Creative Tips

by Kimberley Hughes/Peta Tranquille

Every fortnight our Members receive a newsletter, and many of them contain creative tips. We thought it might be nice to share some of the best ones with everyone.

PENS AND MARKERS

How do you store them if you love drawing with pens, alcohol-based ink markers, or acrylic-based paint pens? Did you know that it is best to store them flat rather than upright? Keeping them flat when not in use helps prevent them from drying out.

PENCILS

If you are a fan of pencils, there are a few different ways to sharpen them? While some people choose to use a sharp knife for those of us that use a pencil sharpener, we have a suggestion. Try sharpening your pencils by turning the sharpener and keeping the pencil still. This will help keep even pressure on the pencil and prevent breakage. It is wise to invest in a good quality sharpener to fit your pencils properly.

MINIMISING MARKS

If you are an artists that uses a pencil to sketch or make marks before painting, joining materials or engraving etc., you will know how important it is to minimise the marks showing underneath. The following are some things to consider.

• Apply a background colour first and use a light, coloured pencil over the top.

• Use a Conte, pastel pencil or watercolour pencil as they can be erased easily.

• Use a "hard" pencil such as a 2H. These don't erase as easily but won't smudge graphite into your colours and are light in shade.

• Use a projector or stencil instead to apply your paint or drawing material.

• Use a lighter coloured version, in pencil, of the colours you are going to apply when sketching them out.

COPYRIGHT

Ah, copyright. Copyright vs intellectual rights. What is assumed, and what do you have to apply for? Did you know that you don't necessarily have to register for copyright in Australia?

What if you use someone else's music in your Instagram reel? Do you have to pay? What about when you are contracted for a specific task?

Lawyers spend many years studying copyright and intellectual rights across art, science and more.

If you are looking for some advice on copyright or intellectual rights, here are some reputable places to start. You should also consider consulting a lawyer who specialises in copyright if you need a hand with a contract or developing a particular project.

Australian Copyright Council https://www.copyright.org.au

Arts Law Centre of Australia https://www.artslaw.com.au

SHARING YOUR ARTWORK

Help us to promote your artwork as we love sharing the creative works of all Victorian Artists and Makers. If you use the #mavacollective hashtag on Instagram, we will see what you are posting and are then able to like it. Every day, we select lots of posts from those using the #mavacollective hashtag and share or feature them. As an added bonus, our members can find more tips on how to improve their social media presence in the forum section of our website.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Although we covered photographing your artworks in a previous blog, we thought we would mention the following tips again. First, always take lots of photos before applying varnishes or getting them framed. Here are some more photography tips.

• Photograph them in a well-lit area with no shadows. Either indoors with good lighting or outdoors on an overcast day.

• If you photograph them whilst they are hanging, make sure they are level and well lit.

• Use the best camera or phone camera you have available. Consider trying the camera with or without flash. Smartphones have a lot of filters and settings to experiment with.

• Use a tripod for your camera or smartphone for the best results.

• If your artwork uses mirrors or reflective surfaces, give them a good clean first.

If in doubt:

Get them professionally scanned or photographed.

We hope you have enjoyed these tips and if you have any please leave them in the comments. For more creative tips, in-depth, check out our previous blogs.