Crafting Secrets

‘Creative and Commercial Arts’ is an upcoming and much in demand field today. Those with creative aptitude and good art skills have no lack of job opportunities with a rise in the media, advertising and publishing sectors. To hone the inherent skills, one can avail the formal training which is available for fine arts at the certificate, diploma and degree level at a number of institutions. The course duration could vary from 1-5 years. Those who want to make a career out of it can pursue courses at institutes across India and abroad. To become a successful commercial artist, one must have a creative bent of mind and an eye for detail. Apart from this, one needs perseverance and an indomitable will power to pursue this field of fine arts as a profession.

Commercial fine arts could refer to painting, sculpting, applied art, graphic interior design, ceramic design, mural design, metal craft, pottery design and painting. It is important to get training as a course helps one nurture and align the creative energy and gives the technical edge and finesse required to survive in an industry where competition is ever increasing. There is training available at both degree and diploma level. For doing a Bachelors Degree course in Fine Arts (BFA), one must have successfully cleared the Higher Secondary Examinations or 10+ 2. Subsequently, for acquiring a Post Graduation Degree in Commercial Fine Arts, one must be a graduate in Fine Arts.

There are many premier institutes in India where Commercial Fine Arts is taught as a subject of study. These include Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art (Mumbai), Faculty of Fine Arts (Baroda), Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan, Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi) and College of Art (New Delhi).

Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art is based in Mumbai. It is a state government college that has four departments which offer training for various types of Degree and Diploma courses. The Department Of Painting offers BFA (Painting) 4 years, Post Degree MFA(Painting ) 2 years, MFA (Painting) (by papers) in Portraiture, MFA (Painting) in Graphic Art, MFA (Painting) in Creative Painting. The Department Of Sculpture And Modelling offers BFA (Sculpture) 4 years and Diploma Sculpture and Modelling 4 years. The Department Of Arts And Crafts offers BFA (Craft- Metal Work) 4 years, BFA (Craft – Textile Design) 4 years, BFA (Craft- Interior Decoration) 4 years and BFA (Craft – Ceramics) 4 years. The Department Of Art offers Teacher Training Art Teacher’s Diploma ( A.T.D.) 2 years, Diploma in Art Education (Dip. A. ED.) 1 year and Art Master Certificate Course (part-time) 1 year.

Symbiosis Institute of Design based in Pune offers the following degree programs:  Bachelor of Design (B. Des) in Communication Design, Bachelor of Design (B. Des ) in Product Design, Bachelor of Design (B. Des) in Fashion Communication and Bachelor of Design (B. Des) in Fashion Design. The institute tries to offer an optimum mix of traditional skills, new media skills and soft skills.

Other than these, Jamia Milia Islamia, Loyola College, Amity University, University of Calcutta, Rabindra Bharati University, International Institute of Fine Arts, Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Aligrah Muslim University, University of Jammu, Animation and Fine Arts Academy, Anna University and the University of Delhi offer courses on fine arts.

Those who have acquired a degree or diploma in fine arts, commercial arts or creative arts can work as freelancers. This allows for variety and free hand in their projects. There is demand for specialists in drawing in the publishing industry and newspaper houses as illustrators, cartoonists, and designers. Those who are good at applied art have unlimited opportunities in advertising agencies as graphic artists, designers, visualisers, and creative directors. Trained artists have a wide arena of options in front of them, ranging from working in art studios, advertising companies, fashion houses etc. Other related careers are teaching, direction, photography, television, clothing and fashion, as art directors for magazines, on-line services, software companies, manufacturers, promotion and product design.

In the television and media field, one could design the non verbal presentations for television programmes involving trade figure analysis, election results, etc. A commercial artist can also design stamps and letter heads for government organizations. Software firms in India require experts in commercial fine arts as ‘Graphic Equalisers’.

Apart from working in India, one can also explore career options abroad. One can organize exhibitions and auction his creations abroad. Then, there is an option to conduct various workshops on fine arts and its related fields. Other related option is to be art critic and write reviews for various art magazines which are quite popular abroad. Thus, there is no dearth of job options for skilled and trained artists in creative arts, fine arts and commercial arts. After a course from a good institute, one can land a job with either a good company or work on his/her own and earn name, fame and wealth. This field can give one high visibility and recognition with one good piece of art.

Getting creative with beads is a wonderful way to introduce children to arts and crafts. Beads offer tons of variety and require little preparation time. Simple projects allow younger children to stay focused on the project at hand. Older children can stay occupied for hours with projects that are slightly more advanced but not overwhelming. Using beads also helps children refine motor skills and gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment by creating something they can treasure and share.

Simple ideas that don’t require fancy tools or expensive materials include beaded key chains, friendship and name bracelets, necklaces, and bookmarks. For each of these projects, pony beads are the perfect option because they are economical and easy to find at your local bead or craft store. Personalized key chains can be created with just a bag of alphabet beads, a key ring and thick cotton cording or plastic lacing. With just a spool of stretch string, kids can also very easily create friendship or name bracelets. Beads offer variety in shapes, sizes and colors, so that children can create an array of unique designs and never get bored. Stretch cord is perfect because it is easy to knot (using a surgeon’s knot is recommended).

Bookmarks can be easily created by adding beads or charms to the ends of a piece of cording. The cording is placed between the pages and the beaded ends dangle from the outer edges of the book.

For simple, yet professional looking jewelry, use a crimp tool with flexible beading wire and crimp beads. Use the tool to attach clasps to necklaces and bracelets. This technique can be used with single strand and multi-strand pieces. Instructions can usually by found on the packaging of any quality crimp tool.

For more advanced projects, macramé techniques can be used to create beaded friendship bracelets or hemp bracelets. Kids can get creative by using a variety of beads and cording. Embroidery floss and hemp are available in many colors and will provide endless possibilities when combined with beads.

Beading projects are perfect for summer, weekends and rainy days. Kids will have fun creating jewelry they can wear and give as gifts. Bead crafts can be done as a pair, a group or individually.

To get started, visit your local bead shop for expert advice on basic supplies and techniques. You can also find project ideas and additional resources on the internet or at your local library or bookstore.

Does your 5 year old wait for you anxiously when you come back from work, wondering what gift would Mum bring?

Kids love presents and gifts, especially if it is a surprise gift. And the best thing about them is that they sweetly give you a hint on what they are expecting or what their desires are. But what happens when you have to buy gifts for other children? Do you run short of ideas?

If purchasing gifts all the time does not come across as a good idea to you, and yet you want to present something that is beautiful, then here are some excellent tips on presents for children that would not just save you the money but would also tickle your kids’ creative bones. And what you have at the end is a wonderful gift – handmade – and that too by your own child.

Presents for children have to be as creative as they are. There should be ample use of colours. The patterns, motifs and designs and most importantly the presents for kids should be something that they love and something that they can use on a regular basis. For example, a wall clock with the kids’ favourite cartoon characters, or a colourful face mask, or photo frames with cute designs and jewellery box for little girls.

There are many websites which offer complete kit with all the things that you need in order to make presents for kids. For instance if you want to make a wall clock, then they offer kits that have clock face, clock mechanism with the hands, battery and numbers. Then there are the things that you need to decorate the clock with, like paint, glue and decorative pieces.

The kits can be usually completed within one to two hours time which also teaches the child the importance of time management. Besides this, such activities are good learning sessions which help a kid grow into a complete individual and you into a successful parent.

  Shoebox Dioramas are a part of every school year and in just about every grade they serve as a wonderful learning tool. They are used to learn the arts and crafts of making things and they are used to also learn about subjects. This article shows you some creative ideas from both the arts and crafts aspect and the learning aspect.

The Arts and Crafts of Shoebox Dioramas

 There are a lot of common ways to make a shoebox diorama and they include tape, glue, construction paper and all the regular assortment of arts and crafts stuff but there are a few things you can do to make a diorama just a little bit special.

Here is a list of ideas:

If you are doing an underwater scene you can cover the front of the box with Saran Wrap or thin plastic. This gives the diorama an underwater feel

Use string to utilize the full three dimensions inside the box; suspend objects from strings or tie strings from side to side and top to bottom and attach objects to the strings. This works well for flying objects like bird, pterodactyls or even clouds and stars.

Cut slots in the back and top of the box and use this to insert objects that you can move across the diorama. Make a bird, boat, comet or some other type of moving object then attach a tab to the back of it. Insert this tab in the slot then you can grab the tab from the back and slide the object across the diorama. This adds a nice little interactive element. This works well with all kinds of things from a rising sun, flying bird, erupting volcano or just about anything else that would move.

Think outside the shoebox! There is no need to run out and buy a new pair of shoes if you don’t have a shoebox. A more than adequate box can be made from scraps of cardboard or even a few cereal boxes cut and taped together. And there is no need to make a typical shoebox shape. Be creative in the shape you make. It adds a dimension of interest to the project. Half round, amphitheatre shapes are commonly used for dioramas and look great.

Achieving Depth – The most common trait of an average shoebox diorama is that it has a decorated background and objects placed on the bottom surface. You can add an attractive touch by decorating a strip of paper that is about two inches wide with a foliage pattern then attach this to the inside bottom of the diorama about an inch from the back wall – it reaches all the way from the left side to the right side. This adds a lot of depth and makes it look much more interesting.

Using alternate materials – You don’t have to use cardboard or boxes. As an example, if you are doing a polar bear or penguin diorama you could use white packing Styrofoam. If you are doing a desert scene you can apply glue to the bottom of the diorama and sprinkle real sand on it.

Theme Ideas and Learning Tools

The biggest point of a shoebox diorama is to show a natural habitat of something. In the process of drawing and cutting out the various objects a child is learning about the habitat. This is great but you can take it to new levels with a little thought and a little creativity.

Freezing a moment in time – A diorama is a moment in time and you can focus on this. Some good examples are you can have a meteor streaking across the sky of a dinosaur diorama; this explains a theory of extinction. Or you can show a large predator fish about to eat a smaller fish as it is eating something even smaller. This dramatic moment in time is a good display of the food chain.

Interactions in a habitat – The focus of a diorama is often to correctly identify and place the right objects for a natural habitat but you can take this to a new level by focusing on the interactions within the habitat. The upper layer of canopy in a rainforest blocks out sunlight from the lower layers and this is an important aspect of the rainforest. A coral reef provides shelter for many creatures in the sea and a diorama can display this.

Adding a Fact Sheet – This is a great tool that should be added to every diorama. You should make a fact sheet that can be glued to poster board and stood up near the diorama. The sheet explains the basic facts of what the diorama is about.

Diorama Ideas

 Here are some ideas you can use as a theme for your diorama

The Natural Habitat of just about any creature like fish, polar bears, black bears, penguins, wolves, humans, dinosaurs, camels, lions, tigers, monkeys, elephants, dolphins, and well you get the idea!

A Desert theme complete with pyramids, mummies and camels is fun

A Rainforest is a good diorama for teaching about diversity and the interaction of species

An astronomy diorama complete with sun, planets, comets, and stars in the background

A medieval Castle scene complete with catapult or dragon

Underwater scenes are always popular

Arctic themed dioramas are fun because of the creative options for snow and icebergs

Whatever diorama you choose to make you should take a little time to make it different and unique and there are lots of creative ways to do that. Have fun with your project!

Tired of endless mall walking in search of a perfect Christmas gift that is nowhere to be found? Hate giving gift cards or gift certificates and cash just because it seems impossible to come up with anything better?

This holiday season, find unique ways to let the people in your life know that you care. Get creative, get personal and get fun; get a gift that will bring joy to her or him you love this Christmas.

Projects to Do and Make

Instead of toys that quickly lose their appeal, projects to make and do entertain during the process of creation and then become all the more special because they were made by the recipient. A craft set for making beaded jewelry, a T-shirt or canvas bag and special fabric crayons and pens for decorating, or a small set of wood working tools and pieces of cut wood can provide hours of entertainment. These gifts also often teach useful skills and encourage artistic abilities. Some kits can be purchased with the supplies and tools included. For a more personalized gift or to monitor the quality of the tools included a gift giver might choose the supplies and tools and pick a useful bag or box that could serve as storage later.

Homemade Items that Everyone Needs

Sometimes a gift item of a usable, consumable product with a personalized touch can be both affordable and appreciated. Children’s artwork can be scanned and made into calendars or greeting cards. Lip balm, bath salts, or bath oil can be made with items from the grocery and craft store. For kids simple recipes abound for play dough, homemade bath crayons, and homemade sidewalk chalk.

Since everyone needs to eat, ready-to-make meal mixes such as soup in a jar or muffin and bread mix can be great gifts as well. The gift of something useful need not be boring. It can be a playful twist on the usual or something a bit more extravagant than expected. But the element of usefulness ensures the gift will be appreciated rather than stored away.

Gift Tickets to Local Attractions, Museums or Performances

Gifts of tickets to local attractions, museums, or performances can encourage the appreciation of the arts. Families might appreciate an annual pass to a zoo or Children’s Museum near their home. Some performing arts centers offer packets of tickets to various events. Concerts or even movie theater tickets can be great gifts especially as families cut back on the entertainment budget and such attractions become a rare treat.

Instead of focusing on things to purchase, gifts that focus on activities can bring smiles and avoid both the shopping pitfalls and the return lines.Gifts that interest and give fun to the recipient need not be expensive or even purchased. With some planning and creative ideas, thought, smart gift givers can get through Christmas with some money left in their pocket.

Tired of endless mall walking in search of a perfect Christmas gift that is nowhere to be found? Hate giving gift cards or gift certificates and cash just because it seems impossible to come up with anything better?

This holiday season, find unique ways to let the people in your life know that you care. Get creative, get personal and get fun; get a gift that will bring joy to her or him you love this Christmas.

Projects to Do and Make

Instead of toys that quickly lose their appeal, projects to make and do entertain during the process of creation and then become all the more special because they were made by the recipient. A craft set for making beaded jewelry, a T-shirt or canvas bag and special fabric crayons and pens for decorating, or a small set of wood working tools and pieces of cut wood can provide hours of entertainment. These gifts also often teach useful skills and encourage artistic abilities. Some kits can be purchased with the supplies and tools included. For a more personalized gift or to monitor the quality of the tools included a gift giver might choose the supplies and tools and pick a useful bag or box that could serve as storage later.

Homemade Items that Everyone Needs

Sometimes a gift item of a usable, consumable product with a personalized touch can be both affordable and appreciated. Children’s artwork can be scanned and made into calendars or greeting cards. Lip balm, bath salts, or bath oil can be made with items from the grocery and craft store. For kids simple recipes abound for play dough, homemade bath crayons, and homemade sidewalk chalk.

Since everyone needs to eat, ready-to-make meal mixes such as soup in a jar or muffin and bread mix can be great gifts as well. The gift of something useful need not be boring. It can be a playful twist on the usual or something a bit more extravagant than expected. But the element of usefulness ensures the gift will be appreciated rather than stored away.

Gift Tickets to Local Attractions, Museums or Performances

Gifts of tickets to local attractions, museums, or performances can encourage the appreciation of the arts. Families might appreciate an annual pass to a zoo or Children’s Museum near their home. Some performing arts centers offer packets of tickets to various events. Concerts or even movie theater tickets can be great gifts especially as families cut back on the entertainment budget and such attractions become a rare treat.

Instead of focusing on things to purchase, gifts that focus on activities can bring smiles and avoid both the shopping pitfalls and the return lines.Gifts that interest and give fun to the recipient need not be expensive or even purchased. With some planning and creative ideas, thought, smart gift givers can get through Christmas with some money left in their pocket.