Best Brush Cleaner - Acrylic Painting Tips

I've been working with acrylic paints for one decade, and if you use acrylic paint, you know how easy it is to forget to clean the brush to find it impossible remove the hard-dried paints on brushes.  Over the years I tried different products, but if you want to save your time and recover your brush, this is the best product. 

Winsor & Newton's "Brush Cleaner & Restorer" comes in three different sizes. The bottle design might look different from the picture below, but as long as it's Winsor & Newton's "Brush Cleaner & Restorer" that's what you need. This product can be bought from different online and offline stores, but here is the link; http://www.dickblick.com/products/winsor-and-newton-brush-cleaner-and-restorer/

Be sure to use this in a glass or ceramic container as this liquid may melt certain plastics, especially those disposable plastic cups for drink. 

Messing with Graffiti

Apps that makes mirrored images are fun. Even a silly graffiti image can transforms to something interesting like these. 

Mirrored Part 1

Mirrored Part 2

Mirrored Part 3

Original graffiti photo on West Oakland Street

Colorful Tuesday

The use of mobile applications to mess with color helps me study color combinations without being have to use the actual paints to find the nice colors. More on my Instagram (takingmomo).

Black and White Monday

“What do you see in abstract art? There's no incorrect answer. Use your imagination. Make up your own story and believe in it. Your story is the subjective truth you live with. Ultimately, not only in abstract art, but also everything in life is about how you view things. Enjoy life. Enjoy abstract art!”

Original ink drawing on paper (11 inch x 14 inch) unframed -  still available (as of July 13, 2015)

Print (reproduction) on 11 inch x 8.5 inch paper also available.

Epoxy Resin and Possible Toxicity

Epoxy resin makes amazing and mysterious images, yet I am not working with resin at this time, and I don't have a plan of working with resin in the future. Epoxy is a high maintenance art material, and there is always uncertainty of safety, as the toxic element can penetrate through rubber gloves and also through the skin and eyes in the form of fumes. And the toxic effect is silent, so the resin users most likely will not have noticeable symptoms.  Supposedly the catalyst enters our bodies and stay there, and it may harm liver. But I really don't have an accurate information, yet I don't think it's very healthy to use unless you have an access to facility with commercial ventilation system.  

Mirror and Filter

This is the original image I used for mirror fun.

And mirror app made this. 

By moving the image around, you can make different version of mirrored outcomes. 

Nature is the perfect beauty - flowers

from my instagram feed (takingmomo) 

(these were taken by my Android phone)

Work in Progress and Completed

Some shots from my Instagam (takingmomo) , showing the work in progress and the complete shot. The size of the painting is 36x36 inches (3 feet x 3 feet). 

I love the whim art

I totally love it when I can make this in a total whim without effort without any art supply. 

Mirror Fun from a Photo I Took in a Wood

I used this photo to make the one at the top with heart. 

Mirror App - LineScape Butterfly

This was made with a mobile app. It makes a cute and pretty image like this in a whim.  LineScape butterfly!

July 4th Color Theme Variations

Happy Independence Day of 2015! 

Online Application for Fun

Recently I installed free drawing apps on my iPad, Android phone (moto X), and PC, and trying them out just for fun. I find them really convenient because there's no need to clean up afterwords, and there is no preparation beforehand, and anything I don't like I can wipe it off in a whim. No mess, no fuss, and instant gratification.  

I mostly experiment to see how much I can make the design interesting by using a simple concept. In this case, this is made with only circles. 

Instagram - takingmomo - a short hike

Do you  instagram? I am "takingmomo" on Instagram.

If you don't instagram, some of my instagram shots are here on flickr.

I've been trying to figure out on how to use digital camera as a total novice. I have Canon's Rebel eos sl1. I find it harder to shoot with this than doing so with mobile devices. I admit that I don't know how to use it very well, not knowing how to manipulate the focus point and the amount of light the camera takes, as well as color adjustment and etc. So my photography is now all about trial and error (mostly errors).