3 Ways Art Enriches Your Life

by Articles

Glancing at great art is a little like falling in love, our brain produces dopamine and takes you to new exhilarating heights. Art appreciation improves and enriches your life exponentially, it incites creativity and an appreciation for things the mind often wanders past. Put simply, art enriches your life in ways you could never imagine. Here are 3 ways Art does this, otherwise known as three reasons you should be incorporating art into your life through daily art classes.

Art Heals

In this day and age, where the world doesn’t seem to pause and your schedule is relentless it can be easy to neglect the time needed to heal. Giving yourself the time to heal from a traumatic experience or a stressful period is essential to advance in personal growth and wellness.  Art is therapeutic in nature and visual expression has been a medium for healing throughout the centuries. Art therapy hands you the key to unlocking your true self through the creative use of materials to expressing your subconscious thoughts. Talent is not an element in art therapy, it is in fact irrelevant; the principle of art therapy is to foster your subconscious thoughts, subsequently resulting in a soothing, stress-free medium of therapy.

Art and the release of Feel Good Power on the Brain

Ercole Vellone and Al informed that among stroke survivors, those with an invested interest in the arts found their health and sense of motivation improve. They had better health in general, found it much easier to walk and tend to be happier. These scientific results suggest that art has long term effects to the brain that help a person cope and recover when things go wrong.  This is further supported by Abraham Maslow’s, American Professor of Psychology, ‘Pyramid of Needs’ which confirms that art improves the quality of life through self-actualisation. In essence studies show that the release of dopamine due to art is not a short term effect, instead it acts on the mind continuously and enriches the quality of the subject’s mind.

Art is an Inspiration

The positon of Art in human kind has never been under-estimated, in fact its ability to create change and allow self-actualisation has always been acknowledged as a powerful concept. This is why in the 1920’s, the height of the Nazi’s influence, there was an explicit urge to regulate art in Germany. Art was turned into a propaganda tool, the community restricted from creating art of the free mind to circumvent a rise in morale and potential mutiny. Art was harnessed as a weapon to propagate a particular stream of belief instead. This illustrates just the power art has on a society and individuals alike, it is able to create incomprehensible feelings and improve the quality of your life.

It surprisingly easy to neglect the things that improve the quality of our lives in lieu of more important tasks. However, it’s pertinent to take the time to allow yourself the room for self-actualisation and growth. A daily art class or fortnightly art class will help you achieve this and at ArtPazionate we are passionate about helping your realise the power art can have in your life. Peruse through the classes we have to offer and settle upon one which entices you the most, we promise you won’t regret it.

Why send your kid to Art Class?

by Kids

Studies have shown that exposure to art in the early stages of a child’s life promotes activity in the brain, paving the foundation for the development of valuable life skills. Children have an amazing active imagination, when cultivated and nurtured correctly can benefit their future. Here are a couple reasons why you should send your child to art class.

Physical Skills

The most prominent development you’ll notice upon sending your child to art class is their physical progress. Painting helps develop your child’s hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. A developed hand-eye coordination will benefit all the physical aspects of your child’s life from catching a ball to throwing a dart. Constant practice of art further helps children master their fine and gross motor skills. It also makes them more aware of their surroundings.

Expression and Communication

Art is a highly subjective and intuitive medium, it allows children with a form expression and communication that is invaluable. In the words of Leo Tolstoy ‘Art is the activity by which a person, having experienced an emotion, intentionally transmits it to others’. Emotions can be a difficult thing for children to grapple with, they cannot fully comprehend why they are feeling a certain way and only that they feel it whole-heartedly. These can cause a lot of tension and stress in their leave, inevitably amounting to anger or sadness. Pent up emotions can lead to severe behavioural issues and self-induced social isolation. Daily art classes provide children with a healthy way to express themselves and communicate with others when they find it difficult to. Having an outlet to analyse your feelings is a necessity, for children art is the perfect medium to do so.

Cognitive skills

Art ignites creativity in the minds of children, ensuring that they tackle problems in a creative manner. Art classes helps children expand their imagination and aid in the problem-solving abilities. Thinking out of the box is a coveted skill that is hard to learn, encouraging this skill in the early stages of a child’s life through art classes will ensure that they approach their problems in an innovative manner. Encouraging creativity also allows children to see more than just the tip of the iceberg, widening their perspective and equating them with the tools to tackle all problems.

Social Skills

Participating in art classes will equip children with the necessary skills to understand, adapt, respect and relate to other people’s way of thinking. Ensuring that your child is introduced to a social learning environment at a young age will ensure they develop a sense of independence and self-discipline in a relaxed environment.

Art is something that can benefit everyone’s life, especially children. Take a look through our site to see the classes we have to offer and sign your kids up. We promise they’ll love it!

3 Ways Art Pazionate’s Workshops can help your Business or Team

by Articles

A team that works well together will be more effective, productive and successful than a team that struggles to maintain significant relationships with one another. However, building a team can be hard work and most team-building activities lack a creative component. Creativity is an important and vital skill to a team as it encourages a team to think out of the box and tackle problems in an innovative way. Providing businesses or team with an Art Workshop is the perfect way to induce creativity and create a strong foundation in relationships. At Art Pazionate we offer a plethora of art workshops that can help your team or business in 3 different ways.

1. Encourages a Creativity

Modern research has revealed that active involvement in visual art allows the ‘right brain’ capabilities to flourish. This is useful to a team or business as it increases an individual’s ability identify both specific elements of a situation and the bigger picture. It will further help improve awareness and effectiveness in communicating with people via a visual modal; ensuring that everyone’s attention is captivated at all times. As mentioned prior, creativity will also help encourage an innovative approach to things. Furthermore, visual art is also therapeutic in nature and can help people attain a sense of balance and calmness, subsequently allowing them to engage issues with a level-head.

2. Breaking the Ice

Breaking the proverbial ice can be a challenging task to accomplish in  a team. Often people mistake professionalism in a team with distance. However, a team can remain professional and maintain a friendly relationship. Allowing your team or business the opportunity to engage in a teambuilding event such as art class will help break down barriers, spark laughter and create a bond between members. Light-hearted events like Art Pazionate Workshops will help new teams feel at ease with one another and reinforce the bonds of older teams.

3. Forging Strong Bonds

There is nothing that brings a team closer together than forging bonds through laughter and failure. Art Pazionate allows your team to do this in a relaxed and informal environment. Art takes practice and each team member’s trial and error is sure to provide joy and comedic content. This will help a team create long lasting and fond memories, instilling them with a sense comradeship. To encourage this, our canvas painting class allow individual canvases to be joined together to create a larger picture; a reflection of how every individual is an important and vital part of the team.

Our workshops are designed to help facilitate team work and creative out of the box thinking. We offer workshops in Canvas Painting, Paper Quilling Art, Lino Art, Tote Bag Painting + Stencilling, Fashion Water Colour Illustration and Self-Portrait Watercolour Illustration. All workshops can be tailored to suit your needs. They are set in a fun, relaxing environment to facilitate the creation of lasting bonds between team members. Some workshops span over a two hour period, making it a great lunch time or late afternoon team building activity. We invite you to peruse through the workshops we have to offer and pick one which intrigues you the most.

3 Watercolor Tips with Tissue Paper

by AdultsWatercolor Painting

With the recent influx of watercolor calligraphy, watercolor painting has once again clinched a spot as the favorite pastime of many. Alone, with your friends, or even with the entire family, everyone can get a piece of the watercolor action!

Despite all the fun it brings, watercolor painting might be daunting to beginners. There is no eraser, no undo button, and, the scariest of all, is that a small drop of paint can quickly spread into a huge blotch, ruining the entire paper. Thankfully, there is a solution for these, and it can easily be done with tissue paper.

A staple in every household, tissue paper is cheap and extremely handy when in the hands of a painter. Here are three tips on how to use tissue paper to ease and spice up your watercolor adventure!

1. Use a tissue to absorb excess water from your brush

A common mistake made by many is not taking into account the amount of water absorbed by the brush. When painters allow their brushes to touch the canvas after it is soaked in water, blotches will start to appear. Too much water will also dilute the paint, creating a less than satisfactory color. You can also gently tap the brush on a piece of tissue if you want your brush to be slightly wet and not too dry.

Of course, playing around with the amount of water absorbed by the brush is also an excellent way to create shades. If you are going for a lighter, slightly more transparent shade, it will do you good to leave the tissue aside for a bit!

2. Use a tissue to remove paint or mistakes

One of the biggest fear of beginner painters is the idea of not being able to remove excess paint or erase a mistake made. That is, however, a huge but extremely common misconception. To do so, you can wet the area you want to remove before gently dabbing the tissue, allowing it to absorb the excess paint.

Tissues are naturally very absorbent and can easily soak up all the unwanted paint marks. An important thing to note is that due to its porous nature, tissues are very fragile. If you scrub too hard, it will fall apart and soil your painting instead of salvaging it.

3. Use a tissue to create soft textures (e.g. clouds)

With almost the same technique as how you remove mistakes, tissue paper can also create soft textures. Instead of allowing the tissue to absorb all the paint, you simply dab the tissue to reduce the intensity of the color of your paint until you arrive at a shade you are satisfied with. This method is perfect for creating elements with soft edges, like clouds, and results in a more natural outcome.

One final thing to note is that all these tips are done with normal, plain tissues and not colored ones. Colored ones will bleed and create a whole new look, something you can try when you are feeling a little more adventurous! Experiment at home or sign up for watercolor painting class with Art Pazionate for a guided experience.

Water Techniques and Brushes

by AdultsWatercolor Painting

Pablo Picasso once said, “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” It is a personal momentum of your artistic expression of the world. Painting brings anyone the joy to create an artwork which speaks louder than words. It is an act itself which allows the human mind to experiment with space and mobility – working with the freedom of space to develop an artistic perspective.

Now, what is the oldest, classic and the purest form of painting – one where even children are so comfortable with? It is none other than watercolor painting!

Watercolor painting was derived from the cave paintings of Palaeolithic Europe and has also been used ever since the Egyptian times. In the past, the most common artworks of watercolor painting ranged from botanical, wildlife and landscape illustrations. In modern times, however, it is up to you to express your creativity and watercolor can give you boundless of opportunities to create different illustrations leading to a one of a kind masterpiece.

Watercolor paint is a very versatile and flexible medium which can bring the painter a variety of results. It may be a complex painting medium to master, but if you immerse yourself in the range of techniques available, it can help develop skills worthy of future artistic endeavours.

If you are looking to train yourself to be the next Edgar A Whitney, thread no further as we can enlighten you with the different techniques of watercolor painting while using specific types of brushes to apply them. You will be surprised at the different types of brushes available and the outstanding results it will yield!

1) Round Brushes

Round brushes are natural to come by as they are the most popular for watercolor painting. They are versatile making them suitable to create fine or thick lines. They are appropriate for painting small details and delicate lines, but also for wider areas. It is essential to invest in a high-quality paintbrush to get the best out of your artwork. The Kolinsky sable is notably one of the best materials out there. It works well with details and creating thin lines.

On the other hand, when you are opting for a low-cost option, round synthetic brushes will do the trick! These materials provide the brushes with the ability to “spring back” to their original shape. Their firm bristles allow the painter to create crisp lines. You can even get expressive with this type of brush by experimenting between thick and thin lines. A round brush can also easily enter tight places, for example when painting the intricate edges of flowers.

At Art Pazionate, we give you the best of the best with our watercolour painting classes in Singapore. It is a safe space for both teens and adults to express themselves while exploring their creative imagination freely.

2) Flat Brushes

Flat brushes are not as flexible as round brushes. They are most appropriate for washes and strong linear strokes. A flat brush will only provide you with strokes with fine and straight edges. The flat brush is suitable for the flat wash which is useful for any area that requires a smooth transition of color with visible brush strokes.

When using a flat brush, place the wide flat side of your brush against the paper and stroke some paint onto your paper in a wide band. You will be able to cover large areas with brush strokes like this.

You can use the exact same brush stroke when using a round brush. The difference is the width and edge control. The strokes for flats tend to be crisp and sharp while rounds tend to be looser.

Our watercolour painting classes in Singapore will teach you the different techniques you might not know existed. They are known as the graduated wash, flat wash, variegated wash and dry brush which creates interesting scopes or proportions to add in texture to your artworks.

3) Detail Brushes

Due to their short hair length, spotter brushes are suitable for painting details such as tiny dots. They are the best for painting minute details giving the painter extra control as the brush will not bend.

Apart from that, the rigger brush is a round brush with extra-long bristles. Painters will be able to receive maximum holding capacity while gaining an extra fine point to create continuous lines. This brush provides you with the perfect technique to paint animals and details of sceneries.

At Art Pazionate, our watercolor painting classes in Singapore can also be customised to your current abilities and areas of interest. If you are interested in learning a specific technique for a particular type of brush, then this is the right class for you.

4) Wash Brushes

Wash brushes are similar to flat brushes. The only difference is that they are much broader, which makes them suitable to paint over large areas of spaces. Mop and oval brushes have large heads, and they are used for blending or applying lots of paint.

In a wash watercolor painting, very wet and diluted paint is evenly mixed and disseminated to prevent uneven pigment load on the brush. The brush with the loaded paint should be applied to dry or wet support to give it a smooth finish. A wash brush is usually suitable for large areas of color.

To gain an outdoor experience, there are also water refillable brushes suitable for travel or painting outdoors. It works by just simply filling the brush with water. This takes away the hassle of bringing a water bucket along with the toolset. How convenient is that?

5) Watercolor Painting Techniques

At Art Pazionate, we go the extra mile to teach you watercolor painting techniques in our watercolor painting classes. There are a variety of techniques which can be used to give variation to your painting. You can also use different brush strokes to match with the technique which you plan to use. We have dutifully listed down for you some of the watercolor painting techniques to get you started with your art piece.

⦁ Wash
This technique is used when you dilute different parts of water with watercolor paint. This combination provides with a semi-transparent layer of color. It includes loading a paintbrush which is very wet with watercolor paint, thereafter is applied to wet or dry support such as paper or raw canvas. Washes are usually applied with large brushes over large areas.

⦁ Wet-in-Wet
Wet-in-wet can be achieved when you add wet paint into wet washes, which allows the paint to spread without any breaks. When colors are added, they flow and blend into one another perfectly, creating a diffused effect.

⦁ Dry Brush
The dry brush stroke is unique in a sense where you can play with different textures on your canvas. This stroke can start from a wet area of your painting and then run it over a dry one. This gives a textured region of ground where the painting shows a more dense and shadowed area. You can also create grass paintings or scratchy lines with the dry brush watercolor technique.

⦁ Salt
Salt can be used to mix things up! It is a great experimental tool which can be used in watercolor painting. Sprinkle salt in desired underlying areas of watercolor paint and then allow the combination to completely dry. Then, lightly brush the salt away, and there you have it, your salt painting is ready to go!

⦁ Blot
This is a unique technique to lighten the value of an area that you have just painted, adding texture to your painting. The tissue is used to fastening the blotting process and how much pressure you apply to your tissue determines the amount of watercolor that is being lifted. Other ways to use a tissue in watercolor paintings can be found here.

In our watercolor painting classes, you can learn to achieve colors in various tones by mixing paints in varying proportions and adding different amounts of water to it.

At Art Pazionate, we get right down to the specifics to nurture you into a great artist!