Table of
Contents
DIY: Plush Bird Local Artist Spotlight: Melvin Morris What is the Staff Up To? Artist Spotlight: Edgar Degas Art Form Spotlight: Sculpture FanARTic Adventures: Episode 7 Birthstone Creations Coloring Page Sarcastic Designer v. Vague Client: Episode 5 Word Search Photoshop Fun: How to Create a Spot Color Image FanARTic’s Cosplay Progress Submission Guidelines
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DIY: Plush Bird Hello, FanARTics! Today’s DIY is something fun for those of you who enjoy sewing. I have been wanting to try my hand at something plush and started looking for some ideas. I found a design similar to this online for making a plush bird. Here’s what you need: Cardstock or something similar to draw your template Fabric (choose more for a bigger bird, less for a smaller one) Thread and needle (keep in mind that your stitches will be visible) Scissors for the template and fabric scissors Stuffing Pencil Marker
Step 1
First make the template for the body, wings, and tail feather. You can also do a beak if you would like. Drawing it is another option depending on your preference and fabric. I adjusted the template and went with a body color and accent color. The pieces you need to draw on your template are: 1 body piece 4 wing pieces (2 body color, 2 accent) 2 tail feather pieces (1 body, 1 accent)
Step 2
Cut out the pieces and trace the design onto the fabric. Then cut the fabric into pieces.
Step 3
Sew the body together. Make sure to sew the edges together so that there are 3 sides and a bottom.
Step 4
Sew the wing pieces together, right sides together. Leave an opening so you can turn the wing right side out.
Step 5
Sew the tail feather pieces together, using the same process as with Step 4.
Step 6
Sew the wings to either side of the bird. Choose a seam on the body to represent the bird’s back side, and sew the wings on both sides of that seam.
Step 7
Sew the tail to the back seam.
Step 8
It’s time to give this little guy a face! I used a sharpie to draw mine on, but you can use fabric if you like. And you’re done!
I hope you enjoyed this month’s DIY! Please be sure to like our Facebook page and check out our former editions of FanARTic Magazine for more DIYs. See you next month!
Local Artist Spotlight Melvin Morris Where are you from, and where do you live now? I’m from Peoria, Illinois, and I currently live in Lumberton, North Carolina. What is your favorite art form? Why? I love painting; however, being someone who loves the entire process of creating, from the mental aspect to the physical work and finally enjoying the finished product I can’t say I have a favorite form because creating a work of art, for me, is utilizing whatever form is needed to make the work of art successful. Where do you like to create your art? Mainly, alone in my studio space which once was an empty room in my home. Then it moved to the garage, which offered more room to work but during the winter months it wasn’t as productive because of the cold. Working in the campus studio during my college years was a great experience. Allowing others to see my process was beneficial because it forced me to talk more about my work and receive very critical and constructive criticism. Do you practice many different forms or do you prefer just one? Well, as I stated before, whatever form is necessary to produce a successful work is the form in which I will work; however, for me, painting has mainly been a preferred starting point. Having done commission work, it will also depend on what the individual wants. I’ve been noted as being a mixed media artist because of the various forms in which I‘ve worked in. For example, drawing, digital, painting, and aspects of sculpture were all incorporated in several of my works. So, to get back to the question, I do practice other forms. There are times when one form will work successfully but many times incorporating other forms allows the viewer to “experience” my work and approach it with curiosity. Where/Who do you draw inspiration from and why? Whenever I approach my work, I will say 90 percent is inspired from within and 10 percent is mental. My personal past along with traumatic events from the African American culture have always inspired me. Examining the creativity and how other artists convey their own truth or their own creative impulses pushes me to continue tapping into my own personal creativity. What is your favorite subject to incorporate? Hmmm…one of my favorite artists is Aaron Douglas. He has been called the father of African American art. His illustrations, murals, and paintings of the life and history of people of color depict an emerging black American in a powerfully personal way. So for me to incorporate subjects that uplift the spirit, mind and body could easily be found in some of my work. It’s important for me to draw from my past so that I can show my own emergence as an African American artist.
Do you have a website or Facebook page? Melvin Morris Art on Facebook and Inner Peace Center for the Arts is my business page that I am working on but is not up just yet. I’m working on a webpage for my new gallery as well! Do you have any specific works you have done that are your favorites? Why? I did a white and black charcoal drawing of my daughter and a triptych depicting the journey of an African American during the 1800’s. BUT my favorites are the ones that I’ve sold to individuals that genuinely love and support my work! Did you formally study art? If so, what was your major specifically? I was fortunate enough to study art later in life and graduated from UNCP with a BA in art. I concentrated in painting with a secondary in sculpture. Why do you create artwork? What caused you to begin making art? As far as I can recall, I’ve always been into art! I do specifically remember winning a drawing contest around the 3rd or 4th grade, which from that point on I sought to enlighten people about me through my art. What/who’s art do you most identify with? I appreciate all art forms; Visual and Performing arts. I recently attended my first dinner theater event and absolutely loved it! What subjects inspire your artwork (people, places, thoughts, etc.)? Life itself inspires my work! The good, bad, and the ugly; the joy, frustration and the pain; the simple, complex and the mute; the mind, body and the soul. What is the main challenge you face when beginning a piece of art? I say this with great humility but starting a work is never a struggle for me because I don’t approach any work without having a vision and plan to execute it. It’s during the process that I have challenges because I’m trying to visually create a message that the viewer can experience. How has art influenced other aspects of your life? Art is a big part of my life even more now with the start of my new art venture. I love being able to engage in some aspect of art on a daily basis!
What is the Staff Up To? Megan and Christine have been really getting into Apophysis, the fractal creating program. Check out some of what they’ve been working on, and stay tuned for more!
Artist Spotlight Edgar Degas
Most famous for producing artwork celebrating dance, Edgar Degas was an artist who is considered a founder of Impressionism. Born Hilaire Germain-Edgar De Gas in 1834, his passion for the arts came early; his initial schooling was in literature and then law. His formal education in art would not start until 1855 when he enrolled in the Ecole des BeauxArts where he would study the Neoclassical style of art practiced by one of his inspirations, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. His artistic career consisted of making copies at the Louvre in Paris and Renaissance artists like Michelangelo in Italy. This would be one of the main focuses of his life until he joined the National Guard in 1870 to aid France in the Franco-Prussian War. After the war, he and a group of fellow artists established their own exhibitions in 1874, which became known as the Impressionist Exhibitions. His time in the group was tense, as he did not approve of artists painting outside as well as their pandering for attention, which, along with other problems, led to the group disbanding in 1886. Around that time Degas began exploring photography both as a separate art form and for reference photos for his painted works. While labeled an Impressionist painter by the press, he considered his style to be more along the lines of Realism. For more information about Edgar Degas, check out http://www.edgar-degas.org/!
Art Form Sculpture Spotlight Sculpture is a widely known and practiced form of art. Dating back to ancient Greece, sculpture is an artform consisting of creating a threedimensional figure primarily through carving or modeling. Carving is the process of scraping or otherwise removing material from a base, such as a block of marble. Conversely, modeling is adding or manipulating a base material to a base, as is the case with pottery. Sculpture is an artform that is widely associated with religion, history, and mythology, as numerous statues of greek gods, deities, and world leaders can be found all over. Commonly made with stone, wood, and metal, there are many applications in which sculpture can be used. Along with statues, architecture, tools, and instruments can be sculpted. Also, the level of manipulation involved allows for many different styles of art to be sculpted, such as Gothic, Classical, Rococo, etc.
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August
Peridot
As with previous months, the only rule for Birthstone Creations is to keep the creation the same color as the birthstone.
One of the two birthstones for August is peridot. This gemstone is a type of olivine that only occurs in an olive green color, with variations in hue stemming from the amount of iron present in the mineral. This gem is believed to help ward off nightmares and bring peace to its wearer. Due to its volcanic origins, it is also known as the tears of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes. Check out our peridot inspired creations, and don’t forget to send a photo of your creations to fanARTicmag@gmail.com.
Megan This month I drew from the lovely shades of green and tried something a little different from the previous birthstones. The background was given a garden-like effect to draw in the viewer to the zodiac symbols which are more obviously placed than the prior birthstone pieces. The green felt very mystical and I wanted to give the piece a more exotic look than the others previously made.
Rebekah To showcase the bright green of peridot, I crafted a jewelry set using beautiful faceted rondelles that I purchased a while ago and some I found recently that matched the color perfectly. The earrings and necklace feature falls composed of beaded dangles suspended from flower bead caps. The stretch bracelet and ring pick up the colors using the same green rondelles, gold metal beads, and green and gold seed beads. I just love the combination of green and gold, as I think that the gold sets the stage for the sparkling beads perfectly. Both colors are bright and lively, which embody the summer season perfectly to me!
Christine Since this month’s birthstone is green, and because it’s summer, I decided to make my creation to reflect both of those aspects. I crocheted a mermaid tail baby cocoon. I went with two different shades to showcase some of the different hues that peridot comes in. The main part consists of double crochets, and the flipper is a combination of single crochets, slip stitches, and half double crochets worked in the back loops to create texture. This was fun to make, and I know that Megan or Chelsey would have a blast using it in a baby photo shoot!
Chelsey Let me start by saying that I love green and I also love working with green in artwork! Green has several meanings to me; it can symbolize wealth, nature, harmony, etc. In this piece, entitled “Lost”, I decided to use digital manipulation in Photoshop. I am very happy with how it turned out, as I went in not quite sure about what I wanted. I went with the metallic sheen because of the shine that peridot has when looked at as a gemstone. I like to leave interpretation up to my viewers, so I won’t give away what it means.
www.chelseyparsons.com chelseyparsonsphotography@gmail.com
Sculpture Wordsearch IAYPAVMSCCVILWWRFMML PPHXHCTCEISGZGMNIOMN BPCQETKIENETORVNVLEO GSOHVKASGJUYETEEXDNJ NADVHHJUNMQZIHVTFKYG IRCTFMXOITSUWRSLQIDF LAHUAPFRDPIHYESONVER EGIYOGEELLBPFERMLWNZ MNSEKQIDEARXG-GKQESN AIECYVMNWSOFKDRJCLIO NVLEBDGIGTNWBIAXRBTI ERAEGLKRHEZGYMNVERYT SAMRJGHGWREUPEIHDAIA XCOGBBDAOEETGNTELMGL NIRTAHFDSUDMNSEFOMFL HGPSLCPDDTLKIICNSCIA LWHWUXGFQANYTOAYDMLT LQOYORRSXTIWSNJSRCES JGUHROVYZSOCAALIRXKN TKSBITDYARGZCLNNGDYI three-dimensional
aging
mold
granite
wood
marble
chisel
carving
molten
Greece
statue
amorphous
grinder
enameling
plaster
density
solder
installation
welding
bisque
file
bronze
jig
rasp
casting
Check back next month for the answers!
JulyAnswers Crafty Exploration Word Search PECANDLEMAKINGGPGFCJ QPPHOTOGRAPHYGOUHJRG HSJCIMGNIKAMTNIRPYON AQTMRATDULCAQIVERRSI LSCQCOEWXSMIXKFMSEST HYDYQZCPZSMYCAGVIDSN LAVKSDWHBVHIEMQFEITI AFMWNCTREKBISYLRDOIA KKJBRYRGMTRWERYRGRTP VBXACLNANCIXHLZXNBCR PQEUCGVCPISNZEYDIMHE HMNZBJNMZBWGGWGDTEZG ONFOGRYIJHOAUEPZNRVN NTVMRHBFLUMORJMJILEI CXHCNJCYGLFAKDEPAVNF RZFQKRUCKNITTINGPTAY DECOUPAGECBULJNKZCYB VWGNIWESWJRHQXGGGJSI DZVSLOKHVYOQUVEJSYTE XNPRDHIIMKXNLKHLAGYE
scrapbooking
crocheting
knitting
painting
printmaking
drawing
photography
jewelrymaking
fingerpainting
embroidery
sewing
candlemaking
crossstitch
quilling
decoupage
Photoshop Fun How to Create a Spot Color Image
Hello again, FanARTics, and welcome to the newest edition of Photoshop Fun! This month’s segment is going to cover a really easy technique. A popular effect used in photos is what I like to call “Spot Color,” where the majority of the image is black and white but there is one pop of color somewhere in the image. People often use this to draw the attention to the color. You will see it a lot in wedding photos to focus on bouquets, and flowers, and I like to use it on lips personally.
So, to get started we need an image. I’m using a photo I took in April of some of the flowers growing on a tree in my yard. After picking an image, you want to duplicate the layer (Layer<Duplicate). It will be called “Background copy”, and you can choose to rename it if you want. I would duplicate the layer twice, as the background layer will still be there in case there are hiccups. After this process is done, you want to decide what you want to be in color. My image is a fairly easy demo, as the branch in focus is what I’m going to choose to put in color. Make sure that you are using the topmost layer for color (mine is “Background copy 2”). You want to look at your tool list and select the quick selection tool. This tool will allow you to select areas. In this case, we want to select what we don’t want in color. Go slow, and take your time. If the quick selection is not working as you would like you can interchange it with the eraser tool, just make sure you are only deleting anything you do not want in color. I also switch off my other layers to get a view of the color layer only; this can be done by clicking the eye beside the layer name.
Once you have cleared out the color layer you will then want to convert your black and white layer (mine is Background copy). This can be done multiple ways. The first way is by using the keyboard shortcut “Ctlr+U” (or “Cmd+U” for Mac users) which will bring up a menu called “Hue/Saturation”. Now although there are many different things to play with in this menu, we just want to play with the little arrow under the Saturation section. You will notice instantly that the black and white layer is now black and white. Yay!!! The conversion can also be achieved by going to the “Image” menu, selecting “Adjustments”, and then selecting “Black and White”. You will notice instantly that the layer is black and white like the first method, however, this second method allows for the flexibility of playing with the black and white layer. You can now play with the arrows and select what you would like darker or lighter.
If you want to do even more after this and the black and white with the spot of color is just not enough for your liking, you can also add gradients. I added a black feather gradient to one side of the piece. To me it adds a nice flow or sense of movement. I hope you guys enjoyed this Photoshop Fun segment. This one is fairly simple and allows a lot of playing around. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to submit your own designs; you may get a chance to have your work featured in the magazine. See you next time!
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FanARTic’s Cosplay Progress This year for Animazement, Christine wanted us all to do a group cosplay. We all agreed to do Pokemon, and the FanARTic staff made the cosplays! For us, it was not enough to just cosplay Pokemon, we had to put a spin on it. Christine, Megan, and Rebekah all chose to go with a Wa-Lolita style, and Chelsey went Steampunk! This was our special way of celebrating Christine’s graduation in a way that would leave us all feeling accomplished, and allow us to have fun in the process of creating something most of us had not attempted before. We will go into detail about the process of creating our cosplays, as well as share the tutorials that we used. Rebekah The cosplay that I made for Animazement was a Wa-Lolita take on Moltres. Since Wa-Lolita is heavily influenced by traditional kimono fashion, I decided to find a tutorial for kimono making. The blog that I referenced, the Seattle/Tacoma Kimono Club, had an article about making a kimono called, “So You Want to Make a Kimono?”. Using the measurements provided in the blog, I created a template for the pieces of the kimono top that Christine, Megan, and I would all be using. The construction was pretty simple, since the pattern was made up of long rectangles of fabric sewn together. I first made a mockup of the pattern in muslin to ensure that the top would fit the way I wanted. This allowed me to tweak the pattern a bit before I cut the actual fabric. For the skirt, I referenced a tutorial by Yumi King of Kawaii DIY on YouTube called, “How to Sew A Fancy Lolita Kimono Yukata (Part 2: Skirt and Belt)”. Since my skirt was longer than the one Yumi made, I had to fold my fabric in half and cut two semicircles and sew them together at the sides. I made a mockup of the skirt as well to ensure it was as long as I wanted it. Once I was satisfied with the mockup, I sewed the kimono top and circle skirt, adding ruffle and lace trim for more delicate details. I followed Yumi’s obi belt instructions, except I made the belt more narrow to account for a shorter torso. I also inserted two layers of heavy weight interfacing to line the obi and give it strength. When the outfit was finished, I started on the mask. I had purchased a long nose mask, since I planned to cover the nose to look like the long thin beak Moltres has. Cardboard achieved this effect nicely once it was hot glued on. I purchased white feathers and dyed them yellow in advance to match the yellow of the fabric. Our friend Joe helped me hot glue the feathers on after covering the beak in orange fabric for me. After the mask was complete, Christine made a drawstring bag using the tutorial that I talked about in the July issue DIY. I purchased chopsticks, cut them short, and sanded them back down into a tapered shape to use as hairsticks. These are the hairstick bases shown in my July birthstone submission. I simply screwed in eye screws to hold the flower dangles that I made. The yellow fabric of the top and skirt reflect Moltres’ body color, while I incorporated red trimmings to bring out the red flame color of the crest and tail. Megan For my Articuno cosplay I did the top, obi, and skirt from the tutorials Rebekah found. However, I wanted to give my cosplay a little something extra and decided to go with a mask. I modeled it after Articuno’s head. I started off with a plague doctor mask, but shortened the beak since Articuno’s beak is not very long. To decorate the mask I went with something I thought would give a nice look and covered it in light blue tissue paper. I made
s
the three feathers in the middle of Articunoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head by using cardstock with a couple of additional layers, and then a darker blue tissue paper. I then attached them to the mask with glue. For the beak, I actually used a thick metallic silver paper from a party bag to give it a nice shiny look. Christine One of my cosplays was wa-lolita inspired Mega Mawile. My original plan was to make the skirt, top, and obi using calculations Rebekah figured based on the tutorial she found. Along with that, I planned to make two mouths and kanzashi hair pieces to resemble Mawilite, the stone that causes Mawile to mega evolve. However, I ended up not having time for it, as the mouths took longer than I thought. The top and skirt were both purple with yellow trim. The mouths were made with black fabric as the base, yellow for the spot on top, and pink for the tongues. The teeth were made by hot gluing interfacing triangles around the open part of the mouth. Once the mouths were completed, Rebekah helped me get them attached to a headband placed under my wig so they would be stable. My favorite part of this cosplay was actually the skirt, because that is the one thing I hand sewed completely!
Submission Guidelines We would love it if you shared your creativity with us! At FanARTic we hope to showcase so much more than our own work for your viewing pleasure. You can submit the coloring page (see page 18) and submit it to: FanARTicmag@gmail.com for the chance to appear in our March FanARTic edition. You can also submit it via Facebook by uploading your finished masterpiece and tagging FanARTic Magazine. If you are an artist looking to get your name out there, please feel free to contact us. We would love to help, whether it be by placing an ad in our magazine, being our featured artist spotlight, or just having your art showcased in our magazine! When submitting, please make sure we have: The name you wish to be addressed by Contact information (email/phone whichever is preferred) What you want to call the finished work or any message you wish to appear in the magazine There are no rules for artwork or coloring page submissions. You can use whatever medium suits your taste! Please note FanARTic is not liable for any compensations for showcasing your work. By submitting, you have agreed to let us publish your work and are not expecting anything more than the free exposure. If you have any questions please email us at: FanARTicmag@gmail.com.