Home Improvements and Home Decorating

Pencil Drawing Fundamentals - The Compositional Role of Object Placement and Viewpoint Selection

In this article we will learn about some of the considerations to be made when it comes to creating a composition or selecting a particular viewpoint.

First, let us introduce a few definitions:

Eye Level - The eye level is the height of the line (eye level line) that connects your two pupils. This assumes that you stand vertically on a level surface.

Eye Level Plane - A horizontal plane drawn through the eye level line is called the eye level plane. This plane divides a scene into an upper and a lower half space.

Horizon - The intersection of the eye level plane and a face-on vertical plane is called a horizon. An example of a close approximation of a horizon is the actual ocean horizon you see when standing on a beach. You will find that to view anything below the horizon your eyeballs need to rotate downward and to view anything above the horizon you will have to rotate your eyeballs upward.

Now, when you create a composition, you must first consider the height at which you will place the objects. This is critical because many compositions are weakened when the placement of the objects is either too high or too low relative to the horizon.

It is good practice to ask questions such as: Would my objects look better if I saw them from above? Would the composition benefit from lowering my eye level? What if the horizon were to split the objects? This last option means that a particular object is located such that part of it is above the horizon and part of it is below the horizon. That is, you see neither the top nor the bottom of the object.

The choice of placement of the objects relative to the horizon depends to a large extent on the form and the number of objects that participate in your composition.

Next to the placement of your objects relative to the horizon, your composition will also be fundamentally influence by your choice of viewpoint.

The viewpoint is determined by the location of the eye level plane and the location of your eyes on the eye level line. To help you understand the effect of the viewpoint on a composition, place a group of objects on a table and start varying your viewpoint, i.e., change the eye level plane by moving your eye level line up or down and then also by moving your eyes along the eye level line.

The idea is to study these different viewpoints, i.e., see how the composition changes when the viewpoint changes. Some of the objects will begin to intersect with others. Others will now show their top or bottom. At the same time you can also change the placement of the objects relative to each other to improve certain compositions that you found.

It is clear that both the placement of objects and the selection of a viewpoint drastically influence the composition of a scene. Your task as an artist is to change both placement and viewpoint in such a way that you end up with the composition that suits your artistic requirements the best.

It makes good sense to learn the difference. This can be done by developing your artistic sensibility for composition. One way to do this is to pay attention to composition when you study the work of great artists. In fact, the greatness of the work of some artists rests specifically on their talent for seeing good composition.

With this I hope that you now have developed awareness as to the importance of object placement and viewpoint selection and how they influence composition and therefore the attractiveness of your work.

Read how to draw with pencil, beginners oil painting tips and some glimpse of art with the home decorating interiors.

Home Improvement-Winterizing your Home

During the fall is a great time to start winterizing your home. Winterizing is checking your home for any signs that will let some of the elements, such as wind, and even rain to enter your home through an unknown source.

Home Tips

Winterizing saves you money and keeps a check on things such as windows, doors, attics, and much more. The wind can drain money from your bank account by making your furnace run longer, so your power bill will go up, and the more money you will have to pay. There are some things that you can do to lower the power bill and keep out the elements.

Small Bathroom Remodeling

I know that it seems as if I am always saying, “make a list”, I AM. People tend to forget things when they do not make a list of something that they want to do. This is not intentional; but how many times have you gone to the super market and came back home to find out that you forgot something that was really important. This would not have happened if it would have been on a list.

Bathroom Remodel

So, as you walk through your home you will want to check all the door jams, and windows, for any sign of outside air coming through to the inside. You not only want to check the inside of the house but the outside as well. The air conditioner may be losing precious cold air. Many air conditioning units will lose air around the unit itself, so you will want to insulate any cracks, holes, air ducts, and vent hoses. If you do not already have them on your doors, door sweeps will keep the heat in and the winter weather out.

You can caulk the window frames and the doors if there is air coming in or going out of the house. An inexpensive way to winterize the windows and other large openings, which are too large to be caulked, is to purchase an inexpensive roll of polyurethane (plastic) and a heavy duty staple gun. Cut a section of the plastic approximately 4 inches larger than the opening and staple the plastic around it. You need to make absolutely sure that no cold air can come through the opening. Using some thin strips of cardboard will allow you to roll the plastic around them and they will help in stretching the plastic tight, and make it much easier to staple to a wooden window frame. On some homes, this may have to be done on the inside, on other types of homes it can be done on the outside.

Next, you will want to check that all your water lines have been properly insulated. Rubber insulators are very inexpensive and easy to put on your pipes yourself. Cold water lines lead to frozen pipes; and cold hot water lines lead to not so hot water by the time it travels from the water heater to the faucet.

Furnaces and chimneys should be cleaned at this time of year. You should have a certified inspector to check the furnace for leaks, and to change any filters that may have become clogged up with dust and dirt. They can also light your pilot light, and inspect all the fuel piping, to ensure that everything is working properly.

Adding extra insulation in the attic will help increase the warmth in the home. You should have at least 12 inches of insulation. Over time, insulation tends to flatten and it does not keep your home insulated very well once this happens.

Choosing Tile for Your Bathroom

Choosing just the right tile for your bathroom requires several decisions on your part. You will want the tile to match the color of your bathroom wall, and to be durable and help make your bathroom look larger and cozy.

Small Bathroom Ideas

The bathroom is one of the rooms in the house that a person wants a warm comfortable feeling. So what you decide to do to it will make a very big difference. Tile comes in many different types from ceramic to porcelain and stone. You can get tiles in various colors, sizes, and textures.

Bathroom Fixes

Tile is a versatile accent that will allow people to add decorative accents to your bathroom. Depending on the type of tile that you purchase, tile will last a lifetime. Some tiles are better for floors, and some types of tiles are better for the wall. Both types however, should be able to withstand moisture as well as resist staining.

Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

Neutral color tiles will allow you to use different colors of paint, some matching bathroom furniture, and a few throw rugs. Bold colors will give the bathroom a more cultured look, bringing out the neutral colors to give the bathroom an appealing look.

Bathroom tiles are available in many shapes, as well as sizes; the sizes can be from 1 inch to 24 inches, and are available in octagons, hexagons, rectangles, and diamonds. The size of the tiles is an important consideration. Smaller tiles or mosaic tiles will allow you to put much more decorative patterns on the floors or the bathroom wall. Larger tiles are much easier to install and take less time. Tiles have a rating that accounts for the amount of moisture that it can absorb. COF refers to the smoothness of the tile and is rated from 0 to .6, and refers to the non-slip surfaces. Another rating that you will want to check when you purchase your new tiles is the PEI rating; this rating uses grades from 1 to 5. Grade 1 is best for applying to the bathroom walls. Grade 2 is for light bathroom traffic. Grade 3 is rated for light to moderate traffic on the floors. Grade 4 tiles are used for moderate to heavy traffic, and of course, Grade 5 is for heavy bathroom traffic.

Many types of bathroom tiles can be cleaned with plain soap and water, however in some cases you may need to use a stronger cleaner. Check with the tile sales person or read the manufactures recommended cleaning specifications to find out what products is best for the particular type of tile you are planning on purchasing.

Other types of tile are the stone tile, which include marble, limestone, granite, or slate. You can purchase polished stone that will have a mirror-like finish, which is favored for walls and low traffic bathrooms. Honed stone is much more durable for heavy traffic areas, and is much less likely to show any damage. Marble gives the appearance of elegance, and is suitable for moderate traffic, and interior walls. Slate tiles resist fading, abrasions, and chemical use, and yet it has its own natural beauty. Sandstone and limestone tiles seem to be more brittle and would be more beneficial for the bathroom wall.

Whether or not you have any experience with home decor or home decorating of any kind, you can make changes to your home’s look if you are properly armed with a little information and some helpful tips. Firstly, you’ll need to come up with a basic plan for your home decor. If you do this, you’ll have an easier time deciding what you want to change and you’ll know just where you want to make those changes before you begin jotting down your home decorating ideas. Careful planning will make the end result of your home decorating experience much more satisfying.

The next step is to determine your budget for redecorating. Setting aside a certain amount of money to carry out your home decorating and sticking to your budget is very important, and this will be easy to do as long as you have made the proper plan in the first place. Compare the prices of the items that you need from different stores - this will help you to get the look you desire at the price you can afford.

Of course, being aware of the resources available to you is extremely helpful. You’ll have to look into the offerings from several retailers, since you’ll most likely have to visit several shops to get everything you are looking for. For example, you will most likely have to go to one shop for shelving and another shop for an ottoman.

Home Decor Software - Using Modern Technology To Your Advantage

There are many options open to you when planning your new decor design, such as home design software. Software is a great tool that can help you immensely with regard to your plans for your floor & decor. There are many options available to you but it is important to check your budget before purchasing one of these; home decor software can sometimes be very expensive.

Get Professional Help

Quite often home owners take the easier option of allowing the professional to carry out the work needed to redecorate their homes. If you’ve never done any redecorating before, this may be a good idea. It can be very useful to hire a professional because he or she may have suggestions that you might not have thought of and, in addition, may have unique ways in which to implement your ideas.

Some people are able to turn their hand to anything and are more than happy to tackle a home decorating project themselves. However, for those who simply would not know where to start, employing a decorator is likely to be the best option. You will probably have to pay the professional decorators by the hour, but this is usually a one-time expense over the course of a day or two. Once you get started, you’ll have the necessary means to give your home a fresh new look.

Home Improvements-Kitchen Tiles

Home Remodel

Everyone wants an elegant looking home. One of the rooms that you will want to feel comfortable in is the kitchen. Most people think of tiles as something that is for floors, this however, has been changed by contractors, designers, and homeowners.

It is not unusual today to walk into a kitchen and find tile not only on the floors, but also on the walls, and counter tops.

Tile floors in the past would be seen with only one pattern in the floor tiles. Imagine a floor that used more than one pattern, or more than one type of tile. For instance, around the counters, you could put a few rows of large tiles, then in the center mark off a section where traffic is not as likely to flow, and install a square using smaller tiles, such as mosaic. You could out line mosaic tiles with a small longer tile, approximately 2 inches x 4 inches, then use small mosaic squares in the center of that. This is just one example. The outcome of your floor is left to your discretion, as the tile comes in so many different types, sizes, and colors.

Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

Counter tops have always been seen with Formica as a design for the kitchen. Not too many homeowners or cooks have thought of using tile for counter tops. This is beginning to catch on more and more. Marble and stone are some good choices for counter tops, and it give the counter a very impressive look.

Splashguards are being made of marble, and it is now being installed not just as a splashguard but also as part of the wall, or even the rest of the wall itself.

Kitchen Walls

People are beginning to use tiles for kitchen walls now more than ever before. There is no limit to the designs that can be done using different types of tiles for the wall and they will be less expensive than the floor tiles because there will not be any traffic on them, and so the coding will be different.

Bathroom Remodeling

Tiles used for the walls are easy to clean and can resist stains. From the ceiling down can use a light code because you will not have stains or moisture except around the stove where the steam may reach the upper heights. Approximately one foot from the top of the stove, you could use the same type of tile with a more moisture resistant code.

When deciding to use tiles in the kitchen, you should talk it over with an employee at the home improvement store. They may have some ideas of their own that you would like to use. Even if they do not have any ideas, you can try researching the internet. Someone will have a website that will give you an idea. They will usually have tiles that will appeal to you.