Latest Humanities Articles

Is Digital Art Real Art?

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 07:45:44 -0400

The Internet has become a worldwide marketplace where virtually everything is peddled online ranging from books, movie tickets, and kitchen gadgets to automobiles, luxury cruises, and fine art. No matter what you're in the market for, you'll find it online. When it comes to browsing online art galleries, you're likely to come across examples of both fine art and digital art. But what's the difference? And is digital art real art?

To better understand the differences between fine and digital art, let's first define fine art. According to Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, fine art is defined as: Art (as painting, sculpture, or music) concerned primarily with the creation of beautiful objects.

Now, let's define digital art. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia explains that digital art is a contemporary art form where computer technology is manipulated to create distinctive works.

With those definitions in mind, a beautiful oil painting is considered fine art while a breathtaking collage of electronic images would be considered digital art. While you may be able to reach out and touch the brushstrokes on a painting or feel the contours of a sculpture, digital art tends to be less tangible, often appearing on a computer monitor or video display. Thus, the question often arises as to its legitimacy as a real art form.

Digital art also suffers from a perception that, because the artwork is created on a computer, it has less value than a one-of-a-kind object of fine art. Photographers encountered these same perceptions as a single photographic negative or slide is capable of creating countless identical copies of the image. While a digital artist could theoretically mass produce digital art, many digital artists have adopted the same techniques that photographers and lithographers have used successfully: limited editions.

The way that viewers interact with fine art and digital art is different as well. For the most part, looking at fine art is a static experience. Sure, the piece may evoke strong emotions as you look at it, but the experience is primarily visual. Digital art often incorporates multiple images, transitions, audio, and video; the artwork may change based on the viewer's actions or movements, especially if touch screens or integrated video cameras are involved.

While fine art is displayed on walls, book shelves, pedestals, and other areas where you can enjoy it, digital art often requires electronic displays. Static digital artwork can be printed on paper or canvas and hung like traditional fine art paintings while multimedia artwork needs a suitable display such as a computer. Digital picture frames and flat panel TV's with suitable inputs open digital artwork display possibilities that didn't exist just a few years ago.

Clearly, fine art and digital art have their differences. But is digital art real art? To answer that question, ask the following questions when looking at a piece of digital art: Is it beautiful? Does it evoke emotions? If you answer yes to either of these questions, the digital art is indeed real art.

The Mastery of Mixing Oil Paints By Celeste Stewart

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:29:25 -0400

Today’s artists have a virtually unlimited palette with tubes of commercial oil paints available in every possible color and shade. Not only that, modern oil paints are easy to combine with one another, making it possible to create any color imaginable. In the past, artists had to hand grind pigments, mixing their oils individually before each painting session. The book, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, gave us a glimpse into this world, showing us Vermeer at work carefully mixing the brilliant colors by hand.

In fact, Vermeer used a simple palette consisting of about a dozen pigments to create The Girl with the Pearl Earring. This palette was similar to the palettes commonly used by Dutch painters of the time though Vermeer opted for the more expensive lapis lazuli over azurite. His brilliant blues were not the result of picking out a tube of paint that met his needs; they were the result of his mastery of mixing oil paints as well as his underpainting techniques.

Grinding pigments is an involved art form in its own right. Not only did the artist need to create the colors consistently for each painting session, the process involves precise measurements and precise grinding times. A minor adjustment changes the characteristics of the paint which could lead to undesirable colors and consistencies.

Oil paint consists of two components: pigment and oil. Pigments are usually mineral based or organic in nature. Most pigments come in powered form though some dyes are mixed with alum or clay. Oils act as binders to the pigment as well as lend their own characteristics to the paint. For example, linseed oil, walnut oil, and poppy oil each have their own characteristics both in terms of how well they handle as well as how the oil affects the color once the paint is dry.

Once an artist selects the pigment and binder, these components are then hand ground into a paste. Using a marble surface and a stone muller, the artist then grinds the paint until the desired characteristics have been achieved. In Vermeer’s time, the paints were of a much thicker consistency than the oil paints of today. The hand-ground oil paints of the time usually had to be created daily, as long-term storage was not feasible. Some excess paint could be stored in pig bladders temporarily.

All about free manga online

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:41:43 -0500

Manga is a popular Japanese word for comics. In English terms it is used as a generic term to refer all graphic novels and comic books that were actually published in Japan. Manga is also considered as storytelling style or an artistic style that also includes non Japanese works. AmeriManga is often used to refer the comics that are created by American artists in Manga style.

With popularity and demand of Manga comics today you can find various online websites offering you a chance to read Manga comics online. Free online Manga helps all comic and graphic novels fans to save a lot of money and read all their favorite books online. Earlier in Japan Manga was either read in form of comic books, monthly magazines, book length comics or graphic novels. These formats are very common in the market and comics shop shelves were flooded with their latest editions. In United States, people used to believe that superheroes and their stories usually appear in newspapers. The rising demand of Manga comics and with the advancement in technology it has now become available online. Today, everyone uses internet to gain knowledge and information about anything they need to know.

Therefore, websites offering free online Manga is increasing with time. People can choose and read from various editions. You can read the comics that interest you. These comics are available in various languages and are usually free online. You can read them at any time of the day or night. It has been seen that not just kids are attracted towards free online Manga websites but it has a huge amount of youngsters and adults fan following too.

The best part about these free online Manga websites is that you can even up-load your own Manga stories. You can read on various topics varying from the kid character of Pokémon to adult underworld drama of sanctuary comics. There are so many stories available that will suit your interest and type. The Manga story lines are popular because of their in-depth and complex series that engrosses the readers and makes them fall in love with it.

Every artist in Manga books has a character of its own. They have their own style, role and importance in the story. The drawings in the books are usually made in ink and pen but with its availability online, better pictures and graphics are introduced most of the free manga sites make use of graphic software to make the scenes and characters appear more real and alive. The comics online have more fan following today than ever. The artists create the characters in a way to manipulate their mouth and eyes and include specific features and attributes including sweat drop on their forehead to reveal the intensity of a scene. If you are also a Manga fan or like to read comic books then you should definitely try free Manga online at various Manga dedicated sites. You can also share interests and common thoughts with other readers online.

Translation Services in Our Changing Economy

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:57:21 -0500

The initial effect seems to have been a drastic reduction in the number of translation jobs being requested from end clients. Surprisingly enough, this downturn has been seen not only from small to midsize firms and companies, but also from large Fortune 500 multinationals.

It appears to have been a sudden, almost emotional, kneejerk reaction to what was widely perceived to be a threat of some sort. What seems most obvious is that, while many businesses seemed certain that there was something dire afoot, few seemed certain about what it was and exactly how it would affect them.

The exceptions were those market areas that suffered immediate impact: banks and other financial services, as well as development and property firms. Nonetheless, it seemed that businesses of all sorts suddenly put a hold on their document translations. Some of these of which I have personal knowledge include huge transnational oil and gas, infrastructure and transport companies.

Obviously this was not a situation which could last. Boards of Directors and shareholders need to be able to read minutes, financial statements and Annual Reports. Educational and nonprofit organizations must still file grant applications. And small and mid-size businesses which have seen a decline in custom must increase their marketing efforts in order to attract new markets.

Thus, the last six months have seen a slow, but regular, uptick in translation orders, and one would expect this to continue as markets ease, new cash is pumped into financial institutions and panic subsides.
And how has this impacted the service providers – the translation agencies and freelance translators?

There is no doubt that there have been two major consequences in the translation services industry. The first is a drastic reduction in rates, by both agencies and translators. While some, especially those who work in legal and medical translation, may have been able to maintain close to standard rates, most have had to take extreme measures, often cutting their fees by half.

The other consequence has been a shakeout amongst the small translation agencies. Many of these agencies, despite a colourful Internet presence and a boastful marketing scheme, have been nothing but a single translator inserting himself into the translation chain. They secure a project – often from a “real” agency – and then subcontract it out to other translators for a pittance. It should come as no surprise that, in order for the faux agency to secure a profit, their subcontractors are of very poor caliber, either inexperienced or non-native speakers of the target language in question.

Of the above two consequences, the first (rate reduction) will probably also experience a slow reversal, just as the translation jobs are. Rates will go back up, slowly, but, one hopes, steadily. As for the latter circumstance, one might hope that those fictive “agencies” might indeed be gone for good. They have never added value to the process, but rather just the opposite.

Collecting Native American Pottery

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Native American pottery is fun to collect. There are so many different pueblos, and each one has its own style of pottery. While collecting the pottery, you are also learning a lot about Native American art and culture.

This form of art has been practiced for thousands of years. Yet it is constantly improving as modern artists are experimenting with new techniques and designs. You can purchase antique pottery or modern versions, and each has its pros and cons. Of course, the older pottery is much more expensive, if it is in good condition, because of the value as an antique. But the newer pottery can be just as beautiful or even more so. It is important to collect what you like and can afford.

The first thing you should do is visit some websites and look at photos of Native American pottery. WHen you see enough good quality pottery, you will train your eye to recognize what is good. Be sure to read some books on the subject as well.

If you can visit New Mexico or Arizona, be sure to visit some of the pueblos where the pottery is made. Often the pueblo will have a cultural center where they display works of the local artists, along with a lot of information about their history and crafts. This will help you get a feel for the pottery as well.

You can purchase pottery at these cultural centers, but you might be better off buying the pottery directly from the artist. For sure, you should not buy the pottery at the expensive shops in the tourist areas of Santa Fe or Albuquerque. It will be marked up a great deal there.

You can also purchase pueblo pottery online. You can often get some good discounts at online sites. Of course, you can't handle the pottery then, so be sure that they have good photos of the pottery at the website.

Try to get the largest examples of pottery you can afford. It should not have any chips or cracks, as that will reduce the value. Also, some pottery is made from molds, which is ok, but the hand made pottery is more valuable. In any case, even the pottery made from a mold should be hand painted beautifully by the potter.

It is fun to collect pottery from the different pueblos. It is amazing how different they can be. The differences could be in the color of clay used, the shapes of the pottery, the subject matter of sculptures, the amount of carving on the piece, the style of painting, and so on. Get a good book showing the various styles. It wll help you a lot.

There are many different types of pottery too. Some are ollas, bowls, seed pots, traditional wedding vases, story teller figurines, figures of animals, and many others.

Some of the Native American potters have become quite famous, and their work can be very expensive, but it is also extremely beautiful. But the work of lesser known potters can be lovely as well, and is much more affordable. You can always start out simply and purchase more expensive pottery as you get more familiar with it.

Enjoy your new hobby of collecting Native American pottery!

The Tennessee Valley Authority

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

President Franklin Roosevelt set the Tennessee Valley Authority was into action on May 18, 1933. This was part of a set of programs known as the New Deal that attempted to lift the country out of a devastating Depression. It sought to provide much needed jobs to individuals all over the country and electricity and irrigation to the Tennessee Valley.

Since the area of the Tennessee Valley is directly around the Tennessee River, the Authority planned to generate power by harnessing the natural energy of the river. Due to the Depression, residents of Tennessee Valley did not have electricity in their homes and businesses like much of the country. Therefore, the project was to tackle the problem of power as top priority.

The residents of Tennessee Valley were quite poor and even referred to as the "Forgotten Americans". No wonder electricity was lacking in the valley. Roosevelt’s TVA rectified this notion by remembering these forgotten individuals and helping them in rebuilding the area. After the TVA brought electricity to the valley’s residents, the once forgotten Americans began to grow financially strong and their average incomes increased considerably.

Apart from bringing electricity to the area by utilizing the natural energy of the river, the TVA also succeeded in controlling the floods which used to ravage the area sorrounding the river. This saved the people of the area from the damage that was caused to their crops and houses because of the flood. The TVA achieved this by building dams to control the flow of the river.

As the flooding was controlled, a source of irrigation was also formed. During the years of the Depression, crops suffered tremendously due to lack of water and farmers were often plunged deeper and deeper into debt due to these crop failures. The modern agricultural techniques of irrigation were quite new to area residents who were used to farming using the same methods as their forefathers, but the techniques quickly caught on.

Before the TVA developed the system of dams in the valley, the river was quite difficult for boat captains to navigate. After the projects were completed, the river navigation was made a good bit easier, allowing the area to become more widely traveled, therefore bringing more money into the Tennessee Valley.

There were other substantial natural benefits from the TVA. The TVA helped in controlling forest fires. Another benefit was the replanting of trees which lead to the regeneration of the depleted forest reserves. The regeneration of the forest acted as a glue for the wild life and they returned to the forests in drove. Similarly the construction of dams also brought in more fish to inhabit the river.

Tennessee Valley Authority was a pioneering effort at a very crucial juncture in the country's history. It not only provided jobs for a number of unemployed Americans but also helped in improving the overall economic status of the residents of the valley. Its innumerable contribution therefore should not be underestimated.