Preparing Before you Paint

It is very difficult for artists to do painting when they have pets around. Though, I did miss my alexandrine parakeet, when she was trapped by some one and was set free by a neighbor. This made me think that pets are an important part of our lives and they give us love, and loads of love! But sometimes I do have her footprints on my works! And she goes about the home with the same feet dipped in paint! How can we take care of our works and still be around pets.

mitthin sitting on my head the Queen!

Birdie pet budgie love bird sitting on my painting

art materials my precious paints

acrylic art paints

special place for making healing art

my favorite quilt that brings out creative energy

assembling art for inventory listing

sitting on floor and making joyful art

in the terrace garden art on the easel

my precious artists table that is really ancient wood

With many accidents during painting, our servant has the habit of cleaning under all storage when not required, and I have had to correct many artworks. Good I love to do oil paintings and with this medium you are able to correct any mistakes or even change some works. After so many episodes of emotional outbursts  I have decided to prepare myself before beginning to paint. Here I mention a few tips for preparing before you paint.

her favourite place while I write Google blogs and update my art website

Prepare the place for painting before beginning to paint. By this I mean clear the place, make place for you to paint. Keep all things aside and make clear some free space since you require the place to put your paints, brushes, colour palette, oils, cleaning medium and rags, tons of rags. Why I mention because paints, especially water colours when spilled accidentally rags when kept handy would make it easier to prevent further damage to the floor as well as your artworks. And we all know even little kids love to play in pool of colour and splash the paint everywhere.
You can keep your kids at some baby sitter's or do your painting when they are at school. This way you will get some uninterrupted time and also avoid coloring accidents. I still have an painting which has the footprints of slippers on it, since the paint was wet, but this is merging with the painting. You can even request your family members or friends to take care of your children or pets for some time during painting.
Think of all the materials you are going to need before hand, like paints, brushes, instruments, erasers, mixing medium, palette , cleaning medium and arrange them carefully in an organized way. You don't want to waste time searching for a crimson lake and keep getting a vermillion tube.
If you are using reference photos keep them pinned properly as the wind may blow them and you may end up with half work and no idea for progress. Better if you make a sketch of some concept that you are going to paint and then begin the actual painting on canvas or paper.
Stretch the canvas and keep it ready as this also takes time. If you have a roll you need to measure the size of your working frame and cut the canvas. Then using a gun you have to staple the canvas on the working frame. This all will take some time so keep your canvas stretched and ready for painting.
In case you are doing water colour painting you need to prepare the hand made paper before and keep it wet for some time to be more absorbent and ready for use. If you are doing a pencil sketch then for this you need to sharpen the pencils and crayons as well as chalk sticks before starting the sketch or portrait.
I have spent much time sorting things in my tub of paints and having broken tips of pencils when I have a great idea. After many years and frustrating experiences now I have learned to prepare before I begin Painting. Now first I sharpen my pencils, then I keep rags ready, then comes the colour palette which is cleaned and kept ready for new paints to be loaded. Materials for paintings are then organized and arranged near my place of painting. I am comfortable doing painting in sitting position, and you can be standing or sitting on a chair, any position you are comfortable with while painting and prepare the place accordingly.
Pet kept aside, my alexandrine parakeet,  after her feeds when she goes for round then I am free and she understands when I am busy and feeds on the window sill and flies away to play. Though she does have a glint of interest in her eyes and attraction to the colorful tubes and painting and many times looks with interest at my artworks and me in progress. Be prepared with the pets and keep them occupied, this is what I have learned from personal experience. Keep them busy with some engrossing activity, and they will take care of themselves. Same with small children. Kids also enjoy painting and making a good artwork need not be a serious affair and
I have seen the most beautiful artworks that have come up have been made when I was comfortable and happy and not when I had planned and done seriously. So prepare, arrange and start to paint!

All the Best from Rizwana!

Professional reiki healing artists since year 2000.

Razarts.com

What to do with a Painting Gone Wrong! Abstract painting tips and practical workable solutions

Many times in our artist's career we get this experience. Ask any artist about their painting gone  wrong and everyone will have some unpleasant memories about this. There is a tendency to hide the unpleasant and only show our good works. I have heard artists’ tear apart, cut, rip off and throw art works in frustration.

I ripped off the large canvas!

tore old paintings

tearing old artworks

 This is a most common sight with any artist because all that you make may not always be a master piece!

Goodluck Fan  in progress Razarts

In progress Feng Shui fan of Happiness razarts

Dragon Flower Tibetan Ashtamangala painting by Rizwana A.Mundewadi

Focussed old, painting repainted Rizwana M

Focussed Reiki symbol painting on canvas year 2016

What to do when you have a muddy painting, all colours have mixed and over lapped, and it is an ugly looking canvas.First of all I have learnt that it takes understanding and patience to let go of the work. Leave the painting for some time and stop working and reworking on it. Some times I go on and on but end with wasting more paint and nothing emerging from the art. I have this painting which I have termed  "In Search of Prosperity" at a glance it looks very muddied but it does show images, symbols, colours and the viewer will get an understanding of the process gone through to achieve this painting. Here I was very upset and even my husband was irritated as he is of the belief that I must not repaint any work and just let it be what I paint once, but being an abstract artist it is very important for me to let the painting take its own course and let it go till I feel the painting is finished.

collage art in progress

Now comes the most important question of what to do, so please do not throw away any paper, canvas or other material you have painted on.

tore old paper paintings

 It can always be repainted when the painting dries. If the painting spoiled is of water colour you can use some water lightly to remove some paint from the paper. Oil paintings are the easiest to hide or cover as you can repaint the canvas after the original painting dries. If you have a small piece of painting that looks good , select the area and repaint the other parts of the painting with other colours. You can either use dark colours and highlight some aspects in the painting or use a lighter shade to merge the painting background and keep the original part of the old painting.

Turn it upside down or side ways! yes, you will be amazed!

change the title and subject of the painting.
Keeping the spoiled artwork aside for some days or months will give you a fresh perspective and you also will develop new ideas to approach the canvas. You may as an artist proceed with doing another painting or artwork keeping aside this piece for later. It is very true that every artist gets ideas and sometimes it may not always come up as thought on the canvas. You may end up with a muddied artwork if you continue painting over this and there is even fear of your paper tearing or canvas going limp with too much paint over it!

Dragon Collage artwork The Red Pilgrim

So have patience with all your paintings and do keep in mind that not all paintings are master pieces and you may have certain average looking paintings, some good paintings and some very good attractive artworks. This is a journey of every artist as they progress in their career and spoiled paintings are a part of every artists journey. We have to keep obsessively painting and once in a way a master piece just springs up!
Have patience and keep the spoiled paintings aside for few months or even years. Take a look after few months and the same artwork when observed with a fresh perspective may look good, even it may be a masterpiece in itself, just your viewpoint at that time may be different earlier and as you widen your horizon you may learn to appreciate art and who knows, a spoiled painting may even become the most expensive artwork of your career!

Painting since ear 2000 I have obsessively pain ted thousands of artwork son canvas and papers and have tried every means to save most, recycle, repaint, reuse and also torn and burnt so many! the journey continues...as I paint new artworks. 
All the Best from Rizwana!
Healing Paintings Razarts

Tips for Painting Landscapes with Oils for New Artists by a healing artist

Oil painting is a style of painting followed by many artists and as these paints are tough and long lasting, they can be used easily in any type of painting. Especially for landscape painting, oils are very effective. Many famous paintings are made using oil paints and one of the most liked and best selling paintings are those which are landscapes using oil paint. Let me share a few tips for painting landscapes for the new artists.

Retouching repainting old oil paintings

Oldest cubism artwork, year 2000, in oil still available for art collectors Freedom 

 Make it a habit and try to observe nature as much as possible. The most inspirational and symbolic artworks are those made by observing nature at its best. For your first landscape use a reference photo if you have of a landscape. Select a corner or the best you like from the scenery. This is one of the most common mistakes done by many artists is that they try to put too much in one painting. Even when I began, I felt the need to put too many things on one canvas, the result is you get an painting that does not have focus, or focal point.

Selecting simple student’s colours or artists colours is your choice. Keep the painting area clean and clutter free and have rags and other materials like cleaner, pencils, colours and drawing board ready, in other words make the place for painting. Beginning of any artwork especially landscape has to be done by making a rough sketch of the scene on paper or canvas. By doing this you demarcate the areas for water, stones, mountains or sand as is in your picture.

If you like to paint directly from the tube like I do then it is very simple, place colours selected on your palette along with some black and white for mixing to get proper shades. 
If you use thinner then have the dipper ready near the palette of colours. There are many thinners and also oil solvents. I had begun with Linseed oil. This brought a beautiful shine to my oil paints but the only thing I saw over the years the whites in my paintings began to yellow. Tip-If you have too much white in your painting do avoid linseed oil as a binder for your oils. 
Observe the colours in the landscape as many of us neglect this aspect is that no single colour will give you the desired result,   nature has many shades and you will have to mix different colours especially for making the greens. That is what I used to do, then all the greens looked same, because I used a sap green or a dark chrome green. Then I found this beautiful emerald green and viridian green and lime green and fluorescent green. Everything is available and then of course make your own as you progress in painting landscapes. 
The red of flowers is also not ready and an artist has to try and mix different shades and colours of red to get the correct colour. You will find vermillion red, crimson lake, rose madder hue that are great.

correcting feng shui mistakes in old paintings wrote a post on this

For tons of information on Best Google Feng shuii blog Feng Shui-Simple Cures
 So also for other colours for mountains, water and sunlight try mixing colours on your palette and not directly on the canvas otherwise there are chances of getting a muddy colour or stains in your landscape. There is a whole lot of trials and error to find the right shades and hues. I end up removing paint from the canvas and also repainting so many times. 

You will find that students oil colours are some what easier to use than artists oil colours. I do use both and very soon have gone with artists professional oil colours. Smaller sized tubes were only for the beginning of my art career. As I paint more abstracts I now need medium/ larger sized tubes. The one thing I love, they don't dry! Oil paint tubes will stay with you and whenever you go back you can reuse the remaining oil paints that are stored in closed tubes. 

Old tubes oil paints

Varnishing Old oil paintings will keep them fresh and preserve conserve the colours.

How to clean precious old oil paintings live demonstration You Tube video
It is better to make use of lighter colours first and then move on to cover up or give specific shapes with a darker shade of that colour. Many artists also do the mistake of making outlines with black colour.
 Please!  Nature does not have any outlines! There are some [paintings where we do need to make some draft/outlines. use a grey or a dark blue, that is what I do. 
 you have to use similar shades of that particular colour and darken it to define outlines of any shape. Since you are using oil paints in case of any mistakes you can over paint it, or remove the colour by using a cloth with remover or thinner applied on it. The cloth I find is most important part too! I have ended up spoiling some artwork due to used stained oil cloth. rags need to be clean too!

The most important point while doing landscapes is that there is no right way. You can proceed painting any way, start from top or bottom, side or cross ways, as you like it. Especially abstracts are so wonderful and cubism paintings, my precious cubism unfolds with each layer by layer. 
Do not be tied down by too many rules as this will hamper your creativity and remember the most beautiful landscape is the one that gives you satisfaction on completion and not the one that you have done following all rules of painting strictly but ended up making a painting which looks like a copy of your photograph of landscape.  
Oils are very forgiving! you can remove the layer, you can repaint it and it will infact look much better! I have recycled, repainted and made collages of old paintings. Check this collection on my website Yes I tore them and Burned or Recycled them!

Cubism Geometric Paintings, A Few Years of My Life Cubism collages

Recorded the tearing process a few times watch the video on You Tube tearing precious old oil paintings
A very old oil painting Divine Design that has developed cracks, and still with me! watch details in this video
Oils and any paint has its own soul and language. you must learn to listen to this. Connect and understand the language of oils to produce great art. I don't know how my art has progressed over the years but I understand it requires dedication and passion to keep on making healing art.
All the Best from Rizwana/Your's The Red Pilgrim!
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I have videos of how to write symbols on The Red Pilgrim Channel You Tube, there are Chinese symbols, Reiki symbols and even ancient symbols videos.

5 Practical Tips to Boost confidence with Reiki Symbols

Care for using Reiki symbol printed products 

Meaning of Symbolic Paintings

Very often we hear about symbolic paintings and the first picture that comes in our minds is that they are artworks having images of Gods and religious symbols. Hence many of us shy away from these artworks and move ahead to see landscapes and floral paintings that have universal appeal. The common thought also in the mind of an art buyer would be why to pay so much money when an attractive poster of God can be got for very less price. Let me try to brush up some knowledge about symbolic paintings, their meanings for the artists, representations and symbolic meanings.

Symbolic paintings are not necessarily God paintings or religious paintings only. These may form only one aspect of this art style. Many artist’s who follow the symbolic art style of painting, make use of colour, picture, image and various symbols to represent their feelings and emotions in their paintings. Here a bird may indicate freedom and an eagle may represent soaring high in business or any venture. The colour black which is usually indicative for mourning in many cultures may be used to represent exclusiveness, frankness and confidence. Just like we in India associate white with mourning the artist may use this colour to indicate purity, sanctity and peace. Red colour can show violence by some one whereas another artist may use this colour in their paintings to represent growth, confidence and high energy level. So we understand that colours represent various emotions and this all depends on the individual artist. One can have a conversation with the artist to understand their representation by using various colours and their symbolic meanings.

Many artists also use images and pictures from nature and other sources of the environment. A green leaf or tree indicates freshness and growth. Tall structures and ladders are used in motivational paintings that represent upward growth. An anchor can be used to show grounding and stability in a symbolic painting, whereas a ship shows progress and movement towards prosperity. Usually boats and ships are very commonly used by artists to represent happy journeys and progress in careers. Flowers of different colours represent different emotions and meanings like the famous red rose used for love and passion whereas an white or pink one to indicates friendship and true love.

Some artists also make paintings that show violence and strong emotions. These symbolic paintings are of war, raging bulls, fighting or charging tigers etc. Here the artist shows their strong emotions in form of symbolic representations using these figures. They may also use dark and strong colours to express their emotions in an symbolic artwork. Fear, death, mourning, sadness and anger all can be shown using colours and pictures of different objects and all this depends upon the individual artist.

I have a liking for happy paintings. Symbolic artworks that use different symbols for prosperity, good luck, happiness and growth are my forte. With all the struggles, and happenings in the outside world where is the time to notice negative emotions paintings, let me distribute some happiness and luck through my symbolic paintings. Any painting can be well understood by having a conversation with the artist about their original artworks. One can get a true understanding of why an artist has used certain symbols, colours and in fact the idea behind the artwork.

Having understood this about symbolic paintings I am sure it removes many notions that a symbolic artwork is an painting of God or a religious painting. It has universal appeal and yes God paintings are only one part of symbolic paintings and this art style has wide variations and meanings.

Buying Art for Investment- Five Guidelines

Art is emerging as one of the best types of investment and many people are trying to tap the potential of art as an investment. When you are considering art purchase for investment purposes there are certain points you must consider before going in for the final purchase.

The Red Pilgrim Reiki symbol healing artist India

1) Why art? Think before you buy art for investment. Have you already invested in other means and have excess amount left for investment purposes which you wish to divert in art. Does your family love art and wish to purchase art for display in living room and other rooms. Here you need not worry much about the investment aspect since art is an asset which will appreciate over time.
2) How much budget you have for investment. Always keep a safe distance in your budget as during purchasing you may like another artwork that is slightly more priced and you may have to accommodate the remaining amount. This is the most important aspect in art investment as many have gone above the forbidden line in terms of art purchase. Better to see artworks from the lower range in pricing and then as you survey different artworks you may increase your budget slightly for a good artwork or painting.
3) Where to purchase art for investment is another important question you have to consider before buying art. It is better to buy art from a reputed art gallery or a well known online art broker since they have authentication certificates and all paper work regarding purchase of paintings is clear. And also there are better chances of you getting original artworks from them.
4) Always opt for original and signed artworks that have authentication certificates attached with the paintings. Any purchase of paintings whether they are for investment or not must have signature of the artist. Prints must be numbered and the edition also clearly stated. The signature of the artist is the only guarantee of the artworks appreciating in value over time.
5) Lastly and most genuinely consider buying a painting only when you like it. Remember you will have to live with the artwork for many years and buying art that you are  not comfortable viewing will only end up the artwork in your attic! It is okay to go in for purchase of art for investment but there is no harm to think about your choice of themes and colour preferences when buying any paintings.
Following the trend many people are going in for purchase of artworks. Displaying artworks have become a status symbol and people are hiring interior decorators and designers to purchase art that goes with their decor. keeping all this in mind one must never forget the aesthetic value of art. However good investment art is one of the most important benefits it gives is it allows your family to learn to appreciate art and in the long run, nature,and other beautiful things God has made. All this with the bonus of appreciating in value.

Is Art Good Investment for the Common Man?

Art for ages has been the forte of elite and upper class and there is always discussion regarding art buying and selling among these groups. As of now art has become affordable and one can buy art from new and emerging artists at a very low price. Art prints also are offered at less rates compared to original paintings and because of this entry of art prints in the art market even the common man is able to purchase and display art in their living rooms. Let us consider art for investment for the common man in this post.
Investment is of priority list in the minds of many. We always want our assets to multiply and the sooner they give financial benefits and returns the better. Art since ages have been known to give good financial returns and many art investors are on the watch to keep buying artworks from reputed art galleries or even online art galleries and auctions. How will this benefit the common man?
When we purchase shares and fixed deposits we all know that we get a certain interest on that and also other benefits in case the process of shares shoot up. There is always a risk factor in other investments like shares, Fixed deposits, paper gold and other assets. One can only judge the market but not be sure of the returns. The whole economy and financial stability depends on the country and their inflation rate. This field is fluctuating and investments need to be kept a close watch for high's and low's in profits.
Not so with art. Though I can tell that the returns are not immediate and people who want immediate returns must opt for the former means of investments. Art is a slow progressive investment but  a much better one if you do not want immediate returns. Think of it as a long term investment and always buy art only according to your budget. Consider the amount you need to invest and then go in for purchasing art within that budget, It is very often noted that there is a tendency to go off budget since buying art is an emotional decision and one may fall for a costlier artwork even when the budget is predecided during actual purchasing of paintings.
Many art dealers and investors purchase art from new and emerging artists at low prices and store them for a few years. When the same artists becomes a known figure in art circles the prices of their artworks shoot up and investors may have sales, auctions and exhibitions of their art collections and get very good returns.
Same holds true for the common man. Buy art from artists who are at the beginning of their career. They may offer paintings at  affordable rates as compared to established artists. Here you would get the opportunity to display art in your homes as well as consider this as a heirloom for future generations to come.
As other investments mature so also art rates will keep on increasing over the years.And as compared to other investments there is comparatively low risk factor, only for unexpected accidents , like fires and floods!
When considering art for investment one must think carefully about this and do correct home work before buying and paintings. Consulting art dealers, gallery owners, art brokers and different artists will allow you to get the true picture regarding art sales and purchase of paintings. Like other investments this is also a planned move, the only difference being that art gives us an aesthetic experience which would remain with us forever, a treat to our eyes and a food for our soul!

Waiting Period for New Artists

Many artists have and will give their lives for painting. Like any other career art is the most difficult in terms of returns both financially as well as in terms of job satisfaction. Wonder what would be the right period where any art sells for a new artist?
Here I wish to mention about original artists who slog and toil with art and paints and not the selected few who are ultra rich and get to display in prestigious galleries and also on top of that have a sold off show.
For any new artist first of all they do not know what sells. We artists are simple souls. We paint what we like and not what sells. But it would be advisable to keep in touch with the outside world.
By displaying in public art galleries an artist can see the public response, what people like and what sells. Usually religious paintings and landscapes rule the market. Later followed by still life and nature drawings. Abstracts are the last and most expensive ones, and also sometimes difficult to understand.
The trend is changing nowadays and every artist has to be aware of this. Also it would be great to develop your own artist style so that the buyers can relate to your art. Art galleries also tie up with certain best selling artists and display their works for free. Searching for opportunities to make visible your art would be the prime motto if the artist wishes to sell their artworks.
We often hear that such an such artists work sold off for this amount. When does this process begin? anytime. true maybe a family member or friend may buy a new work right from the easel and this kicks of the sale in your career. Displaying in galley can also yield returns if you are lucky and if your works are priced reasonably. Online art galleries also can give their share of sales thought he artist must keep in mind the percentage of share they demand. It is also good to find opportunities for social causes where the artworks are sold and a certain percentage of the proceeds goes to charity.

Getting to Exhibit Your Works! fun melas and art!

Every artist would like to exhibit their works and get public opinion and critics rating for their works. But due to ground level art galleries becoming booked for many years and also their increasing costs for offering place for exhibition has become a deterrent to many artists. Many new artist are at a block when they find out the rates per week for exhibiting their works. being new, and without much resources and money they find this hampering the progress of their creativity. Many a artists have left doing painting for a better option of a job to earn their living. You have so many options now displaying art online. So easy and affordable many art website are free for artists to upload their paintings for sale. We also have a lot of virtual exhibiting art apps that bring creative form to display your artworks online and showcase an virtual exhibition.

Art festival exhibiting my art

preparing for group exhibition in city art fair

Reiki cho ku rei Magnification of energy art displayed in office

sparkling diamonds enchanting garden displayed in contemporary sage green decor

rose quartz and serenity love reiki art displayed in rose gold decor

harmony of elements displayed in opulent rich blue living room decor

I would like to suggest some guidance to such artists to keep the ball rolling.
Keep looking out for opportunities. Competitions, group shows, fairs, festivals, will give them the opportunity to exhibit their works for free or a nominal charge. We have many group exhibitions going on and you can get attached to a team and continue showcasing your art in different art galleries'. 
Try to keep in touch with other artist friend's. You never know when any opportunity will come up.
Try to be busy and keep painting simple. Maybe doodling, pencil sketches or even crayons. This will help you to be in touch with your creative side. I have painted my door and centre table! so much for creativity.
Visible in the art field. This is the most important one. If you can visit exhibitions  of other artists. They can guide you and also you may bump up with another artist who is searching for the same.
Visibility on the internet also will help you to become a known figure in the art field. Try to join as many art groups and online art galleries as possible. Networking sites are very good to get in touch with like minded individuals. Apps are fantastic, Art placer app is very good to make a virtual exhibition of your paintings as if it is a real exhibition and art buyers and art lovers can view this virtual exhibition from comfort of their home. buying art is so easy, share your website and art displayed on social media profile to as many people as you can. You can also get paid ads on facebook, instagram, twitter, linkedin to highlight your artists profile on top. 

Art Rooms is another beautiful app where you can show your painting displayed in modern decor settings of different rooms. This gives buyers an idea of how the artwork will look in their home or office. 
Inquire in various small galleries first to get the experience and later move on to bigger exposure.
Best places for any new artist is to display in public art galleries. Here they can see the response of common public and also in a short time become a well known name among masses.
There are also art curators who arrange for exhibitions who can help you in the same. As these personnel are trained and have an eye for creativity they can help in selecting artworks and also placement and display of your artworks.
An artist can also display in malls and department stores, restaurants, higher end lounges and pubs,  or shopping centers where they have the right kind of public who are interested in buying original art.
Try to do something to earn part time for your daily expenses. As we all know that art does not give immediate returns. Beginning cheap will help to get the ball rolling.

All the Best from Rizwana!

Professional healing artists since year 2000 India. 

The Right Brushes for Oil Painting! How to choose brushes for painting?

The correct size and quality of brushes does have an effect on the paintings made. You have to have good knowledge of choosing to buy right type of brushes for making art. Experiencing so many different brushes I am sharing that painting with oil really needs good quality brushes other wise the hair soon start dropping and give you irregular strokes.

my old art materials and few precious brushes used for oil paintings

varnishing oil paintings needs different brush

stippling technique needs somewhat hard brush

writing calligraphy has fine hair brushes

pressure strokes for oil paintings on canvas

fine good quality brushes for writing texts symbols

different strokes different types and sizes of brushes are needed

 Paintings are viewed by us as a replica of nature and colours visible are some how related to colours seen in our surroundings. But many times we see paintings with rough strokes and uneven finishes.  This gives a result of unattractive artworks. Using appropriate and good quality brushes is most important for doing oil paintings. Also buying brushes from reputed art materials shops or reputed online art materials websites helps a lot in getting good results out of your paintings.

Since the market is flooded with all types of brushes one wonders as to which brushes will be good for oil painting. Sable hair, natural hair and synthetic fibre brushes are most commonly seen among the art materials available. Natural hair brushes are more delicate and have to be used carefully hence they are mostly preferred by water colour artists. The other brushes available are a mixture of different hairs and synthetic fiber brushes are best for using oil paints. They have soft as well as hard bristles and the softer ones can be used for finer artworks whereas large brushes can be used to cover larger areas with oil paints. Cleaning oil paint brushes is a tedious process and the most difficult to take acre of. This results in many brushes loosing hair and even becoming hard. Using good solvent for cleaning is important and all this depends upon the right selection of brushes.  Soft brushes do not allow proper colour mixing and hence must be avoided.  Different size brushes will give different results and the appropriate selection of brushes must be done for the required area to be painted.

Selection of synthetic brushes helps us to take care of the environment in our own small way. Oil paints must be done by using brushes that are firm and have even bristles. Good quality brushes must be used to get good results otherwise cheap brushes start shedding hair with single use and this gives an uneven finish during painting. 

When we have to write texts or symbols we need fine hair and quality brushes. While making strokes and strong movements in art like painting water weaves and backgrounds stronger and thicker hair brushes are needed. Oil paints require harder and good quality brushes other wise they start dropping hair irregularly after washing them with turpentine and oil paint cleaners. 

Acrylics and water colours are easier and brushes can be cleaned in easy way but oil paints require special brushes and you can ask the art material sellers to guide you with buyign paintign brushes.

Thank you for coming by Razarts!

Happy painting!

Buy my art only from my website Rizwana A.Mundewadis' Razarts. 

Few Tips to Paint Using Water Colours

Water colours are the most used style of painting and many famous landscapes are done suing this style of painting. Very often we see that this technique though looks simple on trying we do not get good results and we stop using this style of painting.

Let us discuss a few tips for painting better using water colours. First of all water is liquid and care has to be taken that the work area is kept clear of children. Pets also are very much attracted to art materials and have a tendency to enter announced. Hence to avoid mess one must keep the work area cleared and clean before starting to paint. Lots of rags and sponges to absorb excess water must be kept handy. This technique requires strong hand control and it is very difficult to direct the flow of water. Using good quality paints will help to bring good results otherwise using cheap art materials and you end up with a lighter green and paler blues! Any paper can do but using hand made paper has given best results with water colours. This has to be wetted carefully to make the paper more absorbent. Care has to be taken to use water carefully so as to avoid getting a soggy paper. Outlines and final strokes are most important to give soul to your paintings. Though colours used appropriately will make an attractive painting but the final highlight touches using less water helps to define the shapes and forms in the paintings.

Water colour technique is the most simple technique for some artists if you love it, and the most difficult for some who on trying umpteen times still have not got the hang of it!

Selecting artworks for our homes

Each of us wishes to purchase art and display in our homes as this has become a status symbol. Easy availability of artworks and reasonable prices have made art affordable and it can be bought by even the middle class. Art prints are much cheaper than the original art works and look the same as the originals when framed.
The most difficult question is how to select art? we all have certain tastes and likes and dislikes. Some prefer cool colour scheme and others like reds and oranges to spice up their energy levels. The area available int he home or where the artwork is to be displayed is most important factor in selecting art. A large wall can accommodate large artworks but a small wall a big painting will be a totally misfit. Also consider the total decor of the room and the colours on the walls. Then select paintings either to go in harmony with these colours or contrast to create a focal point in the living room. It is also advisable to consider our personal choices and likes. Most of the time we are pushed into buying art of very famous artists. We shell out a lot of money only to find that we are not comfortable with the artworks.  Hence it is better to consider what colours we prefer and what topics we are comfortable with. I have seen a person who purchased a costly artwork of a famous artist just to show off to this friends. On displaying this artwork he felt restless as the colours we too bright and higher side of the energy level. This person was more comfortable with pastels and symbolic themes  and he should have considered landscapes and soothing colour symbolic paintings.
Here the art consultants come in handy. They guide you and converse about your tastes and budget for purchasing artworks and paintings. A good consultant will not lead you to undue purchases of artworks just because they are costly but will consider your tastes and preferences before choosing any painting. Lots of conversations and time is put in by a good consultant to help you make a better purchase and be happy with the selection of your paintings.

Buying of Art on the Internet.Advantages and Drawbacks/Check these simple tips before buying art online by Rizwana A.Mundewadi Healing artist

So many art sites websites art online galleries and tons of art for sale online! With the coming of the internet all fields are accessible easily within the comforts of the home. Art also is not left behind. There are plenty of online galleries for displaying and selling artworks. And the client or buyer also has loads of choice available.

Buy Music Flowing figurative symbolic painting by Rizwana A

Easy availability and cheap paintings online has brought art into every home now. Art is taking a prominent place in our lives. Even the middle class are going in for pieces of artworks to increase the status value of their living room. Artists also do not have to go to pillar and post to display their works. They can get world wide exposure and a wider audience for their art works. Many art sites even have online tutorials so that the processes of creating artworks and techniques can be practiced and learned from home.

  The selling of artworks online has become very easy with many free art display and art gallery websites who put up artworks on display on their host websites and also include shipping charges so that the buyer is aware of the costs and can avail this service from any place in the world. My art has also been displayed in Famous online art galleries like Saatchi art Absolute arts where I had my profile since more than decades and have closed this now,  since past many years and now with a personal website there is so much going on with my art making and show casing.

So easy isn't it but yet people hesitate and yes, it is true to hesitate before buying costly original paintings online. Though this is a very good opportunity there are also some drawbacks in this type of selling.
The artworks may get damaged in the transport procedures sometimes and also delivery may get delayed due to unexpected situations by the courier company. The buyer may not get the total true picture of what they have ordered for. Even though technology permits to get great photographs of the artworks but still they do not do full justice to the piece of art. Payment options may be limited and sometimes the buyer needs to share private information which can be a security threat. Placing much importance on the internet the artist loses contact with the present galleries and may lose touch with close artists.
Hence it is very important to view the artworks before deciding on the purchase. The artist must present different angles of photographs and clear cut description of the artworks. The size and colours may also be described clearly as this has to fit in the buyers area for display. Payment can be done by safe modes of payment like 'Western Union Money Transfer' or 'Pay Pal 'or any other reputed money transfer agency. Always keep the option of buyback in case the customer is not satisfied with the product will help the artist to become a reputed and reliable person in the eye of the buyers. Online auctions are also a very good opportunity to sell artworks within a certain framework of time like the 'eBay' which is quite well known. Amazon has cheap art works and art prints offered by sellers for sale. You can also buy art from many shopping art websites that have assembled various artists artworks if you have a safe procedure. 
Whatever the drawbacks the era of the internet has arrived. So just sit back and go online for any purchases on art and related items. By just a click one can get tons of information regarding different genres of artists and their styles .Artworks and interior decorating items can be ordered online very easily from the internet and they are delivered to our homes.. This easy accessibility to art has made it come in lime light and many homes and offices boast of great artworks displayed on their walls.
You can now see how actually the painting will look on your wall!
watch this video on The Red Pilgrim's You Tube Channel. Explaining the perspective and how will this painting look in your room?
Simple tips before you buy paintings online-
1) Reputed online art gallery, reputed artist(check their biodata and address) Google search is good. Some sites of art just are fake and they take people's money and then disappear from the web!
2) Read the details carefully. Is is an art print, a small size painting, a poster or a framed painting? don't just see the price! Read this post-Check the * asterix before buying art online
3) Check and demand that you are getting a bill, an authenticity certificate signed by the artist. Otherwise it may be a fake!
4) Ask friends, colleagues about their experiences of buying art online. and other art buyer reviews too help.
Interesting post on Rizwana's Razarts blog-Buying paintings online? read this!
5) Being an artist since year 2000, I would still mention, that people actually see, touch, feel, the artwork and then buy. But international sales, you can request extra detail photographs and detailed descriptions, I always write up quite long descriptions of every artwork on my healing art selling website. This also has the size, materials and year of the artwork for sale, and its condition. Painting condition is important especially when you are buying old costly paintings.

Rizwana's Razarts Blog

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