Release Your Inner Artist with Giclees
by Cody Johnson | Sep 10, 2007 | Advice
Imagine, if you will, turning your home into a dazzling showcase filled with art from you and your family. Did you know that with the right shade of color on your walls, you could turn the simplest art into a masterpiece? Thinking like an artist or designer means coloring "outside the lines". Most artists live their lives "outside the lines." That may be why everyone thinks we are a tad nuts. I know I wear that label with great pride and would like to give you a few pointers on how you may release your inner nut… er... I mean artist.
- Release your inhibitions:
- Try to expand your imagination. Realize that anything goes and this is your special little world. (Crazy or not...it's your world!)
- Be prepared to change that old outdated paint on your walls:
- If you are going to hang a masterpiece on the wall created by your kids, you want the walls to enhance every brilliant color.
- Pull out your color wheel. (You're going to need it!):
- You can find a color wheel on-line or at any art store
You are probably thinking, "Now WHAT am I going to decorate the refrigerator door with!?" Well, don't worry. In a moment I will tell you how you can have your in-home gallery while keeping your refrigerator adorned.
Next thing I want you to do is pull out your old photos, paintings, baby pictures, and that really cool shot you took with your camera of the armadillo last summer... You get the idea, now lay them out on the floor:
- Let's say your favorite pictures are the ones of grandma's lupine, poppies, and the cute little masterpiece that your six year old painted with purple trees and a orange sky. Heck, I like your kid already! (This is when you pull out your color wheel.)
- Find out what the opposing color of your purple lupine is. You will see that it is yellow. If you lay your lupine picture against the yellow it will make it glow and stand out. Do you know why? That is because opposing colors compliment each other VERY well.
- Now if you are daring enough and are thinking like an artist, (Which I hope you are.) you would paint your wall a shade of yellow. Let me give you some examples of complimenting colors. Light green walls with a deep red-violet painting or blue walls with a soft orange accent.
Are you still with me? Okay...good.
- Next thing you will do is figure out what size you would like your artwork to be. (The crisper the picture the bigger you can go. Unless, of course, you are looking for that dotted Monet look). Set your photos or pictures against the wall that you will be hanging them on. Move them around on the floor until they fit the space or until you say, "AH HA! THAT'S IT!" Don't forget to mark the spot. Be creative about how you are going to hang your priceless art. Try not to just hang them in a perfect line, but staggering them instead.
- Go ahead and scan them into the computer then upload them to Canvaspress.com. It is there where a beautiful Giclee will be made of your creations. What they do is print your artwork or photos on canvas. (Like the material artists use.) They stretch it around a 1.5" frame so you can see your art on all of the sides.
Viola! There you have it! Gorgeous pieces of fine art for your wall. Now, your masterpieces are ready for hanging. Envision, (You can do that now because you are a crazy artist!) how fabulous your yellow wall is going to look with the new art you created.
- To finish off, make sure you set your furniture so it best displays your new in-home gallery to its fullest! Soften the corners of the room with angles and plants and don't forget about lighting! Find the brightest color in each of your pictures and shine a light on it. It will make the piece pop and glow
Now stand back and enjoy your creation and remember... have fun!
