How can I make yarn from an old t-shirt and does the material matter? So my wife tells me that I have too many t-shirts (she is not wrong) as I don't wear them all fast enough before they get washed. Since I wear my favorites more often some just never see action.

Naturally I will give some away but I have been fascinated with the idea of making my own crafts from that material e.g. yarn. I suppose I would just need scissors to cut it up but what can I do to make the longest strands possible?

What is a good way to determine if the cuts are too thin or not? I ask because the thinner I make it the longer strands I will get but the trade off might be strength. Too wide and it wouldn't make for good yarn.

Does the thickness of the shirt matter? Not all shirts are made from the exact same material thickness. Is this limited to just jersey knit fabrics (That is typically what you see pictured with t-shirt yarn)?

It depends on what you're making with it.  When you're dealing with seamless T-shirts, I'd start at the bottom.  Cut the hem off, then go around and around cutting about an inch (2.5cm) in one continuous strip. You can put a little mark on your finger to indicate the measurement so you don't have to draw all those lines, and it won't need to be absolutely exact.  Don't bother with the neck and sleeves.  If you want some uniformity, you'll need to play with different widths.  You'll need narrower strips for heavier fabric.  Maybe make some test strips with the sleeves and make some samples before you start into the body of the shirts.

The fabric is going to curl onto itself to form a strand instead of staying a flat strip if you stretch it at all.  If it's thin it will probably just do that anyway.  And that might be a good thing.


Leather lacing at home I recently bought tandy lace maker tool for making leather laces. I use good right amount of thickness of leather to make the lace and still the backside of the lace gets fuzzy with grains coming out. This makes the final lacing that i do on leather not professional. How do companies make that even glossy looking leather lace both on the front and back?

Your question indictes that you want to make laces that will be viewed from both sides and so need them to both be smooth. The normal leather making process produces two types of leather both of which can be further processed to be smooth on both sides .. you choose based on your need for quality .. I would recommend you go for Grain leather than has been ironed to smooth the inside surface.


Aerosol block out/filler for screen printing? I want to screen print a positive silhouette of some physical objects such as leaves and sticks.  I plan to lay the items on the screen and spray on the block out or filler.

I've only been able to find brush-on and pen-applicator screen filler.  Is there such a thing as spray filler?  Or would something else work, like maybe a heavy application of ordinary spray paint?

I don't know of any spray on screen filler but you may want to look into trying some light sensitive photo emulsion.  Its kind of like taking a photograph, basically you cover the screen with the emulsion, let it dry, place the leaves on top of the emulsion, and expose it to light.  The light will harden the emulsion all over the screen except where the leaves have blocked out the light.  You wash/scrub the remaining emulsion out of unexposed spots.  Since the emulsion is light sensitive, you'll need to keep it in the dark until your ready to expose it, any room with out windows, or with the light completely blocked out will work.  You'll also need to use a red light while working with the emulsion in the dark.  I've used Diazo photo emulsion but there are plenty of brands out there.  You can find it online or at one of the chain arts and crafts stores.  Its not too tough to do, this is how I make my screens.

Here's a link to more detailed instructions from the manufacturer.

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/DOWNLOADS/INSTRUCTIONS/DIAZO%20Instructions.pdf


What type of paint should I use for stone painting meant for outside Not too long ago, my family’s dog was put down and we spread the ashes on one of her favourite (or so we assume) walkies routes. I want to create some kind of tombstone for her. I was thinking of painting a stone and then placing it at the side of the path.

Since the location is in the outside at the edge of a forest, the stone would be subject to weather influences: rain, snow, frost, sunshine. Naturally, I want the stone’s paint to survive these conditions. Also, wildlife may pass. I want the paint to be as harmless as possible to the surrounding nature.

What type of paint should I go looking for that satisfies the conditions highlighted in the paragraph above? And in case that paint may require specific handling, please also highlight some relevant points.

What you need is exterior masonry paint.

Which specific kind of exterior masonry paint may depend on what sort of stone you're using. This page from a decorating advice site tells you which kind of paint to use in which context. It's written from the point of view of painting walls of a building, but some of it may still be useful to you.

In particular, mineral-based or lime-based paint should fit your criterion of being eco-friendly, and limewash looks like the best choice for your situation: it's simple to make, relatively cheap, looks natural, and is eco-friendly. The following quoted text taken from the above link even provides you with possibilities for where to buy it:

  Mineral Based Exterior Paints

  Put simply,  mineral paints are made with a silicate binder which reacts with the surface of the wall to form a long-lasting bond, unlike traditional paints which simply form a skin. They are naturally alkaline, so inhibit mould growth and carbonation; mineral paints also have the added advantage of being eco-friendly too.

  The disadvantage is that they require more thorough preparation, special primers and are, initially, much more expensive – although the increased performance should pay back over the long term.

  There are a few specialist manufacturers of mineral based paints – the main two being Keim and Beeck.

  Each have their own detailed specifications for different kinds of wall surface and these must be followed to the letter in order to enjoy the maximum performance.

  Lime Rendered Walls

  For old buildings with a lime based render or lime based pointing a traditional Limewash is ideal. Limewash is simply a paint made from lime powder and water together with a colourant.

  The main advantages of limewash are they bind to the surface very well and are totally breathable – another benefit is that they are relatively inexpensive.

  Care needs to be taken with application and sometimes additional binders need to be added to aid adhesion.The finished result can be very striking though – looking much more natural than a traditional paint finish.

  Limewash paints are available from a number of sources including Ecos, Ty-Mawr, Little Greene and Farrow & Ball.

  ECO Paints

  Technically, an ECO paint is simply a paint which has a very low or zero volume of Volatile Organic Compounds. While some ECO paints are obviously superior to others there isn’t any case for suggesting that an ECO paint will perform any better or worse than any other form of exterior paint – it will simply be a matter of personal choice.

  It’s worth noting, however, that mineral and lime based finishes, mentioned above, are by their very nature eco-friendly – so would make a good choice if you wanted to be as environmentally friendly as possible?

I also found detailed instructions on how to repaint a gravestone. They recommend using oil-based paint, assuming a granite headstone. If you're thinking more along the lines of smaller stones or pebbles, then this site recommends using acrylic paint, with a sealer on top at the end.


How to overcome the fear of imperfection? In all of my art classes, and virtually anywhere I encounter new artists, the number one obstacle I see holding them back is a "fear of imperfection." So I'd like to submit this question to any/all established artists, what tips/advice do you have for "new artists" to overcome their fears of imperfection (which are, afterall, inevitable for any student)?

There's a famous story about a ceramics professor who separated his class into two groups of students. The students in Group A were graded solely on a single pot they presented at the end of the semester, whereas the students in Group B were graded on how many pots they produced during the semester: quality vs. quantity.

During the course of the semester, the Group A students were agonizing over perfecting the minutest details of their pot, while Group B was furiously churning out pots left and right.

At the end, the professor examined everyone's pots, and Group B had higher quality work - even though they were only being graded on quantity! The Group A students, though they had been trying to achieve high quality, simply did not have the same amount of experience.

The moral of the story is, practice makes perfect.

The solution to your "artist's block" is not unlike writer's block. You can find prompts and assignments to force yourself to do something until inspiration strikes again. Most of all, you must accept that your early drafts will suck, and make them anyways.

I've found it very inspirational looking at re-makes or progression pictures from artists, to see how their technique and style have evolved over the years. To me, it underscores that making art is a learned skill, not some innate talent that you either have or don't have. Sadly too many people believe this, and simply give up on art because their skills are still grade school level and they haven't grown them since. But if you put in the work you will get better and better.


Photo transfer on wood Does anyone know if its possible to do a photo transfer (using a laser printed photo) to wood without mod podge or using something cheaper.

I want to do some transfers for my cub scout den but it would require a lot of mod podge

If cost control is important to you, and if you have access to an ink-jet printer instead of a laser, then you might want to try using the left over wax backing sheets from standard printable mailing labels like Avery 5160.

The ink jet ink doesn't dry as quickly as normal on the waxed paper, so right after printing, you can flip the paper over and press it against any flat surface.  The still wet ink will quickly leave the wax and settle upon whatever you have pressed it to.

It takes a little practice to learn to apply it without smudging, but I've used the technique multiple times and have gotten some excellent (and a few horrible) results.

Here is a link to a more detailed description of this technique, along with a few others on WoodenPalletProjects.com.


Second row of knitting pattern has less stitches than cast on I'm following a knitting pattern to create a 30cm x 30cm cushion cover, which I think should create a rectangle that I eventually fold over a cushion inner. The instructions, verbatim,  are as follows:

  Cast on 50 stitches

  Row 1: * K1, P1, repeat from * to end.

  Repeat above row 7 times

  Continue with triangle pattern:

  Row 1: K1, P9, K1, P9, K1, P9, K1, P9

  Row 2: P1, K7, P3, K7, P3, K7, P3, K7, P2

  Row 3: K3, P5, K5, P5, K5, P5, K5, P5, K2

  Row 4: P3, K3, P7, K3, P7, K3, P7, K3, P4

  Row 5: K5, P1, K9, P1, K9, P1, K9, P1, K4

  Row 6: K4, P1, K9, P1, K9, P1, K9, P1, K5

  Row 7: P4, K3, P7, K3, P7, K3, P7, K3, P3

  Row 8: K2, P5, K5, P5, K5, P5, K5, P5, K3

  Row 9: P2, K7, P3, K7, P3, K7, P3, K7, P1

  Row 10: P9, K1, P9, K1, P9, K1, P9, K1

  Repeat last 10 rows 6 times

  Row 1: K till end

  Row 2: P till end

  Repeat Row 1 and 2 until you have 50 rows

  Cast off.

It then goes on to explain how to fold the rectangle over a cushion inner, and use mattress stitch to stitch the edges shut.

The triangle pattern section has 40 stitches in each row, but the pattern explains to cast on 50 stitches. So after row 1 of the triangle section, I have 10 stitches remaining.

1) What should I do here? I've tried turning my work at that point and continuing with row 2, but this always leaves those 10 stitches unworked, and doesn't create a rectangle at all. Has this patttern incorrectly printed how many stitches to cast on?

You are correct that the pattern has a typographical error in the first line.  It should tell you to cast on 40 stitches.
When knitting a square or rectangle, there is nothing counterintuitive going on, you are knitting rows back and forth that eventually become the geometric shape of an object with four 90 degree corners.  The number of stitches at cast on should represent exactly the number of stitches being knitted in each row thereafter.
There is the very important issue of gauge to bring into the equation. If you are planning to sew your own inner pillow form and stuff it yourself, then you can customize the size of the pillow form to the dimensions of your completed cushion cover. In this case, the issue of gauge is not very important, other than for the look of the fabric itself.
However, if you plan to place the cushion cover onto a pre-purchased pillow form, the finished square would need to be a precise size in order to fit well onto that pillow form.  So, it is definitely worth knitting a good-sized swatch (something like a 12 or 13 cm square) in the yarn and stitch pattern you are using for your project, in order to check your gauge and therefore confirm that all your hard work will actually turn out the correct size.
How to determine gauge with a swatch:
[A] Stitches Per Row (Horizontal Gauge): Once you have your gauge swatch knitted, accurately count (down to the 1/2 stitch!) how many stitches there are in 10 cm.  We know that the pattern calls for 40 stitches in 30 cm.  This would equate to a gauge of 10.3333 stitches in 10 cm. I would round this up to 10.5 stitches in 10 cm.
Examples: If your gauge swatch shows you having say 12 stitches in 10 cm, then you should go up a needle size (use a larger needle to get larger stitches, therefore fewer stitches per 10 cm) in order to precisely achieve that 10.5 stitches per 10 cm.  If the swatch shows say 9 stitches in 10 cm, then you would go down a size (use a smaller needle to get smaller stitches, thus more stitches per 10 cm.)
[B] Rows per Length (Vertical Gauge): As for rows, those too should be measured in a 10 cm section of your swatch. It appears to me that the pattern calling for 76 rows (8 starting border rows, a 10-row pattern repeated 6 times, and another 8 row border) over a length of 30 cm: if this is correct, it would equate to a gauge of 25.3 rows per 10 cm.  This doesn’t sound right, usually knitted stitches are 4/5 as tall as they are wide (That means that if you cast on a number of stitches, then knit the same number of rows, your knitted swatch will be about 4/5 as tall as it is wide (say 5 inches wide and 4 inches tall,)) which would mean you would need 50 rows, not 76, to make a length equal to the width of 40 cast on stitches. SO, I think given the statement at the end that you knit until there are 50 rows, there is another error elsewhere in the pattern. (I will talk you through this in the final paragraphs below.)
The problem with vertical (row) gauge is that it is much harder to correct the height of your loops, then the width of your loops as in stitches per row. The first priority in gauge really is knitting with the right needle for horizontal (stitch) gauge.  So in the case of a rectangle, the ultimate length of the work is better handled by adding or subtracting rows in order to make the piece come out exactly as long as desired.
If the pattern were what we call an “all over pattern” from the first row to the last, you could literally just keep knitting until the piece from cast on to the edge of the loops on your needle measures one row short of your desired length - then the cast off row would complete the precise length you want.
However in your case, this pattern includes a border of 8 rows at the beginning and (I’m assuming? although the pattern is confusing in saying “knit until there are 50 rows”: again, see last paragraph) at the end.  So a precise length adjustment will need to occur by adding or subtracting rows somewhere that does not disrupt the design.  You can choose to do this either in the central patternwork, or half in the beginning border and half in the ending border (to keep the borders symmetrical,) or a little of both.
ABOUT THE ERRORS IN THIS PATTERN: OK, as reviewed above, in addition to the cast on being wrong, the pattern definitely describes a 76 row design: 8 rows of initial border + 60 rows (6 x 10 row pattern,) + 8 rows of final border.  Using the 4/5 rule (stitch height over stitch width), a 40 stitch cast on that is 30 cm wide would become a 30 cm square after 50 rows.
So, what to do?
OPTION A: SEE IF THE DESIGNER HAS PUBLISHED “ERRATA”, WHICH IS KNITSPEAK FOR A CORRECTION TO THE PATTERN: I would definitely contact this designer.  If he/she hasn’t already published Errata, it is likely because she hasn’t received the feedback that there are errors.  Most of us who design for knitting (or any fiber art) try REALLY REALLY hard to make sure the instructions are perfect, and we’re mortified to discover any error no matter how slight, and will do backflips in order to make it right as quickly as humanly possible.
OPTION B: ALTER THE PATTERN: If you cannot reach the designer, then I would make some decisions.  Based on your swatch, you know your rows per 10 cm gauge: confirm exactly how many rows will make a 30 cm length.  Then start deciding where to distribute the “border” rows, and the “center stitch design” rows.
For example: say your swatching shows that 50 rows would make a 30 cm length.  (The “50 rows” instruction at the end may actually be correct, as it does work out mathematically.)  Perhaps you could make a 5 row border, 4 repeats of the 10 row pattern, and finish with a 5 row border.  (A total of 50 rows.)
OPTION C: WING IT WITH AN ALL-OVER PATTERN: Depending on how bonded you are with the pattern you are planning, you could consider knitting just the 40-stitch, 10 row stitch pattern, repeating the 10 rows start to finish, and simply stopping as soon as the correct length is reached.  (This is what I described above, the third paragraph in section [B].)
ONE FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT: HAND KNITTED OBJECTS ARE VERY FORGIVING: Yes you want to be as precise as possible, because your hands are human hands, and your tension may vary up and down, so attempting to get the dimensions correct through gauge measurements is smart knitting.  But there is another side to the coin: you CAN relax! Hand knitted objects tend to be very stretchy (with some exceptions based on stitch pattern and fiber selection.) Given the pattern you are knitting, you may be surprised how stretchy it is.  Also when you finish it, you will soak the piece, wrap it in a towel and squeeze out the water, then block it on a flat surface to the dimensions you designed it for.  Blocking will make all the difference, you can literally make a piece bend to your will at that stage.
Hope this helps, and that you can enjoy making this project despite some math! I am happy to answer questions in comments or even chat if you need more help!-


How to tell which way a colour is leaning? I'm only just now learning how to best estimate less or more vibrant colours and a large part of this seems to be to see what colours make up the secondary colours being used to mix.

I'm finding it very difficult to tell which colours are made by which primaries. I would like to learn to tell how certain colours were mixed.

I'm only using acrylic paint. Mostly these paints are for miniature painting, though I am sure the colour theories are the same as canvas painting ;)

If you are looking to identify how a color is mixed first and foremost you need a color wheel which will show you where the color you want lands relative to the primaries. Second, read up on color theory which will help you understand what is going on with that color wheel and how colors behave in general.

Once you have that down, here are some tips for keeping your mixed colors vibrant (or not):

First... for any two colors you are mixing, be sure their value/lightness/tone are similar. Use white to bring up the darker color to match the lightness of the lighter color.

Second... there are cool and warm versions of the primaries (Red, Yellow, Blue). Cool colors tend towards blue, warm toward red. If you mix a cool color with a warm color it will lose intensity, so mix cool with cool and warm with warm.

If you keep that in mind your mixtures will be cleaner. As far as which colors produce which, look for a color wheel. But you probably know the basic idea: Primaries lead to secondaries: Red+Yellow = Orange, Red+Blue = Purple/Violet, Yellow+Blue = Green. A secondary color mixed with its "opposite" (the primary -not- used to form it) will desaturate the color, eventually leading to a chromatic grey.

You should be able to get most any color you want using warm and cold primaries and white. However if you know the secondary color you want to use start with that as a base pigment and "customize it" using small amounts of other colors. That is where experimentation and experience come it.

Finally the concept of relative color comes in. That is how one color is affected by the colors adjacent to it. A color next to its complement will appear more intense as the contrast is greater. Look up Joseph Albers who did extensive research into this.

The paint binder (acrylic, oil, ...) and scale of the work do not effect the color theory, however cheaper paints will have less pure pigments and therefore will have less intensity and will not handle mixing as well as professional grade paints.


Will I have problems with wire baked in oven baked clay? I am planning an armature for use in stop motion.  I will use 3 steel wires twisted together using a drill.  I am planning to have oven-bake polymer clay (such as Sculpey of Fimo) on the wires.  It would be wrapped around tightly to give some bulk to the upper arms, thighs, chest, head, etc.

The clay bakes at 250º Fahrenheit (121º C).  At that temperature, will the strength of the steel wire be compromised if I bake it in the clay?  It is important that the wire is stiff, and is able to bend without breaking.  Will the clay break when fired around the wire?

Polymer clay doesn't shrink like real clay, so you don't have to worry about cracks/breaking of the clay while being heated.
Most types of metal melt at temperatures way higher than polymer baking temperature, so you don't have to worry about that either. I've made Fimo things with a core of aluminium foil, and no problems at all.


Paraffin candle burnt (or rather melted) WAY too quickly? So... I'm new to candle making; I got some paraffin (nobody here sells soy wax), molds, stearic acid and other ingredients. Today I was trying the second candle I made; it was not a small candle at all, it was about 6cm x 10cm; I used about 240 grams of wax for it, plus stearate, color and fragrance.

It looked pretty ok, I light it a while ago, left home and when I came back roughly 5 hours later, I found this:

So, what might be possible causes for this? What did I do wrong? One thing I know for sure I did different from another candle I made a while ago is this time I used a somewhat thicker wick. Could that be the reason? Was that one of many contributing factors?

You did not do anything wrong, except leave a candle burning for hours unattended. Candles melt when burning, and five hours is not a short time in a regular candles life.


What safety precautions should I observe while using a hot wire cutter? Since I have never heard of one outside of this stack I was curious and looked into the use of the hot wire cutter.

Most to the instructional video that use it either don't discuss, or glaze over, safety features of the tool.

What need I be aware of when using this tool? What safety precautions should I observe?

I am sure there are different manufacturers and tools variants but the advice should be the same mostly all around.

The majority of the safety recommendations relate to the fact that this is a hot wire cutter.

Use caution near the wire. It is hot and can burn you. Keep fingers and hands out of the way. (I was once stupidly holding the wire section of my hot wire cutter while chatting to another student, and the cutter got plugged in. I had an very straight burn across all my fingers and a fun story to share in safety discussions.)
If setting the hot wire cutter down between cuts, make sure it is not on a flammable surface (e.g., paper, plastic, oily rags...)
After you're done using it, unplug and make sure it is completely cool before putting it away. (This happens quite quickly, though. The extremely small volume of the wire means it heats quickly, and cools quickly.)

Many of the foams cut with hot wire cutters or hot knives produces smelly, irritating smoke and fumes when heated (and some can be toxic). So, it's important to have adequate ventilation. This means outdoors, or with windows/doors open, or with specialized equipment (e.g. a fume hood). Always research any material that you work with (e.g., by requesting and reading the MSDS) and understand the risks involved and suggested remedies.


Is it possible to melt a glass bottle without a kiln? I've seen these cheese plates, art, spoonrests etc. are made of melted glass bottles. Is it possible to melt these in a normal household oven? Or do you need something like a kiln?

If it is possible is it safe and how many hours would it take? Has anyone done it before?

Glass has a melting temperature of around 1400-1600°C (see here ), and most household ovens top out at around 200-250°C so no, you cannot melt glass in a normal home oven.


What materials can be used to fill a puffy jacket? I have this jacket pattern. In case it's relevant, I'll be making it in a medium weight twill. I'm also adding a lightweight silky lining to give it a nice finish and make it easy to put on.

In planning my jacket, I thought perhaps I could make it warmer by adding some sort of fill in between the outer and lining, but I've never made a puffy jacket like that before and don't know what to use. Most search results just discuss how to select a coat for purchase, not how to make one.

I have some poly fill that I've used in pillows and stuffed animals - is that suitable for apparel also? What about batting, like for quilts? Or is there something else that is typically used?

After asking around, I had suggestions for:

Poly fill
Down
Flannel
Wool
Batting

Poly fill and down seem suitable for very puffy jackets (source), but didn't fit my vision of this particular one - might be too puffy, plus the lining would have to be more complicated to keep it distributed evenly. Flannel and wool would be warm, but they have no fluff at all, and I thought they might make the jacket feel too heavy.
That leaves batting, which has both desired properties: fluffy, and can be easily quilted to only the lining.
The particular material I got was Soft n Crafty 80/20 batting, which is advertised as: low-loft, with a soft drape, and specifically mentions garments as an application! It's just a little puffy, and not as heavy as wool.
I originally came across this in a store, so it was sheer luck to find exactly what I was looking for. Now that I know what it is, the key words appear to be "low loft" or even "ultra low loft" - searching on this gives me more product results, as well as some posts about sewing with it.


What type of glue is used for gluing acrylic pieces together? I am currently working on a project that would require me to glue several acrylic pieces to an acrylic base plate. The pieces would be laying flat on the base plate. The problem is that the acrylic pieces are transparent and have been laser engraved and I want to be able to see the engraving clearly, without seeing globs of glue that are between the two pieces. The laser engraving is on the back of the pieces. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can make this work?

This is an example of the type of engraving. The engraving is also rough to the touch.

I would like to expand on EmRoBeau's answer a little. Acrylic cement is the common product used when trying to merge pieces of acrylic together. It is important to note that while it is commonly referred to as a glue it does not function as one. It is actually a solvent that fuses or welds the plastics components together.

It is really important that your pieces lie together and flat with no seems or gaps. This could also be called perfectly mated. Acrylic cement only makes a strong bond when there is no space between the merged acrylic and the actual fluid. Since you are not joining on edges since, in theory, should be of less concern as the sheets should be manufactured flat.

I would caution that you try this on progressively larger pieces though. If an incorrect amount of fluid is used it will make for a poor weld and the project would be potentially ruined.

A good primer video would be one from Tap Plastics. While it does promote a product there is more useful information beyond that.

Introduction to acrylic cement

Since the product you are working with is a chemical solvent use the proper protection measures as described on the labeling.


What is required to start sculpting clay (tools, experience...)? I want to start sculpting to attain a very specific type of result but I'm unsure where to start.

Basically, I want to be able to achieve the sculpting of figures. After training, I target two goals : being able to get this result as well as being capable of modifying this figure to create a custom one.

I believe that to achieve such results, I would need molds to pour ABS or PVC and obtain a paintable figure.

I already have a little experience sculpting clay but it was for large creations.

Let's get to the practical part.

A family member (sculptor) recommended me some kind of 'air-drying' clay that would allow me to re-use it (when not satisfied by the result) by putting it in water. Did I understand this correctly ? Is it a good place to start ?
I think that I also need some sculpting tools but I'm not really sure about the one I absolutely need and the ones that are superfluous. Could you enlighten me on this point ?
To strengthen the sculpture, I think it is necessary to have a structure holding it. What would you recommend ? Metallic wire ? Wooden sticks ?
Last but not least, is there a good way to sculpt 'realistic' poses and characters ?

If you think of any thing a beginner should know, don't hesitate to give me advices.

Finally, if the question is not clear enough or needs correction, please point it out.

EDIT : The clay I'd be using would be 'air-drying' (not sure if it's called like that), reuseable (when put in water) clay. I hope that's specific enough. :)

There are a few different options for sculpting materials that fall withing the broad definition of 'clay'

Water based clays

These are essentially the same stuff used for pottery and are widely used for 'fine art' type sculpture. The big advantage of water based clay is that its plasticity and hardness can be controlled according to how wet it is so you can use wet clay  to quickly rough out a form and then allow it to dry a bit to firm up to allow you to refine surface detail.

Their disadvantage is that they tend not to be very string when wet and usually need some sort of internal support armature to support their own weight. You can get clays filled with paper or nylon fibres which are a bit stronger when dry but, in my experience aren't that nice to work with as the fibres can interfere with the surface.

Oil based Clays

Also known as 'Plasticine' common professional brands are Chavant and Monster Clay

These are available in a range of hardness and, unlike some cheaper brands can be used with RVT silicone to make moulds.

These tend to be a bit firmer than water based clay and as such lend themselves well to small, finely detailed models and is also a bit cleaner to work with. It has reasonable strength and tends to be less reliant on internal armatures. The downside of this is that it can be more time consuming to build up the bulk of the model and tends not to be so good for sweeping organic surfaces, although then can be softened a bit with heat and the professional brands can be melted and cast.

These give very good detail and can be smoothed very effectively. They also don't dry out and as such can be worked into and reused more or less indefinitely (although they will gradually decline in quality over time).

Modelling Putty

This includes epoxy putties like milliput these are mixed from 2 parts to a firm putty and will dry hard after a few hours. This has the advantage that they are hard and string enough to be used as a finished piece and a such are frequently used for converting and modifying existing miniatures.

Obviously the downside of this is that you only have a few hours to sculpt it before it sets, although you can still drill, sand and carve it once it has set which can be useful in some situations.

Wax

There are a variety of sculpting waxes available. Their big advantage is that their harness can be controlled easily by both heating and blending different wax grades. They can be both sculpted and carved depending on relative hardness.

Waxes especially harder ones tend to be good for getting very crisp detail.

Tools

There are a few broad categories of sculpting tools

Wax carving/dental  tools : these tend to be stainless steel and are good for fine detail. I would say that a set of these is a good starting point.
Ball stylus tools : designed for creating consistent fillets but can also be useful for sculpting fine detail and undercuts.
Hardwood clay tools :  these tend to be geared more towards larger pieces in relatively soft media.
Silicone tipped shapers : best suited to final smoothing and polishing, specifically in conjunction with solvents and/or lubricants.

etc etc

Tool selection is really a case of what works for you but all of the above are likely to be potentially useful.

Casting

Casting is a whole separate subject in itself....

Silicone rubber is probably the most versatile mould material and is reasonably easy to use.

For small scale casting you are really looking at catalysed or 2 part resins which include Polyester, Epoxy and Acrylic. In general PU resins are a good bet as they cast well, aren't too expensive, have good mechanical properties and are reasonably easy to use.

Figurine casting also tends to use resin with powder fillers added. Different fillers give different properties to the casting.

PVC and ABS need to be extruded or injection moulded and aren't really practical for small scale casting.

General Advice

I would suggest starting out with a relatively soft medium such as water based clay or the softest grades of oil clay. These are easy to work with and will let you 'sketch' figures reasonably quickly to get a feel for working in 3 dimensions. As you progress you may want to try harder grades to allow you to get a smoother finish and crisper detail. As your style evolves you will start to learn exactly what properties you need.


If a canvas is sagging are canvas keys the only option? I have only painted 3 paintings (at a Paint Nite). I can't imagine this would ever come up but if the canvas started to sag then I would consider installing some canvas keys.

Does that work for all sagging canvases? I have a hard time thinking that would work for larger canvases. The canvas is just stapled to the frame so theoretically you could adjust the canvas by removing it and reinstalling it. That however seems like a bad idea.

Perhaps this is just a matter of proper storage and display to mitigate this issue.

Are canvas keys the only option with a canvas starts to sag?

No there are options.

Being able to use canvas keys depends very much on having the right type of stretcher bars to work with.

There are alternatives to help tighten a sagging canvas.

One method to help with sagging canvases is to spray the back surface of the canvas with a light spray of water. As the water evaporates the moistened canvas fibres will begin to constrict.


Beeswax applied as varnish is still tacky I applied Michael Harding Beeswax to a completed painting. I put my brush directly into the jar and brushed it on. It’s been over a month and it is still sticky, or tacky. The wax did not come with directions, so I thought that was how it was done.
Will it ever dry? Or should I somehow try to remove it?

The only beeswax product by Michael Harding I was able to find is Beeswax paste, which has a "high oil content" as it is mixed with linseed stand oil, explaining the long drying time.
This product is used to mix oil paints with, to increase the volume of the paint (e.g. for impasto's) and give it a matte sheen (similar to encaustic).

For varnishes, you'd need pure (bleached) beeswax, and mix it with about 3 parts turpentine after heating it. You can use a little (damar) resin to strengthen the mix (for more information and insights on the process, see here).
And, as a reminder, be sure to clean and let your painting dry sufficiently before applying varnish, as otherwise you'll risk sealing in foreign matter, long drying times, unequal curing, and the painting gathering more dust.

As for your current situation: assuming the underlying painting has sufficiently dried, and is relatively flat (little to no impastos), you can gently wipe off the beeswax paste with a piece of cloth (preferably microfiber, as it generally leaves no lint). You could even use a little solvent to more easily get rid of the oily traces. Do not go about this for too long, as you might damage the underlying paint.
Regarding the drying: as I hinted at already, the currently applied beeswax mixture will eventually dry, but the drying time is almost equal to that of pure linseed oil - it can take up to months for it to get touch dry (depending on temperature and humidity, mostly). If you want to take this route, be sure to store your painting in a dust-free environment.


What artistic elements to add to a car to diminish a difference in color shade? I've got a used car that had a lot of oxidation on it so I sand it, applied a primer and a cheap paint on it. Although the color code on the spray can matched the original code on the car, it seems that there are some differences in shade. It's not fully visible but there are some angles (like the one in the picture below) that looks very obvious. I don't want to paint it again or invest any money into serious body work, but I was wondering if it is possible to add some artistic elements that would diminish this shade difference from this angle. What colors or what trim elements would help to "trick" the eye? I'm not really an artist and I can't imagine if that is even possible, but any advice on how to make this possible would be great. Any creating (and hopefully cheap) idea would help a lot. Thank you!

Add high contrast polka-dots all over the car. This will totally upstage the hand painted areas and make the fact that they don't match moot. It could be any other pattern, like zig-zagging lines, but polka-dots are the most effective due to the euphoria polka-dots trigger in the human mind.

BTW - You will never be able to just cheaply match an original or pro paint job. Auto paint is a multi-layered process involving wet sanding the layers, applying a clear top coat, etc... with specialty paints. With metallic (or flake) paint that gets even more involved. Pro painters often brag about the number of layers of top coat they use in metallic finishes to get "depth" to the effect. And even then, using the same color will not match because of fading, even if slight, of the original paint.


What do you call these pictures / illustrations? I have seen a few pictures like this one, but I never found out what to call them:

Artwork by Matei Apostolescu
It doesn't necessarily need to be this abstract, just a detailed illustration, where lots of things are going on or are just present (perhaps I'd compare it to Where is Waldo illustrations).
What key words to use if you want to find more pictures like this one?

In german it can be called Wimmelbild. That's usually for kids, where they can find stuff, think you call it where's wally in english:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimmelbild
Here is some discussion about the word:
https://dict.leo.org/forum/viewUnsolvedquery.php?idThread=706597&idForum=1&lang=de&lp=ende
They call it "crowd scene" or "illustrated panorama".


How can I select suitable leaves for hammered leaf art? Over the summer I tried to do some hammered leaf art. Since I had never done it before I was just grabbing random leaves and plants that I thought would look good if I beat them on some watercolour paper.

I thought a fern and some maple leaves would look really good but alas I has awful results. You can't really see where they were because there was not enough juice in them.

The leaf in the upper left looked really good. After reading my first intro to this art the author said that:

  You're looking for things with bright colors that aren't too juicy or too dry. It'll take a little trial and error to find good plants, so grab a variety and play around.

Is that really the only advice when getting into this... trial and error? I understand crafting has a large part of just that but in this case is there more to go on for this when it comes to select leaves to hammer?

If I find a good leaf can I assume that species of that size and age is a good choice going forward?
Is there a way I can tell visually if a leaf is juicy or dry?

How can I effectively access a leaf/plant for use in my nature prints or hammered art?

My wife and I did a bit of this the last time we were in Japan. It was very difficult, but also very interesting.

As the previous answer indicated, experimentation is key here. In fact, I almost think it's the whole point of this technique. Each time you fail miserably, you'll learn a bit more about what doesn't work.

Try everything you come across (it's all free materials anyway). Make notes on what did/didn't work. You can number your papers to correlate with your notes.

You may find that different plant materials respond better under different hammering techniques.

Once you have developed a feel for it (through experience), you will quickly develop your own signature style.

Don't be afraid to fail miserably.


What could be causing my sewing machine (Singer 3223) to be sewing zig zag rather than straight? Strange problem/query, but my Singer 3223 has decided to sew a small(ish) zig-zag style pattern--even when the stitch dial is set to the straight stitch.

For clarity, the stitches in the zig zag are uniform distance from each other and consistent, they are just obviously zigzagging and not straight. I have tried adjusting tension, re-threading machine, all of that, but the problem persists.

Does anyone know what could be causing this, and if so, is it something that can be fixed?

It could be the fabric and needle match. Are you using knit fabric with a knit needle? Are you using woven fabric with a sharp needle for wovens?

Check the manual: https://res.cloudinary.com/singer-sewing/image/upload/v1572776978/Singer-Website-Library/Manuals/Products_manuals/SINGER_3223_and_3229_Sewing_Machine_xresjx.pdf

If the issue is more like “loose stitches” the needle/fabric/thread combination can be the issue.
Have you checked the needle size with the type of fabric?
Otherwise, hopefully it’s still under warranty and you can get a replacement or have it adjusted.


How to choose a synthetic brush for water colors? Well, synthetic brushes are considered horrible for their water holding capacity as compared to natural hair brushes.
Now, if I have to choose best out of the worst - how do I do it?
Do all synthetic brushes have horrible water holding capacity or there are some exceptions?
What should I look for in labels or anything else before purchasing them?

I think it goes without saying that softer paints need softer bristles. In my personal experience, the best brush for water colors looks a lot like a calligraphy brush (just a bit smaller). You should look for thick brush heads, long bristles and a pointy tip.
Thick brush heads means that there are a lot of bristles in it. More bristles means more tiny spaces between them where water can be stored.
Long bristles can also store slightly more water than short ones. They also tend to move more fluidly and have a softer stroke. It's hard to explain, but I had better experiences with long bristled brushed for soft paints like water color.
A pointy tip means that the bristles in the center are even longer than at the perimeter. Those longer center bristles are the ones you want to actually paint with. The ones around the perimeter are mainly there to store water or ink and to keep the center bristles in shape.

Here you see that only a small number of bristles actually touch the paper and write. Yet traditional calligraphy brushes have these thick brush heads to retain ink and their shape.
The same can be applied to synthetic watercolor brushes. On the largest brush you can clearly see the shorter bristles surrounding the longer ones at the center.

As for labels, most manufacturers I know simply label them as "watercolor" or "aquarelle" brushes. I would buy one medium size and one big size and don't bother with small sizes too much. Since they should all end in a fine point, a medium brush should be just as precise as a small one and the small one is just worse at retaining water.
In the picture above, I'd chose number 8 for medium size and 14 or 16 for big size. Number 6 has visibly shorter bristles than 8 and even number 0 and 2 don't have a finer tip than 8.


What type of plaster should I choose for a block-carved plaster sculpture? I'm stuck with choosing the type of plaster for a sculpture I'm planning to carve out of a plaster block.

The names under which they sell  plaster tend to address their purpose in construction and don't really tell me much about their properties. The figures on the information sheet don't mean anything to me, either.

I think hard plaster would be best for the purpose as I would like to have some detail and have the sculpture stronger overall. So what I've found out is:

it is alpha plaster I should be looking for
they rarely mention anything about alpha or beta plaster on the package
they usually mix alpha and beta plasters in the market products
I should better look at the information sheet to find out about the strength, hardness, etc of the plaster

Could someone tell me what I should be looking for when choosing the plaster?

Eventually, if I have to choose between Plaster of Paris and construction gypsum would the second be a better choice for the purpose?

There are a variety of specialists which will stock a good range of plasters, these include sculpture and ceramics suppliers and well as those catering to industrial mould making.

The plaster used for construction is not really what you want unless you find a supplier which caters for more traditional mouldings etc.

A hard alpha plaster like CrystacalR  is very hard indeed and certainly takes some effort to carve and the various blends will give different hardnesses, setting times ect.

I would look for a general purpose casting plaster as this should be somewhere in the middle of the range of hardness anything sold as dental plaster or plaster of paris should be fine.

Ideally I would try to find a specialist supplier with a good range eg : http://www.specialplasters.co.uk/plasters.html

In all cases make sure you mix the plaster properly and with the correct quantity of water or you will get inconsistent hardness.


Will cyanoacrylates damage plastic? I have been reading up on cyanoacrylate, commonly sold in the US as "Krazy Glue" or "Super Glue", because I want to to use it to repair small plastic parts on either toys or appliances, due to its strong hold and quick setting time.

However, I have heard that these types of glues will "melt" or otherwise dissolve certain types of plastics. My research on whether or not this is an actual chemical reaction between the compounds has been inconclusive. I do not see anything listed under properties or uses on Wikipedia, nor do I see any specific mentions or warnings on the product page for Krazy Glue.

  Though it works with most, Krazy Glue cannot bond all materials. For best results, please do not use on paper, foam, rear view mirrors, polyethylene, Teflon® or other fluorocarbons.

So plastic is no mentioned either way which leads me to the question:

Will CA glues damage plastic1?

1 - I understand there are probably many types of chemical compositions for plastic, however I do not have a specific one in mind when asking this question.

It's not likely, but first let's talk about "plastic".

There's two main kinds used on toys are PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). PVC is a bit flexible, and ABS is the rigid stuff (used to make harder shells, smaller children's toys, and stuff like LEGO blocks). You can generally tell something is PVC if it has a little bit of a give, or you can dig your fingernail into it slightly.

Either way, most people I know consider super glue a safe fix for action figures and other toys. Aside from repairing them, some will apply a small amount to ball/socket joints to stiffen them up, or on top of custom paint jobs to act as a sealant.

Permabond, an adhesive company, even suggests that cyanoacrylates are ideal for PVC and also for ABS. However, ABS tends to me smoother and breaks more cleanly, so it may not be effectively bonded by super glue.

One thing to note about cyanoacrylates is that they have pretty low shear strength, which means if you're applying them to a part that's got movement, especially one that can be twisted, then the repaired piece is likely to just twist off.

An alternative is to use two-part epoxies, such as Devcon. They'll bond PVC and ABS both. However, they take a bit longer to dry and cure and they also have terrible fumes while they're being mixed, so you need proper ventilation. This bonds become much more durable to all types of pressure and use. They have not yet, in my experience, damaged a plastic.

Another alternative for ABS plastic is to use a plastic weld solvent, such as bondene or plastruct brand. These solvents actually bond the separate parts together using a chemical reaction that fuses a thin layer of each part together. So, it's making the two broken pieces one fused piece, instead of two pieces with an adhesive between them. This is the same type of substance that toy manufacturers use when they are sealing toy parts together (such as the front and back of a figure's chest, or either half of a toy gun). This bond is fairly strong, and generally needs high pressure and some heat to break.


I am having trouble transitioning from sketching photos to live models I'm very interested in Fine Art.

I have taken a course on pencil sketching for about 3 months. So now I can draw faces of people from photos with the help of grid method. I am able to draw the faces or various shapes quite well with 100 percent likeness so that they look just like they are copied from the photos themselves.

The problem is that I can't draw live sketches or portraits from looking at the people's faces. I tried to draw but I couldn't get the likeness that I would get from my static drawings. So I want to learn live sketching just like a street artist who can draw in person.

Is there any special rules or techniques to learn to draw live portraits? Or is it something innate quality of a person?

The big difference is that when you draw from a photo the image is already flattened onto a 2 dimensional plane, however when drawing from life you have to deal with translating 3D to 2D yourself.

The way we see in 3 dimensions is rather more complex than you might imagine and the way we understand and visualise an object is very different from a photograph. When you first start life drawing there is a conflict between what you 'know' to be there and how to represent that on a flat surface.

This is especially true for portraits as most humans are innately good at automatically recognising faces but in the context of drawing this can get in the way of seeing the detail and structure of what is actually there because the recognition is an unconscious process.

There are a number of ways to approach this.

For drawing figures it can help a lot to have some understanding of anatomy, this will help you break down the complexities of the human form into their underlying structures of bone and muscle a particular pose can be easier to interpret and helps to start to see faces as a form.

Similarly practicing drawing 'standard' proportioned faces can give you a reference point to see how a specific face differs from an idealised one.

It can also help to practice drawing complex structures which are less familiar or even totally unrecognizable. This means that you no longer have your expectations of what is there to fall back on and you are forced to look very carefully at the subject. Things like piles of cloth, crumpled paper, driftwood, piles of stones are all common exercises. The point is that because there is no regular structure to them to fall back on you are forced to get all of your information by looking at the subject.

Also drawing portraits with extreme lighting can help.

In life drawing practice the real skill is not so much the actual technicalities of drawing as the ability to look properly at a scene and consciously identify its component parts and how they relate to each other. This is a very different skill from copying an existing image.


Pastel Chalks for smokey effect Can I use my chalk pastels to make a "Smoke" like effect?

Is it useful in drawings or should I just stick with pencils?

I use Canson sketchbooks

Pastels, that is chalk pastels, are easy and beautiful media for blending or creating translucent effects like smoke, as you know.   However, they are fragile and will blow away or fall off if not sealed.  Even then they will be sensitive to the environment, especially fingers.

That said, I'd bet you would be successful with a semi-permanent spray fixative.  You'll be able to go over it, if you must, but your smoke effect will gain longevity.

Because you may be working over graphite, the surface may have that greasy action, but be persistent.  Consider using pastel pencils.


Painting Clear Gesso Over Acrylics or Spray Paint - is clear gesso really clear? Does clear gesso really show as clear?

I have a large piece of mdf board that I have spray painted black.  I'd like to use clear gesso over it to create a surface to paint with acrylics.  I also have a smaller piece of mdf board that I have painted an image on with acrylics and spray paint.  If I paint over it with clear gesso will it ruin the image or will I be able to paint over it yet still see the image below it? Is there a better alternative than clear Gesso?

For your black piece, a slightly better alternative would be black gesso, since clear gesso is slightly cloudy. Liquitex and Golden make it.

For your smaller piece -

If want to draw on your surface and need a lot of tooth, then clear gesso will help. Clear gesso is very toothy, and too rough for some applications.

If you're afraid that your new layer of paint won't stick to the spray paint, then try matte medium, which has a little tooth. Or you could mix matte medium with clear gesso to get the properties you want. Or you could sand the slick parts.

Your previous layer of acrylic paint should not be dissolved or washed away by the gesso or matte medium, unless it's not fully cured, or you thinned the acrylic paint with too much water. Use THIN coats of gesso or matte medium, and minimal brushing.

It might make glossy areas less glossy, and porous areas more wet looking.

It is slightly opaque, but not noticeably cloudy in two thin layers.


Rolling the rope of a kite The base question of the problem is here. Another related question here.
Additional to the material of the rope, I also need to be able to deal with the said rope when lowering the kite, when the fun gets to an end.
Rolling a few tens or hundreds of meters by hand, might be doable. Rolling a few kilometers of rope by hand, should be a serious physical challenge, I guess.
Additional to the rolling itself, some actual force might be needed to lower the kite, as it might not want to come down. Which complicates the problem even more.
Of course, one solution is to have an entire team of people on the problem - which is far from what I have in mind.
The other solution is to have some kind of help (mechanism?) to help me deal with the problem.

I had an idea about using the wheel of the car for this purpose (actually, one of the powered wheels, still attached to the car), but it has several drawbacks. The main con reason is safety related - it is plain dangerous. Also, the car might not be allowed at the site of fun.
I also amused myself trying to find a way to use an accumulator-powered electric screw-driver. The main issue is that it is asymmetrical, the screwdriver being on only one side. And will the accumulator have enough energy? It seems that at least 2 people would be needed in this case also.

Having an entire setup with combustion engines and gears is cool (and more suitable for the Engineering site), but I had in mind something more like "crafting hack". That is why I added the question here. It also does not really fit in the Lifehacks site, unfortunately.

It appears from your question development that you are considering something other than the typical "children's" kite in your project.
Your additional information indicates that the aforementioned Spectra line would be a good choice. Light weight, low volume.
My use of the line was for a tow system to launch paraglider and pilot to about two thousand feet AGL. 700 pound test was sufficient to do so and about five thousand feet of line was needed, as the winch pulled in line as the paraglider and pilot climbed.
The winch was constructed from a Yamaha motor scooter, one with an automatic transmission, which adjusted for the load by reducing the internal gear ratio. The rear wheel was removed and flanges were added to convert it to a winch drum. This is not too far off from your thought of using an automobile, although it was easier to move a trailer with the scooter mounted.
Critical to the design was a fairlead to ensure that the line was pulled straight from the drum and returned in a straight line during retrieval.
You will want to consider the winch drum as your start point and build from there. Bearings, axle, support members all will attend to the one-sided aspect of power. If the magnitude of your project is as great as it seems, you will not have sufficient power to retract a kite by using an electric screw driver.
There are many electric bike kits on the market and you may be able to use a higher powered motor from one of those. A number of benefits also apply in that you'd have a controller plus the bearings and axle incorporated in the design. A sturdy frame, perhaps more sturdy than a conventional bicycle would provide the support members.
The rim could be supplemented by flanges turning it into a winch drum of substantial diameter. It may be necessary to use a gearing system from a motor in order to get sufficient torque to retrieve a kite under some high wind conditions.
Note also that wind gradient is a factor for high flying kites. You may have light to moderate wind at ground level, but as altitude is gained, the kite will experience much higher levels of wind. This is caused by the reduction of friction with the ground as one gains altitude.


Time to paint over time I’m new to oil painting so forgive my perhaps stupid question, can I start an oil painting and continue to work on it for days after I start?

There are two possibilities here, with different approaches:

To keep on working the wet paint.
To continue working over dried paint.

Both are very common and often combined.

Keeping on painting while the paint is still wet won't impede your working process as much, because you don't have to heed certain restrictions that guarantee the quality of your painting - in principal, you can "just keep painting", with relatively long intervals.+
A possible disadvantage - depending on style, subject and goal - is that you might need more control over your brush and sufficient drawing skills, as it is easy to lose the vibrancy of colours by mixing them up too much as you try to correct mistakes (although you can always scrape off parts using a palette knife).

The wet-in-wet or alla prima method was used by the impressionists (whose very name was derived from their (or initially Monet's) habit of 'quick' painting) and in general by people painting en plein air, which is still very common. Live portraits are often done this way, as having a model remain still for a while requires a quick and efficient technique.
Working over (partially) dried paint is a bit more complicated, since - for the sake of the longevity of your artwork - you should heed the fat-over-lean rule, and never apply thinner paint layers over thicker ones, as this will cause surface tension resulting in craquelure or even chipping of the paint. This is already something to take into consideration when the paint has not cured yet.
Still, this is the most common technique - especially since most alla prima paintings are often retouched later on (days, months, years later) by the artist to make corrections, add detail, or even change the composition.
What's also important, especially if you're only starting to paint, is to not let this impede your process: even professional artists don't always care for the chemistry behind painting, so if you just want to experiment, or do exercises, or just have fun with it, knock yourself out. This is a medium, after all, and if your work unexpectedly ends up in a museum somewhere 150 years from now, there are restorators who will gladly earn their money treating your aberration ;)

+ The drying period of oil paints depends on several factors:

(Ambient) temperature;
(Ambient) humidity;
The amount of oil;
The amount and nature of additives (thinner, mediums);
The pigment;
The support; and
The thickness of the paint layer.

As you can imagine, based on those factors, drying times are naturally very relative.
In my experience, in averagely humid conditions (marine west coast climate) and with temperatures around 20° Celsius, most paints will remain manipulatable for at least two days (but be careful with earth pigments and blacks). The thicker the paint layer, the longer the drying process, so you have some say in the matter - glazings, for example, won't last that long.


Any White Pens/Markers To Write Over Black Pens? I'm just getting into drawing, and I've made a sketch that I would like to fill in with black, red, and white pens (or markers). Since pen is permanent, though, I'm concerned that I might accidentally go a bit into the white parts with the black pen, ruining my drawing. Are there any white pens opaque enough that they could cover up mistakes I might make with the black pen?

Thanks!

I'd try a correction pen, there are now quite a lot to choose from.

This web page shows over a dozen kinds, and how opaque they are over black ink.

The best white ink pens

Matching the paper colour and white pen might be tricky.


Ironing Board Material I like to iron our sheets, but it take forever on our regular ironing board. I bought some "cotton ironing board material" at my local fabic store. It seems to be the same type of material used to make ironing board covers.

I plan to place the fabric over a 4' folding table. My question is, what exactly is the ironing board material for?  Is it to protect the board or table?  Does the silver material help get the wrinkles out of whatever you are ironing? I can't seem to find any information on the benefit of using the silver material.
Thank you

When I first read your question, my answer was going to be that your "regular" ironing board has a metal surface in direct contact with the fabric covering. As such, it pulls heat from the iron without providing the benefit to the fabric being ironed.

In the case of the silver material, it is likely that it reflects the heat energy back toward the iron, also insulating the surface below. There should be some thickness to the silver material providing that insulating capacity. If not, even a thick towel will improve the insulation and protective ability of the silver covering.

One listing I found states that the material is one hundred percent cotton, then references an aluminized coating. It cannot be one hundred percent cotton, as aluminum is not cotton, but that is semantics.


Recipe to Make Pastel Ground/Primer with Marble Dust I enjoy using sanded pastel paper but the paper itself is super expensive so I make my own pastel ground/primer. This is typically apply it to the surface of watercolor paper, mat board, or illustration board to make an abrasive surface for better pastel use. This is a lot less expensive then buying the paper or commercial ground.

I'm currently making the pastel ground/primer using a mixture of gesso, pumice powder, and water. However, I'd like something a little less abrasive. I've gotten a bag of marble dust to try but it just comes out like really thick gesso.

Is there a good recipe to make a pastel ground using marble dust?

For reference, here are a couple of commercial pastel grounds/primers available:
 - https://www.dickblick.com/products/golden-pastel-ground/
 - https://www.dickblick.com/products/art-spectrum-pastel-and-multimedia-primer/

I would look into a mixture of gum arabic dissolved in buttermilk, chalk whiting, a bit of almond oil and your marble dust, add your pigment and a drop of clove oil to keep the organic from going off.

500g gum arabic
1000ml buttermilk
250g - 500g chalk
250g - 500g marble dust
2-5g almond oil
Pigment
Clove oil

Bring buttermilk in a pot to about 80 degrees Celsius - don’t boil. Whisk in gum arabic until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add oils. Add chalk and marble dust until you get the thick paste you are comfortable with. Knead the paste like dough and until pigment is well mixed. Roll into sticks, let dry.

Don’t trust this recipe blindly, because chalk, pigment and gum arabic have different properties depending on purity and chemical composition. You’ll have to use your intuition and experience. You could use water instead of buttermilk. You could sump the chalk and marble in distilled water for 24 hours.


How can I make egg-tempera that doesn't deteriorate? I've been working with a traditional egg-tempura technique that I was taught, but I have had some problems with the paintings later on.

The recipe is essentially one egg-yolk (without the yolk's membrane) mixed with one spoonful of vinegar and one spoonful of water. Powdered pigments are then stirred into a small portion of this mixture at a time and applied with a small brush (usually between a 0 and a 2 to avoid bubbles and control the flow of the paint) to the panel.

About a year later some tiny dark spots appeared on the painting, that may be the result of egg mixture rotting. The recipient of the painting says that it could be from being stored in an outdoor unit exposed to heat over a summer, but I am worried that it could be my recipe or technique.

This image shows my process in case that is useful.

Additionally the only main difference between my method and the traditional technique that I was taught is that I worked on a gessoed wood panel instead of a wood panel with a thin layer of plaster. (I'm including this information in case the relative porousness of the support could have affected the paint over time). (Note: The spots only appeared in the painted area, not in the gold leaf).

Egg tempera is well-known to be quite stable under normal circumstances once it has dried.
However, the fresh tempera can easily go bad, especially in warmer conditions:

To prepare the tempera paint, dry pigment was mixed with water and egg
yolk. The problem of preserving the colours during the painting process
was handled with different methods. Egg tempera has a propensity to
putrefy rapidly, especially in warmer climates. Although egg yolk is a
perfect emulsion, when mixed with pigment and water, its natural
emulsifying property tends to break down.*

To counter this effect, different methods were used within different traditions:

The Italians added the sap of fig trees [fig tree clippings or latex, see source below] into the egg yolk paint binder, as recommended by Cennini.
In Germany, flat beer was sometimes added to preserve the paint.
Russian icon painters added kvass ["a fermented beverage commonly made from rye bread" ✝] to the yolk. Kvass was added in an amount equal to the egg yolk and in place of adding water.
Sometimes a little vinegar was added to the binder,
or gum tragacanth was mixed with the egg yolk.*

I know that vinegar is still commonly used to slow down the deterioration process.

It should be noted, however, that these retarders are not necessary for tempera to remain in good condition - works in pure tempera (i.e. only pigment and egg yolk) have survived in splendid condition, of which an alleged ultimate example would be the so-called Pozzolatico Panel by Jacopo del Casentino from the beginning of the fourteenth century:

(Click for full and larger version)
Apart from the wonderful state of the painting layer itself, it has a double-layered varnish in very good condition: one layer is egg white diluted in water, the second so-called vernice grassa, which is mastic diluted in turpentine, and results over time in a typical cool grey film.

Cennino tells us that tempera was made by using egg yolk as a binder
for the pigments, and then diluting the mixture in water. At the end,
the painter had to add a coating of a different type to protect the
painting from dust and moisture. Although virgin tempera is already
relatively strong, it is still tender. The painters of that time were
aware that vernice grassa should not penetrate the tempera because
it would spoil the light refraction. Therefore, between the tempera
and the final covering of vernice grassa, a thin covering of egg
white was added as soon as the painting was finished. ‡

The layer of egg white shields the underlying layer of tempera from moist, dust, and interactivity with other coatings, by making it impermeable.

Reversely, the condition of the tempera is naturally also dependent on the qualities and chemical compound of the ground layer. While egg tempera stabilizes quickly, it can still be influenced by these during the drying process.
Cennini goes into a lot of detail concerning the work on panel or ancona, specifically intended for gilding. Here are the steps in a simplified (but still maybe needlessly extensive) way:
The panels "should be made of a wood which is known as whitewood or poplar, of good quality, or of linden, or willow". The wood has to be completely dry, and all defects (greasiness, knots, buds, nails) have to be dealt with thoroughly.
Then the panel needs to be glued before a layer of strips of linen and "a size made of clippings of sheep parchments" is applied to it. This has to dry for two days.
The entire panel will now be covered meticulously with layers of a mix of the size and "gesso grosso, that is, plaster of Paris (originally: "coarse plaster, of Volterra"), which has been purified and sifted like flour".
After drying, another set of layers is applied of a mix of this size and "a gesso which is called gesso sottile; and it is some of this same gesso, but it is purified for a whole month by being soaked in a bucket". This gesso is also used for making relief on the panels.
This again has to dry, the longer the better.
The final step in preparing the ground is to scrape it down until it "comes out like ivory".
Preparatory sketches on this panel are made with charcoal, fixed with ink.
A somewhat different approach is that used in Russian iconography:

Icon panels were made from dried wood boards, typically linden or
alder wood, onto which a cross-hatch pattern was incised with a sharp
tool and a size made of animal skin or sturgeon fish was applied. Over
this a layer of linen cloth soaked in the size was laid down known as
pavoloka (паволока).
The composition of the levkas [a recipe for the ground] was usually gypsum, chalk or a combination of the two minerals mixed with animal skin glue diluted with water. To this mixture was frequently added a small amount of honey. [...] After the ground was thoroughly dry, it was moistened with water and polished with a pumice stone. *

An important conclusion we can draw from this, is that the surface the egg tempera will be applied to, should be thoroughly dry.

Lastly, having very little impact, the pigments themselves affect the quality of the paint, especially by influencing the drying process.

Although pigments do not have, in general, a large effect on
temper ageing, they can slightly accelerate the process of
degradation of proteins, and perturb their identification. It is known
that copper pigments interfere with the identification of tempers. ❧

Sources:
- Cennino Cennini - The Craftsman's Handbook - Dover Publications, New York, 1960. Transl. Daniel V. Thompson.   Here is an online version that is one page number behind on my edition.
‡ Del Serra, Alfio. “A Conversation on Painting Techniques.” The Burlington Magazine, vol. 127, no. 982, 1985, pp. 4–16. JSTOR (preview).
❧ Helena Valente Vargas - Study of the aging of binders in proteinaceous media by high performance liquid chromatography (p. 6 offers a very interesting table showing discolourment of the pigments over time).
♦ Antonella Casoli, Michela Berzioli, and Paolo Cremonesi - The Chemistry of Egg Binding Medium and Its Interactions with Organic Solvents and Water.
* Review of Medieval Italian and Russian Tempera Painting Technique.
✝ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kvass
° https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/parget


best adhesive for foam Best adhesive for glueing these back to back to make a double ply.

This looks like normal EVA foam, which is often used in the cosplay community for making lightweight armour and the like (and of course for kneeling pads, children's play areas and the like).

I've successfully made prop helmets from EVA foam using contact adhesive to join the edges - they held up well despite the tension through the join. Given that you'll have a much greater surface area and much less tension on the join you'll have no trouble with it.

An alternative glue, widely used in the cosplay community, is barge cement, however I haven't used it so cannot personally confirm it's usefulness.


Transparent paint to change color of diffused acrylic sheet? I'm working on a costume that will require some accent lighting. I plan to accomplish this with a few small circuits to power white LEDs behind some diffused acrylic cutouts, so that the cutouts will glow. The problem I'm encountering is that the accent lights are blue- I was initially thinking I could get away with using clear/white/uncolored diffused acrylic and using blue LEDs behind it so that the light is blue, but then realized that the pieces will look white if the lights aren't turned on, or if I'm in bright lighting. So I have to use white LEDs with blue acrylic.

I'm not seeing many options in the color that I want (I need maybe a 1/16 thick sheet in a saturated cyan-blue color- think cyborg!) but the few options for that color that I see are either too thick or too much (it should be about 1/16 thick, and I don't need more than about a square foot at most). I'm thinking my best option is to get clear/white diffused acrylic and then paint behind it with some kind of transparent paint or varnish so that the light can still shine through, but the whole thing will be colored. I'm thinking something like what stained glass kits use. What kind of paint should I use?

Rather than paint, which might peel weirdly on you, another option is to use inkjet transparency film and print the color you want on it and then affix it the acrylic. Walmart sells, and there's likely other sources, an adhesive inkjet printable transparency film that might do the trick. A lot less fussy too...


Why is wearing a mask recommended when carving antler? Why do people get so concerned over antler dust when knife carving. I wear a mask when I work with it. But what if you didn't wear a mask? What would the dangers be?

I think @matt's response is exactly correct, but I wanted to add a bit more to it. There are two concerns about inhaling dust--the size of the dust particle and the chemical composition of the particle.  There are lots of articles on-line that talk about how dust inhalation causes problems, but I will summarize this one from the Canadian Centre of Occupational Health and Safety.

In general, your body has lots of systems designed to move dust particles back out of your lungs when you breathe them in. The first line of defense is a layer of mucus--the dust gets caught in this mucus and then these teeny hairs called cilia all wave together (imagine a crowd doing "The Wave," or someone crowd surfing at a punk music venue) to move that dusty mucus out of your lungs and into your throat where you can cough it out (or swallow it--blech).

Some very small dust particles can get past the mucus and cilia and end up in the very tiny air sacs in your lungs called alveoli. When this happens, your body produces cells called macrophages that surround the dust particles, and physically move it to the cilia so that they can do their job and move the particle out of your lungs. The lungs also produce a protein that neutralizes the dust particles.

But, if you are inhaling a large amount of dust at one time, or over a long period of time, it can overwhelm your body's ability to produce microphages.  The dust particles accumulate in your lungs and reduce your ability to breath deeply--I imagine it something like a roof drain pipe clogged with leaves.

And some dust particles are composed of chemicals that interact with your body in nasty ways--apparently cigarette smoke actually paralyzes the cilia--so even if your microphages were working perfectly, it wouldn't matter. And there could be pathogens, bacteria or mold spores in the dust that could make you ill.

So, in general, if you are working on something that is likely to create small dust particles like woodworking, carving antlers, using dye powder to dye fabrics, working with ground glass for fusing, etc., you want to limit the amount of dust that you inhale into your lungs.  Each exposure may not be dangerous on its own, but combined exposures over the course of your life can really build up and cause problems.


Reviving wool from possible moth damage I tried hard to find a relevant stackexchange site for this question and this seemed closest.

I have a wool winter jacket that has been stored over summer and on pulling it out of the closet I discovered what looks like, I am guessing, moth damage. See below:

There are no holes but it seems the “fluff” from the yarn on the herringbone has been removed.

Is there any way to revive the wool and return the texture to the yarn?

A quick hack would be to roughen the bare patches up with an old toothbrush or the coarse side of a velcro strip. Try to treat only the bare patches like this and be extra careful at the edges between original and damaged cloth.

I doubt that you could restore the original properties of the cloth, but that rouch treatment should make the bare patches less noticeable.


What is a good color contrast for these pillars I plan to paint below photo.

What color is a good contrast to the color of the pillars.

I will re-color the lady's sari accordingly

Right now, the lady's sari almost seems to blend in with surroundings.

Color should pop!

I think there's already a strong contrast in brightness, or luminosity, as the sari is much darker than the light golden pillars.

However, if you want to contrast the hue, then you'll want to find a color on the opposite side of the color wheel.

Since these yellows and oranges are very warm colors, their opposites will be cool purples and blues.

Here's some example color wheels I made. There's thousands out there, and interactive ones where you can select your color and find opposites.

I would add though, that composition isn't always about contrasting colors, but finding complements, as well.

And you can also contrast other elements of color, such as brightness I mentioned earlier, or saturation/chroma which is the intensity of the color. (So, less colorful, more towards grey, is desaturated or lower chroma).


What type of stitch is a perfect fit for elastic materials (as close as possible to Nike's sport gear for running)? I was wondering what is the proper type of machine stitching for elastic materials(nylon, etc), to get as close as possible to Nike running(clothes not shoes) gear stitching?

I've done some research(and got the idea of zigzag being a proper choice), but it is not as close as the "double-stitching" seen on some running articles.

Does anyone have an idea how is that done?

Later edit: I have also taken into consideration the idea of using a machine with more than 1 needle(maybe this is required for a more complex/durable stitch).

Stitching a stretchy fabric requires a stretch stitch, to allow the seam to stretch with the fabric itself. Multiple types of stretch stitch are available to the home sewer, though some require specialized machines to achieve.

ZigZag Stitch

The back and forth motion of the needle in doing a zigzag stitch allows the seam to have some give and stretch with the fabric. The more back and forth, the more stretch, so shorter stitches will provide more flexibility. This can be achieved with any basic sewing machine, and is the most accessible.

Stretch Stitch

Some machines will have a "lightning bolt" shaped stretch stitch setting. This is similar to a zigzag, but with an extra step backwards to add even more give to the stitch. It will also look closer to a straight line than a zigzag. This is the next most accessible, as it's available on many, but not all, standard sewing machines.

Twin Needle Stitch

This stitch will require a special double needle to be added to your machine; you'll also thread it with both a spool and a bobbin of thread at the same time, separating the threads when you reach the needle. The upper layer will have a double row of stitching, while underneath the bobbin will have a zigzag format allowing the seam to stretch. This is likely the closest to what you're looking for, and can be accomplished with most standard sewing machines. (I cannot promise that the twin needles will be compatible with all machines.)

Overlock

Overlock stitching is what is often seen on the inside of commercially produced garments; it's a stitch with loops of thread wrapping around the raw edges of the fabric. It has a very large amount of stretch, but requires a specific machine (known as either an overlock machine or a serger), and is only useable on inner seams, as sergers also trim the edge of the fabric as they work. While the trimming can typically be deactivated, the edge wrap still leaves the machine only suitable for seams, not top-stitching. (As an anecdotal note, this is what I most often use for stretchy fabrics.)

Cover Stitch

This is likely what Nike and other companies are actually using. This requires a cover stitch machine or a convertible serger. The stitch produced is something of a cross between the twin needle and overlock stitches, and is suitable for hems and top stitching on stretchy materials.

You can see examples of these stitches and greater detail (as well as finding a link with details on twin needle stitching) here, which is also where I took the order of stitches and some technical details from.


Buying a gem by exact shape I'd like to make a piece of jewelry, in which I'll combine moissanite with rubies, to get a sort of transparent vs. red effect.

I want the moisannite gem to be exactly the same shape and size as the ruby.

Here is the moisannite that I bought on eBay for $20:

I bought the 0.6 carat version.

Now, I want to buy a ruby that's the exact same size and shape, possibly from a different seller. Is that possible? I know that the cut is "Round brilliant", but if I buy a Round Brilliant ruby, is it guaranteed to be the exact same shape or just somewhat similar? And how can I tell it'll be the same size?

"round brilliant"
Round is the shape.
Brilliant is how the gem is cut.

  The modern round brilliant consists of 58 facets
  Wikipedia

Gemstones can be measured in different ways.
Three measurements: Length x Width x Height (depth) for oval or polygon gems
Two measurements: Width x Height (depth) for round gems
Sometimes only one measurement is given: Width. i.e. 5 mm round / square gemstone

  Round gemstones should be symmetrical with a perfectly circular outline. However, in practice, a good percentage of gemstones are native-cut without the use of precision lasers and other advanced lapidary tools, so many round gems are not actually perfect circles and are rather better described as being near-round. This is why you may find that many still use three measurements for round gems. gemselect.com (not an endorsement of their store or products. Information only)

Bottom line: To get something the same size as the stones you have you will need to measure them and then look for stones with the same numbers.

Mass produced jewelry settings come in standard gem sizes. Some makers will cater to these sizes and make stones that fit. If the stones you have are a standard size you increase the chances of finding matches.
Note: the linked standard gem sizes chart shows a size by weight. The chart is for diamonds - other types of stones will have a different weight to size because they have different densities.

Even if you find something with the exact same numbers different makers will have different tolerances and have different levels of consistency. You will have to decide how close is close enough.


What materials can I use for faux stained glass? I found this old colouring book that made pseudo stained glass. You colour it in however you want and then tear the page out and place it on the window. Certainly faster and cheaper then actual stained glass.

I had already finished most of the book so there was nothing for my kids to do. There must be something that I could use in place of whatever material the book was made from.

What can I use that I can give to my kids to make fake/faux/pseudo stained glass? What tools would best compliment that suggestion? Pencil crayons, markers etc?

If you want to make something your kids could color with pencils, crayons, or maybe markers, get tracing paper and draw stained-glass designs on it with a black permanent marker. (If you do the coloring with markers, either wait several days between doing the black parts and coloring them in, or flip the tracing paper around: do the black "leading" on one side of the paper, and the coloring on the other side. Otherwise, no matter how "permanent" you permanent marker, the colored markers can cause it to smudge.) The advantage of this method is that it's pretty cheap, and it will probably end up very similar to the coloring book you have, at least if your coloring book is similar to what I've encountered before. The disadvantage of this method is that it doesn't really look like stained glass.

The other option is to go to the craft store and visit their faux stained glass section. Yes, there is such a thing. :) It involves clear plastic sheets as a base, a faux leading that's basically black dimensional paint in a squeeze bottle (i.e. you pipe it on almost like cake frosting instead of actually painting with it), and clear acrylic paints to go between your leading lines. Again, the process is to paint/pipe the designs with the "leading", wait for that to dry, and then paint the designs. The advantage of this method is that it looks very, very similar to actual stained glass without involving cutting glass and soldering and working with actual lead (Pb). The disadvantage is that it gets pretty expensive. You can reduce the expense somewhat if you can find cheaper sources of clear plastic. For example, see if you can find plain clear plastic plates (like from the party goods store).


Am I going about learning to draw the wrong way? I've looked at drawing books many times over my life. I've never been able to draw worth crap. Even when I try to doodle all I can seem to do is make geometric shapes.

Recently, I acquired some books on figure drawing. Don't ask me what I was thinking. I can't even draw a cardboard box and I'm buying books on how to draw people.

I just can't seem to understand the craft. Everyone seems to view it as intuitive. To me, its not. Things in the real world aren't 2-d, they're 3-d objects. I'm not making a 3-d object when I draw, I'm making a bunch of lines on a 2-d piece of paper that will create the optical illusion of being a 3-d object. And yes, shading has been unfathomable to me. I just can't imagine how anyone could figure out where the shadows fall on something. Funny enough I've found sculpting far easier than drawing. Too bad that isn't cheaper to get into.

Anyway, the way I've been trying to learn is getting drawing books and doing what they say. What I make with those doesn't look that great, but at least its recognizable for what it is. I acquired a book on drawing dragons a few years ago, and I did do better than usual with it. Though I lost interest after making 2 drawings (one of a dragon's head, the next being a full dragon, the book has dozens of pictures it wants me to replicate).

But is this how I should be learning to draw? I rarely draw. Yes, I do art, but I've always favored the written word. Which was mostly because I can't draw worth crap. Written descriptions is the only way I have to give people an idea of what's in my imagination. But back on topic. Is this how you learn to draw? How long does it actually take to get good? I'm old enough now where I don't see the point in trying if its going to take me a decade or two. I'll probably become arthritic before I succeed if that's the case.

Oh, and I've always had crap dexterity. For me even using a ruler is somewhat of a challenge. I'm lucky I can even write. And when I do, I often have to erase and re-write things just to be legible. Which is why I don't like writing in pen. Pens are bad when you can't complete more than 2 sentences without making a mistake.

edit: I guess I need to elaborate on this. I don't like doing this when there's already so many answers, but oh well. I'm not really looking for a hyper realistic style. I bought two books to help me. One teaches anime style, the other something fairly realistic. I was looking for something in between those. I guess the best way to describe it is low in detail, like a cartoon, but without the exaggeration or odd features (such as characters having chins that end in a sharp point, or having eyes that are taller than they are wide).

Another problem is I just don't like the way pencil shading looks. It always ends up too dark and makes the image look...odd. I actually prefer my images without shading. Though that may be because I'm only doing line art so far. The shadows probably wouldn't look so dark if my illustrations weren't all stark white.

And I don't have a collection of sculptures laying around. I just found things like paper mache easier than drawing when I took that art class in high school. I only drew two 'realistic' pictures that I was proud of. One was using the grid method (over someone's drawing though), and the other was my backpack, which my teacher berated for its lack of color, even though my backpack was pitch black). I ended up dropping art 2 due to her not seeing any of us as even remotely decent.

As far as my art style goes, honestly, I'm fairly happy with it. I think it still looks a bit too cartoony in terms of proportions, but I'm aiming to fix that. And of course the lines are really jagged and not very precise (though that did improve slightly when I started drawing sketch rather than copy paper) Oh, and I'm a fan of traditional animation, so I honestly before a cartoony look anyway. I was mostly looking into drawing superheroes in fact. I may even do my own webcomic.

You say

  Things in the real world aren't 2-d, they're 3-d objects. I'm not
  making a 3-d object when I draw, I'm making a bunch of lines on a 2-d
  piece of paper that will create the optical illusion of being a 3-d
  object.

and you are absolutely right. That's what drawing is.

If you want to start thinking of 3D objects as 2D I suggest you  use only one eye when you draw or generally examine objects.

You can also take pictures of objects and draw from them (with the help of a grid on top, if needed). Or, better, place a grid frame and draw looking through it (this technique was previously used for acquiring accurate perspective, but I think it will work well to get you to think of 3D objects as flat):

*try it for smaller drawings though (A4 or A5) and without grid on the actual paper

Getting familiar with the basics of perspective would also help a lot.

Where shade falls shouldn’t be too confusing to you if you generally think of objects as 3D. If you don’t get too technical about it, light beams travel straight from the source of light and illuminate the surface they fall right on. The rest is in shade.

About sculpture, it is not necessarily an expensive undertaking. You can dig and refine your own clay. Plaster is relatively cheep too.


Which tool is most suitable for cutting thick cardboard with ease? I have a big scissor but cutting very thick cardboards like  tv case  in different shapes like butterfly wings consume too much effort.

What kind of tool will make my life easy w.r.t very thick cardboards?

My preferred tool for heavy card is the classic Stanley 99 knife.  The blade is slightly stiffer than those of the snap-off craft knives, and the metal handle is good and solid.

If you do go for a snap-off knife, for heavy card stick to one that takes 18 mm or even the rare 25 mm blades, rather than 9 mm blades, which are too flexible (but great for finer work on thin card).  The cheapest of these 18 mm and 9 mm knives are rather flimsy and don't latch very well, so it's worth buying a good one (probably sold singly rather than in a big pack).

You should buy plenty of blades, as card can blunt them fairly quickly and a blunt blade tears the workpiece more easily than a new blade.


Which tool to use as watercolor paper press Is there a tool I could use as watercolor paper press?

Most of the time, after my drawing dries, the paper buckles. I would like to have some tool to put paper inside like a sandwich.

I guess I need to look something made of plastic or acrylic glass possibly?

The answer is to pre-stretch the paper before painting, and leave it stretched until dry.

To pre-stretch, wet the paper evenly, then tack down the corners to a drawing board with some slight tension.

Using water activated tape (paper tape) tape the edges of the paper to the board with 1/4" to 3/8"s overlap on the paper smoothing out the tension as you go. You may need to reposition the pins as the paper flattens to the board. Regular art tape or masking tape will not work since the water undoes the adhesive.

Once it is taped down let it all dry, and be sure to let the work dry after its done before removing it from the board. It should remain flat.

The only problem I have found with this is getting the paper tape off the edges of the water color paper. Sometimes it snaps off nicely, more often it remains behind so I just cut it off the board at the papers edge. If someone has a solution for this that gets the tape off and leaves a nice clean edge I would love to hear it.


Is there a tool that will make a rounded cut in flat metal wire? Is there a tool that can cut flat 5mm-wide aluminum jewelry wire to leave a rounded end? (An as-yet nonexistent extremely heavy duty nail clipper  comes to mind).
In the image below, the wire on the left is an example of what we started with. We've used a grinder to round the end of the wire on the right. If we could just cut it in a round shape and then polish the end, it would save a lot of metal dust about a minute of grinding per end (and we may have hundreds to do).

An answer to this other question mentioned the use of a deburring tool, which may be useful after making a round cut.
This metal piece helps snug a medical mask to a person's nose. We wanted it to be rounded to prevent it from breaking through the material. My wife is making medical masks for friends that are health care providers who are worried about the current mask shortage. Hers is a five layered design that I'll encourage her to post soon. Without this metal piece, air leaks around the nose.
UPDATE: "Normal" toenail clippers actually worked well enough. I hadn't thought about actually trying them, but after the accepted answer below suggested something we thought flimsier than toenail clippers, we went ahead and gave toenail clippers a try.

As you're only working in thin aluminium, I suggest a gouge chisel.  It will need sharpening fairly often (a diamond file is probably easiest) to go through easily but should do a good job.  Use scrapwood clamped down securely as your anvil.

I don't have a gouge, but I've tested a straight chisel successfully. My scrap aluminium is 3mm thick and a cut of about 8mm long took a couple of blows with a carpenter's mallet on the back of my roughest (not very sharp, as well as chipped) chisel.  This is bigger than your cut, so you should be able to do it in a single blow.  An offcut of oak worktop was a much better anvil than softwood: the cut was easier and the burr on the back much less. If doing a lot you may wish to make a jig, or at least attach a fence/length guide.

The heavy-duty nail clippers you were thinking of do exist, but I suspect that they'd push the strip out when you squeeze them.

There are also curved tin snips, but ones as curved as this old pair are rare nowadays.