Posted by Carl on Dec 26, 2008 in
Good Going
Beginning to paint watercolor may be odd and trying at first, more so if one is accustomed to more opaque mediums. Since watercolor is transparent you must decide from the very beginning where the areas of white will be in your painting. I’ve gotten a lot of information from reading on the Arts and Music In Depth Blog. If anyone is new at this like me, a good (maybe the best) overview I’ve seen is at http://www.johnlovett.com/beginer.htm.
For me, one of the best tips given is:
“Your drawing will look better if the most interesting part ( called the centre of interest ) is not placed along either of the pages centre lines. The strongest tonal ( light / dark ) contrast should be placed at the centre of interest. Have some areas of the drawing less detailed than others. Try and keep most of the detail in the area of the centre of interest.
“To gain confidence, practice drawing on large sheets of cheap paper with a soft (5B or 6B) pencil, charcoal, or pastel pencil. Stand up, work on a vertical surface (or surface at right angles to your line of vision) and move your arm from the shoulder. Work from large and bold to fine and detailed. Only the final finishing off needs to be done with small, tight hand movements.”
I’m afraid my talent is quite lacking, but I’m going to give it my best! They say that practice makes perfect, and I believe that is true. But free time for practice is an essential element that I have very little of. Perhaps I need to enroll in a course in ‘time management’. If only I had time to take the course! Of course I’ll keep watching the Arts and Music In Depth Blog for any other info I can use.
There is one question that I can’t seem to find the answer to – can I use oil and/or acrylic brushes to do watercolors? I know that brushes are packaged for different uses. However, it seems to me that for all practical purposes one could use those other brushes for watercolors. But perhaps I am missing something something, so I’ll keep searching for a definitive answer. Wish me luck!
Posted by Carl on Dec 26, 2008 in
Good Going
Food Preparation Guidelines
If you’d like to change your merely decent cooking skills into something fantastic, it might be as simple as listening to a couple of great cooking tips. Cooking suggestions help you side step the many problems in cooking and make dish preparation easier. You don’t have to have the most experience, the best patience, or a wealth of knowledge, as a few small suggestions can make you look like master chef in no time. In order to improve your skills, try a few of the following cooking suggestions.
Tips On Food Safety
Always buy fresh is rule number one in getting great tasting food. Food items in the supermarket or produce market should be double checked for ripeness so you can get the most fresh item available. While many packaged foods include an expiration date located on the container, most foods such as fruits and vegetables, must be looked over individually. Always familiarize yourself with the general produce that is available, and be able of spotting quality produce in whatever market you shop it. Any meat that you purchase – be it beef, poultry, or fish – should be fresh as well. Refrigerating all the mats until you are done with them and cleaning all utensils that come in contact with the meat are two other additional tips.
Cooking your meats thoroughly and making sure they reach a safe temperature is essential. Make sure that you cook your meats to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F. and use a cooking thermometer to check this. Likewise, if you are preparing a chilled food, you should do so at a temperature that is less than 40 degrees F.
It Gets So Much Easier With the Right Tools
As you probably know, a good mechanic always uses the right tools to fix a car. Knowing this, you probably agree that it is an important cooking suggestion to keep your kitchen stocked with items that help you make dishes quickly and efficiently. What exactly you need depends on what kinds of dishes you want to prepare, but knives, pots, pans, and measuring cups are standard, and most dishes require the use of a blender or a food processor as well.
Use a professional cookware set when in the kitchen. Many popular chefs prefer professional cast iron cookware sets or the copper cookware set.
Healthy Cooking
Many people believe that low fat food is automatically tasteless. This is absolutely false – in fact, low fat cooking can be colorful, vibrant and extremely tasty. The trick is to use a variety of fresh spices, herbs, olive oil and put some thought into the dishes you choose. Use a small amount of oil with lean cuts of beef and pork, and you can make almost any meal low fat. Generally chicken, turkey, and fish are great options for any low fat dishes, and you will likely save calories also.
Selecting What to Drink
One of the best cooking suggestions you can get is to remember that you need a great beverage to go along with your meal. Even an otherwise dull meal can be spiced up with a great beverage. The tone and flavor of your meal can be changed drastically through adding wine, sparkling mineral water, or perhaps a cocktail.
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