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783

Summary:
Use these easy art shopping tips to find amazing ancient art replicas at affordable prices…

Keywords:
ancient art replicas,christian art, buddhist art, buy buddhist art, foodogs, greek art, buy greek art

Article Body:
If you have a love for ancient artwork and statues, you’ll find it much more affordable to buy ancient art replicas instead of original works. But how and where do you find ancient art replicas? Use these shopping tips to find great replicas easily and at affordable prices.

Before you shop for art replicas, know what you’re looking for and why you need a specific type of art. Do you want a replica of an ancient painting or statue? Do you want art from a specific theme such as ancient Christian art, Greek art, or Buddhist art? How will you use the replica – to decorate, to make a statement, or to place in a religious establishment? Knowing what you want and why you want it is crucial to finding the right ancient art replica at the right price.

*Tip: Buy art replicas for enjoyment, not merely investment. You’ll feel better about your purchase and you can admire the work of art for years to come.

Anyone Can Buy Art Replicas

Many people assume you must be an art expert or a frequent art buyer to buy ancient art replicas. This is not true. Anyone can buy art replicas once they know how to shop, what to look for, and where to shop. But keep in mind that doing a little research in advance can save you a great amount of time and trouble. If you know what type of art replicas you’re seeking, and if you know a little bit about replica quality, then you’re ready to shop.

Compare Sources

Don’t buy the first ancient art replica you see. Shop around at a variety of sources to see what each has to offer. Compare quality and pricing as well as rarity of the items. Some art replicas are sold by the thousands to the public while others are limited in the number sold. If you’re looking for art replicas as an investment, find out how many will be sold of that item.

You can shop around in your local area or nearby cities at art galleries, statue outlets, and local art fairs to see what’s available. You might also come across ancient art replicas at garage sales or thrift shops, though this can be very time consuming unless you are lucky.

An easy way to shop around is by using the Internet. There are websites that specialize in ancient art replicas including paintings and statues. Art replicas can be purchased online and shipped to your door with little effort. But be careful not to be taken by websites that use the words “copies” and “replicas” interchangeably. Copies are not always the same as replicas, though they can be similar. If you want a true ancient art replica, look for hints of authenticity such as “created from a mold or cast” or “hand-painted to closely match the original.” Wall plaques may state “made from a casting stone” or something similar. These indicate that the artwork was re-created, not merely copied on a printer or in a factory.

Online Search Tips for Ancient Art Replicas

When searching for ancient art replicas online, be very specific in your searches. For example, if you want a Christian art wall plaque of the Archangel Gabriel, type this specifically in your search. If you need to buy Greek art replicas such as an Aphrodite Statue or a Greek Classic wall plate, use these specific terms for better search results. Or you might use more general terms if you’re not sure what to look for, such as “buy Greek art,” “buy Buddhist art,” or “buy Christian art.”

While searching online, look for websites that specialize in ancient art replicas. You’re more likely to find what you’re looking for without having to sift through hundreds of other products. Specialty sites might also offer higher quality replicas because they’re able to spend more time and effort on quality and customer service. Whether you’re buying a Greek Sphinx replica or a statue of FooDogs, you’re likely to find more personalized service from a specialist.

If you’re not sure about the quality of a replica or how it was created, be sure to ask questions before buying. Ask if the replica is merely a copy or if it was re-created by hand to closely match the original. Also, ask for clarifications when you see the word “reproduction.” This could mean the product is a handcrafted replica or a copy, depending on the website or dealer.

Whether you’re shopping for Greek art, Christian art, Buddhist art, or other items, these few steps can help you find what you’re looking for at the right price. Start adding ancient art replicas to your collection or decor today!

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939

Summary:
Figure drawing is challenging. The act of rendering the human form accurately on paper can be intimidating and frustrating if you try to tackle everything all at once. It is for this reason that you should take things one-step at a time and most importantly, practice! The following article will provide you with some of the basics for understanding how to approach your next figure drawing project.

Keywords:

Article Body:
Figure drawing is challenging. The act of rendering the human form accurately on paper can be intimidating and frustrating if you try to tackle everything all at once. It is for this reason that you should take things one-step at a time and most importantly, practice! The following article will provide you with some of the basics for understanding how to approach your next figure drawing project.

The very first thing you will need obviously is your drawing supplies. Drawing does not have to be a very expensive art form. You can get started with a pencil and paper if you so desire, but there are certain supplies that will produce better results. It is quite difficult to recommend the perfect materials as every artist is different and therefore will have different preferences. Only time and experience will tell you what materials work best for your particular style. Your choice of materials will also depend on the chosen subject matter.

The best advice would be to get a variety of different pencils and papers and simply experiment. You will eventually come to like certain materials over others. Get your self a pad of newsprint paper. Newsprint paper is fairly inexpensive and excellent for practice drawings, although you should not expect these drawing to last very long. They will more than likely yellow over time. For your permanent drawings, a good quality paper is recommended. Strathmore is a good brand to look into. You may want to start with a medium textured paper as it has enough “tooth” to hold a fair amount of medium, but smooth enough to allow for detailed work. You will also need a good size drawing board that is smooth and flat for your drawing surface.

Before you even lift a pencil, you should have a basic understanding of human anatomy. When you study anatomy, you will learn more about the construction of the human body and its proportions. You will also have a basic understanding of the muscles and tendons and how they direct and control the body. There is no need to get carried away and memorize every muscle, bone, and tendon in the human body; just a fundamental understanding should suffice.

Getting the proportions correct in your figure drawing is one of the biggest challenges you will face as a beginner. It is for this reason that a unit of measurement was established using the models head. This is the distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin. 7 ? to 8 heads is the standard measurement that has been developed for the height of an erect figure. This measurement can vary depending on the subject so you may have to make adjustments to your figure drawing. You should realize that the measurement of 7 ? heads corresponds to the figure when it is standing erect. If the pose of your figure changes, adjustments will obviously have to be made.

Artists will often use a pencil to take the head measurement. Stand a reasonable distance from your subject. Grab your pencil from the bottom as if you were holding a hammer and extend your arm out fully in front of you toward the subject. Try and keep your head as still as possible. Make certain that you are standing in the same spot each time you take measurements. Now closing one eye match the tip of the pencil with the top of the subjects head. Place your thumb on the pencil and slide it down until it matches with the bottom of the subjects chin. You now have taken the “head” measurement of your subject, which will now serve as a reference for measuring the rest of your subject.

When deciding on the type of pose for your figure drawing make sure you choose one that looks natural. Your model will be holding his or her pose for a long period of time and should be comfortable and relaxed. Give your model adequate time to move around and get settled. The more relaxed and natural the pose, the more believable the final drawing or painting will be. If your model looks uncomfortable or awkward, your painting or drawing will reflect that as well.

There are number of different lighting situations that you can create for your figure drawing or painting. Will you be working indoors or outdoors? If indoors, will you be working in a room that has natural sunlight or will you be using artificial light? What direction will the light source come from? Will there be multiple light sources? If you are a beginner, you may want to create a lighting effect that strikes your model from only one direction and illuminates your figure only partially, thereby creating more shadow. This will make for a much easier figure drawing. As you gain more experience, you can then move on to more complex lighting effects.

When you begin your drawing, you should not be overly concerned with getting every detail correct in your figure or other objects that make up your drawing. Many beginners fall into this trap and ultimately wind up with a drawing that is out of proportion or that just looks wrong. Study your subject, squint your eyes and try to locate the basic shapes that make up your subject.

Figure drawing and painting is a vast subject and this article only touches on some of the basics. You should definitely take classes or workshops and practice your figure drawing with live models. Purchase a few good books on figure drawing and anatomy. Join discussion groups and ask questions. Most importantly though, keep practicing and never give up.

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875

Summary:
Compare donating art to adopting art: both require planning.

? Locate a qualifying institution to accept the item.
? Pass the related use test.
? Arrange for an appraisal not more than 60 days ahead of the date of gift.
? Obtain a letter of acceptance dated prior to December 31 of the year you plan to take the deduction.
? Deliver the property to the institution.

Want to make sure what you are about to read is correct? Get the IRS publications 1) 526 Charitabl…

Keywords:

Article Body:
Compare donating art to adopting art: both require planning.

? Locate a qualifying institution to accept the item.
? Pass the related use test.
? Arrange for an appraisal not more than 60 days ahead of the date of gift.
? Obtain a letter of acceptance dated prior to December 31 of the year you plan to take the deduction.
? Deliver the property to the institution.

Want to make sure what you are about to read is correct? Get the IRS publications 1) 526 Charitable Contributions and 2) 561 Determining the Value of Donated Property. You can get these publications on the Internet at www.irs.ustreas.gov or you can call 800-TAX-FORMS (800 829-3676) to order them.

Publication 526 specifies that ?a charitable contribution is a donation or gift to, or for the use of, a qualified organization.? A qualified organization is a ?nonprofit group that is religious, charitable, educational, scientific or literary in purpose or that work to prevent cruelty to children or animals.? The amount is generally limited to 50% of your adjusted gross income, but in some cases 20% and 30% limits may apply. The detailing of which of these limits applies is on page 9 and 10 of Publication 526. You can carryover unused deductions for a maximum of 5 years.

Form 8283

You must complete Form 8283 and have it accompany your donation. This form identifies who receives the gift, its condition, how, and when you acquired the gift, and its fair market value as of the date of gift. If you received the item as a gift from an artist, you can only deduct the artist?s basis, which is the cost of materials needed to create the art work.

Related-Use Test

Related use is a concept that was instituted roughly 10 years ago to prevent citizens from donating items to organizations that were inconsistent with their collection direction. For example, if you gift a Civil War sword to a clock museum, a 19th century doll to a contemporary art museum, an Art Deco sculpture to a science museum, this pairing will not pass the related-use test. Flunking the related-use test mandates a deduction that is limited to your cost or basis.

The first question in Tax Court is: ?On what day did the appraiser view the property?? Your appraiser must personally inspect the property. If you jump ahead and send the piece across the country to a qualified organization that fits the related use test, you will also need to ship your appraiser to inspect it or find one who can visit the piece in person. The following people cannot perform the appraisal: anyone associated with the qualified organization receiving the gift, the dealer who sold it to you, anyone who a reasonable person could imagine would have a bias in producing a value. The appraiser must be someone who holds themselves out to be a professional appraiser.

The report can be prepared after the date of gift, but not more than 60 days before the date of donation. Another time sensitive element is the date of the qualifying organization?s acceptance letter. A representative of the qualifying organization using that organization?s stationery must write the donor an acceptance letter dated no later than December 31 of the year you plan to take the deduction. If giving a fractional interest, a new appraisal must be prepared for each year a percentage of the item is given.

Timing is a key issue with respect to accession meetings. These generally take place once a month and often a quorum of Trustees or committee members must be present. Contact the organization on December 20 and you may be told they held their last meeting for the year on December 11.

Word of caution, a gift means ?it is not yours anymore?. Most organizations will not allow you to specify how and when it is to be exhibited. Deliver the item to the organization and mentally separate from it. Do consider closely if you want to be cited as the donor or if you would prefer to have the citation read ?anonymous donor?.

Tax forms frighten everyone, but thankfully, the 8283 Form is quite simple to complete. Specify your name and social security number and then fill in different parts, depending on the fair market value of the property given. Section A Part I is to be filled in if the deduction is $5,000 or less. There you give the name and address of the organization receiving the gift as well as a description of the property. Then specify the date of the contribution, the date acquired, how it was acquired and the your cost or basis, its fair market value and the method used to determine fair market value. Section B Part I is for property that is worth more than $5,000, where you are asked the same information. If the fair market value is greater than $5,000, the qualifying organization has to complete Part IV of Section B. Part III is completed by the appraiser.

If you are donating property with a fair market value of $500 or more, you must complete Form 8283. You may be asked for an appraisal if the value is greater than $5,000. You must attach an appraisal to your IRS filing, if the value is $20,000 or greater. It is generally understood that donated property valued at $20,000 or greater will be reviewed by the Art Advisory Panel.

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403

Summary:
Decorating your home should never be something that you take lightly or do with ease. Instead, decorating the special space that you call home should be a process that calls for care and attention to detail. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing people be careless about planning and creating the atmospheres of their homes. One of the easiest ways that you can upgrade the environment of your home is to go for framed art rather than unframed art.

The thing about your home, …

Keywords:
framed art

Article Body:
Decorating your home should never be something that you take lightly or do with ease. Instead, decorating the special space that you call home should be a process that calls for care and attention to detail. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing people be careless about planning and creating the atmospheres of their homes. One of the easiest ways that you can upgrade the environment of your home is to go for framed art rather than unframed art.

The thing about your home, no matter what it looks like, is that it absolutely reflects who you are. I do not believe people that say, “well, this is just my home, but it doesn’t really reflect who I am or my personality.” I fully disagree. I believe that the environment you choose to live in says volumes about who you are about the way you are choosing to live your life. Choosing framed art can be one small but significant decision among many that will increase the quality of your living and of your dwelling place.

Framed art is amazing because it is beautiful and stylish. There is nothing worse than seeing a great piece of artwork of any kind left without a frame. Framed art adds a level of style and sophistication that unframed art just doesn’t bring to a home. No one wants their home to feel unpolished or unfinished, but that is exactly what having a home without framed art feels like.

I became passionate about framed art when I took a few college art classes quite a while ago. I had never realized the value that framed art – my professor was a strong advocate of framed art – added to a home. I have learned since these infamous art classes just how much value you should place on the home. After all, in all of the world there is only one small place that you call home. Therefore, you should take utmost care and concern for creating a space that is suitable for your needs and that totally reflects who you are. Life is far too short to spend it in a home that doesn’t bring you satisfaction and joy.

So look for great pieces of framed art if you don’t have any yet. See what they will add to your home and hence to your life. You might just be surprised and go looking for more framed art.

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471

Summary:
Ever since I was little I have loved going to different cities and countries to learn from people and places that were different than what I was familiar with. My love for travel and for learning about different cultures only grew as I got older and eventually I went to university to study Urban and International Development. I chose this major simply because it would teach me about two of my favorite things: cities and other countries. I will never forget entering my first u…

Keywords:
graffiti art

Article Body:
Ever since I was little I have loved going to different cities and countries to learn from people and places that were different than what I was familiar with. My love for travel and for learning about different cultures only grew as I got older and eventually I went to university to study Urban and International Development. I chose this major simply because it would teach me about two of my favorite things: cities and other countries. I will never forget entering my first urban studies class and looking at the chalk board that said “Don’t Look Past Graffiti Art.” on it.

I rolled my eyes and wondered what kind of crazy situation I had gotten myself into with this class. I was intrigued that any real professor whose expertise is in urban studies would encourage let alone mandate that his students pay attention to the graffiti art that practically ruined the look and feel of many major cities in our country and around the world.

After a brief introduction of himself, the professor of that class began the semester by showing us a slide show of graffiti art from around the world. He played the entire show without saying a word of explanation. When it was finished he simply walked over to the chalk board and wrote another line underneath what he had already written about paying attention to graffiti art. He wrote: “Because it reveals the major issues of that culture’s youth.”

I got out my notebook for the first time that semester and wrote those two phrases onto the top of the first page. I was still hesitant about where the professor could possibly be taking an introduction like this, but I was more intrigued than before after watching the slide show of graffiti art and realizing just how artistic it truly was.

Our first assignment for that urban studies class was to find a photograph of graffiti art that was from a major U.S. city and to write a two page reflection on what we thought the graffiti art revealed about that particular city’s youth. I had no idea when I chose a picture from Chicago and wrote about it just what I was doing to shape the rest of my life.

To make a long story short, that urban studies class and specifically our discussion of graffiti art revolutionized my thinking about the peoples of the world. I learned that a culture is revealed by small things like graffiti art that we usually take as annoying when we visit somewhere. All that to say, the next time you travel don’t discount a city’s graffiti art as something ugly or offensive. Instead, see what you can learn about the youth of that city through the graffiti art because I guarentee there is much to be learned.

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414

Summary:
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember. In fact, I remember my kindergarden teacher sending home notes to my parents telling them how much I excelled in all areas connected with art. She told them that I had great potential to be a wonderful artist. So it was only natural when I decided to attend university to study art and when I was hired by a magazine to run their art department. One of the most fascinating assignments I have had so far is to visit various tat…

Keywords:
tattoo art, tattoo, art

Article Body:
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember. In fact, I remember my kindergarden teacher sending home notes to my parents telling them how much I excelled in all areas connected with art. She told them that I had great potential to be a wonderful artist. So it was only natural when I decided to attend university to study art and when I was hired by a magazine to run their art department. One of the most fascinating assignments I have had so far is to visit various tattoo shops in order to write a piece about tattoo art for our magazine.

I was a little bit hesitant to work on this project because my goal was to get a well rounded picture of what kinds of tattoo art are popular right now and to figure out the main reasons why people are rushing to get tattoo art on various places of their bodies. My main problem was that I had never really considered tattoos art. So I struggled over how I was supposed to write a piece about “tattoo art” when I didn’t agree that it was true art.

During the project my photographer and I spent time in ten different tattoo art shops. We interviewed each owner, several tattoo artists at each shop, and various customers at each place we went. My photographer did several formal and informal photo shoots to get enough photos of tattoo art for our piece. I was honestly amazed at what I discovered as I worked on this piece. I learned that tattoo art really is an art. I learned that it is much more detailed, intricate and sometimes beautiful than I ever expected it to be.

I changed my mind about tattoo art primarily as I discussed the profession with the tattoo artist themselves. They had the most fascinating stories of how hey learned to do tattoo art and of why they desired to do it in the first place. They shared about lifelong dreams of getting to make the human body more beautiful and of their years struggling through various art and drawing classes to perfect their abilities to design tattoo art.

The whole process of someone receiving tattoo art on their body is much more complicated than I ever imagined. In fact, by the time I finished my piece I had nothing but respect and admiration for everything involved in the process of making tattoo art a reality for people.

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533

Summary:
Learn how you can get started in acrylic painting with these quick tips….

Keywords:
decorative acrylic painting, one stroke, donna dewberry, priscilla hauser, trompe l’oeil, wall mural

Article Body:
Acrylic painting offers many benefits such as quick drying time and the fact that it’s allergen- and odor-free. Acrylic paint is versatile and gives a lasting finish. If you’re just learning the art of decorative acrylic painting, use the tips below for a great start.

Acrylic Painting Supplies

You should have a variety of brush sizes so you can be flexible in your painting. Also, a palette or tray for painting will be useful. Other supplies include a palette knife, fan brushes, and toothbrushes. Be sure to include plenty of practice materials and papers for sketching.

Drying Time

Acrylics dry very fast, usually within only minutes, so it’s wise to keep the paint in the tube and only use a little at a time. If you prefer to use a palette, there are now palettes that will stay wet during use so your paint won’t dry out. Or, you can use a regular palette and keep it wet by spraying it with a small amount of water occasionally. This keeps your acrylic paint in a ready-to-use form.

Blending Acrylic Colors

With fast-drying acrylics, blending colors can be a trying task in itself. You can blend colors several ways. Colors can be mixed and stored in tubes or containers and then blended using a web palette. Also, you can use very small dots of different shades and overlap the colors to blend them. You can also layer shades instead of trying to blend them while wet.

Beware of Cheap Acrylic Paints

Avoid buying cheap acrylic paints unless you’re using them for practice only. These will often fade after exposure to the sunlight for a period of time, especially particular light shades such as pink and violet. Invest in artist-grade acrylics for lasting beauty in your art works.

Use Sketches as a Starting Point

It’s wise to use pre-drawn sketches as the starting point of your acrylic drawings. Trace or copy the sketch onto canvas or board. Then, use a thin layer of acrylic paint to prime the sketch. Be sure your sketch-work can still be seen through the thin layer. You can also prime the canvas or board first with white color and then copy your sketch onto the primed surface.

Masking Fluid for Layering

Watercolor masking fluid works well for layering colors or saving areas of your painting to paint later. The masking fluid can be applied to keep an area of the painting clear. You must remove the masking fluid only after it has completely dried. It can be removed by rolling it with clean fingers. Also, be sure to use a brush specifically for masking fluid. Don’t use your regular painting brushes.

Learn from the Pros

Study after a few acrylic painting pros to get pointers and learn new techniques. Artists such as Donna Dewberry (One Stroke technique) and Priscilla Hauser (First Lady of Decorative Painting) offer many great tips. You can learn creative techniques such as Trompe L’oeil or create beautiful wall murals and other great works.

Acrylic painting can be both fun and rewarding. Use your imagination along with these tips to create decorative acrylic works of art that you and your friends can enjoy for years to come!

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435

Summary:
As an interior designer, it is only natural that I love to give people counsel as they attempt to make decorating decisions for their homes and offices. I love nothing more than to spend an afternoon over tea discussing color options, themes and good fabrics for my friends. I recently met with a client and together we came up with the idea for her to decorate her home office entirely with black and white art.

I must tell you that usually I am not a huge fan of black and wh…

Keywords:
black and white art

Article Body:
As an interior designer, it is only natural that I love to give people counsel as they attempt to make decorating decisions for their homes and offices. I love nothing more than to spend an afternoon over tea discussing color options, themes and good fabrics for my friends. I recently met with a client and together we came up with the idea for her to decorate her home office entirely with black and white art.

I must tell you that usually I am not a huge fan of black and white art. In fact, I have never suggested that a client decorate with it until this particular meeting. Sometimes I find that black and white art is quite boring. As I met with this client, however, and we talked about her tastes and her decorating hopes for her home office, we both determined that black and white art was the best choice for her.

I’ve now been on the hunt for great pieces of black and white art. I share this to encourage anyone who is looking for great black and white art that there are great uses for it and that there are places to find it. One of my favorite sources of black and white art has become antique stores. I have found the most lovely pieces of black and white art at various antique stores lately.

Just knowing that you want to decorate with black and white art may not be enough. Realize that you must have a good idea of the specific kind of art that you are hoping to find. I have discovered that there are many varieties of black and white art to choose from. Some pieces are vintage looking, and there is definitely a wide variety of modern pieces of black and white art to choose from.

Get online and do a search for black and white art. You might be surprised how much comes up. This is my favorite way to encourage clients to begin the process of narrowing down their style and preferences. You can often get a pretty good idea of the things you like when you see them first. So take your time and look at as many samples of black and white art as you can. The better idea you have of what you want, the better chance you will have of finding it.

I love nothing more than to help people decorate their homes and offices with style and creativity. The world of black and white art was recently opened up to me and I have fallen in love with its possibilities.

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738

Summary:
Cut glass and glass blowing production came from ancient techniques and were gradually refined over the ages. Cut glass objects were used as commodities, gifts, and jewelry in past millennia. Today exquisite cut crystal is sought after for its heirloom qualities and gifting allure.

Natural glass, like obsidian, is a dense volcanic glass, and has been used by man for millennia. To early man, obsidian glass was an extremely rare and valuable commodity, Because of the way vol…

Keywords:
Cut glass, glass blowing, gifts

Article Body:
Cut glass and glass blowing production came from ancient techniques and were gradually refined over the ages. Cut glass objects were used as commodities, gifts, and jewelry in past millennia. Today exquisite cut crystal is sought after for its heirloom qualities and gifting allure.

Natural glass, like obsidian, is a dense volcanic glass, and has been used by man for millennia. To early man, obsidian glass was an extremely rare and valuable commodity, Because of the way volcanic glass fractures, sharp edges occur. This inherent quality of natural cut glass was put to use and was often made into sharp spear points and blades.

Man-made rudimentary glass was made from silica sand, plant ash and lime. Over time it was discovered that if glass was heated until it became semi-liquid, it may be molded or shaped and left to cool into a solid new piece or vessel. In ancient times glass pieces were valued as a substitute for precious stones, gems, and gifts.

During first century BC, the craft of melting and blowing glass into useable objects was developed. Glass pieces and items gradually became more common after the discovery of glassblowing. Objects such as vases, bottles, and cruets were mouth blown and mold blown during the Roman Empire, usually for ordinary purpose and daily use.

Common glass normally has a greenish hue. The green tint is caused by miniscule amounts of iron impurities in the sand used to make glass. Glass producers learned to make decorative and colored glass by adding metallic compounds and mineral oxides such as cobalt. Colored glass of reds, blues and greens became prevalent. After craftsmen learned to score and cut glass, they found clear glass refracted light in spectacular fashion. Thus, clear cut glass became popular, and demand for colored glass plummeted.

Around 1000 AD, a new development was made in glassmaking. The glass making component of soda-lime, was replaced by potash obtained from wood ashes. From this time on, glass from the northern part of Europe differed greatly from that made in the Mediterranean area, where soda-lime remained in common use. Centuries later in Bohemia, ashes from beech trees were used. The production of Bohemian ?forest glass? was progressively refined over the years.

During the 11th century new ways of making sheet glass came about in Germany. Glass blowers would blow spheres, and then form them into cylinders. They would cut the glass while still hot and then flatten the glass into sheets. Glass makers in Venice, Italy improved this method in 13th century. By the late 1300?s there was as many as 20 glassworks in Bohemia and Moravia. The 12th century saw the arrival of stained glass production. Stained glass, another form of colored glass, was made by adding metal impurities. Church and monastery applications of stained glass can be traced back to examples that remain today, i.e. St. Bartholomew church in Kolin. A glass wall mosaic is preserved there from around 1380.

Venice became the dominant center for glassmaking during the 14th century. Here new glass making methods were developed and export trade such as mirrors, tableware, and decanters flourished. Secrets of glass making were highly guarded in Venice, but eventually glass workers moved to other areas of Europe taking their knowledge and skill with them. As ornate glassworks became more popular, Royalty began ordering decorative glass articles to be made, to give as gifts of distinction for occasions.

A technique called ?the Crown glass process? was used to make glass until the mid part of the 1800s. A glassblower would spin around 9 lbs of molten glass at the end of a rod until it spread out into a flat disk nearly 5 feet across. The glass disk would then be cut into panes. Glass from Venice was highly prized for over four centuries as they managed to keep this technique secret. In 1688, a method for casting glass was invented. This led to glass and glass panes in becoming a much more common material. The glass pressing machine was invented in 1827 and facilitated mass production of relatively inexpensive glass items. The glass pioneer, William J. Blenko, is recognized as first glass producer in America to use the cylinder method of creating flat glass by the 1920s.

The Bohemian countries of Czech and Slovakia are still known today as two of the finest cut glass and cut crystal producers in the world. Cut crystal pieces are prized as elegant anniversary and birthday gifts.

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1101

Summary:
There is a huge market for art. Almost all people from any age or background will buy art and posters from time to time. By purchasing this art online consumers can save a lot of money over retail stores. Knowing all of this puts you in a great position to make a profit by directing consumer to this art without having to make a significant investment or carrying any overhead.

The key to making this possible is to take advantage of art affiliate programs offered by several …

Keywords:
art affiliate, art reseller, creating art website, art, affiliate, website

Article Body:
There is a huge market for art. Almost all people from any age or background will buy art and posters from time to time. By purchasing this art online consumers can save a lot of money over retail stores. Knowing all of this puts you in a great position to make a profit by directing consumer to this art without having to make a significant investment or carrying any overhead.

The key to making this possible is to take advantage of art affiliate programs offered by several websites. It doesn’t matter which program you decide to use the concept and steps to success are the same. In this guide I’ll walk you through every step of the process and demonstrate each step using our sample website, Tropical Art.

For those of you already familiar with how affiliate websites work, you can skip ahead to step one. For the rest of you I’ll briefly explain. By becoming an affiliate of an art website you agree to send customers to them, in exchange for earning a commission off the sale. There are several ways to do this, but the most common is by setting up your own website for your virtual art store. You allow visitors to browse the art selection you offer and when they wish to make a purchase you send them to the website you have affiliated with to check out. When you send the visitor to the affiliate manager’s website, the url includes a tracking id so that you get credit for the sale. You can visit the tropical art website above for an example of how this works. The percentage of commission you collect for this varies based on the program and how many sales you make, but it typically ranges from 10%-25% of the amount purchased. With art purchases it’s not unusual for a single visitor to purchase $100 or more in art so you can see how the sales can add up quickly.

Step 1 – Select an Affiliate Program

The first thing you need to do is select an affiliate program. The reason it is important to do this first is because it can take days or even weeks to receive approval of your acceptance back from these programs. By doing this step first it will not hold you up later on. Some of the affiliate programs require you to list your website before signing up, while with others it’s optional. If it’s required you can skip this step and come back to it.

There are several factors to look when choosing an affiliate program. Some questions you need to ask are: What percentage of commission will you be paid? How wide is the product selection? Will consumers feel safe providing their credit card information to this site?

I highly recommend sticking with the big three art affiliate programs, Art.com, Art International and All Posters. While there are plenty of others to choose from and many are legit, there are always a few scams out there and I simply can not personally vouch for the others. By working with the big players in the industry you also are typically able to offer your visitors a wider selection. For my sample site I will be using the art.com affiliate program

Step 2 – Selecting a Topic

It’s important for you to know that setting up an art website and making money off of it is going to take some work and you’re not going to profit over night. Most websites get the majority of traffic from search engines, but as with any industry you have competition. This guide will show you how to put up a good fight to get your site ranked in the search engines and get traffic to your site. It’s important to begin with the end in mind so the first step is finding what topic you wish to target.

Usually beginners want to set up a massive art store that sells every product available. While this sounds good at first, it’s not practical for a novice or anyone without serious financial backing to compete in this field. You have to find a niche to target and focus all of your energies on that niche. The most important step in doing this is to find the primary keyword you want to target. I recommend the keyword suggestion tool from Digital Point for doing this.

This tool is simple to use. Just enter a keyword that describes the type of site you want to set up such as “art” and click the suggest button. You’ll get a list of related keywords and the number of daily searches each receives. I recommend using the Overture numbers which show the number of searches performed on Yahoo because I feel these are a more accurate example. At the time of writing this the term “art” receives over 29,000 searches a day! As I said before this is way too competetive of a term for most people to target. My suggestion is to scroll down towards the bottom of the list and look at terms for easier targets. The words in each phrase are listed in alphabetical order, not necessirly in the order searched. For example the term I targeted in this example “tropical art” is listed as “art tropical” on this site. It receives about 400 searches a day on Yahoo alone which will be more than enough to earn a decent amount on this site. Once you found one you think you’d be interested in, go to the search engine you use and perform a search for it. Look at the top few sites and ask yourself the question of if you feel you can build a site that is of this quality or higher or hire someone else to. If the answer is no I’d recommend you try other terms until you find the right one.

Step 3 – Make Sure You Have Products to Sell

So far you haven’t spent any money and have invested a minimal amount of time. Before you do either you need to make sure you have a fair number of products to sell related to the topic you have chosen. Doing this is simple. Just browse the site you have chosen to become an affiliate for and make sure they sell products related to your topic.

For the Tropical Art website I’m using as an example I can see Art.com offers a beach and ocean gallery that will be perfect. If you can’t find any products for your topic or a very limited selection I would suggest finding another topic or a different affiliate program.