It screams "BUY ME"

Giovanni Civardi - Drawing: A Complete Guide

I only picked this book up days ago and straight away I fell in love with it. Drawing: A Complete Guide is the book for all artists be you new or old, inexperienced or a professional. For only £9.99, this 440 page book will give you tips, ideas and help on everything to do with drawing.

This book first popped out at me in my local Hobbycraft store. Here it had the top ten books of 2014, which is where this book was. Opening it up it was pure artistic heaven with a helping hand on everything to do with drawing- this book literally screamed out "BUY ME!"

Work in progress: One Direction

Have you ever wondered how to draw using light and shade or perhaps how to draw different landscapes, seascapes and buildings? Then this is the book for you. It includes all that and more for your own small guide on how to draw pretty much anything.
"This is an essential book for anyone learning to draw, or wishing to improve their drawing. Starting with the basics of drawing techniques, Civardi gives expert advice on drawing portraits, the clothed figure, hands and feet and scenery, with sections on the importance of light and shade and on the nude. Civardi's technical advice and practical tips, accompanied by his own outstanding drawings, make this an invaluable resource for any artist."

My best friend in the art world:
Derwent Graphic Pencils

So I say, go out and buy this book to help improve your skills, start your skills off or just to get some amazing tips on drawing techniques for all sorts of drawings!
Buy here at Hobbycraft or Amazon

Warning..

This is a warning to all who post their art on the Internet

Personally, I have been caught a few times when people have copied my photos and used them as their own. This not only annoys people but you can be called a fraud because people think that you are the person that is copying the photo. 

One time on Instagram (find me on http://instagram.com/lottiemoox), I posted a photo and only an hour later I found exactly the same photo on somebodys account. Luckily I was following them and told them to take the photo down. Again, luckily they did so but now I have learnt my lesson and I now use a watermark on all or most of my photos (except selfies because what is the point?).

Great Watermark Apps

1. Photoshop - Photoshop is a computer program that many professionals use which is used mainly on the computer. Photoshop is amazing because it alters photos, pictures and screenshots. This is an amazing program that can be used for almost anything however it does come at a price. Photoshop prices begin at £8.78 a month and goes up to £46.88 a month, depending on the package that you buy.
2. Phonto - Phonto is a Mobile App that I frequently use on my photos to ensure that they are watermarked. Phonto is simple and easy to use and you don't have any faffing around like you have with many other watermark apps out there in the App Store for Apple products or the Play Store for Android Products. Phonto also does not change the quality of the photo in any way which ensures the high quality of the photo that you have taken of your art. Phonto is free to download and has links to all social media making it quick and easy to post photos.
3. Watermark - If you want an app that looks more professional, go for Watermark. This app is on the App Store for Apple products for £0.69 or $0.99. This app contains the main features of a watermark app, however it has some special features that include white and black spiral watermark, a choice from more than 50 different fonts and the choice of a higher or lower resolution photo when you save the photo.
4. iWatermark - iWatermark offers a very easy and intuitive platform to watermark your images with either visible text, graphic or QR watermark. You can also create your own watermark or use one of the presets. iWatermark is the only watermarking tool available on all four platforms; iPhone, iPad, Mac and Windows and it is available for £0.69.
5. Add Watermark Free - This is one of the most simple watermark apps out there right now. For free you can download this app which has great features like quick share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc, and easy reusing of recent watermark texts. With this app you can also process multiple images at the same time in batch mode which can save time and effort.

So remember: Protect your art, photos or images by putting a personal watermark on them BEFORE you share or post them online.

Finished!

Finally finished GCSEs, so Art is becoming my priority again

When you have a lot to do in life, such as GCSEs and Prom, you lose track of the small important things such as Art. Art is a passion that people carry in their hearts and we can sometimes let go of this when important happenings happen. But this is basically a message to say that you should never let go of you passion be it Art, Music, Gaming, or anything else. Deep down everyone has a passion and no matter the situation we will never let it go. Keep at it. Go and do your passion.

The beginnings of One Direction. See the progress on my Instagram account: http://instagram.com/lottiemoox