Techie: Bloglines to close down 1st October

My first ever feedreader was Bloglines - and I loved it.  However over time I gradually switched my feeds to Google Reader - and then found that I also picked up on people's blog posts increasingly via Blogger Dashboard, Facebook and Twitter.

I guess a few other people must have been doing likewise as it's been announced that Bloglines is to close on 1st October.  Bloglines is owned by Ask.com and you can find their explanation for their decision here - Bloglines Update

A little perspective: when we originally acquired Bloglines in 2005, RSS was in its infancy. The concept of “push” versus “search” around information consumption had become very real, and we were bullish about the opportunity Bloglines presented for our users. 
 
Flash forward to 2010. The Internet has undergone a major evolution. The real-time information RSS was so astute at delivering (primarily, blog feeds) is now gained through conversations, and consuming this information has become a social experience. As Steve Gillmor pointed out in TechCrunch last year , being locked in an RSS reader makes less and less sense to people as Twitter and Facebook dominate real-time information flow. Today RSS is the enabling technology – the infrastructure, the delivery system. RSS is a means to an end, not a consumer experience in and of itself. As a result, RSS aggregator usage has slowed significantly, and Bloglines isn’t the only service to feel the impact. The writing is on the wall.
 


There is a a three-week period to export feeds to another service – more detail and instructions can be found on the Bloglines website.

I've just moved all my subscriptions from Bloglines to a Google Reader and it took about two minutes - easypeasy! :)

It's worth noting that the import/export tab for Google Reader is a tab within the Google Reader Settings tab rather than a line in the menu as it is with Bloglines. 

Review: Paint My Photo

This is an initial overview of a new site called Paint My Photo - for those interested in painting from photos who also want to be able to access reference photos taken by other people to do this.
 
A number of art forums have created photographic resources for their members - notably Wet Canvas's Reference Image Library (although this has been inaccessible for long periods on occasion).

A new site has started up on Ning  - apparently independently of any major corporate interests which is interesting of itself - and it's all about painting from photos

Not only that but it's set up deliberately to create a pool of photos for other people to use - and hence is called Paint My Photo  (subtitle - Where photographers and artists meet).  The intention is that reference photos supplied by photographers are copyright free and hence can be used by artists to produce art which they can sell without a fee to the photographer.

Paint My Photo can be found at http://paintmyphoto.ning.com/

The site seems to have been set up earlier this year and this is how it describes itself.

What's The Idea?

Very Simple, there are lots of great Photographers out there in internet land, and there are lots of Artists of all abilities who would like to paint from photographs. The problem is that Copyright law prevents this, although many photographers would love to inspire other Artists (Yes I do agree photography is an Art, I chose the terms 'Artists' and 'Photographers' for clarity). So-If you have posted photographs here, it is because you are happy to allow derivative works to be created. You still own the copyright of your photos of course. The Artist can, if the photographer has selected that option on joining, contact the Photographer to enable them to see the work. The Artist can sell their work as normal, if the photographer wants 'first refusal' on the Artwork, that should be by private arrangement and has nothing to do with 'Paint My Photo'. Artists can place links to where there work can be purchased. Photographers can place links to where other work and prints can be purchased. Anyone spamming and not following the spirit of the site will be warned and advised before any action taken.

****IMPORTANT!****
We are a site for natural media only, no digital artwork, thanks for sticking to this rule.

Features of 'Paint My Photo'

Here are some of the features I could pick out:

• over 7,000 photos already loaded onto the site.  However it's a little puzzling as the reference photos are mixed up with the digital images of the artwork created as a result so it's unclear how many photos there are altogether
  
• 442 members to date - suggesting it's got enough to keep going
• 22 videos loaded - usually by reference to a link to YouTube where people have chosen to share their videos
• a monthly challenge - which tends to be a very popular feature on many of the forums targeting leisure artists.  
• a forum - of the conventional sort with categories and threads.  This isn't as well advanced as I'd expect given the number of members. Thereagain a lot of interaction takes place by way of comments on individual photos and paintings.
• Leader Boards - for content, members, photos and videos -  which allow people to see what's most popular at any given time - which is a good idea (but does I find tend to reinforce the popularity of 'early adopters')
• a group for painting from photos.  Now as a Ning Moderator myself I'd personally have preferred to have set this up as a category within the Forum.  This would then allow people to start threads for their individual artwork - just like you get over at Wet Canvas.  Using the group function means that it's going to be very difficult to see anything other than what got posted today and people's work will get "lost" (as in difficult to retrieve) over time unless you're looking at that person's individual page.
•  a very fascinating tool called a drawing grid - which looks amazing but I can't work out how it works!

The one thing which struck me is that the position on copyright would benefit from a much clearer and more prominent explanation - maybe along the line of a FAQs document about what people can and cannot do with the photos they use.  From my perspective, I'd put an emphasis on people learning about good practice as well as what they can do when using other people's photos.

It's also possible with Ning to get prospective members to look at something before people sign up and then ask when they agree to abide 'by the rules' when they join.  However from what I can see there's actually only one rule and that's 'don't create digital art'!

What's good is that you can have a good look at the site before joining - and if this is something which interests you that's what I suggest you do.


I'm not a member and would be interested to know how the people who are members find it.

• What does it do well? 
• Is it useful?
• Is it likely to be a site that you'll use a lot?
• What could it do better?

Webware review: Blogger Stats

Did you know that you can now get statistics in Blogger?  If you view your blog in Blogger in draft (http://draft.blogger.com) then you can now see a new stats tab to the right of the design and monetise tabs.

This post on the Blogger in Draft blog explains what's available - see Introducing Blogger Stats

I've been looking at my Blogger stats for my different blogs and I'm favourably impressed.  It reminds me of a cut down tidied up version of Google Analytics without any of the fuss associated with setting up a Google Analytics account for your blog and inserting the html code in the template

Geographical spread of visitors to this blog

 The scope is as follows:

1. Flexible perspectives:  Any of the different tabs can be viewed  for different timeframes - now, day, week, month and all time.  The latter is distorted due to the start date for the stats widget.
2. Overview tab - provides a neat and simple summary of traffic, popular posts, sources of traffic and where in the world it's coming from
3. Posts / Pages tab:  lists the 10 most popular posts and tells you how many pageviews they have each received.  Also indicates page views for individual static page.  I particularly like the pageviews for top posts as this gives a different perspective from one which is focused around visitors and the profile is somewhat different.
4. Traffic sources tab: This provides the top referring URLs, referring sites and the most popular keywords
5. Audience tab:  This provides a map of where visitors come from plus analyses pageviews by country, browser and operating system

This is a quick overview:

Pros

• no set-up requirements beyond switching to viewing your blog in Blogger in Draft
• nice clean well organised design
• tab access to different perspectives
• very accessible
• identifies the most popular posts by pageviews (across different timeframes)
• provides the right level of information for most people
• no need to leave your blog in order to view the stats.

Cons

• not as comprehensive as Google Analytics (but absolutely fine for most people)
• no details for individual visitors (such as you get with Statcounter)
• focuses on pageviews rather than unique visitors hence multiple visits from or page refresh by one person can inflate numbers.  Most people measure the popularity of a site by unique visitors as this is more reliable and less susceptible to distortion
• total numbers for the "all time" dimension appears to be affected by when this webware started to be used

Overall

This is a very useful addition to Blogger.  So much so that I've now made Blogger in draft my defaul view so I can keep an eye on my stats.

Product Review: Talens Van Gogh Coloured Pencils

Set of 60 Talens Van Gogh Pencils

An artist wrote to me yesterday commenting on how much he liked Talens Van Gogh coloured pencils but how difficult they were to find in the USA.  He'd found a supply at his local art store and this is what he had to say

I must say that now that I've found a set of the Talens Van Gogh pencils, I think I'm hooked. I could only get my hands on a set of 30 but so far they are wonderful. I need the rest of the colors and probably the watercolor pencils as well.

I found a set sitting on a shelf getting dusty at a relatively local art supply shop. They had about a half dozen. They haven't been selling which may be partially due to no open stock to replace them.

Potential US customers should scour their local art supply stores. They may have them. Also, ask about them. We need to increase demand or they won't come back

When I found a supply at my local store (a US national art supply chain and mail order), the manager said they didn't sell and they have reduced what they are carrying (they no longer carry Lyra). He thought it partially due to price, partially due to no marketing and partially due to so many of the books on CP only mentioning Prismacolor and sometimes Polychromos.

That last comment made me really sit up and think.  

How many people buy pencils on the basis of what other people recommend?  Quite a lot I should think.  Well if Prismacolor and Polychromos are the only brands which ever get mentioned by artists who write books, is it any wonder they tend to take the lead in all my polls about Which is the best brand of artist grade coloured pencil?? 

The thing is, I believe people say what they're using is good if they are happy with that brand - even if they've never ever tried any other brands!  However to my mind, being happy with what you've got is insufficient grounds for saying that this brand is the best

I've tried every brand of coloured pencils and I think there are pros and cons to all of them.  I really like my Van Goghs.  They're not as robust as the Polychromos and the pigment strength of the Caran d'Ache Luminance are doing a very good job of wooing me at the moment (one pencil at a time due to how expensive they are due to the exchange rate!).  However if it were a straight fight between my Van Goghs and Prismacolor Pencils, I know I'd choose the Van Goghs every time. 

I decided to resurrect my 2007 review of Talens Van Gogh Pencils and give it another airing on this blog!  So here it is - rejigged into the product review format I use on this blog.

Product:  Royal Talens - Van Gogh Pencils (Artists and watercolour)

Summary:   Excellent coloured pencils which are difficult to find but well worth the effort.  If you ever get a chance to try Van Gogh Coloured Pencils, you'll be very pleasantly surprised. I'm very happy to recommend them.

Technical Details: Coloured Pencils with guaranteed lightfastness.  They helped set the standard for lightfastness for coloured pencils having participated in the original tests.  Pigments held in mainly kaolin/wax provide good saturation with smooth application and good blendability

Who should buy these pencils? coloured pencil artists artists who enjoy dry media all CP artists who are convinced that Prismacolors are the only brand worth having!

Who should not buy these pencils?  devotees of the brush!

Highlights: Talens participated in the very first ASTM test of lightfastness in coloured pencils and the Van Gogh pencils are guaranteed to be lightfast. Excellent pigment strength; lots of scope for getting saturated colour quickly Kaolin/wax base for artists coloured pencils (blue top) gives very smooth and workable application - creamy soft. Watercolour pencils have kaolin base and are only slightly drier in application. Range of colours is not as extensive as other makes - but the range available is a very good choice. I find I always want to use their colours a lot. Blend easily Excellent range of greens and blues - very useful for the plein air sketcher the Van Gogh watercolour pencils (white top) are the best I've come across so far - very quick to dilute to a clean wash Wood used for pencils is responsibly sourced Provides a safety data sheet

Think Again? Very soft pencils which sometimes get eaten rather fast by sharpeners I'm in two minds about the white pencil, others do it better Unfortunately the website does not provide a list of colours European company and european bias to suppliers

Manufacturer / Distributor:  Royal Talens Sophialaan 46, 7311 PD, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands P.O. Box 4, 7300 AA, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands Telephone +31 (0)55 - 5274700 Telefax +31 (0)55 - 5215286 www.talens.com

Suppliers:  You can find suppliers which sell Talens goods on the Talens website. It's quite difficult to get hold of these pencils in the UK and virtually impossible to find them in the USA. Which is surprising given how good they are and that they are guaranteed lightfast.  I'm very lucky in having Paintworks, the main importer to the UK located very close to me and hence I can buy colours from open stock for both artists and the watercolour products. (They also do mail order both for single colours and tins - you can find prices quoted in the 2010 drawing catalogue)

The website also has a tips section for using coloured pencils and even has an outline and then an approach for using their coloured pencils to draw Van Gogh's famous painting of his room in Arles! You can download it from here.

Note: For general information about lightfastness in coloured pencils and specific information about all reputable brands of lightfast pencils see various links on Coloured Pencils: Resources for Artists.
Links:

• Talens Van Gogh Pencils
• Royal Talens Van Gogh Coloured Pencils February 2007
• Making A Mark: A portable sketching kit February 2006

Book Review: 100 Great Artists

Title: 100 Great Artists: A Visual Journey from Fra Angelico to Andy Warhol

Synopsis: A list of 100 artists through the ages. Each artist gets a double page spread, a timeline, two images and a short narrative.  Recently published in the UK

Summary review:  This book is good introduction to great artists for a reasonable price.  There is no definitive list of 100 great artists but this one is a good effort.  It's also a good place to start for those wanting to learn more about the leading artists over time.  Their importance is distilled down to a potted version - but it's a good book for getting a sense of who the artist was, when and where they created art, what their paintings look like and for some - why they were important.

Highlights covers different periods in art history over eight centuries from Giotto in the 13th century to Hockney in the 21st. includes artists from a range of countries useful for a skim review of artists who played a significant role in the development of some aspect of art good quality publication - although not all reproductions first rate however..... ....this is NOT an expensive book (less than £10 from Amazon)

Think Again? artists listed alphabetically rather than chronologically - latter might have been more helpful limited coverage of the twentieth century - probably limited by the publishers budget for images for modern and contemprary artists leans towards a European perspective of art (but does also include non Europeans eg Hopper, Hokusai and Hiroshige) a few odd choices of artists I've never heard of with a limited claim to the top 100 / does not explain the reasons behind all the choices

Who should buy this?: new students of art history those wanting to learn more about leading artists across the ages

Who should not buy this? of limited interest to those wanting specialised information about specific artists unlikely to impress those who know quite a bit about art history

Author: Charlotte Gerlings Publisher / Publication Date: UK - Arcturus Publishing (31 July 2009)  Originally published 2006. USA - Published by Gramercy (February 7, 2006) Amazon link Technical data: Paperback -  208 pages

Which is your favourite make of hard pastel?

Conte à Paris and Cretacolour - in the Sennelier Shop in Paris

When we think of pastels we often tend to think of soft pastels.  However hard and semi-hard pastels have a place in the art supplies of any decent pastel artist.

The main characteristic of hard pastels is that they tend to have less pigment and more binder.  As a result colours tend to be less vivid and works completed only in hard pastels can seem subdued when compared to the intensity of some of the hues of 'proper' soft pastels with high pigment concentrations.  The higher proportion of binder can also make some brands seem very dry and scratchy and it's always worth trying different brands to find the one you get on with best.

The chalks used for classic drawing tend to be closest to hard pastels and a number of manufacturers provide a set of hard pastels in the classic drawing colours of sanguine, sepia, black and white. 

Using hard pastels

Pastels artists use hard pastels for a number of different purposes including:

• preliminary sketches
• sketching in under-drawings (as with the oil painting principle of "fat over lean")
• creating outlines
• getting a hard edge on top of soft pastel
• flat surface used to rough in large areas
• edge used for expressive lines or crisp lines
• adding in intricate details (usually with sticks which have been sharpened to a point)

Different Brands of Hard Pastels

These sticks are typically rectagular with hard edges.   In French, the sticks are described as carré ('square' in French).

• Lefranc et Bourgeois - Conte A Paris 

LEFRANC &; BOURGEOIS distribute the CONTE à PARIS fine art range of pencils, crayons and pastels. Conté crayons are most commonly found in black, white, and sanguine tones, as well as bistre, shades of grey, and other colors and are particularly suitable for fine hatching. They also produce 70 colours.

• POLYCHROMOS Pastellkreiden (Artists' Pastels) 

The website states: POLYCHROMOS pastel open up an almost inexhaustible variety of colour. They contain a high proportion of light-fast quality pigments. These pastels have impressively bright colours and a fascinatingly silky "feel".....The characteristic square-cross section allows you to draw fine details with an edge, or shade extended areas with one face. The crayons have a uniform consistency, are economical in use, and adhere excellently to paper, card, wood, and stone. They need only a minimum amount of fixing for permanence.

• PRISMACOLOR Nupastels 

The website states: Artists' quality for every level of expertise.  Rich, creamy pigments for easy blending and shading.  Stronger than traditional soft pastels create less breakage and easier clean-up.  Ideal for illustration or tightly rendered drawings

• CRETACOLOR ART MATERIAL: Pastels 

From the website: The square (carré in French) CRETACOLOR hard pastels have been recognized by artists all over the world for their brilliant colors and high pigmentation. Their square shape lends itself well to painting both large surfaces and small details. The Pastell carré hard pastel full range is 72 colors, including the Brown and Gray Chalks.

• Daler Rowney - Hard Pastels 

Artists' Hard Pastels Daler-Rowney Artists' Hard Pastels are characterised by a velvet smooth mark, which stems from the carefully prepared blend of pure pigments. Firm in consistency, these pastels can be used to produce broad, flat areas of colour and detailed line work with equal success. 24 colours 

• Talens Van Gogh - carré pastels 

Van Gogh carré pastels fall into the category of dry pastels. They come in a square shape and are made of pigment, various types of clay. Only available in assortment sets.  

• Derwent - Semi-hard, square pastel blocks 

From the website: For authentic pastel drawings with quick, easy colour lay down, these chunky pastel blocks are perfect. Their square shape and smooth, semi-hard texture means you can use the ends, sides or edges to produce both broad and fine lines. Although not as dusty as soft pastels, the effect is equally beautiful and perhaps a little more manageable. Derwent Pastels are available in a range of 36 vibrant colours, plus the unique Derwent Blender which allows easy blending without affecting the colour density.  

• Jack Richeson: Richeson Pastels : Semi-Hard Square Pastels 

From the website: Professional, semi-hard pastels, perfect for underpainting.  

• General Pencil Company - General's® Classic Pastel Chalk Set 

General's® Classic Pastel Chalk Set contains 31 pieces

One of the factors to think about when buying hard pastels is how easy it is to replace singletons from open stock.  Some brands are only sold in sets.


Which hard pastel do people like the best?

I've had a opinion poll running for some time on my information site Pastels - Resources for Artists. It asks the question Which is your favourite make of hard pastel?

To date 270 people have responded to the poll and indicated their preference as to harder pastels and the percentage of their votes are shown in the chart below.  The current poll has a limited range of options and I'm thinking of setting up a new one including the complete range of hard pastels.
  

Opinion Poll (270 responses as at July 2010)

By far the most popular 'hard pastel' is Prismacolor Nupastel, although interestingly this is one of the softer hard pastels!  You can't find these in Europe so I'm assuming this is an overwhelming vote from American readers.  Similarly I guess many Americans may find it difficult to check out European makes of pastels.


Which is your favourite brand of hard pastel - and why?

I'd be very interested to hear your views about the different pastel brands - please do leave a comment.



Link: Pastels - Resources for Artists

Book review: The Concise British Flora in Colour

The Concise British Flora in Colour (1965) by W.Keble Martin

[UPDATE: This book review has now MOVED. The synopsis and summary from the original post are below - the rest can be found at Book Review - The Concise British Flora in Colour on my website dedicated to Botanical Art and Artists.]

Title: The Concise British Flora in Colour

Synopsis:The product of a project lasting over 60 years to study, research, amd illustrate the natural wild flowers of the UK.  W. Keble Martin started before the first world war and this book was not published until 1965.  It records short descriptions of the plants with proper nomenclature and popular name.  On the opposite page are the composite illustrations of the variations of flowers within a family.  All the plants and flowers were drawn from life.  The book was a best seller when published in 1965 - a feat not yet repeated for a book about wild flowers.

Summary review: The primary reason for buying this book for me was nostalgia - for my childhood, expeditions to find wildflowers for a primary school project and (I now realise) for those wildflowers which are no longer common.  There are probably quite a few people over the age of 50 who feel the same.  Over and above that this was the book which introduced me to botanical illustration.  I loved the fact that the wild flowers were illustrated rather than photographed and what seemed to me to be the very innovative way that the flowers were arranged on the page.  I was hooked by this book and have remained interested ever since.

A copy of the original post has been archived and is on file.