Paint Rusted Metal Easily

Remove rust to keep new paint from flaking off.

Rusted metal not only looks bad, but also it eats at viable metal, corroding it more and more until the structural integrity of the object is compromised. Left untreated for a long time, holes form in rusted metal. Covering the metal with a layer of fresh layer of paint prevents rust from returning for a long time, but before you can paint rusted metal, you need to prepare the surface. Painting rusted metal always involves several steps, but spraying techniques can be utilized to make the process faster and easier.

Instructions

1. Place tarp or plastic sheeting underneath the object being painted. Cover any surfaces you don't want sanded or painted with painter's tape.

2. Sandblast the object for the quickest results. Attach the sandblaster to an air compressor, then power them both on. Spray the metal object using smooth, even strokes to remove the rust and obtain an even finish.

3. Scrape any loose paint and rust off the metal if using a sandblaster isn't an option. Scour the surface of the metal with a wire brush afterward. Complete rust removal is not necessary to paint the metal.

4. Rinse the metal off after the roughing up the surface. Spray the object with a hose, or wipe the rust, metal and paint residues with a damp rag. Dry the object after cleaning.

5. Spray a coat of zinc chromate-based primer on the metal. Cover the surface evenly, applying the spray with smooth, consistent strokes. Allow the primer to dry.

6. Spray the metal with a high-quality enamel paint made for exterior use. Coat the metal smoothly and evenly. Allow the spray paint to dry.

7. Inspect the quality of the first coat of paint. Apply a second coat if necessary. If more than two coats are needed to obtain a clean painted finish, allow the paint to dry completely before adding each subsequent coat.

Paint Clouds With Watercolors

Watercolor Clouds

Clouds help to create the illusion of depth and depending on the type and color of the clouds, can give a painting a sense of season and location. Painting clouds is not always an easy task due to their ungraspable shapes, but the beauty of painting is that each artist can portray them differently.

Instructions

1. Study clouds in real life before painting. This will help you to capture them with your paintbrush by understanding their movement and forms. The "Cloudspotter's Guide," by Gavin Pretor-Pinney is a great reference.

2. Soften your brushes if at all stiff by resting their tips in water for a few minutes. Create cirrus clouds, also known to many as "mare's tails," by using long, soft brush strokes. If using dry watercolor paints, wet them. If using wet watercolors, such as Chinese watercolors, then squeeze a dab of blue and white onto a pallet. Mix a small pool of water with a tiny dab of blue and white and create long wispy strokes that curve slightly up at one end as this is usually how these clouds form in real life. Experiment with different intensities of color and several thicknesses of strokes.

3. Paint altocumulus or cirrocumulus clouds, also known as mackerel sky, by creating multiple short dabs. These clouds tend to make the sky appear as if it's rippling and also often pick up soft hues such as pink or gold in a sunset. Start by mixing water with white, pink and a tiny dab of blue. Create dabs with the brush in a sideways motion, close together like the scales of a fish. Then as you work your way across the sky let the paint slowly run out, making the brush marks less and less distinct. This creates the effect of the wind pushing away the formation.

4. Paint cumulus, the puffy, cotton candy clouds, by using a large brush. Fan brushes are useful in this case. Mix a slight amount of pink and blue, creating a soft lavender, and literally think of cotton balls as you make fluffy round strokes with your brush, letting the color pool slightly here and there to create shadows and densities within the clouds.

5. Highlight or shadow your clouds with different colors. Clouds can reflect many colors; using multiple hues gives the painting a time of day, or even a time of year, and helps to evoke the emotion you wish the painting to convey. More color is more dramatic, but gray clouds, depending on how they are painted, can have their effect, too.

Paint Rose Bushes With Acrylic Paint

For many years, roses have been popular subjects to paint.

Because they are so beloved, flower gardens have always been popular subjects of paintings. The rose is a favorite flower of many people, making it an ideal item to paint. Acrylic paint is an often-used medium among artists, as it dries more quickly than other paints, and produces fewer odors. When using acrylic paint, you can easily create an impressive painting of a rose bush.

Instructions

1. Arrange your canvas on an easel or tabletop, and place your photo nearby. Set out your paints, paintbrushes and cup of water.

2. Sketch the general shapes of the rose bush onto your canvas, using the charcoal. If you make a mistake, simply erase the charcoal from the canvas by rubbing it away with your gum eraser. Sketch the outline of the rose bush and the major details of the plant, including large stems and flowers.

3. Select one of your larger paintbrushes. Observe your reference photo, and make note of the colors that make up the background. Mix together a small amount of paint that matches this color, and apply it to the background of the painting, using large strokes.

4. Observe your reference photo, and make note of the colors that make up the foreground of the painting, including the ground beneath the rose bush. Mix together a small amount of paint that matches this color, and apply it to the foreground of the painting. Use your large paintbrush, and apply the paint using large, generalized strokes.

5. Observe your reference photo, and make note of the general colors, including shades of green and brown, that make up the rose bush. Mix a small amount of paint that is similar to this color, and apply it to your canvas, using your large paintbrush.

6. Select a medium-sized paintbrush. Observe your reference photo, and paint any details that you see onto the background and foreground of the painting. Some of these details could include clouds in the sky, or leaves and pebbles on the ground.

7. Observe your reference photo, and take note of any details of the rose bush in your painting. Some of these details could include individual leaves of the rose bush, individual flower buds, and stems of the plant. Paint these details onto your canvas, using a medium-sized paintbrush.

8. Observe your reference photo, and take note of any remaining, tiny details of the rose bush. These could include light reflecting from dewy leaves, as well as textural details of the bark. Subtle color variations, which could range from the different greens of the leaves to the different colors of the roses, could also be added. Use a small paintbrush to paint these small details.

Paint Roses On Glass

Painting with brushes.

Painted glass is a new trend in all kinds of specialty boutiques. Some painted glass can be very expensive. Learning do it at home can save a lot of money and turn into a fun hobby. Painting a rose on a glass is a good beginner project to learning the art of painting on glass.

Instructions

1. Select your glass. Find a piece to paint that has an interesting shape and appealing lines. Be sure that you like the shape and that you will like the outcome. It will be easier to paint on a glass that has a surface that is more flat than curved.

2. Choose your colors. Because you are painting a rose, you will want to stick to reds, pinks and greens. If you want an opaque look, choose an acrylic paint that offers opaque colors. If you would like a look that appears to be colored glass and allows light to go through, choose a resin-based paint in either glossy or frosted colors.

3. If your item will need to withstand a lot of use and washing, choose a paint that needs to be baked on. If your piece is for decorative purposes only, you can use an air-dry paint.

4. Cut out a pattern of the rose you want to paint. You can either find a template of a rose or draw the roses yourself. Tape the pattern on the inside of the glass. Paint the rose according to the pattern you have chosen.

Paint Rock Textures In Watercolours

Watercolor paint is ideal for painting the textures of rocks.

Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary are the three basic types of rocks. Igneous rocks, like quartz, are crystalline solids which are formed from the cooling of molten rock such as lava or magma. Metamorphic rocks, such as slate, are formed when high temperatures and pressure cause the rock to recrystallize. Sedimentary rocks, like limestone, are the result of an accumulation of layers of compacted debris of pre-existing rocks. Rocks are so common in our landscapes that you must include them in most landscape paintings. Watercolor paint is an ideal medium for rocks since you can thinly layer details and textures.

Instructions

1. Start your painting by drawing the contours of the rock with a pencil.

Draw the contour or outline of the rock you wish to paint with your HB pencil on watercolor paper. An HB pencil is a medium-dark, soft drawing pencil.

2. Squeeze pea-size amounts of all your watercolor paints from your set onto the your watercolor palette. Usually watercolor palettes have small areas at the sides for the paint and larger inner squares for mixing paint.

3. Dip the medium-size sable brush into a cup of water, then brush a small amount of orange and yellow. Mix with more water and then swirl in the middle of your palette in the mixing area. You should have a very pale color.

4. Paint the entire rock with this very pale color. Wait for it to dry completely before adding more paint.

5. Mix brown, yellow and orange with plenty of water on your palette. You want a color that is slightly darker than the first color. Add it to areas of your rock with shadow. Wait for it to dry.

6. Dip a fine-tipped brush slightly in the blue paint and add it to the color you just made. You want a slightly darker color. Add water if it is too dark.

7. Paint shadows, larger cracks and crevices of your rock. Wait for it to dry.

8. Dip a fine brush into black and mix with water. Paint more detailed cracks and crevices. Add darker shadows with this color too.

Paint Reverse Roses On A Lampshade

Paint roses on a lampshade.

Are you tired of boring old lampshades that simply collect dust? Do you want to add some life to a plain room? The solution can be as simple as giving a couple of lampshades a makeover. With the right tools and some creativity you can turn a plain lampshade into a vibrant rose garden.

Instructions

1. Wipe down your old lampshade lightly with a clean, slightly damp rag and place it in your work area on top of a spread out old newspaper or tarp.

2. Find a picture of roses in a book or online and print the image out. You will not be using this image but a stenciled copy of it. Place your stencil paper over the desired image and trace the image with your pencil onto your stencil paper.

3. Take your stenciled image of the rose and reverse it so that the image is a mirror image of the original picture. Place it directly on the lampshade in the desired position and lightly trace the image with your pencil so that the image appears lightly sketched on the lampshade. Repeat as necessary to fully cover the lampshade.

4. Using your acrylic paint and paintbrush, begin to fill in the sketches with the desired colors. Start by tracing the outline and follow by filling in the brighter colors. Repeat as necessary until all of the sketches have been filled in. Wait for the directed drying time and apply a second coat of color if you would like a brighter image.

5. Create a shining veneer and protective coat by spraying a clear varnish over the entire lampshade. Allow proper drying time before reattaching the lampshade and turning the lamp on.

Paint A Watercolor Of A Cat

Your feline friend will look smashing captured in watercolors.

Perhaps you have an art class and in it you are required to make a painting of a cat. This can be a challenging problem. A cat's fur can be a complex range of colors and textures that is difficult for the novice to capture in paint. Getting the proportions of the head, body and legs correct is a painstaking process. If you're working from a live model it's difficult to make your feline subject stay still long enough to create a good likeness of him.

Instructions

1. Stretch your watercolor paper by soaking it in a tub of clean water for about 15 minutes. Remove the paper from the tub and lay it on a flat, smooth board--preferably a sheet of heavy Masonite or something similar. Fasten the edges of your paper to the board with gummed tape, which you can buy in an art supply store. Allow the paper to dry--this may take 24 hours. When it is bone dry, your paper should be flush to the board's surface and will not have any wrinkles.

2. Lay out your palette of watercolors. If you are using a tray of cake watercolors, the work is already done for you. Group colors on your palette by temperature---reds, oranges and certain earth tones, such as burnt umber and raw sienna, are warm colors, while blues and greens are cool colors. This will make color mixing less complicated when you begin to paint.

3. Sketch your cat with a pencil on drawing paper. You can work from life, drawing the feline while it naps, if you don't mind having the cat move occasionally and ruin your pose. For others, a good photo of a cat can be equally good source material. Study the proportions of the head to the body and sketch both as rounded shapes first. Observe the angles of the eyes, ears and mouth and gradually add more detail to your drawing. Sketch in the texture of the fur and the tail.

4. Paint a thin wash of watercolor onto your paper by choosing a neutral tone to begin with--say, raw umber--and loading your brush with water. Dilute a tiny bit of paint with your wet brush and paint the cat's body and head with the large shapes that you began your drawing with. When your initial washes are dry, choose secondary colors that will be your darkest tone and use it to distinguish details in your painting. Use a little paint in the areas that will be the lightest. With watercolor, you will need to let the white of the paper show through highlighted areas. Choose your middle tone---the ones between the darkest and lightest tones---and fill them in. You will be well on your way toward completing your cat painting.

Paint Reversepainted Lampshades

An example of painted glass.

Reverse-painted lampshades were developed in the early 20th century. On reverse-painted lampshades, artistic scenes are hand-painted on the inside of a translucent glass lampshade. The painted images are viewed when illuminated by the lamp. Reverse-painted lampshades were originally made for wealthy clients. Today, anyone can make a reverse-painted lampshade with a few craft supplies and some painting skills.

Instructions

Painting a Reverse-Painted Lampshade

1. Wash your clear-glass lampshade inside and outside with mild soap and water. Thoroughly dry the lampshade with a soft dish towel.

2. Set your dropcloth or newspapers on a clean table surface. Place your glass lampshade upside down on the dropcloth or newspapers.

3. Fill your paint palette wells with your glass paints in dots about the size of a nickel. Glass paint is not thick, so be careful to not overfill your paint wells, which will cause your paints to run together.

4. Wet your paintbrush slightly with water and dip the tip of it into your paint color of choice.

5. Apply the paint to the inside of the lampshade with short, even strokes. Keep in mind that you are painting upside down. Your images will need to be painted upside down in order to appear properly when the lampshade is placed on the lamp. Letters, symbols, and images need to be painted as the mirror image to how they normally read, in order to be viewed correctly when the lampshade is turned over. Details or accents that would ordinarily be painted first, such as the background, should be painted last.

6. Wash the brush and dab it dry on the dish towel before using a different paint color. You also can use a different paintbrush for each color.

7. Continue to use the paints to cover the inside of your lampshade with your desired pattern or scene.

8. Place your glass lampshade in your oven and bake it at the time and temperature listed by the manufacturer of your glass paint. With your oven mitts protecting your hands, remove the lampshade from the oven. Let it cool for an hour and place it on your lamp for a unique, decorative look.

Paint Reflections In Acrylic

Painting a life-like reflection can be challenging for many artists.

Many subjects require painting reflections, from glass and mirrors to water. Reflections can be difficult to paint, but if the right technique is used they are much easier than they may seem. Acrylic paints are easy to use, and have a drying time that is much faster than oil paints. Because some of this method of painting reflections requires wet-on-wet painting, it is more easily achieved with oil paints. It can, however, be effective with acrylic paints if you paint quickly.

Instructions

1. Paint the reflected image as usual, using the same colors as the object that is being reflected.

2. Determine the surface that the object is being reflected in. A mirror will require a slightly longer drying time before continuing than water. Glass will fall somewhere in between, depending on the distortion that the thickness and curvature of the glass would cause.

3. Allow the paint to dry for up to five minutes if the reflection is in water or is otherwise heavily distorted. Lengthen this to five to ten minutes if the reflection will not be distorted much. If the reflection is in a mirror, the image should be allowed to dry for at least 30 minutes before continuing.

4. Mix a thin glaze from a gray-toned paint and acrylic fluid or glazing medium. This should be, at most, one part paint to every five parts medium. A thinner glaze may be preferred. Water can be used to thin acrylic paints, but water can weaken the paint pigments so mediums are always preferred.

5. Dip a clean, soft brush into the gray glaze and cover the entire surface the image is reflected in, including the image. This technique may take practice, because the brush should barely touch the surface. You can add ripples and distortion by adding more pressure to the brush and disturbing the paint more.

6. Allow to dry for at least one hour before touching.

Paint Red Brick

When red brick becomes old or damaged, a fresh coat of paint can really improve its appearance. However, most people have a difficult time getting paint to adhere to red brick surfaces. If you plan to paint a brick wall, pay special attention to surface preparation.

Instructions

Painting Red Brick

1. Scrape away loose chunks of mortar with the putty knife. Gently sand away smaller particles with the sandpaper until you have freed the red brick surface of any loose matter. Thoroughly rinse all dirt, dust, cobwebs and remaining loose mortar away with the pressure washer. Allow the the surface to dry completely. Cover any areas you do not want painted with blue painter's tape.

2. Fill a five-gallon bucket to about half-full with primer. Place the paint roller screen inside the bucket. Slip the paint roller cover onto the roller frame ensuring that it fits tightly and securely. Dip the roller into the primer, then roll the paint roller cover against the screen to remove any excess primer. Apply primer to the red brick, moving from side to side. Continue applying primer until you have completely covered the red brick. Apply primer with the paintbrush to any areas inaccessible to the roller.

3. Thoroughly clean the roller frame, screen and cover, as well as the bucket and paintbrush, with warm water. Dry the bucket and the roller screen and frame with rags. Shake the the roller cover and paintbrush vigorously to remove excess water.

4. Cut the tip off a tube of caulk with a knife or a razor blade. Load the tube of caulk into the caulking gun, then apply the caulk to all cracks and crevices you have sealed them. Allow the caulk to dry completely.

5. Repeat Step 2 with paint instead of primer. Use the paintbrush to paint any areas inaccessible to the roller. Apply another coat of paint if necessary.

Paint Realistic Cracks In Walls

Paint cracks for a faux finish on your wall.

The phrase "trompe l'oeil" comes from the French words "tromper," to deceive, and "l'oeil," eye; it means "to deceive the eye." Trompe l'oeil has been used throughout art history in paintings on canvas and in frescoes on walls. Frescoes are paintings on freshly plastered walls. The earliest frescoes were created in ancient Greece around 1600 B.C. Fresco paintings have included lush landscapes and faux marble finishes. You can achieve realistic cracks in your walls by using faux-finishing techniques like those used by the ancient civilizations that created frescoes.

Instructions

1. Plan where you are going to place your realistic faux cracks. To make them look real, you do not want to overdo it. Add just a few touches of cracks for a realistic look.

2. Paint zigzig lines for cracks on your wall.

Pour a little gray paint into a plastic cup. Using a fine artist's brush, paint zigzag random lines for cracks. Create lines that are wide and narrow and that start and stop abruptly. Twist your wrist when painting the cracks and apply different pressure to achieve a natural look. Painting cracks is similar to painting veins in a faux marble finish.

3. Soften some of your painted cracks with a dry paintbrush. Lightly brush over newly painted cracks until the lines are softer.

4. Pour black and brown paint into plastic cups. Depending on the color of the wall, mix the paints with white or gray to give you a slightly darker color than your wall. Paint the cracks you painted in gray with the darker color. This will give it a natural-looking shadow. Brush with a dry paintbrush if necessary.

5. Allow the wall to dry. You can add more cracks if necessary to look more realistic, but do not add too many or it may look like spiderwebs.

Have A Country Music Career Like Dolly Parton

Despite her humble beginnings as the daughter of a tobacco sharecropper, Dolly Parton is one of the most successful female country recording artists of all time. An accomplished singer, actress and entrepreneur, Dolly is a shining example of what one can achieve through hard work and determination. With a lot of talent, some luck and an undying work ethic, perhaps you can attain a country music career like Dolly Parton.

Instructions

1. Start young. Exposed to music from an early age, Parton began singing on radio and television programs in Tennessee from age nine. At just thirteen, Dolly sang at the Grand Ole Opry and recorded her first album.

2. Have something to sing about. Like those of Tammy Wynette and other female pioneers of country music, Dolly's lyrics often refer to growing up in impoverished Appalachia. Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" and "Appalachian Memories" relay especially poignant stories about her childhood.

3. Develop a signature look. Her big, blonde hair, bold makeup, flashy sequined dresses and legendary hourglass figure set Dolly apart from other performers.

4. Expand your fan base. Landing roles in films like "9 to 5" and "Steel Magnolias," introduced Parton to those outside her country music audience. To that end, Dolly also released many crossover hits, like "Here You Come Again" and " I Will Always Love You."

5. Change with the times. Parton's career took a hit in the early 1990's, when young recording artists with a new style dominated the country music industry. In response, she went back to her roots, recording the "Honky Tonk Angels" album with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn and releasing her bluegrass-oriented record, "Little Sparrow."

6. Open a theme park. Dollywood, Parton's Smokey Mountain amusement park, features family oriented attractions. Gospel, bluegrass, mountain and country music performances entertain longtime Dolly Parton fans and introduce new generations to her musical heritage.

7. Wow your fans with memorable concerts. Amid numerous costume changes and dazzling light displays, Parton's angelic voice sounds as good live as it does on the radio. An added delight, the diverse star plays the autoharp, banjo, harmonica and other instruments when performing live.

Paint Autumn Trees

Children can appreciate the autumn season by making a painting of trees.

When the leaves change in the autumn season, you can celebrate this change with your children by providing them with a topical craft. For example, children can paint the beautiful, vibrant colors of the autumn trees, like yellow, red and orange. You can even use the painting time to explain to your kids why the leaves change colors. Once the paintings are finished, you can hang them up on the wall to make your home feel more festive.

Instructions

1. Place a sheet of craft paper onto a tabletop or desk.

2. Pour tempera paint into five different bowls: one brown, one yellow, one orange, one red and one purple.

3. Paint your palm using brown paint.

4. Press your painted palm onto the craft paper. This will be the tree's branches.

5. Clean off the painted palm using a wet washcloth.

6. Paint the tree's trunk using brown paint and a paintbrush.

7. Dip your thumb into yellow paint, and press in onto the fingers of your hand print. This will be one of the autumn leaves.

8. Repeat this process with the red, orange, purple and more yellow paint until the branches of the tree are filled with autumn leaves.

9. Clean off your thumb using the wet washcloth.

10. Repeat this process until you have as many autumn trees as you want in your painting.

Paint With Acrylic On Tshirts

Acrylic paint shows up well on light-colored T-shirts.

Men originally designed T-shirts as an undergarment to protect their skin from itchy, rough clothing. At the beginning of the 20th century, Southern European men began wearing T-shirts on hot summer days. United States Army personnel stationed in Europe brought home the popularity of the T-shirt after World War I. T-shirts eventually transitioned into appropriate women's clothing. Today, you can create your own custom T-shirt design using acrylic paints. In as little as 30 minutes, you can make an art project you can wear and show off to your friends.

Instructions

1. Pick out a shirt. If this is your first time painting on a T-shirt, experiment on an old shirt. Although any color shirt will work, white allows you the most versatility in paint color selection. Stick to light-colored shirts, as light-colored acrylic paint on dark shirts may not show up as well as you would like.

2. Iron the T-shirt to get rid of any wrinkles, taking extra care to make sure the material is smooth where you will paint.

3. Sketch out a design for your T-shirt on a piece of paper.

4. Place a piece of cardboard between the front and back of the T-shirt, so the paint does not soak through to the other side.

5. Draw the design lightly onto the shirt with pencil, so you know where to paint.

6. Paint the design onto the shirt. If you like, you can paint on a foam stamp and stamp directly onto the shirt instead. Use larger stamps that don't have too much detail, as the detail might not show up well or might wash out easily. You can also use stencils, although these can smudge and be trickier to work with on T-shirts.

7. Allow one color to dry before using another color.

Paint Poppies On Canvas

Each poppy reflects light differently because of the extremely thin petals.

The poppy is a type of flower recognized by its bright hues, dark center and thin, paperlike petals. Since antiquity, poppies have symbolized sleep and death and are thus often used in artwork representing those themes. The bright colors of poppies, such as red, orange and yellow, create beautiful palettes and therefore deter viewers from thinking of death. Painting poppies on canvas requires preparation, but your final work will provide color and beauty where ever the painting is placed.

Instructions

1. Find a photo of poppies to utilize as a reference throughout your painting project. If possible, find a photograph with great detail, ideally of poppies up-close so that you can gain an understanding of the intricacies of this flower.

2. Prepare your work surface by laying down newspaper. Acrylic paint will stain surfaces that it comes into contact with, so protecting your table or countertop is advised.

3. Apply acrylic primer to the canvas with a large paintbrush and allow to dry completely. Without this primer, the acrylic paint will not stick to the canvas.

4. Draw your design onto the canvas with pencil. This preliminary step will help you perfect the design you will later paint. When drawing the poppies, remember that their shapes are wider at the top and taper when the flowers and stems meet. Refer to your picture if you need help with the layout.

5. Squeeze paint from your tubes onto the palette. Use as little as you can in order to avoid wasting the paint. Acrylic paint dries quickly, so only place the paint you want to use at the current time on the palette.

6. Fill in the poppies with acrylic paint. Emulate the lighting in the photograph you are using as a reference. As a general guideline, the poppies will appear darker near the stem, and lighter at the top, which is closer to the sun and sky. Since acrylic dries quickly, you can easily add more layers of paint to achieve varied texture and color. When you have finished painting the flowers, rinse your brush in the cup of water and pat it dry with your rag, being careful not to bend the bristles.

7. Paint the background of the image. If you want to achieve a lighter color than you have, mix white paint with any color on your palette. Use the palette knife to mix the paint so that you won't damage the bristles on your paintbrush. Alternately, if you want to darken a color, add a little black to the paint. Be careful with the amount you add though, because black darkens the color quickly.

8. Add highlights or shadows to the painting in order to create a more three-dimensional work of art. Add white paint to create a lighter color and highlights, and black paint to create a darker color and shadows.

9. Allow the painting to dry completely.

Get Tickets To The View

Suddenly popular because of its on-air bickering, ABC's "The View" airs live in New York City and getting tickets to the show can take perseverance, patience and preparation. But if you are planning a trip to New York six months to a year from now, think about ordering tickets to be part of the studio audience. Read on to learn get tickets to "The View."

Instructions

Plan Ahead

1. Order tickets online. Although ABC-TV advises you to order tickets at least 12 weeks in advance, your chances for getting tickets for a specific date are better if you order six to nine months in advance. But ticket ordering online is set up so that you can keep trying dates until you are successful.

2. Be aware that the typical wait for tickets is about nine months. If you live outside of the Mid-Atlantic states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, there is a chance that you can ask for specific show dates. Dates for ticket requests from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut are assigned by ABC.

3. Arrive at the studio at 320 West 66th Street by 9:30 a.m. sharp with your ticket. Audience members are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, and ABC says that ticket distribution occasionally can be in excess of studio capacity. All the more reason to get there early.

Just Show Up

4. Show up in person to get tickets to "The View" if you can't plan ahead. This is always a risk, but plenty of people go to the studio and get in line for stand-by tickets for shows on the same day.

5. Go to the audience entrance where "The View" is filmed, at 320 W. 66th Street, no later than 8:30 a.m. At 8:30, you can pick up a number and will be asked to return to the standby line at 10:20 a.m.

6. Return to the audience entrance no later than 10:15 a.m. and wait for standby seats. If any are available, check your ticket number because seats will be distributed in numerical order.

Paint Flowers In Pastels

Pastels are a cross between paint and chalk. The colors are pure pigment ground up and blended with powders or oils that bind them together. Pastels can come in different shapes and sizes, from short, dry chalk-like sticks, to oily sticks, to pastel pencils. Each type of pastel is best suited for different types of markings which you can use to create the most detailed painting of a subject of choice. Follow these instructions and you will be prepared to practice pastel drawing any time, any place. Have fun, be creative and learn paint flowers with pastels.

Instructions

1. Find your subject. The ability to find a flower that will keep you focused through the process is important. As you practice your pastel drawing techniques, you should have a subject that has an emotion attached. Artists of all types find that they are able to inject more feelings into painting when they find the passion behind the work. Painting flowers with pastels can create an image which rivals reality in beauty and depth when the artist injects the feelings that they have toward the subject of the painting. Discover where your passion lies, and find a flower that you want to recreate in a drawing which will hold the beauty long after nature is finished.

2. Find a place that you can view the flower over the period of time that you take to complete your pastel paint of flowers. Many artists choose to bring a flower subject back to a studio to complete the process. Once in side the studio, they arrange their subjects in such a way as it represents how the final painting will appear. Some artists take their material to the flowers. They find the perfect subject in nature and bring themselves to that place and they proceed to complete the painting in nature. Anywhere that you feel comfortable or where the opportunity is given is good. Being creative can happen anywhere, and some of the most accurate representations of reality occurred where the reality resided.

3. Begin the painting. Look to the subject to give you the information you will need to complete the flower painting in Pastels. You should make a rough sketch of the flower so that you can place the subject where it is best suited for viewing on the canvas of choice. Most will center the flower and make it the focus of all attention. Others will include the flower among an assortment of secondary visions and environment. Choose your layout, and sketch in the objects of attention in your pastel painting.

4. Consider the colors that you will be using to create the flower in pastel paints. Remember that when working with light and color, it takes levels of color to create a depth that mimics reality. Dark colors are highlighted by lighter colors. Because pastels blend together so easily, it is important to separate the shady colors from the light colors which will highlight the subject and give your pastel flowers an ability to look life-like. Start with the deepest colors you see and create your placements and locations that match the color you choose. Work forward, placing lighter colors on top of darker colors to create the 3D effects that the use of the right color layers provide. Once you have finished filling in your rough sketch with base colors, it’s time to move on to highlights and fine lines which give your painting the “real” feel.

5. Place the fine lines of separation between petals and background, petal veins, and other fine lines with your pastel pencil. Once finished, you will see that you have created from your talent, a beautiful pastel flower painting you're sure to be proud of.

Learn Spoken English For Free On Line

Learning on line is fun.

English is a global language. Learning English has been made simpler with more techniques and online ways to learn speak the language offered at no cost. Chat groups, online tutorials, and music sites are ways to learn English free on line. English as a Second Language institutes have online courses offering varied ways of learning spoken English language for every skill level, as well.

Instructions

1. Decide on a preferred method of learning spoken English on line. Visual learners and audio learners will seek methods of enhancing language skills accordingly. Online exercises, vocabulary building techniques, audio tutorials and English games are valid methods of learning the language.

2. Start building vocabulary with an online English language service. English as a Second Language sites, such as English Grammar 4 U Online and the LEO Network (see References) offer classes and instructional materials free on line. Use interactive versions of the material to get comfortable with speaking and reading aloud, which improves pronunciation of words.

3. Develop a learning schedule. Consistency helps in learning a new language. Figure out how often you need to log in and practice the material to improve spoken language skills. Once a schedule is set, practice as often as possible. Pronunciation will improve as well as vocabulary skills with constant practice. The more you read and listen to the language, the more familiar it will become.

4. Join in on live chat groups consisting of English-speaking members and practice the language interactively. Chat groups are free and allow the user to stay on as long as needed . Dialogue is exchanged and other members will be able to give feedback on progress.

5. Play music on line in English. Yahoo has a music site where visitors are able to listen to music for free. Listening is one of the best ways to learn a language. Hearing the same words over and over will help in learning them. Music is stimulating and allows the listener to hear the language in a creative way. Repetition allows the listener to retain the information; try singing along with the songs.

6. Keep a dictionary handy to look up words for definition and to get clarity on use them in a sentence. Proper use of the language is important to communication. Knowing words is not enough; you have to be able to organize the words in a meaningful way for others to understand.

Paint Pearl Colors

Pearl paint can give a car's color a metallic quality.

In the world of painting, "pearl" refers to a light-catching and reflecting component added to paint to make it shimmer and change appearance slightly when exposed to direct light. This component is usually a dust added to paint that imbues it with the shimmering and luminescent quality that makes the color appear to change sightly. There are two kinds of pearl: ghost pearls and candy color pearls. Both can be added to regular paint. Pearl paint is often and most widely used in the automotive industry. Those cars that appear to sparkle slightly in the sun and shine with a multicolor sheen are examples of the kind of effect pearl paint can create.

Instructions

1. Clean your surface thoroughly. Wash the surface you are going to paint with soap and water. Dry thoroughly. Run your finger over the surface until it squeaks.

2. Sand the surface you are painting with a power sander and 150-grit sandpaper---this will prep the surface for paint, thus creating something for the new layer to bind to. Sand again with 220-grit sandpaper to smooth out any imperfections in the first sanding. Apply a steady pressure to the power sander so your sanding job is even. Wipe away the dust and residue with a wet rag. Dry the surface thoroughly.

3. Apply primer to the entire surface evenly. Select a color that is similar to or the same as the color you'd like to apply with the ghost or candy pearl dust. Allow this layer of primer to dry.

4. Sand the primer with a power sander and 220-grit sand paper. Resand with 400-grit sandpaper to ensure the primer is even, smooth and prepped for your layer of pearl paint.

5. Mix your ghost pearls into the color of paint you wish to apply. Pour in a 1/2 teaspoon to a full teaspoon of the pearls. Add the pearls gradually so you can see how the different amounts of pearl affect the color. Mix thoroughly until the paint shimmers and you can see the ghost pearls doing their work of transforming a flat color to a textured, luminescent color. Follow these same instructions for the candy pearls, only use a clear base color or a very light neutral color with the candy pearls, as they bring their own color to the mix rather than just reflecting and refracting light the way ghost pearls do.

6. Apply your shimmering pearl coat to the newly primed and freshly sanded surface. Apply the paint with a brush for smaller projects, and use a professional paint sprayer (you can rent one at a tool supply shop) for larger projects. Allow this layer of pearl paint to dry.

7. Wet-sand your pearl layer with a very high-grit sandpaper---2000-grit is not uncommon for a finish job like this. Wipe away the dust from sanding with a wet cloth. Dry the surface. Apply a layer of clear coat to the surface---this will serve to both increase the sheen of your paint and to protect your pearl paint layer.

Paint Patterns On A Jar

Turn an ordinary glass jar into a work of art with glass paint.

Basements and attics across America are littered with old, empty glass jars. Instead of throwing these jars away, they can be used as a child-friendly craft project. The glass jars can be turned into works of art, complete with a design that can be traced or freehand-drawn onto the surface. Decorated glass jars can then be used to hold flowers or given away as Christmas or birthday gifts.

Instructions

1. Clean the jar with hot, soapy water. Use a plastic scrub brush to rub off any labels left behind on the jar.

2. Dry the jar with a soft towel. Any glue residue left behind on the jar can be removed by rubbing it off with a cotton ball that has been soaked in nail polish remover.

3. Apply a coat of glass paint to the surface of the jar. This paint can be purchased at craft stores and be applied with a paint or sponge brush. Any color can be used to paint the outside of the jar. Allow the jar to dry completely, which can take several hours, before continuing.

4. Tape a paper template design to the outside of the jar. The paper pattern can be purchased at a craft store or designed and cut out from a piece of white paper.

5. Paint the area over the pattern with a sponge brush. Dab the area over the pattern continuously with the sponge brush to transfer the design onto the glass jar. Avoid overloading the sponge brush with paint to help prevent any mistakes.

6. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours before removing the paper pattern. Lift off the pattern carefully, and remove any mistakes with a cotton swab that has been soaked in mineral spirits.

Paint Particle Board On Cabinets

Particle board cabinets are generally less expensive than solid wood cabinets but they are more easily damaged and tend to show signs of wear much more quickly. If replacing your particle board cabinets is not an option, you can spruce them up with a few coats of paint. Take the time to properly prepare the cabinets before you begin to paint to ensure the best possible results.

Instructions

1. Clean the cabinets with a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar to remove any grease or dirt from the surface of the particle board. Dry the cabinets with a clean towel.

2. Sand the particle board cabinets with 80 grit sandpaper. The cabinets may have a clear coating over the particle board that could prevent paint from properly adhering to the surface. Sand the cabinets just until the surface feels rough when you run your hand over it.

3. Apply an alcohol- or shellac-based primer to the cabinets with a paintbrush. Open a few windows while applying the primer because alcohol-based primers give off strong fumes. Let the primer dry completely before you begin painting.

4. Paint two to three coats of indoor latex paint onto the cabinets with a paint roller or a paintbrush. Let each coat dry completely before you apply the next coat.

Make A Fire Without A Lighter Indoors

Use the humble match to build a successful fire.

Lighters add a touch of convenience to making any fire. Spin the flint wheel or push a button, and a flame instantly appears. One day, however, the lighter's gone missing, and matches appear to be your sole option for getting your indoor fire started. Fortunately, you won't need many of these. Using and arranging the right materials properly within your fireplace not only saves effort and labor, but creates an efficient burning fire.

Instructions

1. Crumple sheets of newspaper to place beneath your fire grate. Crumple enough paper to extend from one end of the grate to the other. Use only black-and-white print newspaper or brown paper bags torn into large pieces and crumpled. Avoid using paper containing color print. Color print contains chemicals are unsafe to burn.

2. Place the sheets of newspaper beneath the grate from one end to the other. Do not cram the pieces of newspaper together, which can prevent precious air from circulating.

3. Lay dry kindling, such as twigs and thin branches, atop the grate. Arrange the kindling in a criss-cross fashion to allow air to circulate.

4. Place one split section of dry, seasoned hardwood across the left end of the grate and a second section of a split log across the right end of the grate.

5. Push the two pieces of wood back so that they're touching the backside of the fireplace. Arrange them so that the ends touching the backside of the fireplace are closer together than the ends pointing away from the fireplace.

6. Set a section of log across your first two logs. Move this log back until it touches the back wall of the fireplace. For a stronger blaze, add a second log directly beside this first log.

7. Open the damper above your fireplace.

8. Twist a section of black-and-white print newspaper into a sort of rope. Light one end of the paper and hold it into the vent. Warming the air causes the air to begin rising up the chimney.

9. Use the lighted "rope" to ignite both ends of the newspaper beneath your grate.

Paint Over Varnish

Every surface that you paint requires its own unique prepping, otherwise the paint may peel or chip off of the surface over time. One of the more challenging surfaces to try and paint over is a varnished wood surface, as often the paint ends up peeling off of the surface within a short time because the slippery surface of the varnish hasn't been sufficiently prepped. If you want to paint over a varnished wood surface, follow the steps below to prevent the paint from peeling off.

Instructions

1. Thoroughly wash the surface with mineral spirits and an old rag.

2. Fill any indentations or nail holes with wood filler, following the instructions for the particular wood filler that you chose.

3. Lightly sand the surface with a fine grade sandpaper until all the glossy surface of the varnish has been removed from the surface.

4. Clean the dust from the sanding away with a tackcloth.

5. Prime the surface with oil-based Zinsser primer.

6. Wait for the primer to dry completely. This step is very important--don't allow your impatience to cause a bad result.

7. Paint the surface with an oil-based quality paint as many times as it takes to thoroughly cover the surface. Again, allow each coat to dry thoroughly before moving on to the next coat.

Paint A Sunset With Watercolors

Watercolor painting can be a therapeutic and relaxing way to spend an afternoon. If you haven't tried painting a sunset, these steps break it down so that you can easily create a watercolor sunset from start to finish with no stress or frustration, just the way watercolor painting should be.

Instructions

1. Wet the paper with a water-soaked mop brush. This technique is called wet-into-wet, and it softens the surface and prepares it for soft absorption lines rather than hard, defined lines. Wet-into-wet is used mostly for sunsets and clouds.

2. Tilt your paper at a 15-degree angle so the paint will run downward as it seeps into the paper.

3. Dip your brush into the blue paint, which is the first color to go onto the paper. Stroke the paint along the top edge of the paper. Overlap the first stroke with a second stroke of blue paint. Use the remnants of the first dip of blue paint.

4. Rinse your paint brush in clean water. Dip it into the red paint, run a stroke along the paper so that the red overlaps the blue to create a purplish hue.

5. Dip your paint brush into clean water to make the next brush stroke. Do not rinse the brush-you simply want to dilute the paint that is already on the brush. Finish this part of the sunset with several gradated strokes across the horizon.

6. Turn your paper upside down so that it's still at a fifteen degree angle, but now the paint runs in the opposite direction from the red and blue. Dip your brush into yellow paint and make several strokes across the paper. Work your way towards the red and blue strokes. Overlap each stroke.

7. Allow the paper to dry completely and then re-wet it with clean water. Dip your brush into the red paint and go back into the yellow areas and spot-touch with red to create subtle bursts of red sky.

Paint A Lightning Bolt

Real lightning differs significantly from the stylized likenesses, which are often displayed in popular culture.

In reality, lightning is a dramatic exchange of electrons, which can release an extraordinary amount of energy. Although difficult to produce a recorded image of a lightning bolt, representations of the common electrical phenomena can be found throughout contemporary culture. From high-powered race cars to comic books to advertising posters, symbolic representations of lightning bolts are a common fixture of our visual world. Painting a lightning bolt is not so much dependent on actual observation of the weather event, but rather an accumulation of visual data gathered from the wide array of artists' interpretations that have been produced over the course of art history.

Instructions

1. Execute a series of lightning bolt drawings in the sketch book. You can study how a lightning bolt is drawn in popular culture (tattoo designs and comic book depictions are excellent sources). The top of the bolt be should wide and the bottom should come to a point. One or both sides of the bolt should have jagged, zig-zagging edges, and the bolt might have three or more stages (zig-zags) as it goes from the wider top to the bottom point. Make several different drawings until you have a look and style that you are satisfied with.

2. Prep the painting surface. Paper shouldn't need any prep work, but canvas or wood can be primed with gesso.

3. Let the gesso primer dry and then draw the outline of your lightning bolt on the surface with a pencil.

4. Draw a second line parallel and just inside the outline of the lightning bolt. This will be an area of black paint, so keep the distance between the two lines small. Other options include using the only one line, when you create the dark border of the lightning bolt or leaving the darker fringe out of the design and just using one solid color to make the lightning bolt.

5. Fill the area between the two parallel lines with a dark color. Black is most common, but a deep blue or dark umber might add more interest to the picture.

6. Let the dark paint dry and then fill the large space that is inside the border with a solid bright-yellow color. On occasion a very warm orange, red or scarlet color can be used.

Get Free Show Tickets In Las Vegas

Many Las Vegas casinos offer free shows for their guests.

If you go to Las Vegas, you can enjoy the action and the atmosphere, gamble and possibly score some free show tickets to enhance your Las Vegas experience. Many Las Vegas shows provide high-quality entertainment for visitors who want to feel the vibrant nightlife of the city. Show tickets can make a dent in your wallet, but if you plan carefully, you can obtain some free tickets to some of Sin City's popular shows.

Instructions

Time-share Promotions

1. Sign up for a promotional program that includes, as part of your agreement to participate in the promotional presentation, free tickets to a Las Vegas show. Tahiti Village allows you to sign up in advance for promotional items, such as a free stay at its hotel and free show tickets, in exchange for your agreement to attend one of their time-share presentations. Representatives of other time-share companies will approach you in the casino to offer you promotional items, such as free show tickets, if you agree to attend one of their time-share promotions.

2. Sign the promotional tour agreement. Make sure that the agreement details how long the tour will take and exactly what compensation you will receive for participating in the tour. Most time-share promotional tours take about three hours. Check that the show tickets include shows that you want to see.

3. Participate in the tour and collect your tickets. Ask for extra compensation if the tour took longer than you anticipated.

Special Entrance Opportunities

4. Identify Las Vegas shows that have special free entrance opportunities. For example, some shows offer free tickets to veterans on Veterans Day.

5. Present your Veteran ID or Disabled American Veterans ID card at the box office.

6. Receive your free ticket to the show.

Bookings

7. Select a hotel or a booking website that offers free tickets to Las Vegas shows as part of their booking package.Many online travel agencies offer free tickets to a Las Vegas show if you book packages through their site. Check individual hotel websites for complimentary tickets offered to guests.

8. Review the conditions of the agreement, including applicable dates when the deal applies, as well as the nights that you can use your free tickets to see the show.

9. Book your stay according to the agreement and receive your free tickets. Note the dates for which the promotional deal applies, as well as the show nights for which you can use your free tickets.

Paint Over A Chrome Surface

You can paint chrome as long as you prep it first.

Painting over chrome and making it stick for the long run requires a special preparation process. There are a world of colors you can use to customize you car's chrome and make it very special; or maybe you want to paint something else around your home that is made of chrome. The process will be the same. Before you paint over chrome, you should also first repair any damaged areas on the chrome piece.

Instructions

1. Wash the chrome piece with basic soap and water and dry thoroughly.

2. Sand the entire piece with 220- to 320-grit paper and use 120- or even 60-grit for specific areas if you have deeper scars, rust or pits. You must get below any damaged spots. A pit in the chrome left alone will pop out in no time and ruin your paint. You may even need to use a grinder if the 60-grit paper will not get you below the damage. Follow up on the entire piece with 320-grit paper; you objective is to have minimal scratching from the previous sandpaper ending with a 320-grit finish. Always wear safety glasses if you use a grinder.

3. Fill in any low spots in the metal from deep sanding or grinding either with liquid steel from a tube or glazing compound if the fill in area is less than 1/8-inch deep. Once compounds are dry, sand level to the original surface with a heavier grit and follow up with 320 grit.

4. Using a clean cloth of tack rag, wipe the piece off to completely remove all sanding dust and then wipe down the piece with either lacquer thinner or wax remover.

5. Put on your face mask and spray the entire piece with the self-etching primer. Two light to medium coats will do. Allow to dry between coats. This special primer will grip to the metal and prepare you for regular primer and paint.

6. Once the self-etching primer is dry, spray two to three coats of the high-build primer over it, always allowing each coat to dry before applying another one.

7. Inspect the piece visually and also by rubbing your hand over it, and use glazing spot putty to fill in any remaining flaws or pinholes in the primer once it is dry. You can get a better feel for flaws if you wear a cloth glove and run your hand over the piece slowly.

8. Sand any glaze down with 220- or 320-grit paper and then sand down the entire piece, including the edges, with 600-grit paper so that you end up with a very smooth finish. Be sure to sand down any runs you may have from the primer. Chips or flaws will show up even more once paint is applied, so spend time here to obtain a smooth surface.

9. Wipe down the piece again either with lacquer thinner or a wax and grease remover. Any oils, dust or debris on the piece right before painting will affect your paint job in a negative way. You don't want to remove the primer, so just a once-over should suffice.

10. Spray two to three light to medium coats of the paint, being very careful not to let the paint run. The nozzle head should be about 8 to 10 inches from the target, and it is better to spray in even spurts rather than holding the nozzle down the whole time, which would more likely give you runs and heavy spots. If you develop any runs, you will have to wait until the paint is completely dry--probably by the next day--and sand the runs down with fine grits of 1,000 to 1,500, then respray the piece.

11. Spray two to three coats of the clear-coat finish over your paint once it has dried at least 15 to 30 minutes. Be sure you have good lighting for this, since the clear will not show a color to follow but only a shine on the sprayed areas. Sometimes you have to observe your work from an angle.

12. Let the clear coat dry for two to three days, and then you can use a very fine rubbing compound to give you a very smooth, flat finish, which will remove any small flaws, runs and bumps from the clear coat. The compound will also provide a brilliant shine. Apply the compound with a wax applicator, let set a minute or two, and then buff out by hand (or you may decide to use a power buffer with a wool pad if it is a larger piece). You may now also apply your favorite wax after the compound to further enhance the shine and offer more protection to your finish.

Paint On Wood Scenes

Old wood surfaces should be sanded and cleaned before painting scenes on them.

Painting scenes on wood panels is a practice dating back to the Byzantine era. One of the most famous paintings done on a wood panel is Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Mona Lisa." Today it's common for artists to paint on wood panels, chairs and coffee tables, or to paint murals on wooden buildings. Wood surfaces should be primed before painting, and suitable paints should be used. Acrylic and oil-based paints work well for vivid scenes, while water colors can be used for soft, muted paintings.

Instructions

1. Sand the wood surface and thoroughly clean it, unless you want the painting to have a textured look and feel.

2. Prime the wood surface if you would like to start with a clean backdrop. Make sure the type of primer you use is compatible with the type of paint you want to use. You can use white primer, although some artists prefer to prime with a light background color that will be a dominant hue in the scene they're painting.

3. Draw a rough sketch of the scene on the piece of wood, using pencil, charcoal or chalk. You may wish to refer to a photo for inspiration, or sketch the scenery around you.

4. Paint the scene, using large brushes to do the broad strokes and fill in large areas of color, and smaller brushes to complete the details.

5. Cover the painting with a clear sealant, if the wood will be exposed to weather or repeated use.

Paint A Mime Face

A red mouth is the finishing touch to your mime face.

A mime face is one the easiest theatrical faces to paint, according to the experts at Blush Web. But that does not mean you should not take your time and pay attention to details when applying mime face paint. In fact, the small details are what make your mime face original. The shape of your painted eyebrows and the intricate details around your eyes add to your mime's character and help establish your professional persona.

Instructions

1. Prepare your face for makeup by washing and drying it thoroughly. Pull back long hair so it is not in your way. Men should also shave. Apply moisturizer to your face.

2. Apply white, oil- or water-based makeup to your entire face with your fingers or a makeup brush. Paint a neat, circular or oval shape that stops at your jawline, in front of your ears and about one inch from your forehead hairline. Do not apply makeup beyond those boundaries.

3. Powder your face lightly with translucent powder and a powder puff if you are using traditional grease paint. Powdering is not necessary if using cake or water-based makeup.

4. Paint in eyebrows with the black grease pencil or eyeliner. Use only eyeliner or specialized makeup pencils around eyes. Make your face look sad, happy or silly by the way you apply makeup to your brows and eyes. For instance, down-turned eyebrows and a small tear on the cheek connotes sadness, while eyebrows that are drawn high on the head and widened eyes express surprise.

5. Draw a red outline around your mouth with the lipstick and fill in the space. Powder your face again if needed. Allow the makeup to set for approximately 30 minutes before touching your face, exposing it or going outdoors.

Mix Petty Blue Paint

Petty Blue, used on Petty Enterprises cars, has changed slightly over the years.

According to interviews with Richard Petty, the creation of Petty Enterprise's trademark Petty Blue paint was actually a fluke. Short on money and paint, they mixed a little dark blue paint with the white paint they normally used on the cars, and painted their two cars with it. Petty Enterprises now holds a trademark on the color, and it cannot be purchased without a licensing agreement with the organization. You can, however, mix Petty Blue paint at home in the same manner that Richard Petty mixed the first batch of Petty Blue in 1959.

Instructions

1. Pour dark blue paint into white paint, beginning with a ratio of 1:5. It is important to add only a small amount of blue at a time to get the right Petty Blue paint color. This process works with any type of paint, including acrylic, latex and oil enamels.

2. Combine well using a paint stirring stick or palette knife. It may take up to five minutes to fully mix a large amount of paint.

3. Apply a thin coat of paint to scrap wood, metal or cardboard. Allow to dry to the touch. Compare the color to a swatch or photograph of Petty Blue.

4. Add more dark blue paint if the color isn't dark enough to be Petty Blue. Be careful not to add too much. Paint another sample, allow it to dry, and compare to the Petty Blue swatch.

5. Continue pouring in a small amount of dark blue at a time until the dried mixed paint sample matches the Petty Blue sample.

Mix Acrylic Paint Colors

Mix Acrylic Paint Colors

Acrylic paints provide an easy medium to experiment with while you learn to achieve many different effects. Whether you're just starting out as an amature artist or as a professional, mixing acrylic paint allows you to work with colors and textures to create just what you want.

Instructions

1. Invest in quality paints. While student quality paints are cheaper, they will fade with exposure to light. They are also made of cheap pigment substitutes that will make your colors muddy.

2. Add a drop or two of acrylic retarder when mixing colors on a palette. This will help prevent it from drying before you start painting.

3. Use a palette that will help the paint stay moist. Specially made palettes for mixing acrylics are available, or you can just store your colors in film canisters. Just make sure to keep the lids on when you're not using the color.

4. Mix acrylic paint with other liquids. A variety of effects can be created by mixing acrylic paint with water, a flow aid or a gel medium.

5. Care for your brushes properly when mixing colors with acrylic paint. It's best to wash your brushes with warm water and lay them flat to dry.

Paint On Glass Surfaces

Customize your decor by adding personal touches to glass surfaces.

Glass surfaces abound within the home. From kitchen dishes to holiday ornaments to the various vases and bowls you use around your living spaces, it seems glass is everywhere. Whether opaque or clear, you can make your glass surfaces reflect more of your personal style by painting them. Painting on glass is not any more difficult than painting on paper or other surfaces, but you will need to make use of specialized materials and need to consider the end use before you begin.

Instructions

1. Decide whether the glassware you are about to paint will be used for eating or drinking and whether it will need to withstand microwave heat, refrigerator cold or dishwasher action. This will determine what kind of paints you need to purchase. You can use regular acrylic paints mixed with glass medium on any glassware, but acrylic paints specifically formulated for glass will be more likely to withstand the rigors of regular use.

2. Clean the glass and determine where you are going to put your design. Use rubbing alcohol and cotton or microfiber cloth to clean away any soap scum, grease or other residue that might be clinging to the glass. In deciding where to place your design, do not include paint at any point directly used for food or consumption, such as the lip of a glass. If you are using a stencil, follow the manufacturer's instructions to attach it to the glass. You can opt to paint the design area with glass conditioner first, which acts like a primer. The conditioner may leave a haze on the glass as you paint it on, but the haze will disappear as the conditioner dries.

3. Paint your design on the glass. Acrylic paints dry to the touch very quickly, so have an idea of create your pattern before touching brush to glass. The glass will not absorb the paint like paper would, so be sparing in its application until you are more familiar with how it reacts. Prevent dripping by painting at a horizontal angle. Try cushioning your glass in a covered soft pillow or folded towel to keep it steady. You can blend paints on the brush and can adjust mistakes with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. If you have been using a stencil, remove the stencil before the paint is fully dry.

4. Allow the full recommended time for drying; think of it as a two-stage process. Although acrylic paints dry on the surface very quickly, it takes a while longer for the underlying layers to become set. Factors that affect drying time include humidity, temperature and air flow around the object painted. Most manufacturers recommend allowing your creation to dry for at least 24 hours before washing. You will get the best results if you follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Paint On Glass Cups

Spruce up your glass cups with paint.

Learn paint on glass cups for a simple project you can complete in one afternoon. Use materials from an arts and crafts store to create personalized items. Give guests painted glassware party favors. Such items also work well as birthday, wedding and anniversary gifts. Painting on glass also is a suitable activity for children.

Instructions

1. Clean the cups with glass cleaner or rubbing alcohol. The cups must be clean for the paint to properly adhere to the surface. Use a sponge to apply a thin coat of enamel surface conditioner to the cup's outer area--this will help the paint adhere to the glass.

2. Choose a design. Use magazines photos or clip art for inspiration. For example, use a gardening magazine as a guide to create flowers. Clip art provides a simpler guide to copy as it usually is a simpler image. For additional guidance, tape the clip art inside the cup and follow the design.

3. Pour small amounts of acrylic paint into small paper cups. Use the flat brushes and acrylic paint to create a design on the cup's exterior. Quickly wipe away mistakes with the corner of a wet sponge. To switch colors, rinse off the paint brush in the rinse water container. Outline the design with a fine brush. Let the paint dry for at least 48 hours.

4. Set the glasses on a baking sheet. Place them in an oven set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the glass cups for 10 minutes to set the paint. Turn the oven off and keep the door closed until the oven cools. This will prevent damage to the cups. Remove the glass cups once the oven has cooled.

5. Use warm water and soap to rinse away any conditioner that is left on the glass cups. Always hand wash the cups with a sponge and mild detergent so you don't damage the painted art design. Let the cups dry.

Paint Clouds On Canvas

Working from a photgraph is the easiest way to start out.

The sky is an important part of any outdoor scene, even if the main interest of the picture is something completely different, such as a house. No matter how well painted the main feature of the picture is, if the sky is a forgotten blue patch, it will ruin the whole painting. Similarly, it is not that common to see a completely cloud-free sky, and there is little point in having a beautifully painted sky with a few white splodges painted on top. Painting clouds is a fairly simple technique that can add quality to the finished painting.

Instructions

1. Experiment with oils and acrylics, to decide which you prefer.

Select your materials. Oil paints take a long time to dry, so they are good for an extended project which may take several days. They can also be mixed with a little turpentine to bring them back to life when they have started to dry. Acrylic paints are more suited to much shorter projects as they dry more quickly than oils. However, acrylics are easier to clean off brushes than oils. When using oils, it is important the brushes are cleaned thoroughly after each use, using a special brush-cleaning solution. If the brush is left in the solution, it will lose its shape. Acrylics can be cleaned off the brushes with soap and water.

2. Clouds are never just completely white.

Paint the sky onto the canvas, beginning with a base color of blue. Start at the top of the canvas, moving the brush in horizontal strokes. As you move down, the base color needs to lighten towards the center of the canvas. Experiment with mixing colors until you have a very grayish blue. This time, start at the bottom of the canvass and lighten the color as you move up towards the center. This is the sky base for your clouds, and the gray adds a slightly cloudy sky to work on.

3. Note how the clouds feather out into the blue sky.

Create clouds by applying a base coat of white around the top area of the canvas. Move the brush from one side to the other, so there is a sharp edge on one side, feathering out and vanishing into the blue sky on the other side, as the brush runs out of paint.

4. Overlap your clouds, don't give each cloud its own little space.

Continue until you have a good build up of clouds across the sky. Overlap the clouds, so that the bright, sharp edge of one set of clouds overlap the feathered, softer edges of the previous clouds.

5. Use the same technique but different colors to create a stormy sky.

Mix a very light gray color and apply it over the base coat of the clouds, leaving the white tops and working down to the bottom of each cloud.

6. Adding color to the bottom of the clouds gives a 3-D effect.

Mix a small amount of yellow into the light gray to create a warm, sunny glow. Start at the bottom of each cloud and move towards the center, getting lighter as you go.

Paint Glasses On A Portrait Of A Person

Glasses have subtle effects on light that can be difficult to capture.

The human brain is designed to use icons and symbols to break down and understand the world. When painting, the brain attempts to use those symbols to represent an object rather than what visually makes up the object. An untrained artist will commonly attempt to paint eyeglasses with the symbol for eyeglasses, two circles around the eyes with a line going to each ear. This symbol has little relation to reality and makes a portrait appear childish and unrealistic. Breaking down the object into its basic shapes and displaying the way light interacts with the object will give a more accurate depiction.

Instructions

1. Form the empty spaces around the glasses to use negative space to define the shape. By creating the shape around the glasses and leaving the glasses themselves as an empty space, you force your brain not to attempt to paint a pair of glasses, and therefore use the symbol for glasses, but to instead just create the shapes it is seeing. After the negative space has been captured, the pure shape of the glasses is defined.

2. Note any magnification that may occur from the lenses. Some glasses may make the wearer's eyes appear slightly larger, or offset the eye slightly from the rest of the face when viewed from a three-fourths angle. This is a subtle effect and you must take care not to overplay it, as it will make your painting appear unreal or cartoonish if overdone.

3. Preserve any highlights on the lenses. The light reflecting off the surface of the lens may create a bright spot. Take care to start from lighter shades and deepen the darker areas as you go, to make sure the highlights stay intact.

4. Darken any shadows cast by the glasses. The glasses are a three-dimensional object set apart from the wearer's face. Light sources will cast some form of shadow on the wearer, and capturing those shadows will give the portrait a more realistic and deeper look.

Make A Guitar Cry

Make a Guitar Cry

Learning to make your guitar "cry" or "wail" with the aid of a Wah-Wah pedal can produce a haunting effect that can bring a new level of emotion to any song or guitar solo. This effect has been used by many guitarists over the years. It is a favorite of players in the blues, rock and funk genres. Making a guitar cry can be a relatively easy task compared to the amount of emotion that you will be able to add to your playing.

Instructions

1. Insert the battery into the battery slot on the Wah-Wah pedal. This will be located on either the front or underneath the pedal depending on the brand you own. The pedal will not be turned on at this point, not until both cables have been plugged in.

2. Plug one end of the first guitar cable into the output jack of the guitar. It is located near the bottom right-side of the body of the guitar. Any standard 1/4 inch guitar cable will work fine. Plug the other end of the first cable into the input jack of the Wah-Wah pedal that is located on either the left or right side of the pedal; that part depends on the brand you own.

3. Plug one end of the second guitar cable into the output jack of the Wah-Wah pedal, which is located on the opposite side of the pedal as the input jack. Plug the other end of the second cable into the input jack of the amp. Make sure the amp is still off at this point. This will activate the Wah-Wah pedal. Taking the cable out will turn the pedal off.

4. Turn the amplifier on.

5. Using your foot, push all the way down on the Wah-Wah pedal to activate it. You should hear a clicking sound when this occurs. The tone of the guitar will become thinner, and the motion of the pedal being pushed down will actually sound like the word "wah," hence the name.

6. Push down on the lower half of the Wah-Wah pedal to bring it into the upright and stable position. Your guitar should sound muffled at this point. Don't worry; this is perfectly normal.

7. Bend a note on the guitar. Start with a note on the first or second strings. Those strings are the easiest to bend.

8. Push down slowly on the Wah-Wah pedal as you are bending up on the note. Try to coordinate your foot and fingers so that you reach the top of the bend and the bottom of the pedal at the same time. This will produce the best results.

9. Practice this maneuver until you reach the desired effect. The bent note should have a "haunting" or "crying" sound to it when the Wah-Wah is applied to the note.

10. Practice performing multiple bends in a row with the Wah-Wah pedal. This will produce a series of "cries" or "wails" from your guitar.

Paint On Board Gesso Homemade

Why would you want to use gesso on a board? Gesso gives a board a different texture once it dries. Instead of painting on just a plain surface, gesso will add texture to the surface, such as bumps or ridges. Painting a board with gesso is easy. All you need is gesso, a board, a paint brush and a flat surface. You are able to make a surface with a texture to your liking when using gesso on your board. After following these simple five steps you will be using this technique for many of your paintings in the future.

Instructions

1. Decide what size you want your painting to be. Buy a piece of either Bristol Board or Canvas Board at a local art store. Bristol Board is thinner than a Canvas Board and is better used with water color paint because the ends of the board will start to curl slightly when a heavier paint is applied. Canvas Board is better with the heavier paints such as oil and arcylic.

2. Place newspaper under the board so that you do not get any gesso on anything else but the paper. It is best to put the board or canvas on a flat surface so that it is easier to apply the gesso.

3. Use a large paint brush to apply the gesso on the board or canvas. Apply the gesso all over the surface, making sure that you cover the entire board.

4. Let the gesso dry for approximately 24 hours. Then apply one to two more coats of the gesso onto the surface. You want the surface to be fairly thick, so one coat will not work. The gesso will take 24 hours to dry after each application.

5. Dry the gesso and look it over to make sure that the entire surface is covered. You can also go over the surface with more gesso and actually blot it on to create a textured surface or sandpaper it to make it smooth.

Paint Metal Light Fixtures

Remove the lightbulb from the fixture

If you have decided to remodel your plain, metal light fixtures by adding a coat of paint, you will have to contend with a few complications. First, because metal is a hard, nonporous surface, it is highly-resistant to primer and paint adhesion. You will need to condition the fixtures with a special type of etching primer before you paint, or the paint will flake away soon after application. And since metal light fixtures are slick, you should use a particular application method that will promote a smooth, professional-looking appearance.

Instructions

1. Cut power to the light fixtures at the circuit breaker. Allow the metallic light fixtures to cool. Remove the lightbulb from the fixture.

2. Clean the metallic light fixtures thoroughly. Scrub them with a degreaser, and then rinse the metal. Allow the light fixtures to dry out completely.

3. Cover areas adjacent to the metal light fixtures with masking paper and professional painter's tape. Place drop cloths beneath the fixtures.

4. Apply a coat of etching spray primer to the bare metal light fixtures, abrading the metal to enhance adhesion. Wait four hours for the etching primer to cure.

5. Apply acrylic spray paint to the primed metallic light fixtures. Apply a thin coat. Do not soak the surface with paint, or the paint may sag and drip.

6. Allow the fixtures to dry for two hours. Apply a second coat if the etching primer is showing through.