Reddit mentions: The best mixed media books

This is a really, really good question and if you ever take an art history class in college, it will be a source of major interest. In a way, I think you're asking how art "evolves," and why it still does today.


The answer is, perspective in art and realistic distance wasn't a fully explored idea in the West in 2D art until the late 1300s. It took so long because until that time, it just hadn't been innovated and cultivated in a way it could be copied and developed enough to spread. The entire concept of realistic life frozen in a painting, as we see it, had to be applied to art and gain a technical perspective. Field of view, distance, light distance in 3D, everything. It started development in the late 1300s by Italian master painters like Brunellishi and Giotto and the methods evolved forwards from their early work. Artists had to invent an entirely new way of designing images against distance, and applying depth. It was technology as much as art. The methods had to spread, refine and take hold by word of mouth, written and visual communication, and popular demand. Artistically, it was like not only giving up MSPaint for Photoshop, but inventing and programming Photoshop as you used it. But people loved it.

So the short introduction answer is this: realistic 2D art is a relatively new invention, and it developed because artists finally had the technical understanding of why the real world looks he way it does, and how to expess it in 2D.

Firstly, let's think of art in it's functional form. Artists usually try to communicate something with their art. Even typography, a true art expressed in a most functional form, is an art. You'll find papers and official documents today favor, say, times new roman over rosewood or comic sans because of the message communicated through typeface. So too in older societies did certain forms of communication and expression gain credibility and trust. This has a huge impact on how messages get prioritized, communicated and carried onwards. Art looked the way it did because it served a purpose and pattern. For new art, you need new ideas and methods to be sustained and spread. That wasn't always reliable in the past. This brings me to education.

Education in the arts varies largely from country to country and time to time, but there was a time when artists didn't have wide exposure to certain ideas and artistic methods which are now universal. An apprentice painter in early 1200s medieval France might not have had any idea about how to communicate perspective or body ratios, even if he had a vague idea of what they meant. More importantly, he probably might not have the right technical language for it, other than the notion it looked better to paint some objects further away and other things closer. Art has always been popular, but making realistic art means following technical rules to apply realistic images. And no one had yet figured out a uniform method to do that.

Very few artists become talented at technical, detailed representations of realistic life without access and exposure to some key artistic methods and ideas such as texture, shading and light, and the effects of perspective. But that communication of ideas and standardization is education, and for a long period of history, education was expensive and often elite. Art methods were re-learned in older cultures simply because there were less chances for widespread artistic communication and streamlined learning to travel to and from one artist to another. Technical theories like frame, drawing the eye, and light needed to be applied in 2D in such a way that it was a reliable tool, a law of expression.

I'll break here for a big example which will answer most of your questions: maybe you've asked yourself why paintings or drawings from the medieval era backwards tend to look a bit "flat" or 2D and very geometric. Or why you'll have seen statues from Ancient Greece which are incredibly realistic in form, yet the same period has mostly similar 2D pictures on their pots with exaggerated persons and items. Why is one more "real" than the other, what was special?


We really don't know why some artistic ideas take hold when they do, and why they develop in certain cultures, but it was important then and part of its success relied on increased access of information from artist to artist as society and he church funded arts, and partly because artists had better informational literacy about art and the world around them as the renaissance and increased arts appreciation and demand increased demand for new art. Other countries developed fantastic art with certain uses of perspective, but Western European art followed certain patterns of realism applied even today. It was monumental in effect. And they learned by doing, apprenticeships, and from other artists, as they went. The impact was better funding in he arts, patrons, and better technology. Those artists saw things differently and grew a new art form.

It was sort of like discovering as a child how to tilt a window towards its corner when you draw. Times a million artists, for the future, as well as yourself. We still love the old ways, of course. But realistic art encouraged new expression and attention to detail never before available, and it was truly a turning point in the history of civilization.

Sources for additional reading:

On the origins of Perspective in art

My Favorite Online Applied Source of Knowledge

Practical book I used in first year of school


Now go create something hilarious! Art can be realistic, or as silly, as you make it. But its good to have as many tools to do it as possible!

As others have said, she needs to be getting some kind of counseling ASAP, and that will also involve parenting strategies for you guys. Parenting classes would be a great idea too. I know you said money is an issue, but there are free and low-cost resources available. To start with, you might try calling one of these parenting hotlines:

National Parent Helpline: 1-855- 4A PARENT (1-855-427-2736)
24 hour Parent Helpline: 1-888-435-7553
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

Here's more info about that last hotline, it might be the best place to start: https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/

You can also check out this site for local resources: http://www.nationalparenthelpline.org/find-support/state-resources

In the meantime, here are a few tips off the top of my head:

• Remember that she's not TRYING to be "bad" or annoy you, even though it may seem like it. She's been through a lot, and has a lot of big confusing scary overwhelming feelings that she doesn't know what to do with. Kids act out as a way to communicate something, often because they have some need that is not being met in that moment - whether that's a basic need like being hungry or tired, or an emotional need for attention, comfort, or reassurance that the adults in her life can keep her safe. More on this idea here. When it seems like she's just being a little jerk, ask yourself, what is she trying to tell me? what does she need from me right now? how does this situation look from her perspective? Try to think "she's having a hard time" rather than "she's being a pain." She deserves every bit of calm and patience you can muster!
  
  
• Of course that doesn't mean inappropriate behavior is okay; in addition to figuring out the root problem, it's important to teach her better ways to express her needs and feelings rather than acting out. An important first step in this is teaching her to identify her emotions - 3 years old is not too young to start. Get some books from the library like The Way I Feel and The Feelings Book. Help her identify her emotions in daily life - "I bet you're feeling disappointed that we can't go to the park since it's raining." or "It looks like you're really angry right now." This also helps her feel validated and understood.
  
  
• The next step is teaching her more productive ways to handle those big feelings. Read some books like Little Monkey Calms Down and Anh's Anger that show good coping skills like taking deep breaths, talking about what's wrong, cuddling a stuffed animal, etc. Model those strategies yourself - "I'm starting to get frustrated right now, so I'm going to take some deep breaths instead of yelling." When she acts out her feelings inappropriately, remind her of some better choices - "I know you're angry right now, but hitting is not okay. Would you like to take some deep breaths like Little Monkey, or go sit with your anger like Anh?" Emphasize that all feelings are okay, but we need to act on them in ways that don't hurt other people. Try to watch for the signs that she's getting upset and head it off before she's in a full-blown meltdown. And of course a 3yo doesn't have the self-control to always make good choices (even when reminded), but by encouraging those options you're laying the foundation for better behavior and emotional regulation as she gets older.
  
  
• Related to the above points - rather than thinking in terms of "punishing" her behavior, think about helping her learn from mistakes so she will make better choices in the future. Hitting her just teaches that hitting is acceptable and whoever is biggest and strongest (you!) can get their way - this is even more confusing and damaging to a kid who's been abused. Instead try to use logical consequences that show her why her actions were a bad idea. For example if you're playing with her and she starts screaming, a logical consequence is that you stop playing and say, "I don't like it when you scream at me, that makes me not want to play with you. When you're ready to talk nicely I'll play with you again."
  
  
• Time-outs can be a way to interrupt bad behavior and get her to stop and think about what she's doing; however there's some research to suggest that they might not be appropriate for some kids who've been abused (definitely better than hitting though!). The goal of a time-out should be to help her calm down, and if she's screaming for an hour it doesn't sound like that's happening. You might try a time-in instead, where you calmly sit with her and discuss what happened. A calm-down jar can be a great tool as well - when she's upset, have her shake it up as hard as she can, get all her anger out, and then she has to sit quietly and watch until all the glitter has settled. When you meet with a counselor they will be able to better advise you about what strategies will work best in your situation. Just remember, your goal is to TEACH her not PUNISH her.
  
  
• Always make it clear that you dislike her BEHAVIOR, not HER. This seems like an obvious distinction - of course you still love her! - but to a young child, especially one who's been abused, punishment can feel like rejection of her as a person.
  
  
• Make sure you notice and praise her GOOD behavior. When a kid is misbehaving a lot, it can start to seem like everything they do is wrong. Constantly remind yourself to look for things she's doing RIGHT - and show her how much you appreciate them. For some ideas you might check out this awesome list of 10 phrases parents should use every day.
  
  
• Structure and routine go a long way toward helping kids feel safe. She's just dealt with a lot of big changes in her life; give her a predictable routine every day as much as possible so she can start to feel more in control again. If she has a security object (blanket or stuffed animal), never take that away as punishment - anything that helps her feel more secure is something you want to encourage.
  
  
• Keep in mind that this kid has been through a lot. If she's been abused, she's learned by example that hitting and yelling are okay; she probably feels like she could be hurt again at any time (it's hard for a 3yo to fully grasp that she's safe now); she probably has a lot of confusion and pain and anger about what's been done to her. Parenting a 3yo isn't easy even in the best of circumstances, but parenting a kid who's dealing with all this is an extra challenge. You need all the support you can get, especially from professionals who are trained to help kids in these situations. Getting her mom some help for what she's been through will be super important as well, both for her own sake and for her daughter.
  
  
• Also remember to cut yourself some slack - you're doing the best you can, and even if every day isn't a good day, try to find something good in every day. Good luck, keep us posted on how things are going!

Hey! Nice work for someone who is new to painting. Here are a few of my suggestions and a few artists you can look at for inspiration.

Firstly, I would consider going more monochromatic (one colour, different shades) because in your works with multiple colours they're blending and turning brown which is taking away the contrast.

Second, I would go with thinner layers of paint at the start and increase the thickness as you allow the layers to dry. This will allow you to build texture. I don't know what you're using to apply the paint but if you go to any hardware store you can grab some great plastic tools used to apply plaster that are different sizes and allow for different grips.

Third, if you want the paint to dry faster you can use something like galcid to speed up the process.

There are also lots of different painting techniques you can use to create really interesting effects as you progress. I recommend either getting a couple of pads of canvas paper to practice or some small canvas boards. I have this book and it's got some great techniques http://www.amazon.ca/Acrylic-Solutions-Exploring-Mixed-Media/dp/1440321124

Lastly, check out Gerhard Richter, Rothko and other similar painters. The movie Gerhard Richter Painting is fantastic and I love watching him paint.

(edit: I'm an art teacher and I teach high school kids how to do abstract art so that's where I got my sources)

Wow. Thank you for such an in depth response, I sincerely appreciate it.

I'm not going to drop out of school or anything, I feel like I need it right now to provide me with some sort of structure. When I'm not going to school (full time student, not working much right now) I tend to just sit around and drink beer lol. However I am taking more artistic classes now, Film, Graphic Design, Photoshop, Screenprinting, and loving it. I'm actually waking up earlier and being on time to class for once in my life. Its a very nice feeling. But the thing that amazes me most, is that I'm enjoying screenprinting so much that its bringing me back to some of my roots when I used to spraypaint stencils and wheatpaste back in highschool. It was a blast and I don't really know why I ever stopped.

As for the font books, I've never looked into something like that before, so after some googling, do you mean stuff like this? Also would taking a typography class be beneficial? I thought about taking one anyways and I get free schooling thanks to our wonderful tax payers, so it wouldn't really cost me anything to enroll. Also in this same vein do you think taking some basic drawing or 2-d design classes would be beneficial? I've never done anything with art really outside of creating stencils in photoshop, hand cutting, and spraying, so I don't know any of the technicalities related.

I watched the videos and it amazes me how in control of their whole arms they are lol. It reminds me of those camera men where they walk around and the camera stays perfectly steady lol. Lots of whole body movement with the hand in total control. Super straight lines while walking the length of the wall lol I doubt I can do that right now :P

Should I just like buy a huge sheet of plywood from home depot to practice on in the safety of my backyard with all the time in the world?

As for the rules I already know the basics about what you should and shouldn't go over and places not to put up on, but I definitely will watch Style Wars, I have it downloaded in my to watch later folder already :P This just means I have to watch it next, been putting it off for a long time.

Again thank you so much for your input man :)

It's not specifically about the writing instead more of an overview of interactive storytelling, but Pause and Effect is still a pretty damn good book despite its age.

A lot of games writing seems to come from screenwriting sources as far as I know, a lot of the best stuff I have read comes from good blogs and interviews. In terms of 'hot tips' game designer Ernest Adams published his PhD thesis last year Resolutions to Some Problems in Interactive Storytelling which is pretty good in that regard.

Personally I'm more interested in the design of story within games.

1. I would love The Collage Workbook, because it's been so long since I've worked in an art journal, and I remember this book was super inspiring (I borrowed it from a library a while ago).
   
   
2. I don't have a Kindle and I hate reading from the laptop, so no ebooks on my WL. :c If I HAD a Kindle though, this would be the first thing on it! Kinder und Hausmärchen. Gotta study my German vocab!
   
   
3. If I were a book, I hope that I'd be a great one.

ah, still view only. that's alright. couple of pages from my sketch book and i finally got around to posting this thing.

going to work on finishing some pages and sketching out some new ones now.

also, if anyone want any reading material for perspective, check out How To Draw Manga: Sketching Manga-Style Volume 4: All About Perspective, How To Draw Manga Volume 29: Putting Things In Perspective, and [The Art of Perspective] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Perspective-Ultimate-Artists/dp/1581808550). and yes, those how to draw manga book is a god send. I feel like a lot of books get too technical but these book explain concepts pretty simply.

If you do want something more technical, read Perspective! for Comic Book Artists. I liked it but it got confusing and difficult at times, haha.

Amazing Coloring Book. Grayscale by Alena Lazareva
available on on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/1533533393
This book includes 32 unique different hand drawn illustrations :
Fantasy, Mushrooms, Pin Up,Funny Animals,Fairies,Fashion illustrations. Page size is 8.5x11inches.

Book on making steampunky things with clay Because steampunk is awesome and I am hoping to make some new jewelry to go with my halloween costume.

There is the Art of Total War book that was released a couple years back: link to Amazon

I have a copy in my shelf. It's a pretty nice book, has lots of pictures of concept models and spots in the games. Also has a nice commentary by Creative Assembly on how they stsrted as a company.

The art book is available from Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/Art-Deus-Ex-Universe/dp/1783290986 it's currently 36% off too! The rest is just a google away I'm sure :)

Improving my grasp on perspective has been my goal lately. I've been thinking about getting a book like this The Art of Perspective. But I wanted to ask if you have any recommendations for other books or exercises?

here it is! It is kind of a medley of tips for several different mediums, but I just skip around and read the bits for watercolor :)

God I hope they make all that stuff into a proper art book some day. One of the most well-designed environments I've seen.
Edit: there already is one: http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Alien-Andy-McVittie/dp/1781169314

There are too many variables. I imagine that time is a factor. I imagine budget and materials are a factor. I also imagine that your friend's personal art interests and education are a factor. The book, Art Lab for Kids seems to be a good reference for art projects for students between the ages of 9 and 12.

My girlfriend really likes this one.

This is my favorite collage book.

Yes it's from this (can't recommend this series enough!)

Colour My Sketchbook WILD https://www.amazon.com/dp/1544130414/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_9iH-zb9VKHR17

The Titan book is the small one, the larger one has 300 pages, is a larger format and includes art from human revolution as well!

I bought some lore books on amazon a while back, I forget the names off the top of my head.

But they talked about the three main fractions.

book 1

book 2

art book ‘soft/ implied lore but nothing fancy’

I don’t own this, looks like a comic

Yeah man.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Sea-Thieves-Paul-Davies/dp/1785654314
It's a little cheaper at the minute too.

Still available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Sea-Thieves-Paul-Davis/dp/1785654314

There was an Art book, it's going used on Amazon for $13

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1783299401/ref=tmm_hrd_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=1524642483&sr=8-1

November 23rd with a baby boy.

Thing and a thing.

Tales from the Loop

Tales from the Flood

The Making of Tron

Intron Depot

Alien: The Archive

Akira Animation Archives

The Art of Deus Ex Universe

Was this one of the books? http://www.amazon.com/New-Creative-Collage-Techniques-Original/dp/1440309213/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346730463&sr=1-2&keywords=collage

Link

Thanks for the contest! I never catch these in time!

Oops never mind. Totally entered it wrong. I confused the 10 and 11 numbers. >_>