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Art Information
Top Gifts For Painters

Top Gifts For Painters at Hampton Photo, Art and FramingWhen the holidays or birthday of a loved one approaches, the task of trying to figure out the right gift for your painter relative or friend can be a difficult one. The art world can seem like an insiders-only domain, one which can be daunting for someone who has never set foot into an art supply store. Since experimentation is an exciting task for most artists, don't be too afraid of buying the wrong thing. Art supplies can be very thoughtful and practical gift for any artist, budding or professional. Pairing supplies with an item your giftee might not have thought to buy, such as an unusual art book or painting medium, can result in the perfect gift for your painter.

 
Fine Art Printing

Fine Art Printing

 

 
Find the Right Paintbrush

Find The Right Paintbrush“A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.” - Michelangelo.

Sending an artist into an art store to pick out a paintbrush is like shoving a sweets-loving kid into a candy shop. Since there are a lot of choices out there, choosing the right paintbrush can be a tricky task for a new artist. What some beginners don’t realize is that the real art begins when you go “outside the box” to select your paintbrushes. If you allow yourself to be too strictly confined to picking the “right” brush, you may never paint in the way that’s right for you.

How does the new artist make a selection when they all look so good? First, it’s good to know some general background knowledge about paintbrushes. Most paintbrushes are either natural bristle brushes or synthetic bristle brushes. Although some may insist that the natural bristle brushes are better, it really depends on the artist’s preference and painting style.

 
Drawing Supplies

Hampton Photo, Arts and Framing: Drawing SuppliesWhether you’re an artist or just a beginner, Hampton Photo, Arts and Framing in Bridgehampton, NY. has everything you need. We offer drawing pencils, charcoal, pens and ink, pastels and drawing pads and art paper to suit every purpose and budget. Read on to find out more about Hampton Photo, Arts and Framing and what we can do for you.

 
Learning to Paint Watercolors

Watercolor is an easy, fun medium for creating art.  Color theory, composition and design can be explored freely with watercolor paint, paper, and brushes.  Several techniques may be used with watercolors for varying effects including painting wet on wet, wet on dry, layering washes, and more.

Watercolor paper comes in cold press, hot press, and rough.  Rough paper has the most texture, and its hills and valleys can result in interesting effects when paint is added.  Hot press is the smoothest and has the finest texture.  Cold press has a moderate amount of texture and is the paper most commonly chosen by watercolor artists.

Watercolor paper comes in several weights ranging from 90 lb. to 300 lb. based on the pounds per ream of paper.  Most artists prefer to use at least 140 lb. paper.  Papers vary somewhat between manufacturers, so sampling different papers is advisable.  Paper can be purchased in pads, in blocks or in large sheets.  The large sheets are usually the most economical and can be torn into whatever size is desired.

 
Drawing with Pastels

Drawing with PastelsThe Nature of Soft Pastels
Pastes are very soft in texture, and can be easily blended, either with a finger or a cotton ball. They come in a huge range of vibrant, strong colors and are water-soluble. Pastels are ideal for creating quick, Impressionist-style work, and they are used for both drawing and coloring. It is possible to use the length of the pastel to make broad slabs of color, or a sharp corner to draw, as you would with a pencil. The technique does create a lot of pastel dust, and finished pictures benefit from being sprayed with fixative to seal them. Choice of paper is an integral part of pastel technique. Textured and colored papers will add interest to your work.

Preparation
Pastels create a lot of dust, so it is best to wear old clothes and cover your work-place with a plastic or disposable tablecloth. Ideally your paper should be taped onto a drawing board, which can then be angled to suit your posture. It is a good idea to have a jar of water, a watercolor brush and perhaps a knife for scraping the pastels, though none of these are essential. If you are indoors, make sure you have enough natural light.

 
Learn to Paint with Watercolors

Information courtesy of Winsor & Newton™

Watercolor InformationWe all envy those people who can paint or draw. Well, the secret is out – with a healthy desire and the right instruction, anyone can bring shape and life to ideas on paper. This article offers step-by-step instruction to help you get started.

Artists have enjoyed the charm of watercolors for many centuries. Constable, Cotman and Cezanne used them to great effect. Beginners, too, can get excellent results after a little practice; the medium has a lot to offer. Watercolor’s loveliest feature is its transparency. The white of the paper shines through the color, giving a feeling of light and sparkle to the picture.

When using watercolor, the two main things to remember are that you should always work from light to dark, unlike with poster paints and oils, and that if you want white in your picture you should normally use the white of the paper, i.e. leave it unpainted wherever you need some white.

 
Artist's Papers

Artists PapersWith water based products, achievable results rely almost as much on the paper surface as on the quality of the colour used.  The paper is an intrinsic part of the work. 

This is also true for oil based paintings.  It is essential therefore that the artist has a range of papers at hand which are of equal quality to his/her colour. This article discusses the criteria and terminology of artists’ papers to enable you to obtain

Paper Criteria
A paper must provide a suitable surface for painting or printmaking in terms of absorbency, colour and long-term stability.  The correct degree of absorbency [sizing] allows the colour to sit on the surface and reflect the maximum amount of light.  White papers produce the brightest images, whilst coloured papers are used for opaque or juxtaposition techniques.  Long term stability comes essentially from the papers being acid-free. that quality in the choice of your papers.

 
Understanding The Drying Times For Oil Paint

Oil Paints and Oil Painting InformationTraditional oil paints are bound with drying oils. This is what gives them their unique working properties and makes them much slower drying than water-based media.

A drying oil is a vegetable oil which dries by oxidation and there are many types including poppy seed oil and safflower oil among others. Linseed oil is the one used in the majority of oil paints because it dries to the most durable film.

What effects do drying times have on oil paintings?

The main effects are dependent on how you layer your paints. If done incorrectly, you could create damage to your artwork. For example when underpainting, if a faster-drying layer is applied over the top of oil underpainting, this will be pulled apart as the slower-drying colour contracts. This is also true of colours which only surface dry such as cobalt. For underpainting, we would recommend an underpainting white, alkyd white or flake white (in linseed oil) because of their quick and thorough drying time.

 
Winsor & Newton

Winsor & Newton has always been core to the world of art materials. It is as true now as it was when the company was founded in 1832, and they take their relationship with the artist very seriously. "Our founders, Henry Newton and William Winsor were involved with the leading artists of their time, J.M.W. Turner for example, and to this day, we strive to keep up with latest developments in the art world and take an active interest in what artists say."

"We have built our reputation on the quality and reliability of our products, combined with continual product development, improvement and innovation. However, while keeping true to the principles laid down by William Winsor and Henry Newton in the 1800’s, we actively embrace new ideas, new technologies and search the world for the best raw materials available. We proudly maintain our pledge of manufacturing “The World’s Finest Artists’ Materials” after all this time."

 
Varnishing Acrylic Paintings
Do you or don’t you? Does an acrylic painting need to be varnished? Judging from the calls and comments that we get on a daily basis, most artists think not. And those that think ‘yes’ are confused about the best technique or timing for varnishing. Since varnishing questions repeatedly come up as number one on our hit-parade of technical topics, it’s time to clear up a few misconceptions. Why varnish? It makes sense why most artists don’t varnish their acrylic paintings. After all, the surface dries quickly to a durable surface. It’s flexible. It can be wiped clean. So, acrylics don’t need that extra protection like oil paintings, right? Wrong.
 
Clean Up Time

This is always the worst part in an artist's life. The need to clean up the palettes, brushes, easels, and other odds and ends in the studio. It is actually rather easy if you know what you are doing.

The brushes are the first thing to address. This is when coffee cans come in handy. Filling them half full of turpentine or other paint solvent will allow the brushes to soak until you are done with everything else. Just drop them in, bristle first, right into the turpentine. We will get back to these in a moment.

 
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Canvas Printing

Printing on canvas is incredibly versatile and a great way to create a ready-to-hang image or artwork. Every canvas that we print  is protected with a UV coated acrylic finish to guard the print from dust, moisture and fading. Do you want your canvas stretched on bars or non-stretched? Framed or unframed? Customize the work to make it truly your own.

 
Art of Photography

Art of PhotographyPhotography is an amazing art form. A photograph album is a catalogue of life's history as seen through the camera. People, animals, nature, holidays, celebrations and even disasters are captured instantly and recorded as part of history. It is through the powerful presentations of photography that we better understand the progression of time and life. Hampton Photo Arts has over twenty years of experience working with photographers as they seek to capture and preserve the history of families and communities.

When families get together, both children and adults love to look through photograph albums. They enjoy seeing the childhood photos of older family members and compare themselves to ancestors who lived a hundred or more years ago. Photos are among the most important treasures of every family. They should not be faded and dull. They contain the smiles, tears and emotions of generations. The staff members at Hampton Photo Arts display excellence in the art of photography reproduction. They work with the highest quality materials. They know how to create family memories that will be just as beautiful one hundred years from now as they are today.

 
Learning to Paint Watercolors

Watercolor is an easy, fun medium for creating art.  Color theory, composition and design can be explored freely with watercolor paint, paper, and brushes.  Several techniques may be used with watercolors for varying effects including painting wet on wet, wet on dry, layering washes, and more.

Watercolor paper comes in cold press, hot press, and rough.  Rough paper has the most texture, and its hills and valleys can result in interesting effects when paint is added.  Hot press is the smoothest and has the finest texture.  Cold press has a moderate amount of texture and is the paper most commonly chosen by watercolor artists.

Watercolor paper comes in several weights ranging from 90 lb. to 300 lb. based on the pounds per ream of paper.  Most artists prefer to use at least 140 lb. paper.  Papers vary somewhat between manufacturers, so sampling different papers is advisable.  Paper can be purchased in pads, in blocks or in large sheets.  The large sheets are usually the most economical and can be torn into whatever size is desired.

 
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