Digital Scrapbooking is a great crafts hobby that not too many people know about. It’s on the rise, as digital ways of doing life become more and more prevalent, but still has a ways to go, as most likely if you ask your friends at a party if they’ve heard of it, the likely answer is no.

Today I want to talk about digital scrapbooking, and a great site and resource for anyone looking to take it up. That is Pixel Scrapper. Pixel Scrapper as currently branded has been around for about 8 years, and has only continued to up its game in its offerings for the digital scrapbooking community (and really graphics community at large).

So digital scrapbooking is where people construct what are called ‘layouts,’ using various graphics (which can come in a wide variety of formats – png, svg, psd, and others). These graphics range widely, from papers that usually make up the background of a given layout, to ribbons, flowers, baseballs – you name it. (Note: after you finish this read here, if you’re still interested, Pixel Scrapper has a very informative and thorough article on digital scrapbooking.)

If there’s a particular element you’re looking for, it’s likely out there somewhere. And graphics for digital scrapbooking usually come in themed kits and bundles that are focused around a specific topic. There are kits dedicated to weddings, birthdays, “manly” things, or even specific nations or hobbies.

One of the cool things about Pixel Scrapper, is that they’re pretty much the only digital scrapbooking site that not only makes their graphics available in these kits and bundles, but they also have individual graphic downloads. So you don’t have to clutter up your computer if you’re looking for just one specific element. They also make these individual graphic downloads available for free.

All you need to do is register for an account, and you get five free downloads a day. And their graphics are all 300 DPI and of the highest quality (even good for printing, if you’re into hybrid scrapping. I won’t go into hybrid now, but it’s basically a joint form of traditional scrapbooking and digital). This is definitely an aspect of Pixel Scrapper that I love and that sets them apart from the rest of the sites in the niche.

Anyways, so you collect a variety of elements that you like, and basically using a program like photoshop or some such thing, you build your layout digitally, leaving room for the photos to go in afterward. Then, at the end, wallah! You stick your photos in and you have a beautiful way of remembering moments you’ve created with your loved ones.

Word art is another popular aspect to use on your layouts – basically aesthetically pleasing script of various kinds that go with the theme or catch phrases from the day or slogans that you want to remember.

Once you have enough layouts made, some people like to then print those out to have in a physical book. For example, if you find yourself making a lot of layouts you could make a whole book dedicated to one family vacation. But if you’re still finding your groove, maybe you’d just make one for the whole year. If this is something you’re interested in, a place like shutterfly can help you make a beautiful physical copy that you can treasure forever.

This is obviously a brief introduction to a pretty big hobby. But I hope you found it helpful. I’d head to Pixel Scrapper and start exploring if you want to learn more. They have some killer articles and tutorials and help pages that will help you get a grasp on how to get going.

Doesn’t hurt that they have a very friendly community as well. 🙂

There’s this untold joy that derives from the process of shaping pliable materials to form 3D structures. This feeling of pleasure is one a child cannot forget in a hurry. If you would like to engage your kids in something wholesomely creative and transformational, making 3D letters is a perfect project to undertake! With this work of craft, your kids will profit on many fronts: Learning the nuances of making three-dimensional objects as well as learning their alphabets! Here’s how you can do that!

Materials Required

To make 3D letters with paper, here are some materials that you will need.

• Cardboard or carton (depending on the desired thickness)

• A pair of scissors

• An adhesive (PVA glue)

• A pencil

• A measuring ruler

• Flat board for cutting

• Paint

Procedures

Step 1: Get all the materials ready and within reach. Clean the flat surface prepared and spread your cardboard (or other paper alternatives).

Step 2: With a pencil and measuring ruler, draw out a letter of the alphabet, making sure the edges are smooth and that the letters are of similar sizes.

Step 3: With a razor or scissors, cut out the letter drawn on the cardboard carefully. Remember to cut out the holes too.

Now, repeat steps 2 and 3 for the same letter to get two identical sides of the same letter cut out. Alternatively, you can use the cut-out shape like a stencil and cut the shape out.

Step 4: Draw a uniformly-sized strip with a ruler and cut it out. Now stick the strip to the letter using PVA glue.

Step 5: Superimpose the other identical half of the same letter linked by the strip. Apply the PVA glue to the points where the other half of the letter rests on the strip to make a permanent fixing.

Step 6: By now, our 3D letter is ready but will need some retouching and beautification. To do this, you can choose to coat each letter with a fine-wrapping paper or paint each letter. Feel free to explore different paint patterns.

Step 7: Repeat these steps with all the 26 letters of the English language, and you’re good to go!

Conclusion

Making 3D letters is a simple and fun thing to do with your kids. Not only is it cheap, but the execution time is barely over 15 minutes for each letter!

Creating gifts with your own hands is a very meaningful thing, but often, crafts can end up losing quality, color, and luster over time, so it is very important to choose the appropriate paint for each surface, that way you will ensure that your work is eternalized.

For novice artisans, many doubts may arise, to help solve them, we have created a list of the most used paints and in which places you can apply them to obtain a more professional result.

 Acrylic paint

The first on the list is the best known by artisans, because it dissolves in water and has a quick-drying, in addition to being easily found. It offers matte, shiny, metallic and even neon finishes. It is non-toxic and can be applied to external and internal areas.

 It fits on Wood, Fabric, MDF, Wall, Plastic, EVA, Styrofoam, among other materials.

 Latex Paint (PVA)

It is water-based paint and is available in various colors from glossy to matte, there are even those with glitter or metallic effect.

Suitable for porous surfaces such as wood, ceramic plaster, EVA, Styrofoam, MDF, cork, and heavy papers.

Epoxy Paint

Created for finishing walls and floors in kitchens or bathrooms, this paint is odorless, concentrated, and resistant to abrasion and waterproof. In addition, it acts in the prevention of fungi.

Perfect to use on tiles and surfaces that do not allow other pigments to penetrate or cannot come into contact with aqueous paints.

 Spray paint

Initially created for the finishing of furniture, spray paint today is an indispensable tool for urban art.

 It is better to use on surfaces such as furniture, wall, plaster, ceramic, wood, MDF, metal.

Varnish paint

It is available everywhere, produces a 3D effect, giving high relief and more personality to the works.

Varnish paint is perfect on various surfaces such as acrylic and MDF boxes.

Aged paint for fabric (bitumen)

As the name suggests, this paint creates an aged effect, giving the pieces a vintage feel. You can use it to create an old effect on the pieces.

Perfect on various surfaces such as fabrics, Ideal for painting ribbons, rubber bands, and felts.

 Paint for glass and porcelain

Now if the subject is glass it is necessary to apply a specific paint, the advantage of this product is that it can also be used to decorate from porcelain pieces to bottles, giving a sophisticated feeling to recycling.

 It fits Glass, porcelain and various smooth pieces.

 Oil paint

Suitable for handicrafts on canvas, oil paint has a great fixation and a strong pigment, making the color more intense.

Preferably to use on canvas, as it has a firmer texture, not suitable for papers.

Enamel paint

It is widely used because it has no strong smell and dries quickly. Varying between water and solvent bases can be used to give matte, satin and shiny finishes.

Preferably to use with wood, metals, PVC, and aluminum.

Painting is an art which requires skill and creativity. Although your kid might not become a Leonardo Da Vinci overnight, painting is a skill which can be developed. Since young minds are ever enthralled by new things, this art can bring a sense of fulfilment to them. Who knows, you might just be stimulating the right neurons in the brain of the next Michelangelo. Have you ever noticed how kids pay rapt attention when they have to paint something? There is this out-of-the-world feeling they almost always have. With their smile from ear to ear, they are always super eager to show their handy-work to whoever is willing to see.

Pebble and rock painting is one of the most interesting activities kids can get themselves involved in. It is an art which stimulates creativity. With a few affordable materials, you and your kids are ready for both indoor and outdoor painting activities! The following materials are needed to get it done: some paintbrushes –  both large and small, an assortment of acrylic paint of various colors, a waterproof sealer if the rocks are to be kept outside, some smooth and light rocks, a wooden box without a roof to keep the stones and a colorful piece of mat or carpet to underlie the box.

Pebbles and rocks can be handpicked by you and your kids making the outdoor experience a worthy recreational activity! To climax the fun, you can hunt for pebbles on the beaches of various oceans, seas, lakes and ponds, and search for rocks in the field. Be sure your kids will bring stones of various shapes and sizes as their little hands will allow. If you don’t have much time for this outdoor option, you can simply buy some pebbles and rocks at the craft store. These ones are already smooth and light enough for use.

The next step is to thoroughly wash the rocks, clean and dry them to remove any residual dust and sand which might give the art work an awkward curve. The completely dried pebbles and rocks can now be painted with different kinds of colors using the brush. The first layer of paint usually serves as a background color to the pebble or rock. After the background color is dry and set, other paintings can be done. With enough guidance, your child could paint different emoji, flowers, spirals and who knows, maybe the next Mona Lisa on a pebble canvas.

When drying or after drying the rocks outside it must be sealed with a water proof sealer to prevent washing away of the paintings. The rocks are gathered, gorgeously and systematically arranged in the box which has been covered with a colorful carpet as well. In addition, scribbling can be done with the paint brush on a card board to label your box.

Creating distance in your drawings is very important because it can make everything look credible and more natural. Every beginner should know that mastering this skill and always thinking about your work as a whole will only bring progress. So, let’s take a look at some of the tips you can find useful when trying to create the illusion of distance on your 2D drawings.

Blurring the Background

If you want to concentrate on only one object in your drawing and you want to create the illusion of distance the best way to do it is by making the background blurry. The further something is from the point of view the blurrier it will be. Take a photograph for example: if you want to make one object in focus, the rest of the picture will be blurred. Go ahead and blur the background of your drawing and make sure that the intensity of blur effect becomes higher as you go further from the point of view.

Crisp Edges and Lines

The same goes with the lines. If you want to accentuate that one object is really close, then you need to make all the lines really clear and crisp. As you go further you should start making those lines softer and blurrier. The type of edges or lines you are using will greatly influence the illusion of distance in your drawings. Try using thicker lines for objects that are closer and thinner lines for the ones in the back and you will see the difference.

Overlap Objects In Your Drawing

This one is pretty simple: when you start drawing more things on your canvas you can place them where and how you like. However, if you wish for you drawing to become realistic and achieve the depth then you should pay special attention to how you are placing the objects. The ones that are nearer to the viewer will be larger and more visible.The ones that are in the back might be blocked by the object in front, and some part might not even be visible at all.

Size of Objects

When we are observing something in the distance it will visually be smaller than it really is. If you want to create the illusion of depth make sure that you make the objects in the front larger and objects in the back smaller and smaller as you are getting away from the view point. What does this mean? Well, even if we know that the mountains are bigger than people, when we are drawing the in the distance they become smaller that the person who is the focal point of our drawing.

Shadows

Don’t forget to add the shadow effect as it is really important. Sometimes if the objects you are drawing are really close to each other you can add shadow to show the viewer where the objects are placed. This will greatly help in achieving the illusion of space and make your whole drawing look credible and professional.

Color or Atmospheric Perspective

If you are using colors in your 2D work than you need to know how to use them to achieve the depth illusion. As you go back towards the background the colors will belighther. The same goes for the shading. If you are using graphite then you might want to make the objects in the back look lighter, and make the shading a bit softer. All of this will make you drawing look better and natural, as in the nature there are atmospheric particles in the air that will gradually blur our sight as we are looking at the distance.

This brings us to the very end of this list of tips for achieving the illusion of depth. Practice all of these tips, when you are drawing landscapes, portraits or anything else and you will notice immense progress in your work.

Drawing a portrait or a complete human body might seem hard, but you know what they say: practice makes it perfect. Here are some useful tips that will help all the beginners realise how to properly draw the human face and realise their mistakes from their previous work. Get a pen and a piece of paper and get those fingers working today!

Observing and copying what you see might be the most useful technique you could practice if you want to master the face anatomy. Studying what lies beneath the thing we know as the FACE might help you with your further work. On the other hand, there are people who can perfectly copy what they see in front of them without even knowing the basic features of a human face.

Some artists prefer to draw from their imagination, and if you are one of them then you might need some time to practice and make your drawing look natural and human-like. So, let’s take a look at those tips that will make you the artist that you want to be.

Start with the basic geometry shapes

Everything you draw can be composed out of simplified shapes, so just to have a clue of what you are going to do and avoid unnecessary erasing do this as a first step. For an example, if we are looking at a human head face on, it can be depicted as a circular shape. Depending on a person or OC (original character) you are drawing this shape can be more oval like an egg or somewhat of an irregular circular shape – but you get the idea.

Some artist prefer to add two basic shapes when they are drawing a human face. Circle for the top part of the head and a shape similar to a triangle for the bottom part where the chin is located. So, once you know this, finish you basic sketch and let’s move on to the next tip.

Go for the proportions

Here is one great tip: If you have trouble placing eyes, ears, nose and lips on the face you are drawing all you need to keep in mind are these simple proportions. Part the head shape with a line horizontally and vertically. Place the eyes on the middle of both right and left half of the horizontal line. Next, part the lower half of the vertical line in 5 equal parts and place the lips and nose on the second and third line counting from your chin. Now you can start drawing the human face.

Face is not a plain surface

One must always keep in mind that a human face is not a plain surface. This means, that some parts are indented and others are convex, which is what defines the distinctive features of our faces. An artist should always think about these things which will help him achieve the illusion of depth on his drawing and make it look natural and convincing. Think of which parts of your face cast shadows to other parts and think of which parts get the most light. For example, upper lip tends to be slightly protruded compared to the lower lip, meaning that it will cast a little bit of shadow on the lower lip. The same goes for the brow ridge, eyes, cheek bones and your nose – all of these parts will likely cast some kind of a shadow on the parts of a human face located below them.

Draw face from different angles

Drawing a human face from different angles and in different lighting is crucial to mastering to draw any person’s face. One must get a sense of how a human head looks from many directions, which one can do by simply looking at the mirror.

Eyes are the soul

Take your time drawing the eyes, as they have so many details that can make your drawing look unnatural. Think of eyes like a sphere that they are, don’t just focus on the color, shape and proportions. Eye surface is highly moisturised, which means that any light source will be reflected in our eyes. Add little details that will show the shape of eyes, depth and even a reflection of something.

These are only some of the tips that can help you along your path as an artist. Apply them starting now and see the difference in your work. And don’t forget to practice and practice until you make it perfect.