Nude Madonna painting in auction

For those who love and idolize Madonna, this news might surely interest you. Guess what? There is an oil painting that is depicting Madonna in the nude together with her ex-husband Guy Ritchie which is under the hammer this week.

Several undressed portraits of this pop icon have been created by the acclaimed Scots artist Peter Howson.

We all know that the couple separated last year but the painting of Madonna and Guy was created in 2005.

This contemporary painting shows that the singer is reclining while the film director Guy has a hand on her thigh.

According to the McTear’s auction house in Glasgow, the work is expected to reach up to £22,000 once it becomes available for sale on Saturday.

Brian Clements, one of the auctioneers mentioned that there is no doubt that the recent split of Madonna and Guy has created increased interest in the painting.

Clements further stated: “The painting created a huge amount of controversy when it was unveiled a few years ago and I think it’s safe to say it is one of a kind.”

Among the past customers of this acclaimed painter include Mick Jagger and David Bowie.

If you remember, the marriage between Madonna and Guy’s began in 2000 and their wedding was like a fairytale as it took place at Skibo Castle in the Scottish Highlands. Unfortunately, it came to an end last November when the “quickie” divorce of the two was granted.

Custody of their two boys, Rocco and adopted son David Banda, is shared by the parents.

Other gallery paintings that might interest you can be seen in some abstract art gallery.

Acrylic Portrait Painting – Learning to Paint

Portrait painting is as popular as abstract art. When a person wants to paint a person, it takes practice to create a perfect painting. If you would be painting people or portraits by means of acrylics, you would be painting in layers. Despite the fact that you are building these layers, there is a tendency that you may be tempted to give up too soon. Nonetheless, provided that the features are properly placed, when you do paint portraits in acrylic, it just takes layers and patience.

You should get the person’s features accurately as this is most important first step when you create this contemporary painting. My suggestion is that you make use of the grid methods in doing this. For instance, let us assume that you are painting from a photo or picture. What you should do is to make use of a pencil and lightly draw a grid with equal squares on the painting surface. Next, make use of another grid and place over the photo. Most likely, the grid you make use over the photo is a much smaller one. Then on your canvas, draw the lines within each square that you see. You can also choose to draw smaller squares within squares if you want even more accuracy. Once you are able to create an accurate portrait painting, you can now erase the grid lines.

The second step is the foundation. What this foundation involves is the use of a thinned layer of paint for the person’s skin tone. The consistency of your painting should be similar to a water color. This is what they call as the under painting. What you should first do is to water down the flesh colored paint and then establish the whole skin area. Thereafter, add layer upon layer up to the point that you are able to build your shadows or highlights. You can do this by reducing the amount of water that you add or you can choose to make use of the paint full strength. You are on the right path if you see the pencil lines of the facial features.

The next thing that you should do is to make use of a darker flesh color and paint for the lines of the facial feature. Imagine that you are painting in the lines similar to a coloring book. Once you finish the features of the eyes, eyebrows, nose, nostrils including the mouth, you can now work on the final layers of the finished painting. This is the final layers of the painting that actually brings it to life.

Carefully scrutinize your reference photo. Take note of where the shadows are. Add the shadows layer by layer. For the reason that you are painting a portrait, adding red as well as blue shouldn’t be something that you should be afraid of in order to mimic flesh color. In order to make features appear stick out, you should add some highlights. For instance, very bright highlights are usually placed on the nose. Also, if you want to emphasize the roundness of cheeks, chins as well as the center of the forehead, you can add a few layers of whitened flesh color. A touch of pure white may be your last bit.

Finally, your final pure white highlights are the last thing for your portrait. A person’s lips are usually moist, thus, a touch of pure white might be necessary. Also in a person’s eye, almost always, a touch of pure white is necessary where the light is reflecting.

Bear in mind that painting people takes practice. As previously mentioned, when you paint people or portraits in acrylics, you do painting in layers. If your first few portraits don’t turn out as good as what you expected, don’t get frustrated. All you need to do is to practice and practice. Just have fun and enjoy every moment while you are learning to paint. Sooner or later, your work will be among those gallery paintings exhibited.

Abstract Art Sculptures

Other than abstract art paintings, abstract art can likewise be created through sculptures. These sculptures are generally designed to imitate organic shapes that exist in the artist’s environment or inside their mind. Through these shapes, a non-representational interpretation of an emotional, physical, or metaphysical theme is created. What separates the masters of this art form from the amateurs is their ability to express emotions and reactions with their work.

Once your interest includes abstract art sculptures, it might be better if you educate yourself about the said area of abstract art. Also, you should also know the area of sculpture. You should try learning about the various schools of sculpture. Scrutinize abstract sculptures personally by taking time to visit local art museum or you might find some in abstract art gallery. In case you don’t have any art museum in your place, try going online and browsing the website of a quality museum. Lots of existing museums provide photo tours of their most recent collections and displays. This is a choice that can help you in understanding how varied abstract art sculptures can be.

Once you have finished learning about abstract art sculptures, you are now ready for shopping for your very own sculptures. You should take into consideration several factors before you purchase a certain sculpture.

First, of course, you should take a look at the price. Usually, the price variation of abstract sculptures is between $100 and hundreds of thousands of dollars. It depends on the material used, the size, the artist and the gallery that is exhibiting the artwork. If you have a fixed budget, then you can choose smaller abstract pieces. You can purchase them in garage sales, flea markets and special art sales. When there are student art sales, it would be great as you can obtain a unique piece of art at an affordable rate. Also, consider the following factors before deciding on which sculpture you should purchase: the look of the piece, the size of the piece as well as the materials used to form the piece.

Abstract Art of Indian Artists

One Indian contemporary abstract artist said: “Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult. It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and for colours, and that you be a true poet. This last is essential.” – He is Wassily Kandinsky Contemporary and his abstract art paintings are becoming popular not only in India but also abroad.

Over the last couple of years, the market for this area of abstract art has been picking up in a more strenuous manner. As mentioned, the number of persons who are buying abstract arts did not only increase in India but also internationally. In fact, it even includes Europe, US, Australia, China, Singapore, Mauritius and Japan. Although there is only a limited number of abstract artists in India, these artists enjoyed exclusivity, not only in India and internationally.

The Economics Times have reported that the abstract work of artists such as Harshvardana, Manish Pushkale, Sujata Bajaj and Kishor Shinde have attained price ranges of between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh. The artists that are leading from the front are Raza, Gaitonde and Swaminathan. Following them are Laxman Shrestha, Prabhakar Kolte, Rajendra Dhawan, Ambadas, and Ganesh Haloi. Akhilesh, Sujata Bajaj, Seema Ghurayya, Sheetal Gattani, Vanita Gupta and Manish Pushkale are the painters of the third generation.

As repeatedly mentioned, the form of art that is entirely non-objective or non-representational is abstract art. Such form of art is one without a recognisable subject. Also, it does not relate to anything external or does not even “look like” something. In its place, the subject of the abstract painting is its colour and form as well as the materials and support.

Abstract art is a contemporary art that is most commonly understood as a phenomenon of 20th century. The same appeared virtually at the same time, which is in the year 1911, traversing the borders and continents of the cultures dynamically taking part in Western culture. Consequently, the first Modernist abstract painter cannot be pinpointed.

The spot may be given to the American Arthur Dove, Robert Delaunay in Paris or the Russians Wassily Kandinsky or Kasimir Malevich. It may also pinpoint to the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, Balla in Italy, Franz Kupka, and a lot more. Instead of having an individual invention, what appeared to be the cultural phenomenon is an abstraction in Modernist painting.

For the mere fact that the prices of the master abstractionists reached very expensive levels, the middle as well as the younger generation are now being known all over the world and pushing forward on the price front. You will be able to see the great artworks of these master abstractionists in lots of available abstract art gallery.

Abstract Art as Therapy

When we speak of abstract art, we are not just referring to paintings where colourful meaningless patterns and arbitrary shapes are combined.

I suppose there is a specific therapeutic value that can be found in almost all mysterious marks created by the extremely different styles existing at present. The decision that each and every member of the audience appears to be the most important decision to make as regards the choosing of the suitable artwork. You should not take such making of decisions lightly or quickly.

This is so because any person within the vast spectrum of individual audiences is covered. A busy boardroom environment or probably a single office or room where you must think and react fast and later make a serious decision is an example. Also, the audience covers a worker who goes back from a difficult day at work just because he wants to be visually massaged by a simply observed enigma. In fact, it may also cover the space where anxious and mostly misinterpreted persons who are slowly losing their uncertain hold on the sense of reality. There are marvellous varieties of situations that can possibly happen.

You might want to consider the following as some suggested associations coming from a single artist’s point of view:

One obvious healing and therapeutic role that can be found in a cautiously chosen crafted piece is color. It can’t be denied that a colour-field work is becoming more and more popular. Such idea was first conceived by artists such as Ellsworth Kelly and Mark Rothko.

The wide areas of empty colour space that they make use of have the possibility of adding a general feeling of peace and quiet to what we normally see as noisy and hectic environment. Because there are only a very few variations that is present in a large image a gentle sense of immersion into abstract stillness for instance, your way of any fretful or erratic thinking might be slowed down. Nonetheless, it would be able to assist you with the adrenal challenge of creativity.

There are a lot of paintings where indefinite shapes or patterns are made use of like the abstract art paintings of Peter Lanyon, Jackson Pollock, and Howard Hodgkin. The said paintings provide a very positive connection. In fact, it may lure a person’s mind which is filled with irrational thoughts to pause and then just take in the noticeable spontaneity, and thereafter take another direction.

The style of Hodgkin can be witnessed as puzzle like canvases where the person observing has no real point of reference. This way, they said observer is free to “start” wherever wants in a picture. For the mere fact that only very few defined areas are present, there are times that the observer unavoidably finds himself. He may either choose a piece with little emotion, and thereafter can unlimitedly make a comment, regardless of it being positive or not.

It can’t likewise be denied that loads of images can most likely incite a negative response. On the other hand, the painting may also be a great value to the observer. We might not know that he is actually benefiting from just looking at such a challenging picture where something bad is associated.

You might find it better if the painting hangs on the wall rather than inside the head. In this case, the normal association of the color red is for blood and danger, while black is for death and sin. Also, brown is regarded as for decay and illness.

These including the dramatic lines and movements appearing in a painting are equally valuable factors once disclosed within the proper environment. This time, we go back to the point made at the beginning and that is selecting a picture and then making a very careful so that one work of art that speaks unswervingly to the very innermost parts of the viewer or observer can be found.

Kate Moss in the Nude for Boyfriend’s Painting, as the Face of Rimmel

Here’s another celebrity who is into nude painting. What’s interesting about this celebrity is that she is posing nude in order to support his boyfriend.

Yes, we are talking about Kate Moss who is playing a supportive girlfriend for boyfriend her Jamie Hince. James was reported to have become a keen artist and he had planned an exhibition for his work. Guess who is posing nude for “The Kills” guitarist and who is willing to have her portrait exhibited. Well, as previously mentioned, she’s the supermodel Kate Moss who was recently been included in Forbes’ annual list of the World’s Top-Earning Models of 2008.

According to a source of the Sunday Mirror, Jamie has done a selection of paintings, and among his gallery paintings would include that one of Kate, and plans to exhibit in a gallery after The Kills have finished touring. The date and place of the art exhibition of Jamie has not yet been disclosed.

It can be remembered that Moss was reported to have been replaced by singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor as the high-profile face of make-up giant Rimmel as the latter was considered as the perfect choice for the brand since the company is looking for a younger model.

This is what a source of the Sunday Mirror has to say: “Kate Moss has been fantastic but Rimmel wanted a new, fresh face. Sophie was the obvious choice. She is sexy and savvy with flawless skin and bags of attitude. She’s admired by young girls, she’s also a yummy mummy and men think she’s gorgeous.” If she is that yummy and gorgeous, Jamie Hince did not make the wrong decision in painting his girlfriend nude. This is another contemporary painting that one should look forward to seeing.

How to Get Started With Face Painting

You might have heard of face painting already. If you have seen how interesting such paintings are, you might want to learn how to do so. Probably, you would want to see your painting bring joy and delight to young children during your child’s birthday party. Or probably, you would also want to become a professional face painter.

Other than the fact that face painting can indeed be a very fun and fulfilling job, it also requires a lot of hard work.

For beginners, here’s how to get started.

Among the most excellent ways of learning is to take a face painting class. The problem is it is not that easy to search for a face painting class nearby. There are times that face and body painting classes are offered in college. There are also some face painting classes being held during certain events. Nonetheless, you might find searching through Google for “face painting class + your area” helpful as someone might be willing to give you some tuition.

If what you really want to be knowledgeable of is about advanced face painting techniques, among the most effective ways to learn is through classes. This is true most especially if you want to develop your painting skills fast.

In case you failed to search for face painting classes in your area, you might also try face painting instructional books to learn.

You will be able to search for a whole host of books to do with face painting if you search a popular book site like Amazon. It is advisable that you go over the reviews so that you will know which book is best suited for you.

You can also learn face painting through instructional videos. Obviously, the best benefit that videos have over books is that you can actually observe how something is done in a video. Compare this to the act of just reading about it.

However, if you have already got some face painting skills, what you just need to do is to have a little face painting experience so that you can improve your confidence.

If in case you want to know how you can quickly get lots of practice, here’s how. Just call your local children’s school and tell them your offer of doing free face painting in one afternoon. Although you are not 100% sure if they would agree or not, most likely, they will be very eager to allow you to do this if you aren’t charging anything. Now you know how to quickly gain experience powerfully. Moreover, you might find great painting ideas on abstract art paintings. If you are interested in this new cool idea, try visiting any abstract art gallery.

How to Make a Hand-Painted Oil Painting

Are you looking for the best birthday gift for your most beloved? Giving something which was personally created by you would be more appreciated. One great thing that you can do is to make your own work of art. Surely, your gift will always be remembered and worth it because of the fact that you have exerted an effort to make it beautiful. You can choose to create hand-painted oil paintings as it is easy and really artistic.

The first thing that you should do is to buy the necessary materials such as canvas, paint palette, oil paint, and varnish. Make sure that the materials you have bought are of good quality so that you can assure yourself that that they would not affect the nature of your hand painting. The next thing that should be done by you is to know your piece. There may be a lot of ideas that may come bursting into your mind, thus, you should convince yourself of your target so that you will not be wasting your time and effort. In case you wish to give your contemporary painting to someone you really love, you might want to choose something that would remind them of you. On the other hand, if you would like to do it just as a hobby and that you want to gather the outcome in your home, you could begin with what comes first into your mind.

It would be easier to do a hand-painted oil painting if what you are doing are abstract art paintings. What you can simply do is to move your hand and stroke it in the way that you would like your oil painting to appear. However, if what you are doing is a more detailed art work such as particular landscapes or human images, it is advised that you be careful in each stroke. Abstract oil paintings can be best created using the hand. Make sure that the colors that you make use of could augment your hand painting more.

John Salminen’s Abstract Paintings

For the January-February 2009 issue of The Artist’s Magazine, John Salminen’s realistic evocations of the city that are rendered in watercolour were showcased. Another thing that was revealed about Salminen is that he also paints in the abstract idiom. For such types of pictures, he makes use of acrylics or mixed water media. You might be interested on how these two bodies of work, the realistic depictions of the urban scene in water color and abstract expressionist paintings in acrylic and other media harmonize with one another.

Here’s what the famous John Salminen has to say. He said that he do move back and forth between the two styles. If he is searching for urban street scenes that he can make realistic through his paintings, he searches through the viewfinder of the camera with the intent of finding that perfect design or composition. Most often than not, when he get the photographs back, he finds that they are close but not exactly what he had envisioned. Thus, he has to take, for instance, some figures from another photograph and incorporate them. Once the process of planning the composition is finalized, he then obtains a pretty good idea on how he wants his painting to look. Such painting process turns out to be a slow march toward this known goal.

He also said that when he does a mixed media abstract expressionist painting, he has no idea on how his painting is going to end up. In the end, it always comes as a surprise to him. What the course of the painting is the painting itself. Overall, it appears that the two processes are the same however the end results are very different. In his realist paintings, John said that he has a very clear idea of where he wants that painting to end up. On the other hand, in his abstract art paintings, he said that he really has no idea on what the painting is going to look like when it’s completed. He further stated: “The processes complement one another beautifully, and the abstract painting, pure abstraction, strengthens what I’m able to do when I paint realistically. What I’m forced to do with the realistic painting ends up being a technical contribution to the abstract painting.” He also said that he thinks the two styles at least have become a continuation of the same process, even if the end results of the two look very different. Catch his remarkable paintings in his abstract art gallery.

Recycled Art – Incorporating Collage into Your Artwork

Are you looking for some items that you can incorporate into your paintings? Try looking around your studio or garage. Surely, you would be amazed at the items that you will find. As for me, recycling my work is something that I enjoy. At times, there are certain paintings that don’t work out; hence, the first thing that come to mind is to throw it away because of disgust. This might be an improper thing to do because when you actually cut it into 3 or 4 sections, you will find that each section can look startling particularly when included with other chosen and cropped pieces. What you can do is to combine the pieces almost as if it were a new puzzle. In order to create a perfect whole, you have to decipher which pieces fit together.

In addition, you can also make use of magazine images or recycled newspaper images. Take note however that you have to be careful of copyrights with regards to the magazine images. There are also other collage additions that you can make use of such as nails, fabric and beads, wood and some other materials for as long as you believe that they would make art work more interesting. Thereafter, your art work will appear as a mixed media piece.

When you do incorporate some other elements into your work, you will be able to create textures and volume. When a viewer sees it, he or she will feel new sensations. In fact, aside from looking at the painting, he or she might want touch the work. If you combine different mediums and 3-dimensional objects together, usually, you will be able to create a mood that could not have been attained in any other way. The painting journeys from areas of focus to areas of texture. This attaches an element of mystery for the reason that the story is not totally presented. When you have non-specific texture, mystery is created.

Quality is also something that your artwork should have. This is so because when it would be complicated to make something which is exceptional and good-looking if the materials you are using are substandard products. Thus, it is best to use the best. Make use of the best cropped pieces originating from your old not-so-perfect paintings.

Another benefit that this artwork provides is that fact that when you make use of recycled objects or cropped paintings in creating your art piece, you are likewise helping and protecting the environment for the mere fact that you are not throwing things into the landfills. As soon as you are able to build up a comprehension of the possibilities and limitations of your materials, the door to the creation of contemporary paintings with greater freedom and confidence shall open. Visit any abstract art gallery for additional motivation and inspiration.