Realistic tempered steel effect on aluminum Im working on a project with aluminum Ive machined. I want to give it the rainbowy effect of heated steel known as the “heat affected zone”. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get the most realistic result?

It's possible that the only option available would be to use anodizing of a single or multiple colors. There are many resources, especially the YouTube type that can advise you. One recent video that is clearly presented is "Easy Aluminum Anodizing - Wawa dog tag"

It's generally considered difficult to get uniform coloration, although the result in the video is quite good. In your case you may not want it to be particularly uniform. You can accomplish gradients by immersing the part in stages. The first section will be in the longest and have the deepest coloring, while later segments will be in for less time.

The reverse can be true too, in that you immerse the entire part and remove it in gradual stages.

Heat can't be used to accomplish the desired effect. It works great on some steel and on titanium, but simply melts aluminum.


What can I do to make drawing this angle easier? This here's the angle I mean:

The face-turned-down-eyes-looking-up angle. It makes for a wide variety of expressions, from innocent to intense to creepy.

It's something I'd like to master, but it never looks right to me when I draw it, especially from a full front perspective.

I think it's something about the neck\shoulders that I'm doing wrong, but I'm clueless how to adjust it. Here is one of my attempts.

Here are some key differences I noticed between the reference image and your drawing:

The relative location of the pupils. If the subject is looking up at you, the pupils should be at the top of the eyeball, so there should be more white showing at the bottom of the eye.
The relative locations of the mouth/nose/chin. Since you are viewing the face from an oblique angle, the nose and mouth should be closely spaced and near the chin. The nose line will also seem longer than when faced head-on.
The position of the shoulders: in the image, her shoulders intersect at the level of her nose, about halfway up her face. In your drawing, the shoulders are at the level of the chin. Try moving them up.

The hair line looks good to me! At this angle you will see a lot more hair than usual, since you're viewing most of the top of the head.

Now for techniques: When drawing poses like this, I find it very helpful to sketch out a "wireframe" of the head. I use a roughly spherical shape for the cranium (pinched a little where the chin goes, like a rounded teardrop), then place the eyes on the equator line and the nose about 1/3 up from the chin. There are more "formulas" for these and other facial feature proportions you can search for if you're interested, but since your character is already stylized you can probably just eyeball the rest. (Sometimes I even use a wireframe method on the eyeballs themselves, if they are detailed enough! It helps me place and shape the eyelids as well as shade accurately.)

The neck and shoulders are probably trickiest to place. Remember that the neck connects at the back of the head near your ears, so when you rotate the head downwards, it will be from that connection point. That is, you're not just rotating the head-sphere around its center (and keeping it in the same position relative to the shoulders), you're flopping it forward over the shoulders.

Here's a very rough example of what I mean (sorry for MS paint.. limited options on my lunch break!):

The initial shape is black, guidelines are red, and features added afterwards are blue.

All that said, I strongly recommend finding reference photos as you have done here, and trying to copy them - not tracing, just studying as you recreate it. The suggestion in the comments to attempt the pose yourself is a very good one too! Many artists (animators, famously) keep a mirror at hand so they can check how a particular expression or pose looks.

And as always, practice makes perfect - as you draw more faces in more poses, you'll develop a better intuition of where to place features without needing to think about it as much.


How to attach PVC piping to a flat surface I want to attach PVC pipe to the side of my Nerf gun for decorative (steampunk) purposes. What is the best adhesive to use for this? It doesnt have to be water tight, just strong enough to survive light impact. Thanks!

I would suggest Plasticweld epoxy putty. It's designed to work with most plastics, including PVC.

Because it's a putty, it's moldable and can be used to attach to a greater amount of surface area of the pipe to the gun.

You'll be most successful by sanding the portion of the pipe and gun where you plan to use the adhesive, giving the putty a better sticking area. I would also wipe clean with some rubbing alcohol to remove  dust particles (alcohol because it dries quickly).

In the end, the putty will be flat against the gun surface, but U-shaped against the pipe.

The putty can also be sanded, drilled, painted, etc. once dry.


Why take a skein of yarn and make it into a ball? I have noticed so many people take a brand new skein of yarn, and then they create a ball of yarn. What is the purpose of doing so?

It's more important to rewind into a center-pull ball of yarn if you are buying some specialty yarns that are basically a loose oval of yarn twisted into a loose figure eight - this structure is called a "hank."

There's no need to rewind a typical commercial center-pull skein.  The work of keeping the yarn from tangling has already been done for you.

Rewinding from a loose hank/oval of yarn is usually a two-person job: one person has both hands through the loose oval of yarn holding it open while another person rewinds the yarn into a ball.

If you do need to rewind, it's important not to stretch or pull on the yarn, the yarn should be soft and relaxed.

This Instructable is a good tutorial on rewinding from a hank, and has good pictures.

Bottom Line: no you do not need to rewind your yarn into a ball if you have purchased a regular commercial center-pull skein.

Enjoy your knitting!


Covering business cards? I have a number of misprinted business cards and I plan on using them to test a card game.

I will be gluing prints(Normal low grade printer paper) to the cards, but I am worried the business cards will show through the thin paper.

Is there a way I can 'white over' the print to make sure nothing shows through the paper glued to the top?

You can paint (spray paint if you want to be quick) all cards before gluing the paper. Black spray paint will make everything even and often only needs one coat, white spray paint often needs 2-3 coats.


How much thread do I need when cross-stitching a pattern? I would like to know how to calculate how much thread I need for a pattern when I know how many points I have for each colour.

I know that it is highly dependent on how the points are spread on the pattern and how many time I have to stop the tread. But I am looking at a base value when all the points are contiguous, to use it as base for estimation of more complex design.

From my knitting experience, the empirical way to find out would be a swatch - make N stitches, then rip it out. Measure how much thread you used and divide by N to get a rough estimate of thread per stitch.

If you want to calculate it from first principles, you also need to take into account the fabric count. For example, 14-count Aida has 14 holes per inch. That means each "X" is made inside a block which is 1/14" on each side. So the diagonal of the square is then sqrt(2)/14 inches, so an X is 2 * sqrt(2)/14.

Of course, you aren't just stitching the front of the "X". This is where the way you arrange stitches makes a difference. You may want to adjust this based on your method, but for contiguous areas I usually end up with a couple horizontal lines on the back. This corresponds to another 2/14" of thread (edges of the square your "X" is stitched into).

Putting it all together, for a fabric count C and number points N:

N * (2*sqrt(2)/C + 2/C)

As you note in your question, I would of course add more length depending on how complicated the areas are, and to allow for weaving in ends.


How do animators draw graphics at same place in each frame? Take the example of older days when computer graphics didn't exist like Tom and jerry in 50s or hand drawn animation in Paper Flipbook in modern times .

see https://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/aV3M8NK_460sv.mp4 for example

How are animators able to draw the same image in same proportions at same spot over several frames almost flawlessly?

clearly without any aid its not possible to draw the same object on each frame at same place and with correct size and color as the last frame.

how do they accomplish this?

There may be a number of techniques used:
Traditional animations had a complex workflow involving hand-coloured xerographed outlines. Backgrounds were drawn separately and reused (even in multiple films), and individual frames weren't all drawn by the same people.

A quote from the first link is instructive:

  A peg bar is an animation tool used in traditional (cel) animation to keep the drawings in place. The pins in the peg bar match the holes in the paper. It is attached to the animation desk or light table, depending on which is being used.

A hand-made flipbook could just use a makeshift lightbox with a master outline fixed under individual pages held on pegs or even taped into a precise position.

(All links wikipedia, the first in particular is an interesting read)


Does Cyanoacrylate glue inhibit Mold Star silicone? I used CA glue to bond two parts of a model together in preparation for making a mold of it. I used Smooth-On Mold Star 20T (platinum cure) silicone. In places where the CA glue was exposed on the outer surface of the model, the CA glue appears to have inhibited curing of the silicone.

Does cyanoacrylate glue inhibit platinum cure silicone, or specifically Mold Star 20T? Can I avoid this by using tin cure silicone, such as Smooth-On OOMOO 30?

cyanoacrylate itself will not, however many brands of cyanoacrylate have additives which can.
Sulfur is your problem. P-silicon and sulfur do not mix.
I work primarily with fossils and use completely additive free cyanoacrylate, the downside it has to be used quickly as it has no stabilizers.
We don't use much platinum based silicon just becasue even trace amounts of sulfur in the fossils themselves can prevent it from setting up, but I have used to for artifacts. Likewise trace sulfur in the glue will also prevent it from setting. Any sulfur at all prevents P-silicon from setting up and many brands of cyanoacrylate glue use sulfur based stabilizers. many accelerator sprays also contain sulfur so don't use them if you can help it.
tin based silicon tends to be more chemically forgiving, but has greater shrinkage as it ages (months to years).
So you can switch silicon or find additive free cyanoacrylate.


When drawing shapes made from overlapping spheres, how should I draw the lines that indicate curvature near the intersection? The style of line-drawing that I am asking about is exemplified by the two images below. It's an economical style that uses little or no shading, and conveys curvature by using small lines or clusters of lines. I've pointed out some examples in the first image. An example in the second image is the inverted U halfway down the lefthand side of the bottom leftmost shape.

[ Image: from Cartooning Self-Taught by Bill Nolan, via the Internet Archive. ]

[ Image: from Illustration No. 2 in The Vilppu Drawing Manual by Glenn Vilppu, via If You Can Draw a Form, You Can Draw EVERYTHING by Rochelle Krause ]

The latter image is from an exercise where Vilppu asks the reader to draw forms made from overlapping spheres quickly, to help learn to draw gesture in people. The lines he draws near their intersections convey form adequately, at least to my visual system. So do those in Nolan's little booklet. Unfortunately, neither artist explains how to decide what lines to draw. Nor do other art books I’ve looked at. Some artists have told me that they had to learn this by looking at lots of examples. But it takes lots of time to find examples and work out how they convey shape information. So I want a better answer than "look at examples".

Steps towards another kind of answer are given by recent research papers on non-photorealistic rendering. The Princeton Graphics Group have done a lot of work on this. They’ve analysed line drawings by skilled artists to try and find a mathematical description of these lines. That is, how they depend on illumination, surface curvature, and other properties. And they’ve written programs that draw in similar styles to these artists. The site is down, unfortunately, but here’s an image that Google has cached from one of their research papers, showing the kind of style they’re interested in.

[ Image: by Princeton Graphics Group, via Google Images ]

So in principle, such work could provide an answer. But until it does, can anyone point me at a concise set of rules for where to draw these curvature-denoting lines?

By the way, just to preempt some possible responses, I already know that T-junctions in line drawings give cues about occlusion. That's part of what's going on here, but there's more to these little curvature lines than that.

If I understood the problem well, I would say above examples are using "the rule" of line weight.

It took me some time to find these videos. Since I am not an expert on this subject, I thought letting professionals explain it was much better idea. I have been given advice to try an summarize the content of the video. I somehow find it unfair towards artist. However, I will try to add more details by using the knowledge I have. However, consider watching these videos done by artists who are really experienced in that field:

  how to think about line weight video.
  Line Weight (CtrlPaint.com)
  and
  Line Weight: when to vary it and why?.

What is line weight and what can it do?

To simplify, line weight is the weight you put on your pencil while drawing and thus producing darker or lighter lines.

To be precise:

  Weight refers to the strength, heaviness, or darkness of a line
  against the background. It can be achieved through different
  thicknesses, intensities, and sometimes even different patterns -
  dashes, dots etc. Traditionally, you would generate a heavier line by
  applying more pressure, or by angling the pencil to produce a thicker
  line. Today, you can find pens with different nib sizes, and pencils
  and leads with different hardness to aid the process of producing
  different line weights.

To indicate closer objects, overlapping edges or stronger parts of an objects as well as curves where the shadow would fall, thicker line is used.

To indicate objects in the distance, edges of the objects behind other objects or to draw parts where a light would fall, thinner line is used.

To analyze this drawing lets take a look at thicker lines.
Thicker the line, more weight it has. Following what I stated above, I have concluded that light, on this particular drawing, comes from upper right corner.

First thick line is on his right arm, exactly where your arrow is pointing. It is under the arm, which means an indication of shadow.
Another is on his back, precisely under your left arrow. That means, shadow is falling on his left side. If you inspect drawing more, you will see that most of thick lines are on the left side or "under" his clothing.
The line under his coat is also thick, which indicates that his coat, or jacket, has been lifted as he is trying to throw the bowling ball.

One big hint to this is the shadow artist drew on the left leg of this character. Where the darkest areas are, artist drew couple of parallel lines to indicate it.

We can do the same by following lighter (thinner) lines.

Lets take a look at the area where you left arrow is pointing.
It is  indicating curvature. Obviously, our character has "stronger back". However, that particular part of the line is lighter because the light is hitting that part of the character's body.

Applying this reasoning to other parts of the same drawing (or other drawings) will show the pattern which will become easily recognized further on.

Now, these sketches are using the exact same rule. I am not sure is the "rule" right word to use. Maybe approach, principle or technique would suit it better.

Look at lighter lines: that is where the light is hitting the object. You will see, that on the opposite side heavier line is drawn. This does not always have to be this way. It all depends on how many light sources you have, what object your are trying to represent and so on.

However, the pattern is there.

Lets summarize it with some examples

So, by varying the weight of the line we can indicate:

Curvatures (but also pointy things!)
Shadows and light
Distance - adds depths, adds more dimension to the drawing.

Example 1:

To add stronger muscle, artist is using heavier line. That makes perfect sense if we think about it in this way: If a person is standing in such a way that light is hitting them from the right side, left side of that person's body will be more dark. The further the body part from the light is, the darker it gets. So, if we want to draw someone who has huge muscles, or any curves to generalize it, the bigger the curve is, further away from the light source is positioned which means it is darker. On the other side, if curvature is being hit by the light, bigger the curvature, lighter the line is, because, now, our body part is getting closer to that light.
In real life this can be seen. The more we lit one side of the object, the lines of that side are becoming more or less noticeable (depending on the background)because of the reflection of that light.

Image taken from www.researchgate.net.

Example 2:

Heavier line is on the side where shadow is cast. Lighter line is on the side where light is hitting the surface/arm.

Example 3:

Further away, lines get lighter.

These steps are applied in the drawings you posted.
However, these steps do not have to be followed precisely. Sometimes, you can just vary the weight of the line and get nice results.

P.S. Screenshots are taken from videos I posted above.


Make imprinted folds in paper? I have always liked the little Minecraft papercraft figures that you can buy at the store. You punch out the figures from the sheet and then fold up along the fold creases.
Recently I saw some party boxes that used the same technique of pre-imprinted folds, as the paper was thick and trying to make the fold from scratch would be a pain.
In trying to replicate this technique for a design of mine, I got a cut tool that I can roll around the sides of the outline to be assembled that cuts most of the construction paper, leaving a bit behind to hold it in. The pieces punch out without too much difficulty.
However, I still can’t get my head around how they get those perfect guide indentations for folds. Is there a tool that I can use which puts folds into flat paper so that folding up the design is as painless?

it's not a rolling tool, but a paper burnisher will do as you require. One form of the tool is a rod style handle with a rounded end similar to a ball bearing. In various sizes, they compress the paper when forced along a line, allowing the fold action.
Other forms are variations of this concept with the common factor of a rounded tip to prevent cutting or tearing of the surface being burnished.
In a production environment, one would expect that a die press is used with a rounded edge on the device contacting the paper.


What does a pigment's richness refer to? This is for a research paper and I used the term richness to refer to saturation and value. Is this a valid term to use for the combination of the two?

A paint that is "Rich in pigment" has a higher concentration of pigment (and less white filler). A paint that is rich in crimson or ultramarine pigment has high saturation. A paint that is rich in umber or black pigment has low saturation.

So the term "rich" can't be consistently translated into the "hue, saturation, value" system of designating colors. Some rich colors have high saturation, and some rich colors have low saturation.


Building a stop-action rabbit figure I am constructing a stop-action character in the shape of a rabbit, and I am looking for suggestions about materials and techniques that I can use to build its major body components and fur. I am comfortable using any tools or materials that might be best suited to the task at hand, and within reason high material costs and complicated processes are not out of the question. Soft non-hardening modeling clay will not work, as Jack will be transported to a great many locations both indoor and outdoor - so being robust is of great importance.

The armature is being manufactured by a wonderful craftsman in the UK, and this is what it looks like:

As you can see in the drawing, the armature is rigid, but also composed of flexible joints at logical parts of the skeleton - so the body must also allow for this - by either being flexible or of discrete components. A combination of the two is also possible. Being lightweight is also beneficial, as standing on his hind legs is a desirable pose. Can you recommend a good approach?

And finally I need a resource for the fur (which should seem realistic) and a method of application. I prefer not to go to a taxidermist, but if all else fails - then that is what I will do.

Doing a google on "Mackinnon & Saunders" and "stop-motion" and "materials for puppets" yields that foam latex underneath and silicone molded skins (often made from a plasticine sculpture; and that the mold can take longer than the sculpt) are often used over the amatures on the models that they make for feature films. The main issue is going to be putting in movement capability for expressiveness on the face.

Mackinnon & Saunders made adjustable face mechanisms for the puppets on The Corpse Bride that eliminated the need for face replacement that had been used on Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline, and that single wire you've got for the ear may not allow you to, say, curl over a tip, with any control. So you may still need to build interior support over the armature that can take repeated small movements.

This blog entry lists a bunch of other materials that are probably easier to acquire and use:

  Urethane foam is also known as cushion foam or upholstery foam. It's generally done by glueing foam on to an armature and shaping with scissors. A skin can be made covered with clothing sewn from fabric. Heads can be made from hard materials like polymer clay or wood, or cast from resin. Hands can be made by coating wire with liquid latex. This is a good simple way to make puppets—easier to animate than clay.

You may want to take a look around a stop-motion animation messageboard, like this one:

http://www.stopmotionanimation.com/forum


What are the preferred ways to fill areas with pencil colors in 2d drawings? Regarding:

From: https://crafts.stackexchange.com/a/1699/96

  Rather you would better understand if you take a look on the leaves (greenish bulgings), the color has not been equally distributed. This happens when the pencil is pushed forward and backward with pressure and the nip of the pencil breaks in small portions. This happens with everyone, at least when they have just started their art.

What is the way to fill areas with pencil colors?

Note: I use Faber Castell's student grade pencil colors.

I am the OP of this thread. Following is what I tried again:

Here the color pencils are same, but the drawing sheet is different (145 GSM) and the technique is different.

This time instead of drawing any kind of back and forth line, I started drawing extremely small circles, joined together and overlapping each other tightly, with the color pencils. These circles were drawn like the text of cursive handwriting where we do not pick up hand from the paper till the word is complete and all the alphabets are joined to each other.

This was done with an extreme light hand. Virtually zero pressure applied.
Then I repeated the procedure on the same area with the same color 4 times.

5th time, I applied pressure, and the 6th time I applied heavier pressure.

Basically, the following smooth coloring is the result of 6 layers.

I have taken this photo with a macro lens so you can see the tooth of paper also. The light in the room was dim, hence the dark photo, unfortunately.

Though the colors are still the same student grade, but the results are different and stunning. I believe if I use a high quality paper with better tooth, I will be able to apply more color which may result in darker coloring.


What materials can I use in a kids project to simulate simple cell biology? A colleague of mine has a kid in junior high school (she is 13 for context). She has a project where she needs to make a simulation of cell structure and components. Similar to the example image below:

Image from tyrocity.com

What she wants to do is make something where she can suspend objects inside a transparent medium. That medium should be able to be handled and not fall apart easily (or at all). The material should support a mold so that the shape of the end result can be controlled (like a muffin tray or cake pan). Since this is for a kids project cost will be a factor as well.

Jello or gelatin seems like a simple choice except for the fact that it would be too fragile to handle. I had initially thought about resins but the cost would be a factor for a simple project like this.

Given the loose criteria above what could we use to make a "cell" and suspend some object inside it. (She was going to use candy to represent the various parts!)

This is seems like a good application of DIY sensory bags

You fill a zip bag with hair gel, whatever objects you want inside, and food coloring if desired. We seal the tops of the bag with colored tape.

We've filled them with toys, beads, glitter and whatever plastic or waterproof objects we have on hand. Even cut off pieces of drinking straws can work. In this case, whatever resembles cell anatomy.

You can double bag them for more durability. They're able to withstand most handling, except for certain bites from toddlers (so teens should have no issue).


Is there a way to cleanly cut styrofoam? My roommate is a bit of a pack rat and has several old TV and computer monitor boxes with styrofoam supports.

I am thinking of cutting the styrofoam into little "bricks" and building a small house out of it.

Is there a trick or special tool to make clean cuts without making a mess of little styrofoam bits everywhere?

Is there a trick or special tool to make clean cuts without making a mess of little styrofoam bits everywhere?

Yes, it's called "hot-wire (foam) cutter" which can be bought starting at prices of about $20, or you can also make one yourself.

The hot wire melts the styrofoam, releasing toxic fumes (styrene), so it's best to use it in a well-aerated room or outside. (See e.g. this link for more safety advice.)
It will work on styrofoam, but probably not very well on soft foams.


How can I attach balloon decorations to a painted wall? I have attached 5 balloons together to create a balloon flower and need to stick it up on a wall with a painted surface.

I have tried putty, tape, glue dots without any success. It will stay on the wall for a few minutes then fall down. Sometimes it will stay up for 15 minutes then fall down.

Previously, I was attaching tape, glue dots, etc directly to the balloons and pressing them onto the wall. That failed. After a lot of experimenting, I discovered if I attach a size 160 balloon to the balloon flower and used coloured electrical plastic tape, it stayed on the wall for over 4 hours.

Details on what I did:
I cut a size 160 balloon and attached it to the balloon flower by wrapping it around the balloon flower a few times. After attaching the 160 balloon to the balloon flower, I attached the tape onto the end of the 160 balloon, then I attached that part to the wall by pressing on the tape against the wall. I also made sure there was not a lot of tension between the end of the 160 balloon where it had the tape attached and the wall itself so the tape would not be pulled off the wall.

The attached photos shows what I did.

[1


How to make the end of a kaleidoscope? I would like to make a basic kaleidoscope out of cheap materials, such as cardboard tubes and foil confetti and colored beads.

But, I'm not sure how to make the end of the kaleidoscope that would actually hold the objects.

I can think of using two coins of cheap plastic that I may have to cut myself, but I don't know how to get them to stay inside the tube. For instance, if I used a hot glue gun, it'd would probably build up in the gap between the plastic pieces and prevent the confetti from turning properly.

So what can I do? I'm okay if there's some cheap, pre-made object like this pill case:

But it needs to be transparent, not just translucent. I also don't know how to search effectively for that type of object, or if there's a similar, easy-to-source craft object.

I don't need to make an end that rotates. I'm planning on just having the kids turn the entire tube. I just need the part/parts that hold the confetti.

What about those small plastic clear round takeaway restaurant containers?

Image from AliExpress

They are clear.
Have a lid (also clear)
Are wedge shaped (making it easier to insert into the end of the tube)
With the lid accessed from the outside you could then change what's in the kaleidoscope.

Or you could pre-make different containers with different confetti and glue the lid down. The kids could then swap different containers into the tubes as they want.


For how long can oil paint be worked into? I paint with Winton oil paints, and I usually 'work back' into a layer of paint after a couple of days, using a bit of white spirit to do so. How long do I have before the oil paint dries to the point that this is no longer possible?

There is no simple answer, it depends on many factors like the temperature of where you live, sun and wind exposure, the amount and type of oil, the thickness of the paint, the color pigment itself.

Obviously, the more you wait the harder it will be, but within a week should be fine. White spirit is not recommended it will attack and unsaturate the color, better use a painting medium. You also run the risk of violating lean over fat by using a variable quantity of white spirit.

There are also mediums that delay the drying time, but the easiest way is to use oil as a medium.


Tips and Tricks for Sealing Ceramic Coffee Mugs I am working on some nail polish watercolor coffee mugs. I have completed the color application and want to make them dishwasher safe using dishwasher safe mod podge.
I don’t have any experience with mod podge at all and was wondering if anyone has tips or tricks that you wish someone told you before you started?

http://www.michaels.com/mod-podge-dishwasher-safe-gloss/M10317351.html

I would wrap a line of masking tape around the edge of the cup on the outside at the top, because this modgepodge gloss appears not to be food safe. I would also wrap at the bottom for aesthetic reasons.

Although it is water soluble, do not dilute it.

Put the mug to be painted upside down on stick it on a plastic cup. Use the biggest, softest synthetic brush you can find and quickly brush downward in an even stroke from tape to tape. With the next stroke, overlap by 1/16” or 2mm and work your way around. Depending on the viscosity you may need more or less paint.

Personally I would dip the entire outside of the mug in polyester resin. That water-based stuff probably won’t hold up to abrasion and if it isn’t food safe I wouldn’t want to accidentally drink a chip. Something like this would work. Use an S-hook to hold the handle, dip it in the mixed resin, hang above the dipping container for five minutes and then place on a coaster to cure. Use in a well ventilated area and don’t get it on your skin or in your eyes.


Attaching wood to glass? I want to make a floor/plateau in a glass terrarium.

A dwarf hamster will use it, so they're not very heavy, but I'd like to be able to place some things like a small food dish, maybe some decoration etc on the plateau.

My initial idea was to use aquarium sealant to secure the plateau. I would then use a max of 1-2 pillars per plateau. I would prefer to have 3 plateaus at 3 different levels, connected with stairs/bridges. Will a minimal amount of pillars and the aquarium sealant be enough to hold it up securely?

Can sealant like silicone/aquarium be removed without leaving too many traces on the glass? A few scratches I can deal with.

The layout will be somewhat like this:

Excuse my great drawing skills, I hope this explains what I need.

Two things to consider:

Wood may soak up water and then swell, and glass terrariums/aquariums are not infinitely sturdy, so try not to have a straight piece of wood reaching from one pane to the opposite pane (your layout looks fine itr).
I you have an L-shaped glueing area (i.e. a platform plus a ramp, fitted together as one unit (the L being along-and-up) or a platform in a corner (the L being along-both-panes)) any silicone should be able to carry your platform and your hamster. So you could have the two edge platforms and then an assembly of the middle platform well-attached to the two ramps. No pillars needed.

Silicone can be removed from flat and non-iced glass perfectly with a razorblade.


How can I secure the front and end of my hand-stitches without adding knot to needle, or back-stitching I am following this tutorial for

Cutting thread for embroidery project
Threading the needle
Adding a knot to end of needle

What is the alternative to adding knot to of end to needle.

I wish to avoid back-stitch as it adds bulk to stitch.

How else can I secure the front and end of my hand-stitches?

I tend to leave a tail and then stitch over the tail as I progress, anchoring it. This is especially easy if you're using a thick, colored fabric. Cheap white flour-sack towel type fabric makes this method difficult, where every single piece of thread is visible through the fabric.

For some different no-knot techniques, I love the tutorials by Mary Corbet:

Beginning and Ending Threads: Photo Tutorials on Common Methods

You can get lost in all her tutorials! The pictures are always well lit, in focus, and plentiful. Her descriptions are, for me at least, very easily followed. She has helped me really advance my embroidery techniques.


How to get velvety soft finish on hard toys? I would like to know how to get the velvet-texture soft furry finish that is seen on some toys. A good example of this would be the Sylvanian Families toys (as pictured.) What materials and techniques are used and how could they be made without factory equipment if possible?

Flocking
In short, flocking is the application of thousands of miniature fibers onto a surface. I'm fairly certain this is the general approach for what you are seeing on those dolls pictures.
Flocking is used to give something that velvety/soft appearance and feel. It's also very easy to do and gives your project a professional look. Flocking is used in a variety of different crafting genres, other than dolls, as well e.g. miniature terrain and bandsaw boxes.
Tools and materials
For this you only really need a few tools. Flocking fibres, some sort of applicator (optional but it really helps with uniform distribution) and a work space to contain free fibres. A very basic explanation is you paint or glue a surface and before it dries apply flocking fibres to the surface. Using paint of the same colour as your flocking can help give a uniform appearance and help hide the colour of the working surface and gaps in the adhered flocking fibres.
Typically flocking is applied as a single colour. For the sections that have multiple colours you would need to try and mask the areas you don't want to colour. An easier solution is to paint, where you already applied flock, in your desired colour.
Some people even make their own flocking to help keep costs down.


How to restore a dried lipstick to make it usable again? I have a liquid lipstick that comes with a brush to apply it. It is very similar to nail polish.
The problem is that it has dried and solidified inside the bottle.
Can you suggest some chemicals (or some other way altogether) that can restore its characteristics and make it usable, while, most importantly, keeping it safe to use on lips?

Here's an article on how it's made and the ingredients commonly used: https://luisafanzani.com/how-to-make-a-liquid-lipstick/.  Getting all of the proportions right is part art, part science when starting from scratch.  If it's dried out, it may not be just the solvent that's evaporated, in which case adding solvent wouldn't get it back to the same thing.  Also, some of the ingredients may need to be incorporated in a certain sequence, so just adding solvent to the dried-out material may not yield a usable result.  I suspect, though, it is a bit like house paint in the sense that once it dries it changes, and you can't just redissolve it and use it.

But if you could, you need a way to blend everything, which is hard enough when you start with the liquid ingredients.  The solidified material would probably need to be finely ground as a first step.  It's made with a high-shear mixer, and you may not be able to replicate the uniform consistency without it.  Trying to hand-stir one bottle's worth isn't likely to do it, especially if you just add some solvent to the bottle of solidified contents.

The usual solvent is isododecane, which probably isn't a local, off-the-shelf item.  There are a few alternatives, but they aren't any more readily available.  You can get it online (the linked article mentions makingcosmetics.com in the comments), but the ingredients are typically sold in quantities used for manufacturing.

Liquid lipstick is designed to be long-lasting.  There are products sold for removing it.  It may seem like one of those should dissolve it, so you could just mix a small amount into the dried bottle to liquefy it again.  However, the removers that do dissolve it (as opposed to just breaking the bond with your lips), also do other things that destroy its properties.  So it probably wouldn't be usable, or at least very long-lasting.

So the bottom line, you will probably need to call the bottle a loss.


What art style is this? I like this art style and would like to be able to find more like it:

Click for larger version

Propaganda 'style'
Below some specifics can be found.
Without more input it is hard to pinpoint what exactly attracts you in the image, so I've made a quick analysis.
Characteristic features are:

emphasized and clean outlines;
(comic art) realism;
arched shading;
a colour palette limited to five colours (or slightly differentiated hues of two colours), covering large areas;
a central composition with diagonals;
a single person inviting the observer to take action/participate.

The first three properties most clearly resemble a style, and are indicative of a specific type of western comic book style (the superhero comic book genre for example, as typified by (golden, silver, and bronze age) Marvel and DC comics - see Image 1).
(But see also the note two paragraphs below.)
The fourth property is indicative of the technique used or emulated, and brings to mind certain printing techniques like screen printing and stenciling (see Image 2).
The last two characteristics are exemplary for (most typically World War-era) propaganda artwork (see Image 3), which is a type of communication.
The second of these especially reminds me of the iconic Uncle Sam poster (Image 4).
Note that many examples of this kind of design naturally have line art that is similar to that used in comic book art, so 'comic book style' is partially redundant.

Images 1 & 2

Images 3 & 4
I do feel the image you uploaded is a somewhat ineffective mashup of several styles typical for this kind of communication (e.g. the HUD and electronic device might have been added to an original design and are too detailed in comparison to the rest - but the original is not very well-designed either, from an aesthetic and compositional point of view).

Another great way to look for similar images (without the need to figure out the proper terminology) is to upload the example to websites that allow for image searches. I find Yandex is a great option, since it seems to find the most images that are similar, instead of just identical.
This link was generated after I uploaded your image, have a look!

Image sources:

Image 1: Detail of https://wallup.net/superman-comics-superhero-52/

Image 2: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-1950s-russia-russian-propaganda-poster-98006578.html

Image 3: https://obeygiant.com/obama-hope/

Image 4: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/uncle-sam-s-i-want-you-poster/photos


Prevent repositional glue from sticking? I have a card box in which I have a card with repositionable glue on it - however the card gets stuck inside of the box, and is then fairly difficult to get out.

I wondered if anyone knew if there was anything I could coat the inside of the box with to prevent the card from sticking inside of it - preferably something long lasting. I've tried a silicone spray, but that didn't do the trick.

One thing that might work to reduce but not prevent sticking is sticker backing paper (waxed/plasticised). Unfortunately it's rather obvious, and not easy to attach because it's designed not to stick to glue.

Another hard to attach (I suggest staples) material is reusable non-stick cooking liner.  It's normally brown similar to much packaging cardboard, but can sometimes be found in black.  This again won't completely prevent sticking, but will make removal much easier.

These won't damage the sticky layer on the card, while one thing that probably would is wiping a very thin layer of oil/cooking spray/silicone furniture polish over spray lacquer.  This approach has the advantage of being applied like a coating, but could end up messy as well as spoiling the glue


Guidance on what to look for in a paper cutter/trimmer I have been drawing and painting for a while now on smaller paper sizes, i.e. up to 11" x 14". I am looking to "go bigger" upwards to 18" x 24" possibly even 24" x 36".
I am looking at purchasing a paper cutter/trimmer with the possibility of cutting matboard as well. I have seen some of the mat cutters by Logan on dickblick.com. I have used both rotary and guillotine cutters and I prefer the rotary type.
Would it be better to get one tool that does both paper and matboard? Or would it be better to get two different cutters? Also, what kinds of features would I need to look for in the cutter/trimmer?

A finger guard
Finger guards should go along the trimmer's base. It's a safety feature that prevents your fingers from being chopped.
A Tension Spring
This prevents a guillotine paper cutter from acting like an actual guillotine. The tension spring is attached to the blade so it won't move by itself.
A Blade Latch
It holds the blade in place when you aren't using the paper guillotine. It's usually a wire that hooks over the handle. Sometimes, it's a piece of metal attached at the bottom of the handle. Now, you may ask: Why do I need this? This prevents the blade from popping up.
Watch out for the size
Consider the thickness of the paper you'll be using. Bigger ones can usually cut through a 3-inch stack of paper.
Portability
Consider whether you're going to take it to other locations; if so, make sure it's appropriate for traveling.
One tool that does both paper and mat board vs. two different cutters?
 I think that's opinion based, because it will cost more to buy two separate tools, but putting that aside:
- Economically [option 2 wins]
- The sharpness of the blade shouldn't be affected by cutting a mat board (maybe over time)
 I would recommend (if you're going to use it often) to buy only one that does the cutting you're looking for... it has to be a high-quality cutter (because I suppose you probably won't want to replace it every time something happens to it).

Source


How do you properly store tins of turpentine? Is there a proper way to store tins of turpentine? I have attached a picture of the type of container my turpentine comes in:

In the past where ever I store the container, turpentine smell would inevitably leak out and it's not really a pleasant smell. Initially I had stored it in the corner of my bedroom closet. I quickly moved it to a storage closet built into the stairwell. It's dark and cooler than room temperature usually.

I also made the mistake of putting the tin of turpentine inside several plastic bags. This helped with the smell that leaked out but when I took the tin out of the plastic bags, the whole tin was sticky with what I assume is the dried turpentine gas trapped inside the plastic bag.

In a general sense it is a very good practice to refer to the material safety data sheets (MSDS) for products like this. The product labels, in theory, should also contain similar information.

MSDSs will always contain more information though. They will break down all the information needed about the product when it comes to safety. It should be safe to assume that householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov is a good source of this information. I located the sheet for your specific product. Most other MSDS's for turps cover the exact same sentiment as far as storage and handling is concerned. For completeness sake I have also included some basic handling as well in the information quoted below.

  HANDLING:

  Isolate from oxidizers, heat, sparks, electric equipment & open flame.
  Use only with adequate ventilation. Avoid breathing of vapor or spray mist. Avoid prolonged or repeated contact with skin. Wear OSHA Standard goggles or face shield. Consult Safety Equipment Supplier. Wear gloves, apron & footwear impervious to this material. Wash clothing before reuse.
  Avoid free fall of liquid. Ground containers when transferring.
  Do not flame cut, saw, drill, braze, or weld. Empty container very hazardous! Continue all label precautions!

  STORAGE:

  Keep in fireproof surroundings.
  Keep separated from strong oxidants, incompatible materials. Keep cool. Keep inside a well-ventilated room.
  Keep container tightly closed & upright when not in use to prevent leakage.

Text is copied as is. Formatting and emphasis is my own.

Keep it cool, ventilated and away from sources of oxidants and sources of ignition. Ensure the container is seal and cleaned between uses.

I am not sure about the cause of the leaking. Chris Johns has a good theory though. Assuming you follow the instructions above it should not happen.

Related I found a discussion between users and the smells created by turpentine like yours and artist grade. Consensus is that the "cheap" stuff has a more offending odor


How to glue together this stone-like material? I bought an incense holder in Bali made of some kind of light cement-like material which unfortunately broke in our luggage: it's in the shape of a hand, and the pinky finger broke from the top knuckle.

It seems simple enough to repair with glue, but I don't know what type of glue to use for this. It's for indoor use and doesn't bear any load, so obviously does not need to be anything extreme (which is why Googling for an answer to this has not helped - I've mostly found resources about outdoor statues and the like).

Here is a photo:

The porosity of the material as it appears in the photo would have one aiming for an adhesive with some viscosity. You could have a solid and clean bond with a gel-type super glue. I've recently repaired a similarly irregular break of a less porous substance with Loctite brand gel. It does not seep too deeply into the material, but enough to get a "grip." Any brand of similar gel super glues would work.

Alternatively, a reasonably thick epoxy would accomplish a good bond. Having a break of this nature where the opposing surfaces mate nearly exactly allows for greater surface area, meaning better bond.

I reference the epoxy and gel super glues because I've had good luck in the last few days with both types.

Another option is the "goop" type product line, but it's too thick, in my opinion and might not bond into the porous surface as well. Somewhat unsightly at the edges, too.

The super glue option will give less obvious joins, and the epoxy falls in the middle.


What papers are suitable for markers? I am planning on using markers for a drawing. As I have never used markers, I lack knowledge about them.
Is it okay to use them on normal drawing paper, or should I use sketch paper?

I'm not sure what you're defining as "normal drawing paper" or "sketch paper," but you can ultimately use markers on any surface, however you will experience different results depending on the qualities of the paper.

Weight

Markers will generally soak into the paper and bleed to some degree (with some brands tending to bleed more than others); working with a thicker paper like bristol or watercolor paper will tend to resist bleed-through better than thinner papers like newsprint.

Tooth

You'll generally get a smoother result with a smoother surface, though depending on the result you're looking for, you may like the look of using a paper with more tooth to it. Experiment here to see what you prefer.

Coatings

Some papers (marker pads, for instance) will be coated to prevent bleed-through on a thinner sheet; this can allow for better workability in blending, but may also result in less saturated colors as the ink cannot soak into the surface. This can also create issues with layering multiple colors or extensive blending; again, this may come to personal preference and style.

Absorption

If you're planning on extremely heavy blending, particularly using water and water-based markers, you may wish to consider a paper that is better suited to heavy water applications such as a smooth watercolor paper over a lighter paper that may warp or disintegrate when saturated with water.

Bleed

You may also wish to experiment with the amount of bleeding your chosen markers will exhibit on different papers. All markers will bleed to some degree (except, possibly, on coated papers), but some papers will wick the ink away from where you deposited it more than others. You'll want to find an amount of bleed that works for you, and learn to work with it as you're drawing.


How should I fix a large mirror ball with many cracked mirrors? I've acquired a large (roughly 3 ft diameter) vintage mirror ball, which I'm super excited about. However, a number of the mirrors are cracked (maybe ~50-100 in total), which I wouldn't mind except for the small shards of glass that are coming off the ball.
How would folks recommend fixing such a large number of cracked mirrors?
Wikihow recommends using a resin to fix a cracked mirror, but the technique they describe seems super labor intensive to do across tens of mirrors. Is there another way of applying the resin that would be faster to do?
Alternately, I was thinking of just using scotch tape which might diminish the shine of the individual mirror but would stop glass shards from coming off.
Photo of the ball next to a chair for scale

Picture of a couple cracked mirrors

See if you can find some adhesive vinyl with a mirrored surface.  I had some a few years ago and it was every bit as reflective as the individual squares of a mirror ball.  The material is meant for use in a cricut or silhouette brand vinyl cutter and is probably sold at your local art supply store.
Cut the vinyl into squares the size of cracked mirror squares then peel off its wax paper backing and stick it over the cracked squares.


Create a head bust (maybe plaster or paper mache) I got a new headset for Christmas and got the idea to create a holder for it. I was thinking of a bust, on which I can put my headset.

I sculpted the bust in the 3D program Blender:

Now there are a few questions open for me, because I never sculpted in real life before.

How can I create this cheaply, and without requiring experience?
What materials could I use? What would be a proper workflow?

Thanks in advance, Marc.

Decide which media you desire to use. A good choice for a beginner would be the inexpensive medium of Papier-mâché, a composite material of paper pulp and binder. One can use newspaper, shredded office paper, cardboard, just about anything cellulose.

As the link suggests, you can create using the strip method, but for your sculpture, you'd want an armature (structure) on which to base the primary form. Additionally, it's advantageous to use chopped pulp to build up the design shape before applying the strips.

Think of molding clay over an inverted funnel. The funnel reduces the amount you have to "fill" while providing a basic shape. The chopped pulp would be the clay that shapes the curves and bulges of the head, while strips of paper provide a closure of the more coarse pulp, allowing for a smooth finish overal.

It's typical that a sophisticated creation will have a sealing coating of paint, glaze or similar, along with painted features not visible in your Blender creation.

I'm confident you can find many videos regarding this type of sculpting.

The above is what I consider to be the least expensive option. One could certainly create the head with modeling clay that does not harden, or use a polymer clay that can be carefully baked to be permanently hard. Neither of these would be inexpensive, but the results could be more detailed.

As you already have the creation in Blender, you could also have the model 3D printed. Unless you own a large printer, it would be chopped into pieces, printed and glued together. 3D printing services exist which will create this plastic model, but for a substantial cost.

Our makerspace promotes sharing of services of this sort. I have in the past taken another member's creation, chopped it into six pieces (in Meshmixer) and printed the individual parts.

Once the model is printed, it can be sanded and painted and used as-is. It could also be used as the primary for a silicone mold, which would allow you to resin-cast multiple copies if so desired.


How do I resize (smaller) baby bootie crochet pattern? I am crocheting a set of baby booties for an infant using this pattern:

http://lacycrochet.blogspot.ca/2014/01/crochet-baby-booties-size-0-6-months.html

I need the booties to be about 3/4 the size for which the pattern is written.  I am using a #3 yarn and a 3.5 mm (E) hook.

How do i adjust the pattern to accomplish this?

Thank you for any help.

The easiest solution is to use a smaller hook. You might also need thinner yarn so your booties aren't too stiff/thick.

If you don't have a smaller hook, you'll have to change the pattern. It's hard to tell you exactly how without having crocheted the pattern because a bootie has a fairly complicated shape. One strategy you can try is to make one bootie as written to get a better idea of the construction. It would be a fast job since it's a small item, and once you've completed it you might find you'll have a better idea of how to make it smaller.


I am currently struggling with drawing and coloring As the title says it all, I honestly do not understand what is going on with my drawings.

What I am saying is that I need help with someone who can explain to me what I am doing wrong with my physical artwork.

Here are two examples of my art:

Here is also an image that I have done digitally:

I am using Prismacolor Premier (24 Colored Pencils) while the sheet I was using is Bienfang Drawing Paper

As Nothingismagick says make sure you're drawing what you see not what you mind says the object is.  And make sure when you "see" something you're really looking at it.  A simple example - a plate is round, that's what my mind tells me.  But more often than not when you draw a plate you're drawing an ellipse, not a circle.

The eye you drew - the white is very seldom pure white.  Think of the location and shape of the eye - the eye is under the brow, recessed so often the white part is shaded somewhat, and since it's a sphere as you approach the corners of the eye they are going deeper below that brow and getting slightly, ever so slightly darker.  And what are the proportions of pupil to iris to white area showing in respect to each other.  You start to understand that by observing, really looking at your subject.

Draw loosely at the start not committing to hard lines - it will look sloppy but you can always erase what you don't want.  I'd use (and I do) simple lead pencils to sketch out drawings.  Whether they are for paintings or just a sketch on it's own.

Draw simple items to start - human figures or even parts of the body are by no means a simple drawing exercise.  Simple still lifes are good starts - to this day I will find myself drawing an apple just to contemplate the shape and how to define the form with shading.

When you want to start drawing human figures/parts search online for the masters and how they sketched items - Da Vinci, Michelangelo it's amazing how they represented figures with simple lines, very few lines in some cases.  Study what they do to represent an eye.  And always notice how form comes from shading - variations of a hue if you're using color.

Also do you have any formal training?  There are tons of tutorials online to help beginners and advanced folks - take advantage of them.  And if you draw something and don't like it try to figure out exactly why you don't like it - then throw it away and try again.  I can literally sketch the same subject 50 times before I approach what I want.

I've been drawing a long time and hopefully my suggestions help.  Good luck and keep trying it will come.


How to erase pencil under ink? I use an HB pencil, very light, to sketch before drawing with ink.

I use Staedtler ink pen and Staedtler plastic eraser ( whit rectangular with blu paper around )

The problem is that when i erase the pencil under the ink, the ink seems to fade.

I'm using the wrong eraser or is the ink quality that fade?

That's just how erasing works, for pencils.

Erasers don't really just pick up pencil marks. They work by abrading away a thin layer of the paper, to which the pencil medium (generally graphite) has adhered. The abrasion is a sort of side effect, as the real intent is to disturb the bonds of the graphite to the paper (or cellulose) and allow the erasers to bind instead. Cheaper erasers are less binding, so work more on abrasion.

If the pencil mark is below the ink mark, then removing such a layer of paper will remove a layer with ink on it, as well. The same activity that allows the graphite to bind to the eraser also picks up the ink particles.

The ink fades, but doesn't vanish, because the nature of the ink means it penetrates further into the paper, rather than just the topmost layer.

One solution would be to apply only a basic layer of ink above the pencil, leaving you the opportunity to reapply the ink after erasure. However, if you're not dealing with completely opaque inks then layering this way may affect your end color.

Another solution is to not erase at all, and instead use a light box start out your inked worked on a completely new sheet of paper. (There are also some transferring techniques, where you could convert the pencil sketch to and underlay in ink, but I'm not versed in them enough  to explain, and you could still run into opacity issues with non opaque inks).


What's the finest readily-available way to write on paper? I'm trying to make the smallest legible lettering I can - miniature writing on normal paper or something thinner.
This is in the context of craft with kids, so I'd like something affordable, also not too complicated.  We'd like to make Lego-scale books (menus), though as that's around 1:40, clearly we're not going to get normal type sizes.  Colours would be a significant bonus.
The best I've done so far is with a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil (the finest I have to hand) and very light pressure - that gets me down to letters 1 mm high and 0.5 mm wide, limited by the stroke width as much as my skill. H- and F-grade pencils are similar even if sharpened with a scalpel. I've tried rubbing the pencil to a sharp point but that didn't help much.  You wouldn't fit many words on a page of say 10 mm high.
I doubt my skill is up to single-hair painting, but can't think of anywhere in between.  And yes, inkjet-printing is another option; we'll probably do some of that too.

The smallest pen I have personally found is a 0.03 mm size pen; while it does leave a very small line, the tip is quite fragile and tends to break more often than my larger pens (including the 0.05, the next size up). It requires a delicate touch; while you would probably be fine with it, I wouldn't recommend handing it to kids, who haven't always developed the motor skills to be gentle with the pen.
The 0.03 size is also fairly uncommon; typically, the smallest pen tips you'll find will be either 0.05 or 0.1. You can see a comparison of the line sizes in this sample image from JetPens, found in their product listings for Copic Multiliners, one of the brands that does carry this size of pen; Marvy and Deleter also sell a pen in this size. The image below is an actual sample of the pens, on an undisclosed lettering paper, to show comparative line weight and bleed between sizes.


How can I resize this crocheted hat pattern for an infant? I want to make an infant-sized version of this hat (PDF).

The current pattern (assuming correct gauge) makes a hat with an 18.5" (47cm) circumference. It seems that a common size for a newborn/infant hat is around 12.5" (32cm), which is about 1/3 smaller.

The pattern calls for  using a 6.5 mm crochet hook but I'd like to use the same size hook that I'm already using (for the blanket) which is a 5 mm hook. To make this slightly more confusing, the "materials" section calls for a 6.5 mm hook but the "gauge" section calls for 6 mm, so I'm not sure which of the two is actually correct.

The pattern gauge is:
13 stitches and 11 rows = 4" (10 cm) with a 6 mm hook

The yarn I'm using has the following factory gauge info:
18 stitches = 4" (10 cm) with a 5 mm hook

Given this info (and assuming I crochet perfectly on gauge), do I actually need to adjust the pattern at all or is the hook size/yarn difference sufficient to make it small enough?

If I do need to adjust the pattern, the following info may be useful:

The hat is worked in rounds from the brim to the top.
Each of the first 19 rounds consists of 50 stitches, grouped in 5s, so 10 repeats.

The decrease rows are where my main concerns lie. It's simple to reduce the main rounds by 5 or 10 or 15 stitches to make the circumference smaller but I'm not sure how this will affect the decreases at the top of the hat.

For balance, it seems like I may also need to reduce the number of rounds but, again, this may depend on whether the hook change is sufficient to reduce the size or not.

First of all, you need to figure out your gauge (sts & rows) using your #5 hook and the yarn you want. Using your baby inches, see how far off you are from the pattern. Use that as a rough ruler for following the pattern. You'll need to keep to an even or odd # of sts in your baby length, but also notice the group sts and how many sts they take each so you'll have the right # of sts to work into. Does that make sense?

To begin with, I would suggest you reduce the # of rows in the band, so it won't be 1/2 of the hat unless you want to make a cuff with it. You'll have to keep track of the rows so you'll know when to start a new one and when to decrease.

I can't tell you exactly how to decrease without dealing with the pattern and your gauge. I suggest you see how the first several rows after the band shape up and look at how often the pattern suggests dec. It's not the end of the world if you have to take out a row or 3. It should be pretty quick work; it's not a complicated pattern.

I hope this has been some help. When I increment or decrement a pattern, I just have to wing it beyond a certain point. As I said, taking out some rows won't take long to re-do.


Reliably identify the local color of a subject in non-white light? I'm beginning to work with color, after a decade of using blacks and grays only.

There are helpful tools, such as gray/value finder cards that you hold up to your subject to get a good feel for which shade/tint to use. For example:

Is there a reliable method to find the local color of a subject, using a tool or method, when bright white light is not available?

Unless I am misunderstanding your question, the answer is embedded in the question itself.

The purpose of a good gray-scale card is to give you a standardized point of reference for what is true black, true white, and the intermediate shades of gray in between. So if you hold that card up to your subject, the card will be illuminated under the same lighting conditions as your subject… so it will experience the same color shifts that your local lighting conditions produce.

So, for example, if the white in your subject looks a bit yellow under incandescent lights, the true-white (value 10) on the card will look a bit yellow, too. But as long as your subject and the value on the card look the same, you know the color of the subject is truly "true white."

Make sense?


What can I do to ensure I only erase the smaller details without affecting the area around it? I don't draw much and can't even call myself an amateur yet. As a result I make a lot of mistakes and also many test strokes when drawing.

For small touch ups and mistakes the eraser is my best friend. However, my big white eraser does not help much when I need to only make small corrections. It can remove larger areas around where I am erasing.

Let's say I am talking about erasing small areas less than a centimeter in diameter. What can I do to make my erasing more targeted and only affect the areas I want to remove?

Get an erasing shield/stencil:

An erasing shield is a metal stencil that can mask off the parts of your drawing you want to protect, while exposing only the area you want to erase, so you can erase with more precision.


What do 'woolen spun' and 'worsted spun' mean? Sometimes I see yarn described as 'woolen spun' or 'worsted spun', and it is clearly not about its composition or weight, but I would guess about spinning technique.

What are they? What do they mean for the yarn? What kind of projects are they good or bad for?

Are there any other such descriptions that I should know about?

Woolen spun and worsted spun are references to the way the yarn is actually spun in the spinning process.  Worsted spun yarn includes individual fibers that are facing in many directions, whereas woolen spun has all of the fibers facing in the same direction before the yarn is spun and they remain much more parallel in the final spun singles. The process of spinning the two types of yarn is different as well, but less important to know if you are the end user of the yarn.

Woolen spun tends to incorporate more air between the individual fibers, so a woolen yarn will weigh less than a comparably thick yarn that is worsted spun.  The additional air also helps heat retention, so garments made from woolen spun yarn can be lighter weight and still warmer than those made from a comparably thick worsted yarn.

However, because the individual fibers don't overlap each other the way they do in a worsted yarn, woolen spun yarn doesn't hold up over time as well as a worsted spun yarn.  It is also more likely to pill.

As for when to use which one--well the opinions on that question are all over the place.  I suggest googling "woolen vs. worsted yarn" and you will read a hundred different opinions.  But, in general, I would avoid woolen spun yarns for projects that are going to get alot of rubbing, pulling, tons of wear.  Be cautious about using a woolen spun yarn for something you are going to put on a kid, for example.  But a shawl would be the perfect use for a woolen spun yarn, because you are looking for additional warmth with minimal weight when you make a shawl, AND it is less likely to be subject to the type of usage that will cause pilling.

One confusing element is that worsted in this context means the fashion in which the fibers are prepared (and spun), whereas worsted is also used in many parts of the world to indicate yarn of a specific thickness. These two definitions have absolutely nothing to do with each other--so you could spin a woolen yarn that is worsted weight, and confuse the heck out of everyone. You could also spin a non-wool fiber using the woolen spin technique (I think--better spinners than I feel free to disagree), and then have a cotton yarn, for example, that is woolen spun.  Super confusing.

Another important concept--singles vs. plied yarn.  When you first spin fiber into a strand of yarn, you have what is called a single.  The individual fibers are held together by adding twist into them--the amount of twist determines how strong the actual yarn is.  But think about what happens if a child sitting on a swing spins around a bunch of times and puts a twist in the ropes holding the swing.  They actually built up alot of energy in the ropes as they created that twist, and let go, the ropes release that energy by unspinning really quickly.

Singles yarn is called "energized" because it has a similar inherent energy in it.  When you work with singles yarn, your final product will be much less consistent, even and smooth, because even after it is worked, the singles yarn is continually trying to release some of that built-up energy.

When you ply yarn, you take a number of singles (I think three plies is the most common), and twist them together in the opposite direction from the twist you used to combine the fibers into a single strand. The aim when creating a plied yarn is to balance the residual energy from the singles without actually untwisting the yarn and having the individual fibers fall apart. When you ply yarn, you are specifically trying to create yarn that is balanced--you should be able to drop a strand of plied yarn and it will not try to untwist in either direction.  Working with plied yarn tends to create smoother, more even and more regular final products.

The last issue I will mention is the directionality or type of twist in your yarn. Yarn can have an S twist or a Z twist.  This describes the direction the yarn was plied (and is compared to the direction of the center element in these two letters). If you hold up a piece of yarn and look closely, you will see that the individual threads (or singles) spin in a direction that either looks like an S (they start at the top left of the strand and move diagonally to the bottom right) or a Z (they start at the top right and move diagonally to the bottom left).  The technique that you use for knitting or crocheting can interact differently with the different twists--some techniques might twist the yarn in such a way that it comes partially untwisted as it is worked.  Because twist is what gives yarn its final strength, this can actually have an impact on the strength of your final piece.

This is a pretty complex issue, and I don't know enough about it to be able to explain all of the permutations here.  My suggestion is to try and determine what type of technique you use for knitting (are you a thrower or a picker? Continental vs. English?) and/or crocheting (I don't know the equivalent terminology for crocheting, but I know that as a kid I used to crochet in a way that twisted the yarn less than I do know as an adult).  Once you know what to call your technique, you can start searching for that technique in combination with "S or Z twist" and see what people say about which works better in which situation.


What is the best way to decrease the circumference of a vest arm hole? I created a vest from a jacket by removing the sleeves. Now I see that the vest arm holes are too big.
I have two ideas how to make the arm hole smaller I would like to know the best way.
My ideas so far:

make several v-shaped cuts all around the arm hole and take little tucks

take out the upper and lower seams and take in more material and re-seam

Cutting into the existing armhole will most likely end badly, because you need a lot more fabric to secure those darts than is available at the arm hole.
If you want to make the hole smaller, you have to sew more material to it. I hope you didn't throw the sleeves away yet, because that is the perfect material for your endeavor.
You didn't post a picture or write any details, so I can only guess where exactly you need to add material.
If you have enough fabric at the arm hole, but not enough to seam it properly, try cutting bias tape from the sleeves and hem the west with that. Since the arm hole is a circle, the tape must be cut on the bias or it will wrinkle and be a pain to sew on. Keep in mind that the tape you cut must be 4 times as wide as the hem should be in the end.
If the west fits well enough at the soulders but has a gaping hole below the arm, it's going to be more complicated. First I would try the bias tape method, but with wider tape below the arm that protrudes from the actual seam (basically extending the fabric there) and narrower tape at the top of the shoulder that doesn't protrude at all.
You could also try opening the shoulder seams and sewing them a little tighter towards the side, but that will change the fit of the whole garment. You should first pin the shoulders and try the vest on to see if it still fits or if the shoulders become too sloped or the collar stands up weirdly.
If the seams are almost invisible in the fabric, you can try inserting a halfmoon shaped piece below the arm. But in most fabrics the seams are too obvious for that.
If nothing else works, buy or knit cuffs in a color that matches the vest (or adds a nice contrast). Add cuffs around the arm hole, at the bottom of the vest and - if it fits and you like the look of it - also at the collar.


What is the name of the knit stitch on these given pictures? what is the name of the knit stitch in the pictures on this page:
https://www.pimkie.fr/p/pull-grosse-maille-408383E23A0B.html

Are there some patterns online using the same stitch?
Regards.

That sweater is probably made on a knitting machine, but you can reproduce the look on knitting needles. It looks like either fisherman's rib or brioche stitch, with added tuck stitches every 3 or 4 rows. To make a tuck stitch, instead of knitting into the next live stitch, you knit into that stitch and the stitch below it.
Brioche and tuck stitches are a broad category including many stitch patterns. You can find knitting patterns with these stitches on Ravelry with the search filter Attributes: Fabric Characteristics - brioche / tuck stitch.


Can I soak eggs in something to make them sink into the dye better? I've been industriously dyeing Easter eggs, but apparently not industriously enough, because the eggs have started to have trouble sinking into the dye - they're just a bit too old at this point.

I got to thinking, though: given that I was never intending to eat these eggs anyway — once they're dyed, I blow out and discard the innards, since the dyes I use are not food-safe —, and given that what causes older eggs to start floating in water is that they have a larger air pocket than fresh eggs, then if there were some way to reverse the drying-out that led to that larger air pocket, then the eggs should start sinking better, shouldn't they?

So, can I soak the eggs in something to "revive" them? (Again, not for eating purposes!) If so, what would work better? Plain water? Salt water? I'm pretty sure vinegar, even highly dilute vinegar, is not the answer, because I've seen what happens if you accidentally leave an egg in the dye overnight. (My dyes contain about 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup of water.)

Has anyone tried this? Did it work? Am I crazy? (Wait, don't answer that last one.)

A bit messy, but tested successfully:

Blow out the eggs before dyeing them.

This means you can fill the floating eggs with the liquid dye and they’ll sink. Of course you need to make sure that the dye flows out of the shells again when taking them out.

Speaking from experience, this will work best with eggs that have two holes.

Alternatively you could drill a small hole at the wider end use a syringe with a needle and fill the enlarged air pockets (the reason for the floating observed in old eggs) with a suitable liquid like water.


A more stretchy printable paper alternative? My Martian Globe project isn't going according to the plan.

Maybe "the slices" are too wide, but I know for a fact they were used by some people to create globes. Anyway, I took some test B&W printouts, cut them to shape, wet the paper and tried to lay it over the surface of the globe. And the edges crumple - or the middle rips if I pull the edges more straight. The plain printer paper simply isn't stretchy/compressible enough to follow the curve of the globe.

I'd prefer to avoid the task of making the 'gore map' from scratch, with narrower slices. Never mind the globe I'm using as a base already has Earth map on it, and its slices are exactly the same size, no wrinkling or crumpling, so it must be doable.

So - what material could I get, and have the prints made on it - that would be slightly more stretchy (or compressible) than plain paper?

How about tricot? That should be stretchy enough.
You could, for instance, print on a T-shirt, if you're fortunate enough to have a printer that can do the job. Or else there are companies offering to print a given image on a T-shirt.Be aware that edges may fray and/or curl, but good glue should prevent/solve that issue.
Make sure the size of the print is not that much different for the size of the globe. The less you have to stretch the tricot, the less you will look through the holes in the fabric, and the less stretched out the details are.I hope this gives you some inspiration.


How can I keep my metal tools from rusting after using them with plaster? Almost all of the knives I used when carving my recent plaster piece have now rusted. Something in the plaster greatly increased the oxidization rate of the tools, which are primarily steel. Some I thought were stainless, but apparently not. The better tools, that are really stainless, are fine.

Is there anything I can do to keep them from rusting? Is there a solvent or cleaner I can wash them in after use?

The grit in your plaster pits the surface of your tools, especially if the plaster still contains moisture while you're carving it. And then when you clean your tools with water the water gets into the pits and if left to sit there it will eat way at the metal.

Try to get the water off your tools as fast as possible.

After cleaning your tools with water, dry throughly with a dry cloth and then blow dry the tools to get rid of all the moisture (moisture hidden below the surface residing in the pitted surface).

There are anti-rust sprays. But in your case coating the tools with a rust inhibitor would not be a good idea as the coating material could stain your plaster.

Clean and dry quickly is my recommendation.

If you store your tools in a container with a lid thrown into the container a bag of silica gel desiccant. The desiccant will help absorb any remaining moisture.


What eraser can I use with wax core coloured pencils I have a paper box of Prismacolor coloured pencils. I avoid using them since I think my drawing doesn't deserve them. The odd time I do use them and make mistakes I have a hard time erasing them.
After looking at their FAQ I realize this is the nature of the beast:

Q: Why is it so hard to erase a Prismacolor colored pencil?
A: The Premier Soft Core and Premier Verithin® Colored Pencils are wax based pencils, thus they are not designed to be erased easily. If you’re looking for a medium that is designed to be erased, try out Col-Erase® Colored Pencils and erase away!

What erasers or corrective tools can I use with wax coloured pencils?

Lifting something like the Prismacolor line with a hand-held eraser is going to require a lot of elbow grease. So, when the need arises, either for a misplaced line or trying to get an effect, then the best answer is an electric eraser. There are a few options out there, Sakura makes one that is quite popular and I have the Derwent model.

Are they perfect? No. Lighter colors lift easier, but the electric is going to do far better regardless. The only thing to bear in mind is that you're going to take some paper surface with you when you do this. For a small area, once, not a problem, but multiple times in the same place is probably unwise.

Your other option is to not erase at all. This means layers, layers, and more layers. Basically, the goal is to get enough color down that the mistake is, effectively, covered. How easy that is depends on the paper. Mine tends to be heavier and some colored pencil artists even go for watercolor paper. However, if your layers have gotten to the point when color no longer takes, a shot of workable fixative can give you back some tooth for adding more.


Can I use the potholder quilting technique to make a quilt out of t-shirts? Has anyone used the "potholder" method of making a quilt out of t-shirts?

I'd like to cut the shirt (front and back) and batting at once into a square, then quilt the single square. Not sure whether to bind each square or not at this point. Then, once I have all the squares ready, I'd like to attach them into the big quilt.

Please send some suggestions of how to connect them nicely.
Thank you!

Edited January 2019

Here is part one. Just wanted to share that it has been an interesting challenge. It’s double sided and has been fun to quilt and then bind each square.

I’m using a zigzag stitch on the black border to attach the squares. The plan is to do the build onto this four square using the Log Cabin technique.

Update: finished

And i can still add more rows!

A traditional potholder quilt would use pre-assembled blocks, with the block edges finished (won't fray) and then sewn together to assemble the quilt.

  The blocks can be finished in one of several ways:

  either with strips of fabric, or woven tape;
  bringing the front fabric to the back and over-casting it to the backing;
  by using a knife edge finish

One quilter who has made a potholder quilt suggests first whipstitching on the back, and then finishing with a more decorative stitch.

  This is whipstitched on the back connecting all four blocks.  Now it’s
  time to do the decorative stitch.  I decided to do a feather stitch
  with the machine, using a pale yellow thread to tie in with the
  background color of the squares.

There's a simpler, probably more modern version of a potholder quilt known as a rag quilt.

Individual same-size blocks are constructed as "sandwiches" (fabric on top and bottom, with batting in between), and then sewn together. The raw edges are left facing out on one side of the quilt, and snipped to encourage fraying.

This works particularly well with flannel fabric, leaving a soft, fuzzy border around each block. I could picture it working with knit fabric like T-shirts, as well.


How to write neatly with pen and paper? A while ago, I decided to learn to type with 10 fingers, rather than 2 (two index fingers).

I followed a strict prescription of how to place the hand, and where to place each finger, etc.
I learned how to type with 10 fingers, which has significantly improved my typing.

Now I am considering to also improve my writing efficiency/effectiveness regarding the more ancient art of written words (pen and paper).

Is there some method, some set of prescriptions for how to place the hand and move the fingers, for writing neatly, clearly, and quickly with pen and paper?

My daughter has Cerebral Palsy and writes quite well thanks to a few tricks she learned from an Occupational Therapist.

Get a fat pencil or you can get a plastic sleeve that goes over a pencil.
Use a soft pencil lead available in many stores, especially art stores.  I recommend HB, or 2B.  It is easier to control a soft pencil.
Rest your forearm on a table when writing, not just the palm of your hand for better control.

This works for anyone, not just folks with physical issues.  Now that I am getting older, this works for me, too. Once your brain gets the message, these tricks become less important.


What types of large plastic sheets can I draw/paint on? I typically draw on Stonehenge paper from rolls, cut size: 48" x 60+". I like working big but it's horribly expensive to frame anything that large so I have been looking into various plastic drafting films which are less fragile than paper and can be exhibited without framing.

Can anyone suggest types of plastics I could use? I have also been wondering about rigid sheet plastic too – that will stand up to being installed, moved, etc. That would be ideal. I use oil stick (which dries in 10,000 years, apparently), so I would likely have to adjust my medium.

Yupo, various polyester-based drafting films and Tyvek are some of the options I've found so far. Each has unique characteristics and all are (apparently) archival.


How can I properly dye rose petals? I recently received an abundance of white roses that I really don't have any use for.  I am looking to dye them black for a sporting event to match team colors.

I realize with most projects that if you start with a white color, you usually need some type of primer if you want to get a good dark color.  Is this the same with rose petals?

I am curious how to dye a white rose or white rose petals to black.

Is it possible to dye white roses a deep black?  Would I need a primer for this?

I discovered that by simply cutting the stems and adding black dye to the vase and simply placing the roses in the vase will color them black.  I tried this and it works great.

  You can dye the flowers by placing the stems in dye-enhanced water


What are the benefits of using an overhand grip? There seems to be two prominent grips for drawing that I have seen - tripod and overhand. I've used a basic tripod grip all my life for writing but have only just recently come across overhand. From what I've read, basic tripod appears better for small details, whereas overhand seems to be better for larger strokes (correct me if I've got this wrong).
Which joint should I mostly be using with an overhand grip? (wrist / elbow / shoulder / a combination).
Is this grip practical for painting? (or is it exclusive to dry medium)
Are there other benefits to using an overhand grip, apart from large flowing strokes?

N.b. I have generally seen the overhand grip at a larger angle to the drawing surface - a similar angle to the underhand tripod in this image.

The tripod grips are used mostly for drawing "lines", whether plain writing of text, or drawing contours.
However, the overhand grip is used mostly for filling areas, e.g. backgrounds. This grip keeps the tip away from the drawing surface, allowing the side of the pencil (or drawing tool in general) to contact the paper. The result is a more uniform spread of the "color".

Which joint should I mostly be using with an overhand grip? (wrist / elbow / shoulder / a combination).

It depends on the several factors, e.g.:

your position on the chair;
the size and shape of the drawing area;
the specifics of the "pencil";
what is comfortable for you;
what result you want to get; moving different joints results in different spread of the "color";
others.

Is this grip practical for painting? (or is it exclusive to dry medium)

It depends on the brush. If you use normal brush and any tripod grip, applying slightly more pressure results in the hairs bending and getting a result similar to the overhand grip.

Are there other benefits to using an overhand grip, apart from large flowing strokes?

Painting related: A special situation is when you need to add color inside a large, still wet area. In that case you will probably rest the wrist somewhere outside the painting, and use an overhand grip to apply the color to the desired area. If you need to draw a line in this situation, then it is quite likely that you will need to use a very thin brush, maybe even one with a bent "neck".


Where can I get brown packing paper mesh? I've been working on a collage with some packaging paper that I received in a shipment from somewhere and I'd like to get some more.  There are some pictures of this kind of paper in Google Images and it is referred to as Brown Packaging Paper mesh:

Wondering whether anyone here might have some suggestions as to how I could get some more of this.

When I want larger volumes of packing material, I tend to look to two sources:

Self-storage facilities. A lot of these places offer boxes and other packing/storage material and may offer cardboard options as opposed to traditional bubble wrap.
Self-moving companies like U-haul, amongst others, who can supply a lot of the basic packing and storage material for a move.

Beyond that, office supply like Grand & Toy, Staples, etc. would be next on my list. Actually, given some convenience, they might be first. :)


How can I cover books with contact paper without bubbles? I have to cover some books with adhesive contact paper. Although I try to do it slowly and with the help of a ruler, I systematically get some bubbles between the book and the cover.

Is there a good trick to do that properly?

Try removing the paper off the plastic foil during the process, not before like removing a little bit of foil, sticking it on the edge, then pulling away the paper flat on the book.


How can 'translucent' polymer clay become really translucent, if possible at all? I have some 'translucent' polymer clay, which more looks like white than translucent. I hoped the baking process turned the clay translucent or transparent, but no luck. I made some very small objects, baked them for approx. 30 minutes at probably slightly more than 100°C/212°F, and took them out of the oven when the 30 minutes passed.

Should I have done something different to get the clay translucent (it was not much different from before it was baked)? Or is it simply not possible at all?

Based on this blog post about comparing the various brands of translucent polymer clay, it sounds like the translucent is only apparent when the clay is incredibly thin. The author prepares the clay by running it through a pasta machine.

  I compared every polymer clay brand’s translucent that I could find. I conditioned each clay, carefully avoiding the introduction of bubbles. I rolled sample sheets in the thickest setting (#1) on my Atlas pasta machine and the thinnest (#8) that I could make (the machine goes to a #9, but I’ve never had clay come through that alive). The thick setting is about 1/8″ (3mm) and the thinnest is about the thickness of a playing card.

The thick setting, when baked, makes the clay barely translucent in all brands, so if your figures are more than 1/8" (3mm) thick, you aren't going to notice the translucency at all.

As you can see in the image, you can just barely make out that there is text behind the clay... which is much more visible in the thin clay:


How can I make solid fake soil? I am looking to make fake soil. I would like the end result to look as close as possible to real soil, but be made up of solid parts that do not create goo, dust or other residue. I have tried coffee with glue but it is not solid enough. What should I use for this?

I presume you are talking about model-building. You can try mixing sawdust and sand with some burnt sienna acrylic. Apply it to your surface while the paint is still wet. When the paint has dried, drybrush it with a lighter brown over it.


Printing to be viewed at 45deg I have a sort of shadowbox frame. I want to print something (a mountainous landscape) so that it's best viewed when the frame leaned back from the observer at 45 degrees. Is stretching (to 200% height) the best way to achieve this?

I have a model-prop that will stand up straight (-45deg from the backdrop) in front of it.

I am not particularly creative, or close to well-versed in artistic terminology, which is painful when I'm trying to create something.

Terribly sorry for the bad demo but this is what I'm thinking of

Black is the frame
Red is the picture
Purple is the the prop
Orange is a triangle of wood to hold the prop up
And blue is the support for holding the frame up.

Your model is quite clear, although the question is less so. You ask if increasing the height of the image in the background to 200% is the best way.

The best way for what purpose?

If your objective is to maintain an approximation of the original image, the number would not be 200%.

Consider that the red line extends below the forward lip of the shadowbox. Your measurement point should begin at the intersection of the orange triangle and the red line. From that point, the correct calculation is to use the square root of two times the original height, presuming the 45° mentioned in the question.

For angles other than 45° it is necessary to use a bit of trigonometry.


What are requirements for ballpoint/rollerball colour pens for art-grade drawing? Some days ago I saw incredible coloured pen-drawings in some exhibition. I would like to try this medium myself. But before buying some pens I would like to get some requirements for ballpoint/rollerball pens generally for art drawing. So, immediate questions are:

Ballpoint vs rollerball? As far as I understand, then the ink makes the only difference between them, rollerballs' ink are more fluid and are coming out more easily. I guess, that rollerballs pens are more appropriate for the art.
What width should I choose? As I understand, then the smallest width - 0.5mm - gives the greatest flexibility and I guess that even thinner pens are not available.
What about color permanence, does art pens have labels for it?
What color palette is advisable?

Maybe there are other factors to take into account?

This question is about general requirements and it is not about concrete brands. But still - I have heard about Faber-Castell CX color ballpoint 10-color set, but their homepage does not show such product. Nor other larger suppliers of art materials have such category. Maybe there are some advices how to seek further the best pens for art drawing?

I can definitely recommend a fine asian gel pen (kind of rollerball). It is precise and very easy to use, unlike many other tools I've tried so far.
It's a perfect affordable tool for detailed drawings, like miniatures, doodling, pattern fillings, i.e. things that require precise,
fine strokes and points. Of course one can draw anything, but bigger areas will take some time to fill them out.
0.5 mm is the most common stroke width for handwriting.

For serious work a lot of ink is needed, so I personally use and recommend pens with standard-sized mass-produced refills.

Pens: for a start go for something like Muji or Muji clone:

This image above shows Muji clone - these are compatible with standard asian refills (13 cm). Original Muji are maybe better quality, but I am not sure about refills' compatibility--- I think original ones require some special sized original refills.
Note: I don't recommend or not recommend this brand, it is just an example for quicker understanding of choice aspects.

You can buy all such thing online e.g. on Aliexpress. Search for e.g. "gel pen refills". Beware that the quality may vary. Buying small amounts by different sellers is a good strategy to find good quality product.

There are 2 most common asian refill sizes, below is a photo for reference.

The longer one at the bottom (~13 cm) is the most common standard asian refill and it can have needle tip or bullet tip. Needle tipped pens can have finer stroke--- 0.38 mm, but that depends, you must test to see.

These 13 cm refills are always available by various sellers on Aliexpress, and can be found in different colors.

The shorter one (~11 cm) has a bigger volume, lasts longer, but I have seen them only with black/red/blue ink, 0.5-0.7 mm stroke.
Also I believe this type is more likely to be found in Europe & US shops.
It might have different design, e.g. come in a metal case:

Ink consistency & permanence

Higher price and known brands might be better in this regard, but anyway, always test it before buying big amounts.
Possible problems: bad ink consistency or ball defects. Too fluid ink is hard to work with especially for detailed drawings. This can result in daubs, uneven strokes, etc. Too viscous ink is also bad, because you will need to apply pressure to draw, and that is even worse
than too fluid ink--- pens with too fluid ink can be at least used to roughly fill big areas. Good test is to make dots on a paper - just gently touch and release the tip on the surface - fine, equally sized dots should appear.
Most inks are permanent, but if you want to preserve the drawing, protect it from water and mechanical damage.

Colors

Finding good colors is a real problem.
Usually there are 3 colors in mass production: black, blue, red. Green, violet, magenta are quite common too. Obviously black is the most demanded for drawing.
Other colors are more rare/expensive. On Aliexpress colored pens/refills are sold in bundles, normally without specifec color choice.
For specific colors--- better try contacting the seller and ask.
For my work, I had problems finding good natural colors, like specific shades of brown and green.

It is also feasable to inject ink into the tube with a syringe - there are many good color inks sold in bottles for fountain pens, but I am not sure how it will work out. Currently I am planning some experiments with tube refilling, so maybe I'll update this answer in a while.


How can I keep my warm hands from making polymer clay too soft? I have unnaturally warm hands, which heat up very quickly as I use them, to the point of sweating when playing video games or sculpting!

This affects my polymer clay, because my hands make it too soft to work with.

I've tried using a desk fan blowing on my hands, which works, but it often cools the clay as well, making it too stiff!

What can I do? Are there methods of cooling my hands that won't cool the sculpture? Are there tools I can use that suitably substitute for my fingers?

I might try two things, one handle the clay as little as required, the less you touch it the less heat it will absorb.  And maybe try something like Wristband coolers.  The link is to one brand, but the idea is that you can cool down your whole body with these.  It is a band that wraps your wrist (where you have a lot blood vessels).  I'll run my wrists under cool water on hot summer days and it will cool me off just as well as a bucket over the head, without the mess. So being able to cool down your hands should be possible and might work well enough to get you where you need.