normal that the computer freezes. Then the computer needs to be restarted and all the unsaved information on the computer — such as open files that were being worked on before the Screensaver was activated – is lost.

Some Screensavers also make the hard drive of the computer crash, causing irretrievable data loss. Therefore, it is important for users to download Screensavers that are compatible with the configuration of their computers. This means that the speed of the processor in the computer, and the free space on it, should be sufficient for the Screensaver to be downloaded, installed and run.

Many users like to create their own Screensavers, often with the visuals and audio of their choice. Some software applications facilitate this. Out of these, some can be freely downloaded from the Internet. However, these should be downloaded only from trusted sites, and should be supported by the configuration of the user’s computer. Once downloaded, these should also be scanned for viruses and other common infections. When installed, these programs enable the user to combine images, video clips and audio clips to create a personalized Screensaver, sometimes even for circulation amongst friends and family.

A Guide To CAD Software

CAD, or Computer-Aided Design, refers to a number or suite of computer software tools used in design applications such as architecture, engineering, and manufacturing. The main purpose of CAD is to produce neat, precise, comprehensive, and safe technical drawings and outlines in order to represent an idea, scheme, or concept—better known as an automated system for the design, drafting, and display of graphically oriented information. From simple tasks such as making blueprints of electrical and plumbing installations, CAD can be used to perform complex calculations such as that of the wind drag on new car-body designs.

Initially, when CAD systems came out, they were simply known as automated drafting systems. Today, they include a whole range of software, from 2D vector-based drafting systems to 3D parametric-surface and solid-design modelers. The importance of CAD technology has now been recognized in almost every industry. For example, in the medical field, CAD is widely used by radiologists as “a second pair of eyes” when reading mammograms. Basically, radiologists activate the CAD software after reviewing a mammogram and then re-evaluate the marked area(s) before issuing a final report.

CAD is also extensively used in fields such as Architecture, Engineering, and Construction; Mechanical Computer-Aided Design such as Automotive, Aerospace, Consumer Goods, Machinery, and Ship Building; Electronic and Electrical; and Manufacturing-process planning.

The biggest CAD software companies include Autodesk, Dassault Systemes, PTC, and UGS Corp. Software packages range from 2D drafting systems such as AutoCAD and Microstation; mid-range 3D solid-feature modelers such as SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Alibre; and high-end 3D hybrid systems CATIA and NX.

A Guide To Brazil

After the Cold War, political power in the world had become more distributed among more countries other than the United States and the Soviet Union, which has led to the emergence of major powers. A major power is a country or a state that is powerful enough to influence events throughout the world. The international media follows its actions, which is a sign of its vast political influence. Some examples of major powers include the United Kingdom, Russia, France, Japan, China, India and Germany. These countries exert influence over other countries and their actions can affect other countries as well. Among them, China and India have been considered as potential Superpowers.

Brazil as an emerging major power

In South America, an emerging major power is Brazil. This is because the country matches almost all the criteria of being a major power, which includes its population, considered to be the fifth largest in the world. Another criterion that Brazil is able to match is that it is an important commodity producer (minerals and agriculture). Brazil is also one of the worldx92s largest democracies and there are relatively few serious internal disputes. In recent times, Brazil has also been considered a leader among developing countries in the World Trade Organization especially on issues on agriculture. Alongside with Japan and Germany, Brazil is also claiming a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and it has also contributed to various peacekeeping missions around the world. More importantly, Brazil has the ninth largest GDP in the world and its economy is industrialized, which makes it an important player in capital markets.

However, there are some issues that hinder Brazil from being considered a major power such as having a large portion of its population living in poverty and having a poorly equipped military. It also has limited influence in international organizations as compared to other major powers and its economy is not considered strong enough to have considerable effect on the world economy. Lastly, the country has still not developed nuclear weapons, which is an important criterion for countries to be considered a major power.

Brazil can be considered an emerging major power because it can match most of the criteria of other major powers such as China and India. However, there are still some issues like poverty and a poorly equipped military that Brazil needs to address for it to be fully considered a major power.

3D Digital Art

3D digital art has certainly come a long way from its obscure beginnings. Nowadays, you find it everywhere x96 in print, web and television advertisements, in movies, etc. But what exactly is digital art?

The technology of 3D digital art

3D Digital art is a very young field, and more research and formal training is needed before schools can offer it as a viable study. So far, 3D digital art software has managed to create impressive 3D images, but more functionality needs to be incorporated. Software developers are continuously working to delve into the vast potential of 3D digital media.

Many digital 3D artists are involved improving the application of 3D digital software’s light and shadow effects on objects. Most 3D artists also create straight from their imagination ’surreal’ or impossible objects. Their output is often times seen in movies and on the Internet.

3D digital imaging is a long process. When you create one 3D digital face, it can literally take months x96 even with the help of software such as Corel Bryce 3D, Adobe Photoshop, Curious Labs Poser, Jasc PSP and other painting programs. The technique of ‘modeling’ is particularly hard to master. It takes months and sometimes years for the best digital artists to achieve ‘broadcast quality’ looks.

Spline control is another particularly complicated area of 3D digital imaging. Before going into such advanced techniques, digital art students must be well versed in the fundamentals of LightWave 3D, as well as basic modeling skills. They should be very good at selecting and modifying points and polygons, determining framing and motion paths, basic surfacing and image mapping.

3D Desktop Wallpaper

In computers, 3D (three-dimensional) means an image that provides the perception of depth. If such images are made interactive and the users become involved with the scene, the experience is described as virtual reality. For viewing and interacting with 3D images, you normally require a special plug-in viewer for your web browser. To gain the experience of virtual reality, more equipment may also be necessary. The process of creating 3D images can be divided into three phases: tessellation, geometry, and rendering. In the first phase of tessellation, models are made of individual objects using linked points that are made into a number of individual polygons or tiles. In the second phase, the polygons are transformed in various ways and subjected to lighting effects. In the third and final stage, the transformed images are rendered into objects with intricate detail.

Digital Blasphemy is one of the most popular websites for 3D computer wallpapers, created by Ryan Bliss and contributors. Images are available free in versions typically up to 1024×768 resolution, while access to a dedicated server containing higher -resolution images is available to members for an annual fee.

Among its various artistic styles are computer-generated planetscapes, fractal terrain, space scenes, abstract patterns, and Poser-generated humanoid characters. The image of particle systems created with the help of complex computer-generated lighting effects is one of its most famous offerings.

Its free gallery is updated with new wallpaper each month. Subscribers can download new wallpapers more frequently, and have free access to its complete collection of 3D wallpapers created over the last eight years, which comprise more than 600 images, including Widescreen, Dual-Monitor, and Triple-Monitor versions of some wallpapers. If you like, you can be a member of other sites like MikeBonnell.com. They will also offer you attractive 3D desktop wallpapers, some for free.

3D Architectural Rendering

3D architectural rendering, as the name itself suggests, is a three-dimensional view of an object. In this context we mean a building or a house you want constructed. A 3D view is definitely more expressive and exciting than a 2D view because 3D architectural rendering gives you the opportunity to play with your imagination to get a more realistic, imaginative, and comprehensive impression of what you require in your building.

3D architectural rendering is possible by using a rendering module to view your project from various aspects or angles, and then make modifications accordingly. 3D rendering is generated by the computer in the form of virtual images, which are created with the help of original designs. Virtual images give you the same experience or the feel of the place as if you were actually present there. You can see the house in all its details, its ceilings, walls, floors, doors, fixtures, furniture and the surrounding landscape. You can even manipulate the pictures and the animated or moving videos forward and backward, to get the required look.

3D architectural rendering requires a great amount of technical expertise in animation or multimedia manipulation. 3D architectural rendering, made possible by computer-aided design, is both creative and time saving. This is especially true when you think of altering models made manually. The 3D architectural renderings can also be presented in form of the digital photographs.

3D presentations are more costly as compared to other forms of presentations. This is because of the complex technologies involved in preparing them. The manually drawn illustrations or models are time consuming, while the 3D presentations are quickly created without the need to acquire different materials, colors, paints or brushes and allow better interactivity between the designer and the owner. Changes, if required, can therefore be incorporated immediately. Even after the model is finally approved, the new ideas, if any, can also be incorporated at later stages. The various aspects of the buildings, including rooms, stairs, lifts, surroundings, color schemes, paints and designs can be presented in form of videos in great detail, which is not possible in manually created models.

3D Animation

3D animation deals with electronically produced computer-generated 3D imagery used in motion graphics and digital special effects. In this case, the animator creates a design style or concept that tries to visually interpret and convey the required information using both new and traditional animation techniques.

The 3D animator will have to be well-acquainted with 3D animation applications and software, film and video production techniques, production processes, digital special effects, art and design movements and methodology, typography, styles of performance and dramatization, film and broadcast genres, technical scripting, health and safety regulations for the film and broadcast industry, and an understanding of budgeting and scheduling processes.

The job of the 3D animator is to design and realize original concepts, character and content creation. The animator, therefore, is responsible for devising and communicating creative ideas and accurate technical information. They have to provide the client with detailed estimates of costs, and work within the budget and schedule.

Each assignment will have different demands. So it is imperative that the animator should have a good knowledge and experience of animation software and broadcast processes, as well as a broad knowledge of technical scripting and digital technology used in broadcasting. The designer must be able to respond with innovative concepts and practical solutions for each assignment. The assignments may be of any kind, from designing a spinning top to re-creating mythical weapons.

To succeed in 3D animation, one must have a thorough understanding of computer-generated processes and applications to be able to achieve creative responses to design briefs within the restrictions of budget and deadline. He/she will be required to possess a passion for design, good communication skills and a good understanding of broadcast, special effects and character animation. Last but not least, he or she must enjoy working as a team member under pressure.

In addition to being able to demonstrate high standards of computer-generated imagery and animation techniques you will need to have a good knowledge of art and design movements and imagery, creative problem solving and innovation, and the understanding of how to deliver design concepts and processes.