How to Do Abstract Art Posted: 07 Nov 2019 12:00 AM PST If you've ever looked at abstract art and thought "I could do that," it's time to give it a whirl. Abstract art can be tremendously fun and liberating to create. You can make an abstract painting by dripping, taping lines, or layering with paint. But abstract art isn't limited to painting! You could make abstract sculptures with clay, aluminum foil, or wire. You could make a Calder-inspired mobile, or take abstract photographs. Start exploring, and have fun! [Edit]Painting an Abstract Artwork - Channel Jackson Pollock with a drip painting. Lay your canvas or paper on the floor. Dip a stick or dried-up paint brush into watery paint, and flick the paint over the canvas. It will fall in interesting splatters and patterns. Load a lot of paint on your brush for a big splatter, or flick your brush lightly to make little drops. Use different colors of paint, and layer drizzles and drips.[1]
- Protect your floor with a drop-cloth before you put the canvas down. That way you won't drip paint on your floor!
- Pollock used very fluid alkyd enamel paint to make his famous drip artworks, but any kind of watered-down paint will work.[2]
- Create a geometric design with painter's tape. Lay strips of painter's tape over your canvas. Paint in the spaces between the lines of tape. You can fill each space with a different single color, paint one color over the whole canvas, or paint different colors everywhere! Wait for the paint to dry, and peel off the tape.[3]
- You'll be left with blank stripes on your canvas. You can either paint them a color, or leave them blank.
- Paint freehand, layering different colors and textures. You don't have to use a drip-method or painter's tape to create an abstract painting. You can use an ordinary paintbrush. Start by covering the canvas with one color of paint. That way you won't be intimidated by a blank canvas. Make vertical and horizontal marks and curved lines in other colors to add depth to the piece. [4]
- Vary the thickness with which you apply paint for visual interest.[5]
- Try to have a focal point in the painting, or a place where the eye rests on, as it's wandering around the painting. This will make your painting feel complete.[6]
- Experiment with different structures in your composition. An abstract painting can be organized, even if it doesn't represent anything in particular. A structure can help lead the eye through the painting. You can have the eye follow a triangular path, by having three big points. You can have a radial structure by having a bunch of lines coming from a single point.[7]
- Try using letters of the alphabet, like L, H, S, and Z, as interesting structures for your painting.
- Get into the flow and have fun. An abstract painting doesn't have to represent anything in particular, but it can be inspired by anything too: your mood, a landscape, the weather, a song. Some abstract artists describe their painting process as a blissful kind of flow, where they are entirely concentrated on the balance of colors and lines in their composition. Others experience it more as a spontaneous dance.[8]
- Limit distractions in your painting space to get into a quiet, careful flow.
- If you want your painting to be more energetic and spontaneous, try putting on some music and painting to the beat!
[Edit]Making Abstract Sculptures - Use aluminum foil to create an abstract sculpture cheaply. You don't have to have access to fancy art supplies to get started making an abstract sculpture. Crumpled aluminum foil has an eye-catching texture and a shiny glint. You can twist it into long snakes, roll it into smooth compact, spheres, or leave it half-crumpled for an interesting look.[9]
- You can spray paint your aluminum foil sculpture whatever color you like once you've sculpted it. Just remember to always spray-paint in a well-ventilated place.[10]
- Mold clay into an abstract 3-dimensional shape. You can use quick-bake or air-dry polymer clay, like Sculpey. Or, if you have access to a firing kiln, you can use ceramic clay. Mold it into any shape you please. You can try starting with a foundational shape, like a cube, or a sphere, and cutting pieces out.
- If you're using polymer-clay, bake it on a baking sheet in the oven at the temperature and time recommended on the package.
- If you're using air-dry clay, just let it sit overnight in a well-ventilated room.
- If you sculpted with ceramic clay, you'll have to bisque fire it in a kiln, paint it with glaze, and then do a final firing.[11]
- Try your hand at a wire sculpture for a more challenging project. Twist the outline of a shape with wire with your fingers. To connect the shape, wrap the wire tightly around the other end. Make a foundational shape, like a circle of wire, and then wrap thinner wires around it to make it 3 dimensional and add detail. Use wire pliers to trim the wire and tighten connections. [12]
- You can use copper, brass, or steel wire to make your wire sculpture.
- Steel wire is the sturdiest, and hardest to bend, then copper, and then brass.
- Wire comes in different thicknesses, called gauges. Choose the thickness that's right for your project.
- You can spray paint your sculpture once you've made it. So when you're picking your kind of wire, worry less about the color of the wire than about its flexibility.
[Edit]Making an Abstract Mobile - Cut 5 circles out of tooling foil with utility scissors. This is the first step to making an abstract mobile like Alexander Calder. Calder is famous for making beautiful abstract mobiles that shift in the air. You can make your own by suspending circles of tooling foil on copper wire.[13]
- The circles should be have diameters of , , , , and .[14]
- You can use a clay stylus to emboss designs on the circles.[15]
- Cut 4 lengths of 16 gauge copper wire. The wires should have the lengths: , , , and . You will use the wire to suspend your foil circles. [16]
- Use an awl to punch a hole in the smallest foil circle. Place the foil circle on a piece of foam, and then punch through, so that you don't punch an indent in your table. Punch the hole about in from the circle's edge.[17]
- The hole should be small, just big enough to fit the wire through.
- Push a copper wire through the hole. Once it's through, bend the wire twice, 90 degrees, like a staple, and punch a second hold to put it through. Push the wire through and bend it flat with wire pliers. Now the wire is firmly attached to the circle.[18]
- Do the same with the next biggest circle, on the far end of the copper wire, so that the wire holds a foil circle at each end.[19]
- Place one foil circle on each of the longer wires. Repeat the steps of punching a hole with an awl, and threading the wire through. Bending the wire back, and punch a second hole to fit the wire through.[20]
- Now you will have three wires with 1 disk on each, and one wire with 2 disks.
- Find the balance point of the smallest wire and make a loop there. Lightly grasp the wire with pliers, and find the point where it does not tip right or left. That's the balancing point.[21]
- Make a loop at the balancing point by wrapping the wire around your round pliers.
- Thread the next longest wire through the loop, and repeat. Once you've attached the next longest wire, find its balancing point, and make a loop there to hang the next. Continue until you've assembled the whole mobile.[22]
- Each wire will suspend the one below, with the foil disks appearing to float.
[Edit]Exploring Other Abstract Art Forms - Use a digital art program to make abstract art. You can use Inkscape, Photoshop, or a different digital art software program, to make abstract digital art. Start with a background color, and then layer marks or shapes of different colors and thicknesses.
- In digital art programs, you can make perfect shapes with very straight lines, much more easily than you could freehand, and you can fill them in all at once with a paint bucket tool.
- Take abstracted photographs. Although photographs capture real things in the world, you can take photographs that viewers will think are abstract, if they can't recognize the subject of the photo. For example, if you take a really zoomed-in photograph of a piece of fabric, or a pond, the ripples and shadows will look like abstract art. This is called "removing the reference," because the viewer has no reference to judge what it is they're looking at.[23]
- Move your camera while you take the photo to create a blurry, unrecognizable image, or take a zoomed-in photo of a moving object, like a train going by.[24]
- You digitally edit the photo after you've taken it, to make it more abstract. Turn up the saturation or the contrast. The more you fiddle with your photo, the less recognizable it will be.
- Write abstract poetry by focusing on sounds, not meanings, of words. Abstract poems sound great aloud, but they don't necessarily tell a story. They might use a lot of rhyme and alliteration. The poem can make you picture a string of vivid images, which are beautiful, but don't really make sense. [25]
- Try picking a random word and then thinking of as many words as possible that rhyme with it.
- The best way to start writing abstract poetry is to read it! Get a book of poetry from the library or read some poems online.
- Write a list of specific visual things you've noticed in the past few weeks, like "lamplight on the puddle" and "red button on my sister's sweater." Rearrange them to form a poem.
- Play a game where you write a normal sentence, and then switch every major word to be its opposite. For example, if you just wrote, "I wake up to the sound of blue birds and smile," you can switch it to: "You sleep down to the color of red dogs and weep." Soon you have something that doesn't make much sense, but still creates a confused sort of picture in your reader's mind.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Painting an Abstract Artwork - Acrylic enamel paint
- Canvas
- Paintbrush
- Painter's tape
[Edit]Making Abstract Sculptures - Clay
- Glaze
- Aluminum foil
- Wire (copper, brass, or steel)
[Edit]Making an Abstract Mobile - Tooling foil
- Utility scissors
- Awl
- Wire pliers
- Clay stylus
[Edit]Exploring Other Art Forms - Digital art software
- Camera
[Edit]References |
How to Make Nachos Posted: 06 Nov 2019 04:00 PM PST There aren't enough good things to say about nachos. In their classic form, they're spicy, creamy, cheesy, crunchy, zesty and delicious, but what makes them timeless is their versatility. Take the core taste concepts - creamy, crunchy, layers - and you can let your culinary creativity shine. This article gives instructions for making classic nachos, BBQ nachos, and dessert nachos. [Edit]Classic Nachos - Gather your ingredients. Classic nachos highlight the two most essential nachos ingredients: chips and cheese. Build on this foundation by adding whatever toppings you desire. Pick up the following items:
- Tortilla Chips: flour or corn, the fresher the better. The perfect chip is thick enough to hold serious toppings but light enough to let the other ingredients shine.
- Cheese: cheddar is the classic, but mozzarella, monterey jack, cotija; if it can shred, it'll taste good. Mix them for color.
- Salsa: your choice. The classic is chunky pico de gallo.
- Sour cream: Try not to choose low fat. Sour cream gives Nachos part of their umami and balances the spice.
- Pickled jalapeños: available in most supermarkets. Leave these out if you can't handle the spice.
- Beans: black beans or refried beans are the most popular choices. This optional ingredient adds some heft to your nachos.
- Meat: seasoned ground beef or shredded chicken. Adding some well-cooked and seasoned meat, while optional, can make your nachos much more satisfying.
- Place a mound of chips on a baking sheet. You can also use a pie dish or a casserole dish for this purpose. If you're microwaving the nachos instead of heating them up in the oven, use a microwave-safe dish.[1]
- Add the cheese. Sprinkle a liberal amount of cheese over the nachos. Try to get some cheese on every chip.
- Cook the nachos. Nachos taste just as good whether they're cooked in the oven or the microwave. Choose one of these cooking methods:
- Broil them. Set the oven rack from the heat source and broil until the cheese melts. This will usually happen in 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the cheese. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.
- Microwave them. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.
- Dress the nachos. Place dollops of sour cream in a ring around the top of the nachos. Sprinkle the jalapeños and salsa on top.
- Serve and enjoy. Napkins are a must; forks are scandalous. Select a nacho, dip it in some sour cream, use it to scoop a jalapeño, and eat up.
- Classic nachos taste great with the addition of any of your favorite meats or vegetables. Favorites include ground beef, grilled steak or chicken, sliced sauteed mushrooms, raw minced onion, black olives, and shredded lettuce.[2]
- Individual portions can be served on small plates or in bowls; just divide the chips and melted cheese up before adding other toppings.
[Edit]BBQ Nachos - Gather your ingredients. BBQ nachos are the potato-based alternative to classic nachos. You use potato chips and pair them with delicious BBQ meat. Go to the grocery store and get these ingredients:
- Potato chips: get either flavored or plain, ruffled or smooth.
- Cheese: choose pepperjack, cheddar or both, shredded.
- Salsa: pico de gallo is the clear winner for this dish, as anything saucier will compete with the BBQ.
- Sour cream: you can skip this if you want, but it's surprisingly delicious with BBQ sauce.
- BBQ: pulled pork is available at any BBQ joint and most grocery stores. Make sure to get the sauce, too.
- BBQ chicken is also delicious, but never serve anything with bones.
- Vegetarian chili or baked beans are also great substitutes for meat.
- Put the potato chips on a cooking sheet. Choose a cooking dish based on your heat source, either oven broiler safe or microwavable. Build a mound of chips that covers the bottom of the pan.
- Sprinkle on the cheese. Try to get an equal amount of cheese on all of the chips.
- Cook the nachos. If you're broiling, set the oven rack from the heat source and broil until the cheese melts. This will usually happen in 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the cheese. If you're microwaving, microwave on high for 2 minutes. Let the nachos cool for a few minutes when they're done cooking.
- Dress the nachos. Place dollops of sour cream and salsa on top of the nachos. Pile the BBQ in the middle. Sprinkle other toppings and condiments around the sides.
- Serve and enjoy. Since these nachos are served with meat, you may want to offer your dinner guests a fork this time. Dish the nachos onto plates and serve with extra toppings on the side.
[Edit]Dessert Nachos - Gather your ingredients. These dessert nachos are a delicious way to end a Mexican-themed meal. The flavors of cinnamon and sugar bring out the best in flour tortilla chips. Pick up these ingredients in preparation:
- Flour tortilla chips. The fresher the better, light and crispy. Try to find unsalted chips, though the contrast of sweet and salty can be nice.[3]
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- Chocolate syrup
- Caramel syrup
- Whipped cream
- Melt the butter. Place a small saucepan on the stove and put the butter in the pan. Turn the burner to medium high and let the butter melt completely. You can also opt to just place the butter in the microwave.
- Coat the chips with butter. Place the chips on a baking sheet. Drizzle the butter over the chips, doing your best to distribute it evenly. Use tongs to gently toss the chips so they get evenly coated in butter.
- Add the cinnamon and sugar. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl, then sprinkle the mixture over the chips. Use the tongs to toss the chips to ensure they all get a coating of sugar and spice.
- Bake the chips. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the chips for about 15 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and crispy.
- Dress the nachos. Drizzle chocolate syrup and caramel sauce over the chips. Place a dollop of whipped cream in the center of the platter.
- Serve the dessert nachos. Put the baked chips on a large platter. Invite your guests to dig in.
- You can also dish out the nachos onto individual serving plates.
- This dish is delicious with ice cream, especially chocolate or vanilla flavors.
- You can use an oven toaster or an oven for baking the nachos. If you use an oven, be sure to preheat it before you assemble your nachos.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
How to Use Either and Neither Posted: 06 Nov 2019 08:00 AM PST If you have difficulty figuring out when to use "either" and when to use "neither," you're not alone. Proper use of these words sometimes confuses native English speakers and it's all the more difficult to know when to use them when you're just learning English. To further complicate the issue, these two versatile words can be used as 4 different parts of speech: conjunction, adjective, pronoun, or adverb. It might be helpful to remember that "either" is often paired with "or" and "neither" is almost always paired with "nor." [Edit]Conjunctions - Link two alternative things together with "either" or "neither." When used as a conjunction, the words "either" and "neither" pair with "or" or "nor" to link two distinct things. If you have more than two options, it would not be appropriate to use "either" or "neither." The conjunction "either/or" means that only one of the two things you've listed will happen. "Neither/nor," on the other hand, means that none of the two things listed will happen.[1]
- Either/or example: "For dessert, we can have either cake or pie." In this example, it is not an option to have both cake and pie – you can only have one or the other.
- Neither/nor example: "I will neither cook for you nor pick something up." In this example, you don't know for sure what the speaker is going to do, but you do know of two things that they specifically are not going to do.
- Place "either" or "neither" after the verb if the actions are similar. If the actions you're comparing share a verb, use "either" or "neither" after the shared verb. Then place the word "or" or "nor" between the two actions.[2]
- Either/or example: "The restaurant offered either steak or fish as the main course." In this example, you have a choice between steak and fish.
- Neither/nor example: "Vegans eat neither meat nor animal byproducts." This example explains that vegans do not eat any meat or animal byproducts such as eggs, milk, or cheese.
- Move "either" or "neither" to before the verb is the actions are different. "Either" and "neither" can also be used to link two things that each have their own verb. In this situation, the conjunction joins the entire verb phrase.[3]
- Either/or example: "You can either ride a bike or drive a car." In this example, you have the choice of riding a bike or driving a car, but you can't do both at the same time.
- Neither/no example: "Chefs neither wash dishes nor serve customers." This example explains that while chefs work in restaurants, they are not responsible for washing dishes or serving food to diners.
- Use "nor" only when you use the word "neither." While you often see the word "or" used by itself without the word "either," the word "nor" is only used when the word "neither" also appears in the sentence. Instead of using the word "nor" by itself, either make the verb negative and use the word "or" or add the word "neither."[4]
- For example, suppose someone wrote: "I fear man nor beast." This would be incorrect. To fix it, you could write either "I don't fear man or beast" or "I fear neither man nor beast."
- Choose singular verbs for most "neither/nor" constructions. The "neither/nor" construction means that none of the linked options are available or will happen. A singular verb is usually appropriate unless the last of the linked options is a plural word.[5]
- For example, you could write "Neither a cupcake nor a cookie sounds good to me." However, you would write "Neither Game of Thrones nor dragons interest me," because the word "dragons" is plural.
- If both of the linked options are plural, you would also use a plural verb. However, what's important when choosing which verb form to use is whether the last option that precedes the verb is singular or plural.
- Match the verb in "either/or" constructions to the noun closest to the verb. When using "either/or," you state that only one of the two options is available or can be chosen at a time. Make the verb you use singular or plural depending on whether the noun that precedes the verb is singular or plural.[6]
- For example, you would say "Either a burger or pizza sounds good to me." But if you were contemplating ordering several pizzas, you would say "Either a burger or pizzas sound good to me."
- Maintain parallelism with alternatives joined by "either/or" or "neither/nor." When using "either/or" or "neither/nor" as a conjunction, the two alternatives presented should have the same or similar constructions. The elements of each alternative thus parallel each other.[7]
- For example, instead of saying "Passengers were compensated either with food or vouchers," you would say "Passengers were compensated with either food or vouchers." Notice how you move the word "with" before the word "either," so that the two things you're comparing are the same: "food" and "vouchers."
[Edit]Adjectives - Place "either" or "neither" immediately in front of the noun it modifies. You don't always need to combine "either" and "neither" with "or" or "nor." If you want to present two alternatives that are essentially the same thing, use a single noun combined with "either" or "neither."[8]
- Either example: "You can choose either kitten." In this example, there are exactly two kittens, and you can have one of them (but not both).
- Neither example: "Neither kitten is for sale." In this example, you are being told that there are two kittens but you can't have them.
- Use "either" or "neither" as a determiner for the noun. When used as an adjective, "either" and "neither" are determiners that clarify the noun for your reader or listener. With "either," you're saying that the statement is true for only one of two alternatives. With "neither," there are two alternatives and your statement doesn't apply to them.[9]
- For example, if you say "Neither candidate was prepared for the debate," you are telling your listener that there are two candidates participating in the debate, but they were not adequately prepared to discuss the questions posed to them.
- On the other hand, if you say "Either kitten can be adopted," you are telling your listener that there are two kittens left in the litter, but only one of them is available for adoption.
- Replace "either" or "neither" with alternate expressions. If you're not certain if you're using "either" or "neither" correctly, you can express the statement differently by making the noun negative or using a different noun phrase. If the alternative expression communicates what you intended, you've used the word correctly.[10]
- Instead of saying "You may adopt either kitten," you could say "You may adopt one of the two kittens."
- Instead of saying "You may adopt neither kitten," you could say "You may not adopt one and you may not adopt the other of the two kittens," or "You may not adopt either of the two kittens."
[Edit]Pronouns - Follow "either" or "neither" with the word "of" and a noun phrase. "Either" and "neither" can also be used as pronouns that stand for two specific things that can be described using the same noun. If you use "either," you're saying that the statement is only true for one of the two things. With "neither," the statement isn't true for either of the two things.[11]
- Either example: "Either of the kittens can be adopted." In this example, you're saying that only one of the kittens can be adopted but not both of them.
- Neither example: "Neither of the kittens is up for adoption." In this example, you're saying that there are exactly two kittens but they are not available to be adopted.
- Use a singular verb when "either" or "neither" is the subject of the sentence. When using "either" or "neither" as a pronoun, you may be tempted to use a plural verb since the noun immediately preceding the verb is plural. However, the verb should agree with "either" or "neither." Since "either" always means one thing and "neither" means no things, a singular verb is appropriate.[12]
- Either example: "Either of the desserts comes with your meal."
- Neither example: "Neither of the desserts is sugar-free."
- Substitute alternate expressions to check your usage. You can make the verb negative or add additional words to say the same thing without using "either" or "neither." This can be a good way to double-check and make sure you're using the correct word.[13]
- Instead of "You can adopt either of the kittens," you could say "You can adopt one or the other of the kittens" or "You can adopt one of the kittens or you can adopt the other kitten."
- Instead of "You can adopt neither of the kittens," you could say "You cannot adopt either of the kittens," or "You cannot adopt the one kitten and you cannot adopt the other kitten."
[Edit]Adverbs - Use "either" to mean "in addition." As an adverb, "either" is always combined with a negative statement. It combines two statements about one thing, but instead of meaning that only one of them is true, it means that both of them are true.[14]
- For example, if you said "The apartment's rent is affordable and it's not small either," you would be saying that the apartment was affordable and also not small.
- Use "neither" if you want to eliminate all options presented. When used as an adverb, the word "neither" means "similarly not" or "also not." Neither creates a negation that may indicate agreement with the other statement or completely rule out both things offered.[15]
- For example, if someone says to you "I don't think I want to go to the concert tomorrow night," you might reply "If you don't go, neither will I." You're telling the person that you're only interested in going to the concert if they're going too.
- Indicate a link with the previous statement made. "Either" and "neither" are frequently used as adverbs when someone says something to you and you want to express agreement with what they said or otherwise express your preference. The key difference is that "neither" eliminates all options presented.[16]
- Either example: "
- Neither example: "Would you like coffee or tea?" "Neither."
- In American English, "either" and "neither" are pronounced with a long E sound in the first syllable. In British English, however, the long I sound is preferred. Both pronunciations are correct, but if you use the British pronunciation when talking to Americans, you might come across as pretentious.[17]
[Edit]References |
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