In 1928, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania hosted the birth of a man that would soon change the face of modern art. Named Andrew Warhola, this was a man that was destined to rule Pop art and define its parameters, or most aptly, blur its lines. Andy Warhol paintings today are considered as priceless collectors items and even replicas of his artwork are considered as great additions to any home.

What fueled Warhol's success were his paintings of pop culture and icons and this series began in the 1960's. His first series of paintings were silkscreen images of cans of Campbell's soup. This representation of everyday items was what spurred the pop art movement then. Warhol was seemingly showing the people how obsessed they were with consumerism and gave those everyday objects an iconic feel. Aside from the Campbell's Soup Cans, Warhol also used other brands and images like boxes of Brillo, Coke bottles and even the American dollar bill.

The technique Warhol used, silk-screening, allowed him to do multiple images and use different colors and variances in the effect. This is what catapulted Warhol to stardom in the pop art world.

Already gaining recognition for his work, Andy Warhol then moved on from painting consumer images to concentrating on subjects, which depicted the images of the popular figures in America in that era. This is when the famous paintings of Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Onassis and Elvis Presley came to be. By that time, Andy Warhol's paintings skyrocketed to popularity and he was producing paintings at a fast pace.

Exhibits of his works were being done everywhere and even overseas. Every image that he portrayed in his works became instant icons and he's paintings were very much in demand. Warhol would soon use this new fund fame to cross the lines between commercialism and fine art, for which some people would wholeheartedly accept.

Warhol's innovation in his works of art was by no means stagnant. Although he continued to make portraits of famous figures, moving on to Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and others, he let go of his repetitive style that helped start his career. He still produced very colorful art works and moved on to different subjects that would shock yet delight the Art world.

Warhol's paintings though were not entirely focused on the life of the rich and famous, he also dubbed with other themes and had some series of paintings as well that dealt with the social aspect of life. His series the death and disaster used heavily edited photographs and painted racism, electric chair executions, car accidents and such. Although these were not as popular or as well accepted as his other paintings, the series still is a part of his genuine artistry.

Andy Warhol's love for his pets also inspired a series of paintings dubbed as cats and dogs. An animal lover himself, Warhol painted cats that were photographed by a renowned cat photographer. And being a dog owner, he had two dogs at the least; he also produced images of his dogs.

Today, many Andy Warhol paintings are in great demand and command prices amounting to millions of dollars. His birthplace in Pennsylvania houses the Andy Warhol Museum and many collectors from all over the world hang their prized Andy Warhol paintings on their walls.

Artists find the body of women as an intriguing and unique subject matter, well, this generally gets the approval of a lot of men, artist or not. Because of this, body painting with women subjects has become popular especially in today's times. There is even a festival for body painting and painters from all over the world are looking forward to join these events.

Body painting is considered a delicate art form. In fact, this kind of painting was developed many years ago. Tribes of our yesteryears performed body painting during special ceremonies. Some tribes do body painting merely for aesthetic purposes. However, our ancestors did not use paints like the ones sold in markets today.  They used natural pigments and clay to do body painting.

Today, body painting is still being practiced, particularly with Mehndi. This body painting form makes use of henna dyes and this is very popular in the western countries. An example is a semi-permanent henna tattoo.

During the 1960's, body painting was very popular as an art form. Back then, the social acceptability of this art form was always in question and in fact, experts conduct endless discussions about it. More often, body painting involves nudity and because of this, the art form is questioned by the norms of the society.

In body painting, you don't just use any kind of paint. The use of body paints is restricted to some guidelines - the paint should be non-allergenic and non-toxic. Artists should only use paints that can be easily washed with water and ordinary soaps.

As mentioned earlier, there are semi-permanent body paints like those used in Mehndi. It uses natural and synthetic henna. The natural shade is available in brown color while the synthetic is black. For safe body painting, one should use the natural henna or the brown dye. If you use the black synthetic dye, allergic reactions can occur. However, if you want to use the black dye, a patch test should first be conducted to make sure that it is safe to be used by the subject.

So now you know a bit of body painting's background. If you want to practice body painting, you can enroll in certain classes. Presently, nudity in works of art is but natural. It is more acceptable now unlike many years ago. Women are no longer ashamed to be used as subjects in body painting. Besides, most women are paid with huge sums of money with a single session.

For starters, you should practice body painting with someone that you're comfortable with. A friend or even a loved one can do but it will be a lot easier if you practice in a class so that you don't have to worry about the woman subject you need.

Body painting is a special kind of art that requires years of practice before you can become an expert in the field. While you're still in the learning process, you have to continue your research. The Internet can provide you with all the resources you need. You simply have to spend enough time to research and study so that you will know all the valuable information you need.

You should be open to the possibility of nude body painting with women subjects. Your mind should be free from inhibitions so that you too can create a beautiful work of art. In time, you will be ready to join the festival for body painting where your skills can be recognized all over the world.

Face painting designs are becoming more and more popular these days. It is not only an activity for adults but also for young children. You can have a great time with your friends and other family members by doing face painting. If you want to learn face painting, you should practice often and while you're at it, you should practice on designs that everyone else likes, especially you and your child.

Quarreling and teasing is ordinary among children. If you teach your child to do face painting designs, which are not that, popular, other children may tease him or her. So to avoid this circumstance, you have to research on the most requested and most popular designs for children face painting.

It would take experience and extensive research to know the different designs that you can use for face painting among children. But that was years ago. Now, you will simply type the keywords that you want to research and you'll get instant results. For instance, you type 'children's face painting designs'. After several seconds, the results will be displayed and you will simply choose a link that will lead you to a certain website that dabbles with the designs you need. By researching online, you will be able to find out the popular designs amongst children and not only that; you can also find designs that suit adults and teens.

You're quite lucky because you don't have to go through extensive research just to find out about the different designs that are available. For little girls, you can do designs like butterfly, princess, fantasy, fairy, bunny rabbit, ladybug, flowers, rainbow, witch, and cat. For little boys, you can do a spider design, monster, tribal, robot, skull, pirate, reptile, tiger, bat, and puppy dog.

Those are just some of the designs that you can use. It may be hard at first because children can't paint accurately. It would greatly help if you can get a copy of the design online. You see, trying to imagine what the design would look like is hard for children. But if they have a reference or basis, they will surely be able to get the detailed features of the design.

There are some websites that allow free downloads of the pictures of the designs and there are also those that charge a small fee. Oftentimes, you can get the best pictures and designs on paid websites rather than the free sites. But if you try to scour the free sites, you might be able to find a design that your child will like. It would also be best if you conduct your research together with your child so that he or she can join in the selection of the design. This will serve as your bonding time and who knows, you can create happy memories together that your child will remember for a lifetime.

The interests of children can change easily so be ready with other beautiful and eye catching designs. But if you're just starting out, you can concentrate first in the first ten most requested designs. If your child can't paint the design alone, you can help him or her. As parents, you should also practice face painting because you can't possibly teach your child something that you don't know yet.

The key to making great face painting designs is practice. So keep practicing and one day, you and your child will be an expert in face painting.

There are certain terms in painting that are not easily understood by the ordinary people. For instance, do you know what contemporary painting is? Well, these are the paintings produced after the Second World War up to the present times.

Contemporary painting is also called modern paintings. It is of exquisite style and represents modern art. The modern artists of today have been creating different types of paintings and you can find them in galleries. Oil paintings are one of the most expensive contemporary paintings because of its high quality. However, most of contemporary art is abstract painting. Aside from those two types of painting, paintings of still life are also greatly appreciated up to the present.

You can find a lot of museums around the globe that house modern paintings. Oftentimes, exhibits are held to feature the paintings of modern artists. Through the exhibits, contemporary paintings flourish. You can find museums in New York, Houston, Paris, and Fort. These are the most popular museums that feature contemporary paintings. If you want to see actual modern arts, you just have to visit these different museums.

There are many modern artists of contemporary paintings and most of them have created abstract paintings with various themes. The colors used in contemporary paintings are mixed in a very artistic way. You definitely have to see the twentieth and nineteenth century paintings because it's worth every penny. If you can't afford original paintings, you can purchase replicas of it online. At present, there are now companies that sell replicas of the popular original contemporary paintings. These replicas are more affordable and look just like the original.

There are also centers exclusively for contemporary arts such as paintings and you can find them in Cincinnati and Virginia.

Art galleries sell modern paintings. They both have the original and replicas. You can visit the art galleries or you can simply log on to the Internet and visit the websites of the galleries. Busy people who don't have the time to visit the galleries can shop for their favorite paintings online. This is much easier and faster. Not only that, you have a variety of choices and you can browse on the entire collection of the galleries without leaving your homes or your office. Contemporary oil paintings are truly expensive especially the originals and so you can opt to purchase the replicas instead. As mentioned earlier, you can get them at a much cheaper price. If you love to collect paintings, try to visit the different art galleries and see what's in store for you.

If you have a long-time favorite painting, you can send its photo to one of the galleries and make a purchase request. You can easily find their sites by doing a search on the Internet. Find a link that will connect you to your desired art gallery or a certain company that can cater to your needs.

All it takes is diligence in doing your search and you can find a good contemporary painting that you can display in your home or even in your office. You can either purchase the paintings for investment purposes or for your personal pleasure. Contemporary paintings are part of history and if you own one, it's something that you can be proud of. So what are you waiting for? Visit the modern art galleries today.

When we paint, we release some sort of energy within ourselves, we express our emotions and we share with other people how we perceive life as we see it with our own eyes. Also, paintings doesn't have to be exclusively enjoyed by the artists when we paint them, but more so, paintings are for the people who see them, to appreciate them and to understand the beauty of what surrounds us.

Usually, when painters create their works of art, they get their inspiration from what they see, be it people, landscapes, trees, animals, flowers and almost anything there is that we see, and some times, what we don't see. Generally, painters see the beauty of nature and transfer this unto a canvas or any other medium.

For those who love flower paintings, you are in luck because many artists choose this theme for their works of art. Still life and flower paintings are very popular themes and many homes have these types of painting inside. In fact, you will be able to choose numerous types of flora and find that there are paintings done about them already, albeit in different styles and moods, some can be bright and happy while some can be dark and droopy, this all depends on what the artist wants to convey.

Aside from just an appreciative audience for flower paintings, all aspiring artists can use flowers as the themes of their first paintings. The great thing about choosing flowers as your theme is it would be hard to run out of subjects. With so many types of flora available, you can do a variety of flower paintings. In fact, with the orchid alone, you can choose from the many types of orchids there are.

Also, flowers are very colorful so that means you can have a very vibrant looking work of art. What you need to understand is that painting flowers may seem very simple, but to make them look utterly magnificent, you need to learn how to play with your curves and lines to make them look vibrant and real. Play with the lighting as well so you can create a flower painting that seems like you could already smell the flower.

If you want to learn how to paint flowers with the greatest of ease, there are many books and DVD's that you can refer to and discover the secrets in creating realistic looking flowers. If you want, you can also join art classes in your local area. If not, there are online art schools that can help you discover the fun world of flower painting.

But why flowers? Each delicate curve, line, shape and color that goes into flowers is a challenge in itself. Nature has made the flowers to provide it with color in a natural way. Men have always been fascinated with flowers and this is evident in many homes as there is usually an image or two found inside of them.

Sure photographs can be blown up and framed and can give a more realistic feel, but there's just something about flower paintings that can never be captured by the lens.  Also, if you painted the flower yourself, you will derive a lot of satisfaction knowing that you have created your own personal masterpiece.

Ever since any man can remember, painting is both a vocation and a hobby. Since the inception of painting, it has evolved to an immense level. Various styles and techniques were incorporated into painting and so it became very lovable to the masses. Do you know some famous paintings? These are the works of world-renowned artists.

Painters have experimented with a wide range of styles, techniques, themes, textures, and media. However, only art lovers recognized a few of these experiments. After some time, the experiments resulted to the establishment of different cults. The process was able to produce talented painters from different parts of the world.

In such a short time, some of the talented painters became painting masters. All the works of these famous and talented painters were exceptional in terms of technique, accuracy, and look however, not all their works were loved by the masses. Very few of their paintings made an indelible impact to the hearts of people especially the lovers of art. The works of these famous painters were loved and became immensely famous in different periods.

You can find thousands of great works but there are only very few considered as the greatest. Both the experts and masses revered these greatest works. A very good example is Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. It is considered immortal in the world of art and millions of people were intrigued by Mona Lisa's captivating smile. Salvador Dali became famous of his painting Melting Watches. If you try to put the greatest paintings in history on a list, it is rather long.

Famous paintings differ in styles and techniques, as well as the media being used. Judgment though depends on the viewers and they will be the ones who'll decide which art painting is among the greatest.

Here are a few of the famous paintings and their artists - Ajanta Murals by the Vakaka Kings of India; Starry Night by Van Gogh; Mona Lisa and Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci; Last Judgment by Michelangelo; Sunrise Impression by Monet; Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso; Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali; and Madonna and Child.

These are some of the few famous paintings known all over the world. These painters had other works but somehow, the people didn't like them much as much as their more famous works. Despite this fact, the names of these greatest painters are all over the pages of history books and art books. Even little children in art classes know their famous works.

The beauty of these famous paintings has withstood the test of time and even after many years of existence, the works of art were not forgotten. If you try to conduct a research on the net, you will find out more about the other famous paintings and how priceless they are. It is really an honor to be considered as a great painter. Aspiring painters should therefore work hard and who knows, one day their works will also become famous.

Paintings that become famous come rarely in a lifetime for an artist and yet, their names will be recognized long after they are gone. Let this be an inspiration to would-be painters. The greatest painters didn't give up in perfecting their skills until they were able to impress the people and experts. If you have this attitude, perhaps you may become a famous great painter as well. Paint, paint, paint. master your art and you should continue doing this as long as the people around you loves your work.

Today, getting your image immortalized comes easy with today's technology. With digital cameras, computers and digital printers, you will be able to create a great portrait of the photos you take. However, if you want elegance in the way you preserve your loved one's images, getting the pictures painted, as a portrait is the way to go.

This method of preserving images has existed for centuries. In fact, it is the only way to preserve the image for posterity. A good example of a portrait painting is the Mona Lisa created by the Italian artist and inventor, Leonardo da Vinci. He created this portrait of a woman with a mysterious smile in the early 1500s and is still in very good condition.

Rembrandt is another famous artist that creates portraits. Some other famous works are in the National Portrait Museum in Washington D.C. while others can be seen in some of the famous museums all over the world, such as the Hermitage, and the Louvre.

If you want to have your portrait painted, you will see that there are quite a lot of portrait artists today that can copy your picture and immortalize it on canvas. They will be able to accurately paint you or your loved ones picture with utmost realism.

However, because you wouldn't want to sit on a stool for many hours just to get your portrait painted, you might as well get on your best pose, get your picture taken, print it and present the picture to the artist. They will be able to copy the image in the photo you took by painting it on the canvass.

You can choose what you want to be painted on canvass. It can be your image, or it can be the whole family. In fact, it can even be your pet dog or cat. Whatever you want to get painted on canvass, you can be sure that the talented artists today will be able to copy it.

Portrait painting is usually done through oil painting. Oil painting can let you create realistic images and is usually the number one method of creating portraits. Even the glitter of your eyes can be copied with oil painting.

You can also get it done through watercolor painting. It will have the same realistic effect but most artists prefer oil painting, as watercolor portraits are often very hard to produce.

Whenever you are looking for an artist to get your picture on canvass, you might want to shop for one first by taking a look at their work. You have to remember that some artists today are not quite as talented when it comes to portrait painting. Some can paint realistic fruits or flowers, but cannot really quite do faces as well.

Before you commit and get the work started, try to ask them for examples of their work. By doing so, you will be able to know what to expect once the painting is finished.

These are the things that you have to remember whenever you plan on getting you or your family's image on canvass. By knowing about the work of the artist you plan on hiring, you can be sure of the quality and accuracy of the portrait you are planning to get made.

Halloween is fun both for adults and young kids. If you've enjoyed painting pumpkins with your family and friends, you will surely enjoy face painting during this special occasion. You can scare the wits out of young kids and even adults if you paint scary faces once they knock on your door and ask the same old line - 'trick or treat'.

Here are some excellent ideas for Halloween face painting.

Pumpkin - you can paint a pumpkin on both sides of your cheeks. The pumpkin should be bright orange in color. The nose, mouth, and eyes can be painted in black. The outline and ridges of pumpkin design should be light gray.

If you want, you can make your whole face look like a pumpkin. The base should be orange and for the cheekbones, you have to apply a darker shade of orange. Make a triangle shape over your eyes and paint it black. For your lips and nose, you must paint it black as well.

Skull - the skull design should occupy the whole face. The base should be white and after you've painted the white paint, you can paint a bright red color for the lips. Make an outline of fangs on both sides of your mouth in light gray. The fill should be white and the tip should be painted in red so that it will look like blood. Use smoky gray for the eyelids and exaggerate your eyebrows with sweeping strokes in black color.

Bat - make a bat design over your whole face. Just like the skull design, use white color as base. Above your nose and your forehead, paint the face of the bat in black and light gray for the eyeballs. The body of the bat should be painted over your nose ending at the nostril's base. Use different shades of black for the body. The wings cover your eyes and your mid-cheek. You can paint some definitions by using light gray on the wings. Over your lips, paint exaggerated curls upward to the corners. Use your imagination and you can create a realistic bat design.

These are just four great ideas that you can use. if you want, you can obtain other painting ideas online. There are many helpful websites you can visit to get some great ideas for Halloween face painting. Visit the different sites and if you're diligent with your search, you can find pictures of the designs. With a picture to refer to, it will be a lot easier to paint because you already have a clear idea of what the design will look like. Find a design that you like so that it will be easier to paint.

You can even paint your own face if you like, but this will a bit difficult. Get the whole family involved and paint each other's face. But before anything else, you have to buy face paints, paintbrushes, and other painting materials that you will need. You can purchase them in paint stores or in craft stores.

Celebrate Halloween with your family and friends. Give life to this special occasion by doing some face painting. Just remember to wash the paint off your face before you go to sleep to avoid any irritations. Have fun this Halloween season by painting your face in different designs.

Man, as its essence of his or her humanity, is constantly fascinated and curious in all sorts of things. Because of this, man was able to create many wonders in this world and he can use them to his own advantage. Many years ago, man also took interest in painting. In fact, you can see paintings all over the world.

During the prehistoric times, painting was already being practiced. Many cave paintings were found in Mexico, India, and France. Today, the cave paintings in Adamgarh and Bhimbetka are still clearly visible. Even the colors used by the prehistoric people look lively and fresh.

Surrounding regions such as meadows, moors, rivers, hills, clouds, skies, seas, people, birds, and animals reflect human disposition. The vibrancy and colorfulness of the entire surroundings served as man's inspiration to recreate nature's magic on caves, rocks, canvas, walls, paper, cloths, and many other surfaces. Paintings are given variety through the use of various media such as watercolors, oil colors, pastel, and a lot more.

Paintings are considered as art forms. Through the years, the works of outstanding artists were considered phenomenal. Great painters included Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, M. F. Husain, and Pablo Picasso. These painters had their own specializations and they used different styles as shown on their paintings.

Paintings have existed for thousands of years now and people have witnessed the emergence of diverse painting styles. Very few painters became popular but this does not discourage other ordinary painters to stop making works of art.

Here are the recognized painting styles - Fauvism, Constructivism, Abstract Art, Classicism, Aestheticism, Aboriginal Art, Art Nouveau, Art Brut, Byzantine Art, Baroque, Cubism, Dragging, Dada, Encaustic, Expressionism, Gothic, Impressionism, Marbling, Mannerism, Modernism, Minimalism, Neoclassicism, Primitivism, Stippling, Ragging, Realism, Surrealism, Spattering, Symbolism, Wood Graining, and Theorem.

A lot of artists love folk and tribal paintings because of their distinct touch. The natural colors, simplicity, and the local themes being used attracted many art admirers. If you visit India, you will find a lot of folk and tribal paintings dating hundreds of years. When you get the chance to travel to India, try to visit Bihar and Mithila's Madhubani paintings, Maharashtra's Warli paintings, Orissa's Pata Chitra, and Rajasthan's Phad paintings. If you ask tourist guides, you will find out that there are still many painting art works that you can check out.

Whether you're a painter or simply an art lover, you will surely find peace and serenity by just staring at the paintings. You can only appreciate the beauty of paintings if you know a true work of art. Sometimes, it's quite hard to understand the meaning of paintings. For instance, not all individuals appreciate an abstract painting. It will depend on the individual's taste and perception.

Some people love to collect paintings. It can add to your home's beauty and overall design. You can find expensive paintings, as well as cheap ones. If you want, you can shop for paintings online because you will have a wide range of choices there. There are also local painting shops that you can visit. But if you're really into painting, perhaps you might want to try it on your own. Find a suitable medium and work on your own painting.

Paintings are already part of human existence. People should learn to appreciate it. Research more about paintings online and see how they have developed and evolved for thousands of years.

Japan is known for its extraordinary customs and traditions. In everything the Japanese people do, there are rituals that look so elegant. Even the art of painting in Japan has its very own distinctive style. Influenced by the Chinese, you will see that Japanese paintings will give elegance and grace to any room. Even if the paintings aren't really that realistic, the colors used and the details look so exquisite.

In the past, Japanese houses, especially houses of noblemen were adorned with paintings. You will see that the masterpieces of Japanese paintings are very popular nowadays that some can even reach millions of dollars in its price tag.

The great thing about Japanese paintings is that it creates a certain grace to any room you put it in. It is very elegant to look at and the colors are fantastically well balanced that it provides harmony to the room that it is hanged on.

Although Western style painting now influences some paintings in Japan, it is still very distinctive and majority of the style comes from Japan and other eastern influences.

If you want to add certain elegance in your living room or in your office, Japanese paintings are the way to go. With it, you will be able to entertain your guests and also introduce the eastern culture.

Because Japanese paintings are very rich in color and use a distinct style, you will be able to see that the natural colors are so well blended that it will have great effect on any lighting situations.

Japanese paintings use warm colors and mix it with vibrant ones.

Also, the great thing about Japanese paintings is that the lines are also very balanced accordingly that it will provide a great effect to the environment. Whether it is a nature painting or portrait that you want, you can be sure that Japanese paintings will be able to awe and capture its audience.

Japanese paintings are so well made that it has captured the hearts of many people. By taking one look at a Japanese painting, you will see that it will create a sense of space and aesthetic beauty to any room you place it in.

Popular types of Japanese paintings have subjects, such as landscapes, famous Japanese places, spectacular scenery, and everyday activities of Japanese people in the past as well as beautiful geishas or women.

Japanese paintings will provide you with a sense of harmony and space. Just the sheer beauty of Japanese paintings is enough to capture your heart and will definitely make you want to own one.

These are the things that you have to remember about Japanese paintings. If you really want an authentic Japanese painting, you will want to try visiting Japan. Here, you will see that there are a lot of paintings to choose from made by real professional Japanese artists. However, there are also some Japanese artists who make their work in the United States. Some can even make it in Japan and is available for sale online.

Whichever you choose and whatever your taste is, you can be sure that Japanese paintings will have the right painting for you. With a Japanese painting hanging in your living room, you can be sure that it will not only awe your guests in astonishment of the sheer beauty of the painting, but also provide harmony and elegance to the room you place it in.