VISUAL GRAPHIC ARTS

Rubber stamping is an art medium appealing to people of all ages. Although accomplished artists can create impressive pieces solely through the use of rubber stamps, this type of art is also suitable for children of any age. Parents and teachers alike can share the art of rubber stamping with children who might not be overly artistic. Rubber stamping requires less artistic talent than a medium such as painting or drawing. Things You'll Need Ink pads Construction paper Instructions Allow the group of children to browse through rubber stamps and pick a few that are appealing. Rubber stamps are available with images including people, vehicles, sports, food, messages, letters and numbers. Provide each child or small group of children with an ink pad. If possible, have a few different colors of ink pads so that the children can use a color that appeals to them. Hand out pieces of colorful construction paper to the children. Colored paper is not crucial, but construction paper

Lighbox wall art is becoming a fashionable choice for people who want to hang modern pieces of art on their walls that incorporate striking color contrasts with patterns and light. A simple lightbox is transformed by an artist into the work of art that illuminates when switched on. During the day, the piece of art can be enjoyed without light. Once the sun sets and evening falls, an illuminated lightbox brings the art to life. Instead of purchasing an expensive lightbox wall art piece, exercise your creative side and make your own illuminated lighbox wall art. Things You'll Need 1/4-inch-thick plywood sheet Handsaw Wood glue 2 to 4 self-adhesive, thick plastic light clips Plexiglass sheet 2 battery-powered, under-the-counter florescent light bulbs Instructions Decide what size you want your lightbox wall art to be. If creating a finished piece of art 16 inches by 20 inches or smaller, use one florescent light bulb; larger pieces will need two bulbs. Cut a sheet of o

Coloring in the graffiti letters that you've outlined and drawn using spray paint can be an entirely different challenge than the initial lettering itself. After you've completed the outlines of the letters, you'll want to use spray paint to gradually color the letters in. Fortunately, it's easier to spray-paint inside the letters' lines than it is to draw them precisely. Instructions Shake the spray paint for approximately 30 seconds to mix the paint together and get rid of any pigment that may have settled. Keep the can upright while you shake it and listen for the rattling noise produced by the mixing ball that's inside of the can. Refer to the instructions on the can of spray paint to determine how far the can should be held from the surface you're painting. Bear in mind that you may need to hold it closer to the surface than is recommended because you need to paint within the outlines of your graffiti lettering. Apply a thin coat to the inside of

Covering a sculpture with moss will give it an aged, ancient look. This practice has been around in the gardening community for a while and has emerged as new trend in modern art. Sculptures can either be completely covered or partially covered or you can take a page from the artists and artfully place the moss to highlight certain areas of the sculpture. Gardening can be hard work, and creating moss artwork is a fun change of pace. Even children will love making their own moss masterpieces. Things You'll Need Porcelain clay, fist-sized 3 cups water  Fish emulsion Fresh moss, shredded Bowl Paintbrush Spray bottle Instructions Choose a sculpture that has some cracks in it. Keep in mind that resin statues are not suitable for covering with moss. Cement, on the other hand, works well. Mix a fist-sized chunk of porcelain clay with three cups water until it turns into a paste. Clay can be found at most local craft stores. Add fish emulsion and one cup of moss to the past

Posterization effects soften the color depth of images by expanding their light spectrum. As color depth decreases, the separation of the image's individual colors become more pronounced. Posterization is generally a product of digital manipulation, but it can be incorporated into a standard paint canvas. With the help of Microsoft's Paint application and some photo transfer paper, you can apply posterized images to colored paint canvases. Things You'll Need Photo transfer paper Color canvas Clothes iron Instructions Launch Microsoft Paint. Click on the "Start" button in your taskbar, then type "Paint" into the Start menu's search box. Click on the "Paint" shortcut when it appears in the Start menu. Click on the blue "Paint" button in the top-right corner of the program. Select the "Open" option from the Paint menu. Browse for your posterized photo, using the file explorer window that appears. Click on the

If you are looking for modern art ideas to use for canvas painting, there is no limit to what you can do and the artistic feats you can achieve. Modern art focus on expressive, abstract and often experimental painting. Breaking out of the boundaries of traditional fine art, the modern art movement developed from 1860 through the 1970s with increasing popularity, to the point where today entire art schools and art museums are dedicated to the style. Patterns The natural world is filled with vast varieties of patterns that can lend inspiration and innovation to your modern art. According to Jonathan Milne, art teacher and author of "Go! The Art of Change," patterns are filled with meaning and paradox, and they help you to identify and recognize aspects of the world around you. Look around nature to find patterns: spider webs, leaves, hills, clouds, ripples, tree rings, snake skin, mushroom rings and fingerprints are just a few examples. Try applying these patterns to canvas