What is Etching?

Etching is an art form using the process of biting lines or areas onto a metal plate by means of an acid, with a view to being printed.  Lines may be etched onto a metal plate without its being printed, as an art form itself as a decorative purpose, but normally the metal plate is used as a printing device. 

Etching differs from line engraving by the process by which the lines are incised.  In engraving an instrument is used to scoop a shaving out of the metal.  Etching uses a chemical action.  A print from an etching is distinguished from an engraved print by the fact that in an etching the lines do not diminish or increase gradually in thickness, but do so in a more (or less) abrupt stage and the endings of the lines are square.  In an engraving the ends of the lines tend to tape gradually to an end.  Engraving and etching have been used in conjunction with one another throughout history. 

There is another facet of etching as well, called dry point.  This is the process of scratching a line directly on the metal plate surface using an etching needle.  In its passage the needles leaves an irregular ridge on either side of the line creating a 'burr' to which the ink adheres to create a blurred effect.  This effect is often used as another aspect of the etching technique.

Etching was probably invented (as with engraving) north of the Alps, and the greatest works of this process appeared in Germany, France and England, as well as the Netherlands.  Its beginnings appeared as early as the 15th century and at the end of 17th century it was used as means of decorating metal, particularly armor.  It seems probable that the earliest works came from goldsmiths and the idea of printing from the plates came from them as well.

Many artists throughout history have used the etching process in their artistic endeavors.  Francisco Goya (1746 - 1828) is one notable artist that used this technique in his art works.  In France, Theodore Rousseau (1812 - 1867), Charles Jacque (1813 - 1894), and C. F. Daubigny (1817 - 1878) are among many other famour artists, which also include Rembrant.

Today etching is still used as an art form by many artists.  Copper offers the most suitable surface for etching, but zinc is widely used as well.  Iron can also be used with nitric acid, but it is highly susceptible to atmospheric conditions.  The best thickness for etching plates is 16 to 18 gauge.  Thinner plates tend to buckle under the etching process.








Find some of my own works of art at:  Dee Phillips Galleries

Are you interested in becoming an artist?  Do you want to refine your art techniques? Get Real Art Lessons, ebooks and DVD's, by Artist Delmus Phelps to get instructive information On How To Make Photo-realistic Paintings. Create realistic paintings in oils of flowers, still life...and much more!  Click Here!

Who Was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel?

Eiffel Tower

Yes, you guessed it.  Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was the engineer and bridge builder of the Eiffel Tower.  The Eiffel Tower was built for the Paris exhibition of 1889.  Alexandre Effel was born in 1832 and attended the Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris from 1852 to 1855. 

Although you may not strictly consider building bridges or towers an art form, there is a certain amount of grace, fluidity and movement to the structures that mimics sculpture. In fact, in many of today's modern art sculptures the same principles of structure can be seen.

Eiffel also was master of airy two-hinged arches, such as that over the Douro river in Portugal. 

Eiffel designed the inner structure for the Statue of Liberty

Eiffel also gained fame by being responsible for designing the inner structure for the Statue of Liberty in New York.









Are you interested in becoming an artist?  Do you want to refine your art techniques? Get Real Art Lessons, ebooks and DVD's, by Artist Delmus Phelps to get instructive information On How To Make Photo-realistic Paintings. Create realistic paintings in oils of flowers, still life...and much more!  Click Here!

Embroidery as an Art Form

Embroidery is the decoration of fabric by means of a needle and thread.  It is needlework, but not just your basic everyday needlework that constitutes the creation and mending of fabric into garments and useful items, like pillows or sheets.  Embroidery is an art form that decorates or enhances the visual appeal of fabric.  It often creates a picture or design and is intended to be decorative. 

Embroidery has its history from a very early age, with paintings and carvings from Egypt indicating garments were embroidered in very early times.  Also history indicates early embroidery workings from the Orient and every quillwork (another means of embroidery) was done by the North American Indians and African tribes.

Different styles of embroidery, depending on the materials at hand in local cultures, have evolved in different parts of the world. 

Many embroidered works are treasured in today's art markets, where these artworks have gained appreciation by the use of colorful silks and gold and silver threads made into beautiful designs. 

Embroidered items can be simple in nature, working in only one color to create the design, to the use of thousands of strands of fine needlework made into all manner of items, from tea towels, pillow cases, curtains, to clothing and wall hangings.  Elaborate scenes can be created from using various threads integrated into the picture to create depth, shading and definition. Embroidery can also be abstract in design.

The embroidered works can be done by hand or by machine. 

The use of thread and fabric is yet another type of art form.  Art takes its shape from many mediums, like paint or sculpture.  Embroidery is another example of how beauty in art can be expressed using a different medium.

Here are a few books on embroidery that may interest you, whether you are trying to create your own embroidered artworks or are simply wishing to view embroidery masterpieces:

Work at Home Making Crafts for Cash! Click Here!

Art Trivia - Who was Antoine Etex?

Antoine (Tony) Etes was a French sculptor, painter and architect.  His two sculptures "Peace" and "War" stand at each side of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.  He was born in Paris in 1808 and died in 1888.  He is also famous for a large allegory painting "The Glory of the United States", which he painted for City Hall in New York City.  His best-known architectural works are the tomb of Naopoleon I in the Invalides and a monument of the 1848 revolution.

My Type of Art

As an artist, I am always experimenting with different art forms, although there are some types that I always come back to.  I guess it has to do with expanding my creative side.

Generally, I like to paint with acryllics, and my favorite subjects tend to be children.  I find beauty in simple scenes and the saint-like quality of children's faces.  I like to portray children from different eras as well.  I enjoy the old-fashioned type dress that children used to wear back then and find them a joy to paint.  I love little girls with big bows in their hair, boys in overalls, babyies in rompers--that kind of thing.  Here are a couple of examples:

You can buy this picture at:

http://www.imagekind.com/Girl-with-Bunny_art?IMID=32356a36-1b94-436c-ad12-60a555a7055f

You can buy this picture at:

http://www.imagekind.com/Girl-with-Big-Bow_art?IMID=c8785909-b822-4946-a75c-58ab7a4040dc




 
 
 
 

 
 
You can buy this picture at:


http://www.imagekind.com/Reading-Together_art?IMID=c9ecc25a-25b4-455d-ad99-d45f05c775a6



The pictures above are only one type of art that I like to do.  As I said, as a creative person, I delve into various other art subjects, like landscapes and scenery, or even rock scupture and my own jewelry designs.

For this blog, I just wanted to share some of my art with you.

Hope you like it!

Who Was James Sydney Ensor?

Here is a little art history trivia.  Do you know who James Sydney Ensor was?  He was a Baron (1860-1949) and a Belgian artisit.  He was a member of the powerful Postimpressionist generation of artist-innovators.  In 1882 he gained fame with early landscape, portrait and still life paintings which were shown in the Paris Salon.  His use of vivid and luminous colour shocked his contemporaries.  This led him to create works for carnival celebrations and he sold his maks in his family's souvenir shop in Ostend.  He continued with his artistic endeavours and his phenomenal boldness and energy in his works created rich improved imagery and exuberant colorful pieces that was astonishing in the 20th century Expressionism and Surrealism period.  Early in the 1900's Ensor's collections in Germany influenced the development of the German Expressionistic movement, particularly Paul Klee.  He was made a baron by the Belgian kind in 1929 when his largest and most famous piece "Entrance of Christ into Brussels" (picture shown) was first publically displayed.  This piece was painted in 1888 and is a brilliant panorama of masked figures paying a carnival homage to the entering Savior.  James Sydney Ensor died in 1949.

Get Ready!  Its coming...  "Sell Artwork For Profit", a new ebook guide to help you sell your artwork for profit.  Watch for it coming soon!

Photography as Art

Art has many mediums and forms.  One type of art that is always popular is art photography.  This is where a photograph can stand alone as a piece of art, or where a photograph is manipulated into a new art form.  The subjects for photographic art is as wide as the world.  You can enjoy a colorful sunset, a beautiful landscape or nature scene, a unique picture of a cute animal, a still life, or even people composed in an artful setting.

Many photographers are having fun manipulating photographs into a new dimension.  There are many computer programs that help with this which can create stunning pieces of art.

Here a few examples of photographic art:

Photograph entitled "Good Mother Monkey"

"Flower Art"

"Colorful Leaves"

These Photo Art Images are available for purchase at:  http://dennyphil.imagekind.com/

If you are an artisit you may  wish to try out your own talents for photographic art.  All it takes is a digital camera, a simple computer program (if you wish to manipulate the pictures) and a bit of imagination.  You may discover a whole new talent, and a new way to make an income from your art!