Drawing- Cross Hatching

Shading, especially for something like a face, can add more depth and accuracy to any drawing. One of the more popular ways being a technique called crosshatching. This is when you use parallel lines overlapping each other to create a shadow in the picture. The closer the lines are to each other, the darker the shadow. For a drawing such as this man right here, start with a basic stetch of the position of his eyes, an outline of his face and suit, etc, then continue the drawing by showing the lights and darks. (I would recommend starting with a black and white photo.) It becomes even more interesting when you see it from a distance, and you can't even tell that they are lines!

Crafts- Pressing Flowers

Pressing things is super easy, (all you need is some flowers and a heavy book) and a fun way to preserve spring's beauty for the coming seasons. Simply grab some fallen petals and carefully lay them in a large book to dry for a few days and your result will be perfectly flattened petals for pasteing in journals and books, fragile, but perfectly preserved. (Please note that you may want to use older books as the flowers are likely to stain the page where they are pressed.) The two types of flowers I have been experimenting with are irises and poppies. My best luck has been from the irises, which look pleasantly more like watercolors than flowers when pressed. But with so many flowers to choose from, you can easily have a whole garden of petals.

Crafts-Shadow Box

Shadow boxes are a great way to decorate your walls and maybe rid yourself of a few odds and ends and still make them look attractive in your very own boxed collage. It is very time consuming, and in order to be able to change or alter it later, I used double-sided tape to insert all pieces into the box. After a bit of trial and error, I have found that paper of all kinds, magazine clippings, fabric, string, leaves, cork, buttons, wood, and metal, such as pennies and small gears stick surprisingly well. While fabric flowers, shells, (even small ones) wax, and lace not so much. To find the odds and ends to do this project, I kept a small jar on hand so whenever I came across a wayward penny or button, I placed it in the jar to sort through later. As for the rest, try looking in jewelry boxes or little-used drawers to find extra game pieces and pendants from jewelry to add to your collection.  To make it look extra nice, try buys a few dollars worth of scrapbook extras and charms to add the final touch.

Photography- Background and Foreground

Like painting, background and foreground allows the viewer to see depth in the picture. Photos like this has you first focus on the foreground, (aka the big yellow blossom) then slowly look farther back. Make sure the most detail and focus is on the foreground. Like real life, viewers should see the foreground the sharpest and the background should seem slightly faded.

Photography- Framing

This style of photography is tricky to set up, but works great at the right angle. The picture really says it all, it naturally draws the eye to the center. Take note that, if you can, try to make the center focus lighter than the frame for the full effect.

Photography- Layering Roses

A simple way to capture a good photo of flowers is to layer the photo so that the flowers line up and directs the viewer all around the photo. To do that, find a bud that looks especially photogenic, like the big pink rose, then find an angle where some others flowers can be seen somewhat in order in the background. A bit of skill in saturation and the flowers just pop.

Photography- Rose Intro

Spring is here! The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and for many photographers out there, spring means photos! So here are some tips and ticks for capturing some good flower photos, and make sure to check out my Instagram for some more photos! @Savanners