How do I get my jewelry wire to be the right stiffness?

There are three grades of hardness in jewellery wire:

Full-hard, which is tempered wire that is very stiff. It's rarely used, because it's just too stiff for most jewellery.
Half-hard, which is hardened during manufacture but is not fully tempered and is not so hard. It's pliable by hand, but you need to use some force to do it and pliers are often easier. This is the stuff you want for most jewellery (excluding things that need to bend such as necklaces (though you should be looking at chain for those anyway)).
Dead-soft, which is just plain wire that hasn't been at all hardened. This needs minimal force from your hands to bend. I suspect you've been buying this kind of stuff.

The hardness also depends to an extent on the material - the cheaper stuff like copper and brass is generally manufactured at softer grades.

Bear in mind that you can also harden existing soft wire by either applying heat to it (i.e. a blow-torch or other high-intensity heat - a match won't do it) and then quenching it (drop it straight into cold water), or applying pressure to it (hammer it - just remember that this also reduces the diameter).

You can ask when you're buying the wire what grade it is, or look on whatever packaging it comes in to see if it's marked.


How can I safely transport a charcoal drawing?

PROFESSIONAL VERSION

Put on a pair of clean white cotton gloves.

Mount the drawing on an acid-free sheet of museum board with archival mounting tape. Prepare a beveled matt with an interior size 1-2 cm smaller than your paper. Attach the matt to the museum board with one strip of archival tape along the top edge. Place a piece of 5 mm thick plexiglas on the matt and tape to the museum board along the sides. Place the entire object in a thick plastic bag, fold down the opening several times while pressing out the air and tape shut with plastic packaging tape.

Then place the packaged drawing into a wooden shipping box with custom cut styrofoam spacers so that it cannot move. Put a sachet of silica gel under the museum board in a small space you have carved out of the foam. Put a foam sheet on top of the matt and close the box with screws. Using indelible marker (or hand-cut stencil for the authenticity) write FRAGILE GLASSWARE. HANDLE WITH CARE. on every side of the box. Label with the contents, attach shipping label and place in the loading bay for the (insured) delivery company to pick up.

DIY CHEAP VERSION

In an emergency I would use waxed paper like the kind used for baking to cover the sheet of paper. Fold it over the top, tape with removable masking tape to the back of the drawing. Use multiple rows that overlap and then sandwich the drawing between two sheets of cardboard that are 1.5 times bigger than the drawing. Put the whole thing in a garbage bag that you then wrap airtight and tape closed.


What is a good work-flow for a water-color painting?

I'm far from an expert, but here's what I've picked up:

The most important technique for watercolor is to work light to dark. Unlike other types of paint, you can't just paint a lighter color over a dark patch. (You can lift pigment after, but it typically leaves slight discoloration, and you risk damaging the paper.) Instead, with watercolor you are building up layers of translucent tints to create your image.

With that in mind, let's consider the types of areas that you listed for a generic watercolor painting: wash, fill, shadows, highlights, and details.

Mark out your highlights, because you want to work light-to-dark. You don't want to put pigment on top of an area that is meant to be light.
Washes - typically lighter and less saturated than the subject - come next, so that you can paint the details over top of it. You can do a background wash later on, if you're careful not to disturb the other parts. However, it's certainly easier to do first.
Fill in the main subject, taking care with your highlights from earlier.
Add details and any dark shadows. I'm listing these together, because the exact order will probably depend on the piece. I've done both ways: sometimes details first so they were also shaded, sometimes details last so they'd be sharper. (Or details, shade, touch up details..)

If you have a dark wash but light fill/details in your painting, you could instead try:

Paint the light areas, wait to dry, then carefully outline and do the wash.
Mark the light areas, paint the wash around them. Clean up edges by lifting the pigment, then paint the light areas.

Your frog painting is a great example for discussing this, since it has a dark background and dark spots on the lighter subject. My approach would be something like:

Paint the frog limbs and body color (minus black spots). This would include the color variations e.g. at its nose, after laying down the base color.
Leaf base color
Lines on leaf
Dark spots on frog: outline with a fine brush around the edge and the highlight spots, then fill in
Dark background section at top edge (this could be any time after 2 though, really)
Shadows: probably on frog body first, then on the leaf

Of course, this is art - everyone has a different preference, experiment with what works best for you!


Why not use real dirt?
You can buy (or find) potting soil quite easily, which is relatively 'clean'.

An alternative is coffee grounds. To make it as dark as regular soil, you can add a little black ink to it and mix it with water.

In both cases it's best to let it dry first, then mix it with the resin or (maybe slightly watered down) glue inside a Tupperware container or a paper cup, which is both easier to cut away and less wasteful.

The resin or glue has to be waterproof (in case the plant accidentally gets watered), transparent (to let the (fake) dirt steal the show), hard curing (to keep everything properly in place), and preferably matte drying (since glossy dirt will look unrealistically wet or muddy).
Many resins and glues can be used for this - even wood glue, for example, will work fine. Visit your nearest hardware store, and look around or ask someone.


How can you tell if an oil painting is dry?

Before providing a way to test the oil painting is dry, it's useful to know how the drying process works and why it is important.

How does oil paint dry (cure)?

Oil Paint doesn’t really dry, rather it cures. The pigment is dispersed in oil (typically linseed) and generally contains a solvent (methylated/white spirit). The solvent evaporates away leaving the oil and the pigment.

Then over a period of time the oil & pigment slowly become less malleable through a process of oxidisation. The oil hasn’t evaporated away (dried) it has become hard (cured).

What can cause differences in the drying time?

As you have mentioned in your question there are several things that can affect the curing time of the paint.

Application thickness of the paint
Pigment colour:

Earth colours require less oil (ochre etc.), so cure quicker

Primary colours require more oil (crimson etc.), so cure slower

Brand/type of paint
Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, airflow & sunlight

Most paint suppliers offer good advice on how long their paints take to dry. But some general guidelines are that most paints will be touch dry after 10-14 days and should be fully cured within 6 months. However, for those pieces where the artist has used a liberal impasto technique, then upto 2 years is possible!

Why wait?

If the artist intends to varnish, and there are several reasons for this:

Protection
Bring richness & vibrancy to colour
Ease of cleaning

Doing so before the paint has cured could lead to cracking and also it might not allow the paint to fully cure, and this can lead to weakness between layers. And, therefore, flaking.

When framing it is less important that the painting is fully cured. But there are risks as the piece could be knocked during the process and cause indenting, or squashing, of the paint. Also, it can slow down the curing process.

So to answer the actual question:

How do you know that the oil painting is dry?

There is a very simple test.

Take a lint-free rag and dip it into white spirit. Pick an inconspicuous area and gently rub. If any colour shows on the rag, it requires further drying time before varnishing or framing.

But I wouldn’t suggest doing this on your newly acquired Gerhard Richter.


What are the general guidelines for cutting glass with straight lines?

This approach will focus on using handheld glass cutters. Much of what is covered here applies to curves as well, however, I will only focus on cutting straight lines. This is one such cutter:

Image from Amazon.com

The most basic and versatile tool for cutting glass is the glass cutter. There are different styles and features, but all will have a cutting wheel. There are different grips, ones with multiple rotating cutters and many have a ball or similar on the opposite end of the tool (Which is used for tapping the glass)

Prepping your work surface

You should, in general, be cutting glass on a hard surface that is clean of debris. While you might be tempted to cut on carpet or softer surface, this would be counter productive. The pressure you exert with the tool on the glass is the most important factor, so you don't want the glass to move at all unless by your own hand.

The tool, when used properly, will come into contact with this surface so if you have something hard like a metal top, then you might want to put something down like thin cardboard or a self healing mat so as to not damage your cutter prematurely.

Clean glass debris between your breaks. It does not take much to scratch.

Scoring the glass

Glass cutting with hand tools relies on scoring the glass. You are placing a shallow cut/fissure into the glass to guide the eventual break. Getting the perfect score can be difficult to get perfect, but following some basic guidelines, it can be done. If your tool is not self lubricating then you should make sure you lubricate the wheel. This will prevent it from getting locked up with glass shards and binding.

You want the score to be deep enough that it cuts into the glass but not so deep that it starts throwing off chips. The sound the glass is making while your a cutting is important. It should sound like a light zipper and the sound should be continuous from the start to the finish of the cut. Always start and end the score off the glass and avoid hesitation.

Break the glass

Once you have a good score line you should be able to break the glass with ease. These are general approaches

Score away from the edge of the glass: Most cuts you should be able to do with your hand as long as there is room. Place your thumbs close on both sides of the score line. Start applying leverage like you want to bend it in half. Much in the same way you break a chocolate bar.
Score near the edge: If you are having issues getting a hold with your hand then you can use glass pliers or running pliers. Basically pliers with curved jaws with a rubber-like covering to protect the glass. The curved jaws work the glass the same as your hands, using the score line like a fulcrum.

Image from freepatternsforstainedglass.com

Other variations of hand and tool positions exist. It's a matter of applying pressure close to the score line to encourage a break.

If you are having issues getting the break to start you might not have a good score line, the glass might be thick, or you might need to exert more pressure to start the break.

You can use the ball of the cutter to tap near the score line on the other side. Run the ball at the edge of the glass and follow the score line along. You likely can see the glass start to break when it gets easier to see. Once that is done you can come back to hands or pliers and try to break again.

If your score is weak do not try to score on the same line again. It can damage the tool and will create an unpredictable breaking score line. Instead try scoring again on the other side of the glass. While this still could have problems, it is a better 2nd chance approach.

One of several good videos that covers this and similar topic

Video

You can also listen to the sound the glass makes when scoring properly.


Necessity of Pre-Washing Fabric to Create Folk-Art Shawl

To wash or not to wash ... it depends on the materials you want to combine.

If you want to stitch a cotton yarn onto a cotton fabric, both react very similar to being washed: they shrink by roughly 5% in length (in extreme cases up to 10%). If you want to stitch a different yarn (maybe silk, acrylic or wool) they might react very different to the same treament. You should factor these changes into the planning of your embroidery project.

In embroidery, each individual stitch is relatively short. It shouldn't be much of a difference if the fabric shrinks by 5% but the yarn doesn't. It will be a little loose and incorporated objects like beads might pull strands looser than others. But overall the finished piece should still look alright.

If, on the other hand, the yarn shrinks more than the fabric, the result will be very unshapely. A stitched border might curl or pull in areas. Big motifs in the center of the fabric will pull areas together and deform the whole fabric. The more stitching there is on the fabric, the stronger this deformation gets.

As a rule of thumb, I suggest using a yarn that does not shrink. If you're not sure how much your yarn and fabric shrink, cut a small piece of fabric off, embroider a small motif on it, then measure it's size before and after washing and see if it deforms.

You should see the efford for the preparations in relation to the effort for the actual execution. If embroidering takes several weeks, maybe months, saving a single day for testing the shrinkage of your fabric and yarn can have catastrophal consequences after all these weeks. For something as work-intense as a phulkari, I would go out of my way and pre-wash the fabric and (if possible) the yarn as well.


Specifically for cutting glass jars and bottles

A very common method is to use heat shock to break the glass; normally by putting a ring of some form of absorbent string or twine around it, soaking it in acetone or some other fuel, lighting it and then plunging the bottle into very cold water. Some tutorials recommend that you use a glass cutter just to score the surface lightly to increase the stress, so it seems that using a glass cutter might also be possible (if difficult).

For cutting arbitrary curved glass surfaces

Honestly, a traditional glass cutter or dremel is probably still your best bet. If you're struggling to hold it steady on the curved surface, consider covering it with masking tape to give the piece a more friction - this should make it easier to cut without slipping.


What else can be used as flux instead of borax for silver casting?

I would suggest charcoal and no flux. Keep molten time to a minimum. Charcoal is used on molten lead for long periods to reduce oxidation. For many copper alloys , hydrogen absorption is a problem ; it evolves during freezing causing porosity. I read in ASM Metals Handbook that molten silver may absorbs oxygen causing porosity. Charcoal should provide some protection from both H and O..
Borax seems pretty easy to get in the US. However, long ago I mixed flux to make a slag for copper alloys , it primarily contained : soda ash ( sodium carbonate), beach sand ( silica), and fluorspar. There are a number of sites on the net that sell proprietary fluxes ( for copper alloys). And one site gives info on the flux
 components -  911 metallurgist.


There are certain companies that market "erasable" colored pencils, but I have seen plenty artists use them that find that they still don't erase perfectly or that they still smudge slightly while erasing. There's no perfect solution, due to the nature of pigments.

An alternative is looking at why you need to have a blue pencil for sketching.

Why blue?

Historically, certain shades of "non-photo blue" were used because photocopiers wouldn't pick them up, so as you'd layer your final lines and lineart on top of the blue undersketch, the blue wouldn't show up in your copy. This has led to what is, in my opinion, a bit of an obsolete tradition of using blue for undersketches.

Why obsolete? Because every modern scanner I've used in the past 15 years has had no problems picking up the non-photo blue pigments. The color you use is irrelevant, because Photoshop and GIMP can easily remove whatever color you use. You can even use multiple colors, ending with your grey/black final lines.

Why erasable?

As you're practicing, you're going to want to erase a lot if you're making large mistakes, but needing to have a highly-erasable undersketch might indicate that you could improve your workflow.

For instance, many artists will do their initial messy sketches as thumbnails or smaller-scale pictures, in order to figure out proportions, layout and composition. Using simple graphite pencils, it's easy to erase and experiment. Alternatively, if your thumbnails are small enough, mistakes can be "discarded" by simply starting a new thumbnail next to it.

After the design and layout is decided, you would then pull out the pencil, colored or otherwise, that you'd use for the undersketch. Since you're generally just up-scaling your thumbnails, there's less mistakes in positioning lines and thus a lower need to erase them.

Okay, use one anyway!

All that said, (non-photo) blue pencils still work great for many artists! There's nothing wrong with it. But if the "erasable" types, like Prismacolor's Col-Erase line, are still too difficult to work with, there are two more things to try.

Practice line control. You could be making your lines darker than necessary. This is both a physical and mental issue. The physical part is gaining the fine motor control to make light enough lines. The mental part is being okay with not having dark, clear lines. Both require practice and training to overcome.
Try a different type of eraser (link). Some types of erasers simply don't work well for certain media.


Irezumi itself is not an art style but rather a technique and a craft - tattooing onto skin which is traditionally done with tools originating from woodblock printmaking.

The esthetics and imagery you refer to originates from the very famous Japanese art style Ukiyo-e which developed and rose to fame in conjunction with japanese woodblock printing in the Edo period (17th-19th century) in Japan.

Some Masters of the art of Ukiyo-e:

Hiroshige
Hokusai
Yoshitoshi


How to Slow the Speed of a Sewing Machine

Singer foot pedals sometimes have a speed adjustment.  Mine does, I own a CG 550. Look underneath the pedal and if there is a little hole, you should be able to take an electronics grade small flat head screwdriver or one for glasses and torque the gauge to speed up or slow down.

Singer machines typically come at middle speed. As this is a beginner machine, it may already be set as slow as it goes. Of course, that is, if it even has the speed adjustment slot.

My very first Singer had the hole with the ability to adjust the speed without the markings.

You’re machine manual on page 6, states that speed is only controlled by your foot. See pic from manual taken from Singer website.

Yes, you can control the speed of a consumer machine somewhat. Mostly it feels like slow, fast and stop. Commercial machines have much more subtle control.
The best way to get used to the speed of your  oops, sewing machine is to take gobs of scrap fabric and go nuts with all the stitches. It’s fun and helps.


What are some DIY simple tools to use to make a model scale home?

Thin foam core or cardboard, card stock, and balsa or lime sticks.

All three of these things together are light weight, inexpensive, and should be available at craft stores or on the web (the balsa can be purchased on Amazon but you may find it in JoAnn's). They can all be cut simply with a sharp Xacto-type blade or scalpel. You'll likely be able to find these items at either a craft store or (possibly) an office store. I used to work at a university book store and they actually sold kits for the architecture students in the art section, so if there's a university nearby with an architecture program, see what they have on hand.

A basic guide supports these:

  As far as materials are concerned, unless you have easy access to a workshop and a reasonable level of experience with machinery, it would be best to work with card or foam-board or similar, easy-to-cut materials such as Balsa or Lime wood. In other words, anything that you can cut with either a sharp blade or junior hack saw and stick together with conventional shop bought glues.

It also recommends using some other tools to help ensure your lines are perpendicular (or at the proper angle you wish) and straight.

  And when you are cutting, if possible, try to use a square, especially if you are cutting out floor plates or elevations. Keeping everything square is crucial if you want to achieve a neat, crisp finish for your building. It’s also worth investing in a metal ruler as you will find a plastic or wooden ruler will get damaged very quickly.

As for how to use the knife, the importance is patience and technique. Use several shallow passes to get through the thicker foam or cardboards:

  Whether you’re cutting with a craft knife or a scalpel, it's better to use several light passes rather than trying to cut all the way through with one go. You’ll get a cleaner cut and you’re less likely to slip and cut your finger.

My dad was an architect and these were the sorts of tools he used, so if they're good enough for pros, they should be good for you, too! Best of luck finding the supplies and building your dream home (scale model)! Oh, be sure to do a lot of practicing before trying to build your final house. This is a slow, careful process that takes a lot of practice, so be patient with yourself.


Which glue should I use to bond sea shells to steel and/or stone?

Depending on how ‘shock-proof’ you need it to be, you have a couple options: silicon or epoxy.

Silicon is a bit more flexible, so if people or pets are going to be touching it, then this is what I would recommend. It is waterproof and really sticky until it dries. My advice is to get the transparent type used in bathrooms.

Two-part epoxy is theoretically stronger, but it might actually be too strong and might not bond well-enough with the steel.


How to preserve comic pages drawn by pencil?

There are a number of ways to preserve pencil drawings.  This question is explicit in distinguishing that the drawings were purchased, which introduces another consideration.
A common way to preserve pencil drawings is with a fixative.  How can I protect my pencil & charcoal drawings once complete? goes into recommendations and discussion on that approach.  A fixative works to protect it, but it modifies the surface, and can change the appearance a little.  For acquired works, the fixative would be something the original artist did not apply, and would be an alteration of the work.
If you just want to keep the work for its value to you, protect it any way you like. But if investment/resale value is a consideration, or it's a historical work, your applying a fixative to it could seriously degrade its value.
In this case, a better way to preserve it is to either store it in acid-free, archival quality flat files between layers of glassine paper, or have it professionally framed behind (UV-resistant) glass so it can be displayed and enjoyed.
For completeness, plastic sleeves were also suggested as a means of protection, but Allison C advised that smudging can result.

This is a summary of the comments (primarily by rebusB, Erica, and Gwyn) from within this thread and the linked chat discussion.


There are lots of variations on neoprene.  It can have different additives that affect characteristics like softness and surface appearance.  Sometimes it is bonded to a fabric.  There are variants that are very soft and a little tacky that will grip a surface for extreme non-slip.  But as long as it's rubbery and soft enough to conform to the surface, it will act as a non-slip material.
An oily residue could be either oil of some kind used in the manufacturing, or an additive that's leaching out.  Many rubber and plastic materials will release some additives, either mostly right after manufacturing or much later, as the material ages.  In some cases, it's designed to work that way to serve a purpose, like acting as a mold release.
Neoprene doesn't receive a "finish".  Whether the surface is shiny or matte, that's the characteristic of what was made.  You can't change that, or the tackiness, later (although you could apply some temporary adhesive to make it tacky if that's required).
Oily residue, though, can be cleaned off.  It's a contaminant, not part of the neoprene.  There are a few solvents that will damage neoprene, but soapy water or alcohol will be safe for cleaning it.


What is a castable gold-coloured metal that is less expensive than gold?

Maybe you could use epoxy resin instead of metal. It's not exactly cheap and you'd have to do some research as to which resin is best suited for your purpose (or suited at all), but there are tons of YouTube videos of how to design tables with epoxy.

The coloration could be a problem because depending on the pigment it won't look like metal at all, even if the pigment is golden. If you want to take this approach, I propose you buy colored resin instead of coloring it yourself.

If you're interested in epoxy resin, you should research the following topics before executing your first project:

The different kinds of resin and their properties. Some are only suited for thin layers, others only for thick layers. If you use improper resin, it might stay soft and sticky.
The safety measures! Always wear goggles and gloves and keep the area well ventilated, even if you don't smell any noxious fumes.
How to get rid of bubbles. This is a common problem with resin but less severe with opaque colors.


How important is hand/finger position in fiber crafts?

The finger positioning—actually the way the yarn loops around the fingers—controls the overall tension of the yarn. Think of it like the path the thread takes on a sewing machine—all those ups, downs and arounds between the thread spool and the needle to make a nice even stitch on the fabric.

Fortunately the yarn path around the fingers is much more forgiving than the thread path on a sewing machine—get that wrong and…yikes, thread ball and swear words! If you find a finger/yarn position that you're comfortable with while you're learnings knit or crochet, go for it!

When I was learning to knit and crochet the finger positions never made any sense to me either, I just kept getting all tangled up! My solution was to hold the yarn out of the way between my index and middle fingers until I learned to get all the loops in the right place. Not very elegant but it worked for me because I had some tension control as the yarn ran between two fingers. Eventually I naturally settled into the "proper" finger position as my stitch technique improved.


The color isn't really what matters, its the quality and type of eraser. Almost all erasers are dyed, so that's the only thing that effects the color. Depending on the materials you're using and types of canvas/paper, different erasers will work better.  So if the black eraser was better quality, then yes, but overall, the color means nothing.


What is the name of Japanese printing which uses hammered leaves on white cloth?

This is a hammered leaf print, or sometimes called a transfer. Flowers are also used. The Japanese name for this art is called hapa zome. It's categorized as a type of dyeing process, and hapa zome roughly translates to "leaf dye" (according to the Internet. I don't know any Japanese).

The technique is similar to the classic nature printing, which uses a roller to press the leaf into the plate receiving the transfer. For hammering, you are applying the pressure much more manually, and aren't creating an engraving that's used make additional copies.

You can find a cheap way to do this on Instructables. Here is a picture of such are done on watercolor paper:


What is the purpose of an abrader in flint knapping?

The purpose is to prepare a flake for improved manipulation.

Abrasion is a process also referred to as 'raking':

  Raking is the action of carefully dragging a course abrader or other device to remove "micro" flakes from the edge of a biface or preform to change it's [sic] shape or give support to an edge before actual abrading is done prior to percussion or pressure work.
  source

  Edges being worked [especially while soft hammer knapping] must be ground dull prior to flake removal. This dulling helps prevent edge collapse. A piece of sandstone, very soft limestone, or other soft rock may be used to dull the edge.
  source

  The process [of lithic reduction] also involves frequent preparation of the edge to form better platforms for pressing off flakes. This is usually accomplished with abraiders made from a coarse-grained stone such as basalt or quartzite.
  source

Essentially, the abrasion allows for the force to be distributed more evenly and controllably.


Turtleneck Sweater Design: What to consider?

Don't forget your cuff/waistband design. Will it be a 1x1 rib? 2x2 rib? Something else? And consider the amount of ease you want, not just your measurements and ultimate shape, when sizing. Do you want it to fit tightly? Baggy? In between? And since you're using worsted-weight yarn, you'll want a little more space in the underarm than you would if you were using a lighter yarn.

Also, you could do a raglan sleeve/shoulder the way you're describing it, not just a drop shoulder, so that might be another consideration. (I think raglan turtlenecks look really nice!)

Those cables are gorgeous. I really hope you'll come back and post your finished product.


How can I affix a ball bearing to a metal shaft without welding?

As much as I like the brazing answer, it's unfortunate that it won't work for your purposes.

A search using the terms "drilled steel ball" resulted in many returns for of threaded and non-threaded balls of various materials. Most of the returns are for larger than 1/4" as you've requested.

If you can adjust your design, there is a source of 8 mm drilled (unthreaded) balls on Etsy. It should be possible to use an epoxy to secure this type of ball to a rod.

Etsy also has a listing for a drilled threaded version.


What materials can I source to make a shiny/rubbery blue raincoat?

It's strongly likely that you are seeing what I know to be oilcloth. Per the link, it is close-woven cotton duck or linen cloth with a coating of boiled linseed oil to make it waterproof.

Using oilcloth as the search term, I found a few locations online for purchase. As your post referenced the blue color, I focused on that specification:

Oilclothbytheyard.com

It's likely you'll find other resources as well.


How to fold a fortune teller:
Fold all four corners to the center and turn over.
Fold all four corners to the center again and turn over. To make a modular unit fold all four corners to the center once more.

On opposite sides draw a capital A on the pockets

Join the A pockets

Fold each connected pocket in on itself to hide the A and lock the model together

Fold each module in half as you go

Connect the last pocket the same way

Fold three fortune tellers for the five sided one and eight for the eight sided one.
Incidentally this makes a quite beautiful flexible model as well as a functional fortune teller

Happy folding, Grace.


What's the difference between crochet, knitting, and tunisian crochet?

The distinction between the crafts are the tools used and how many stitches are held at the same time.

Crochet is done with a single hooked needle and typically only a few stitches are held at one time before being crocheted off.
Knitting is done with two or more needles, and rows of stitches are held open before being knitted off.
Afghan/Tunisian crocheting used a single hooked needle, but keeps an entire row of stitches held open on the needle.


One way I think is common among comic artists is through instancing*: after having drawn a few of the figures in different positions, you can copy instances of these individual figures unto the panel using either

a lightbox or light table, when working with traditional tools, or

image editing software (e.g. Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint), when taking a digital approach.

Alternatively, some specialized software allows for importing 3D models that can be positioned, after which a render can be made that looks like a drawing.

However, at close inspection, this particular image doesn't show obvious signs of instancing, so I think this was all drawn by hand by Kishimoto.
That, or the instances were edited afterward (using any of the approaches mentioned).

* I'm not sure 'instancing' is the term used in the comic world, though: I know it from 3D editing software and game engines, where it is common.


Effective adhesive material to splice cardboard shipping boxes?

The boxes from USPS are of consistently flat and relatively thin material, while the adhesive strip is also quite thin. As such, this material would not work well on coarser surfaces such as corrugated cardboard, especially as that material is not particularly flat.

Hot melt glue is thicker in general, certainly more fluid and able to spread and fill any surface irregularities. Using hot glue, you can get away with a relatively thin stripe that will flatten upon closure and provide substantial bonding.

You can purchase double sided tape of many types, from thin, paper-only bonding up to heavy duty carpet bonding tape. The latter would work quite well in the cardboard arena, as it is designed to bond irregular, not-particularly-flat surfaces, but it's also going to be more expensive.


How to tack fuse glass frit and keep pores in glass

Try using the glass beads without grinding them to a powder first. The spaces between the spheres would then give you the pores you are looking for. Alternately you could mix in a material with a higher melting point to create gaps, being sure you do not fire above what is needed to fuse the lime glass. The risk here is different expansion rates between the materials may cause it to fracture and you may not be able to get all of the resist material out of the finished piece.

Soda lime glass has a relatively low melting point (505°C), lower than borosilicate glass. You could tack them together using a torch instead of a annealer/kiln. Then you would have direct visual control over the amount of fusing and/or melt. If that is not possible then target the kiln to just touch their melting point and immediately start to cool.


Practicing with both common grips is a good strategy.

While you will naturally develop a preferred grip for most projects, having a variety of approaches you are functional with will make a much broader range of thread weights and project weights possible for you to accomplish with some ease.

Also being able to alternate approaches will go a long way toward reliving tiredness and joint strain on big projects.

Short answer:  BOTH in combination are better than either alone.

It sometimes helps to wind a small scrap yarn ball around your hook that will fit comfortably into the V formed by your thumb and index finger metacarpal bones. There are commercially available hook designs that accomplish similar aids.


What types of large plastic sheets can I draw/paint on?

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


What are good tools for carving in cork?

I would lean toward scalples/X-Acto knives.  They a are very sharp, and the blades lend themselves to carving small details well.  They are designed for detailed work unlike kitchen knives which are designed to cut things up.

As Camil pointed out in the comments, a heftier blade might be needed to start with the larger roughing cuts so it doesn't snap.


Is brush-on Mod Podge the same as the spray can variant?

So in terms of the formula used in both versions, they are pretty much the same. The slight difference in the spray version though are to account for the spray version needing to be thin enough to spray through the atomiser.

The best choice of which to use for your particular application, comes down to the mediums you used to repaint the doll, its curing time and permanence, and the potential for the ingredients in each product to react with each other in a "beading" or "repulsion" manner.

I have some questions:

Is the paint you used on the doll water or oil based?
Does the paint you used have a specified "curing" or drying time?
Is the final item going to be placed around infants or pets?

The reason I ask that last one, is that if there is no specific concern that a baby will be putting this in it's mouth or something like that - I might recommend a light, quick spray with a clear satin finish acrylic spray lacquer first, just to set the paint, in case a layer of mod podge does make the paint colours bleed.

ALSO!
Do a quick stress test.
paint a spare piece of wood with the doll paint and test out if sponging it on affects the paints final look.
Good Luck!!


How do I get the barrel of my fountain pen when it's stuck from dried ink

Prepare a jewelry cleaning kit...

moisten separate squares of paper towel in common solvents and put each in a separate  plastic bag.  make one each for clean water, water with dish-soap, rubbing alcohol, acetone (nail polish remover) and maybe... dilute ammonia and dilute bleach (but make sure these last two towels never touch each other or follow directly each other when used).  Label each plastic bag clearly with a black sharpy.  take some dry paper towels as well.

The gold nib is probably your best testing area as you know exactly what it is made of.  gold is extremely non-reactive so exposing it to water, dish soap, alcohol or acetone is completely safe.  ammonia can dull the shine on gold and bleach can oxidize its outer surface turning it black.  either the dull or the black can be buffed away with a dry paper towel, repairing this minor damage.  (once again a safety note about bleach and ammonia.  do not let them touch each other as they give off a poisonous gas when they combine).

So with your cleaning kit ready, go to the current owner of the pen and ask to run a quick cleaning test.  If the owner doesn't agree, he may know something about the unwanted ink that he doesn't want you to learn.  In which case, you should probably go find another pen.  It the owner does agree,...

Rub the dried ink on the nib across a dry piece of paper towel.  If an ink line forms on the towel, this is your base line. A solvent works if it draws a darker line than the dry paper towel.

Repeatedly drag a dried ink spot on the nib across each solvent's paper towel. Between each solvent test, drag the ink spot across the clean water towel to avoid mixing solvents. Once you find a solvent which produces a dark ink colored line, the test is over.  The dried ink can be removed with that solvent, so the pen is safe to purchase.

If none of the solvents produce a dark line, then the "ink" will require stronger cleansers than can safely be used around the soft gold and plastic.


What is the technique to get a proper consistent crochet tension without being too tight?

Your problem does not seem so strange to me: I do the same with needles whenever I knit. That is the main reason why instructions contain the Gauge part, so you can choose the right yarn and hook to get the right size.

As I found written on a shawl crochet pattern:

  CHECK YOUR GAUGE.

  Use any size hook to obtain the gauge.

On the other hand, don't be too worried about "even" stitches while crocheting at first, but let the thread slide quite easily through your fingers while you work, otherwise the final result will be too stiff. The more you get used to crocheting, the more regular your stitches will become.

Hope this can help!


What are the different type of artist brush configurations and their purposes?

Well, this topic takes up six pages in Ralph Mayer's "The Artist's Handbook" (5th edition) but I'll take a stab at it:

Sables and their imitations, soft fine bristles, are for delicate work where you want to minimize the brush marks. They are very good for glazing techniques. Bristle brushes or hogs hair brushes have stiffer thicker bristles and leave more texture in the paint marks. They can also handle heavier bodied paint for more impasto styles, where the sables are better for more watery paint and especially water colors.

Rounds and pointed rounds are good for more fluid paints and a simpler line shape, large ones are great for covering a lot of area with color. Flats are considered the most versatile since you can get a good variation in line from them. Filberts are like a rounded flat, kind of oval shaped, so fall in between the two, I find them good for hitting very specific spots. Brights are "good for buttery paints," so putting down thicker layers, they are a little stubby so are more likely to pick up lower layers when applying wet on wet if you work them too much.

Specialty brushes like chisels and sign painter brushes (very long flats) are all about the specific lines they produce. Fan brushes, another specialty brush, are good for very light applications and for softening existing brush marks (one of my favorite kinds of brush FWIW, think blur tool in photoshop). Water colors also have special brushes like mops which are good for putting down washes as opposed to the points that are more for detail work.

Hope that helps. To me it comes down to how much texture the brush puts in the paint (bristles), and the feel of the line it makes (length and shape).


How to invisibly join superwash singles yarn?

Superwash single is a somewhat tough one, yes.

In those case, I usually start ten or so stitches before I change the yarn, I use the same technique as when doing jacquard to have the new yarn follow in the back of the work, I knit one stitch with both yarns, and knitting with the new yarn, I have the old yarn follow the stitches on the back for like ten stitches.
On the next row, I try to have the loose yarn follow on the back, so that it holds more.


What kind of painting tools does one need in order to make these fantasy art drawings?

While the specific example you found turns out to be digital art, the style it's reproducing is oil painting. (And acrylic, but acrylic arose as a way to paint in oils minus the long drying time.)
Source

Note that a talented artist can achieve the same effect with watercolors, too:
Source

... but IMO such painting is hard enough without pushing your materials to their limits.


How can I create a center disk to put under a compass point?

For something of this sort, you'll either construct one yourself, or repurpose a common item from another resource. The first thought that popped into my alleged mind is a coaster, something with a reasonably solid bottom layer to prevent puncture and also to provide grip, and an upper layer with material suitable to hold the compass point.
Even a sheet of hobby plywood cut in a shape to meet your needs should work. You'd be able to cut more than one, to have replacements when the point holes are excessive in quantity.
Shelf liner and drawer liner made of an open mesh material that's spongy is found in grocery and big-box stores and can be applied to the bottom of the coaster or coaster substitute to prevent slipping.


There is cold pressed water colour paper and hot pressed. Cold pressed has some texture to it. If you like a smoother paper, get the hot pressed, it has a much smoother texture.

Id suggest getting artist grade papers in at least 140lb. I like both Arches and Fabriano Artistico Hot Pressed 140lb. If you buy paper in the large sheets from an art store and cut it down to size it ends up being a better value.

Ive has some luck with the Fabriano Artistico Studio grade paper in pads, it comes in both cold pressed and hot pressed. Its a great quality paper for practice and learning and is a bit cheaper than the artist grade papers.


What should I use to connect my empty toilet paper rolls?

Paperclips (even if just from behind, though from both front and behind would be sturdier; each tube would be clipped to all the tubes adjacent to it).

[Edit: oh, btw, the ends of the paperclips should penetrate through the adjacent walls of the tubes for greater stability of the lower rows as the pyramid gets taller]


Drafting tapered pants for better outer seam pattern matching?

If the fabric is not very stretchy, you'll probably get a bad fit and lots of creases in the hips and crotch area.
Sewing patterns are designed to best fit a 2-dimensional piece of fabric around a 3-dimensional human body. If you make major changes like that, you'll have to expect that the result doesn't fit the "standard" human body anymore.
My guess is that the pants would act like this:

They would only fit well as long as you spread your legs. While standing straight, you have too much fabric at the outside seam, especially at the hips. That fabric has nowhere to go, so it starts creasing and bunching up. Since there isn't enough fabric on the inside seam, it pulls and constricts uncomfortably, especially while walking or sitting down.
One possible solution is to taper the pattern on both seams and align the grain with the outer seam. Be aware that this can also cause creases and pulling. It's recommended to keep the grain line as straight down the leg as possible

Another alternative that works astonishingly well is cutting the pant legs on the bias. This was done for some historical clothing, mainy for the wealthy (because you waste a lot of fabric that way). Woven fabric has some stretch along the bias, so cutting pant legs on the bias allows the fabric to stretch over the knees and the bum when moving and sitting down. Of course this would lead to many intersecting stripes, which actually looks better than just a few intersecting stripes.


High accuracy transfer of cutting blueprint onto plywood

The toner transfer method of transferring an image onto a PCB should also work on wood.

Basically you laser print (a mirror image if you need to work from the front) on suitable paper (I've done this with inkjet glossy photo paper), then iron onto the material, and you get a nice clean black image.

You're limited by the size of the print you can make, or your ability to join prints together.

If you want to stick a paper template onto the wood as you suggest in your question, I recommend repositionable spray mount all over the back of the template.  Taping is less effective once you start cutting.


How can I effectively remove the coating from woodless colored pencils?

I wish I could test this personally but I do not have those pencils. Have you tried plastic or steel wire brushes?

Image from Amazon

The steel(metal in general) ones might remove too much material. This could largely depend on technique. So the plastic one might be effective but so much as to remove too much material. You can keep the pencil on the "table" and run the brush up and down the length. Then rotate to get to the other side.

I would have suggested sandpaper or fine steel wool (#0000) but that requires more handling that risks breaking.

The way you could make that work though is to take a piece of wood and cut it so that there is a channel that would perfectly fit the contour of the pencil. Also have to be short enough so that you can hold the pencil at each end.

If you were to glue some fine sandpaper to this block you can then work the pencil inside it.


The clip can be removed by gently spinning it to loosen it a bit, then pushing it over the top of the pen. This removes it without damaging it, and it can be re-added by just pushing it back over the top.


Does rust matter on my wood carving knives if I sharpen them?

Depends on how deep the rust is. Rust weakens the bonds in the metal, but unless it is rusted right through, it's probably recoverable. Basically, you want to:

Remove the rust, likely a soak in vinegar for a day or so will do the main job.
Sand off any remaining rust using something like steel wool or fine grit sandpaper.
Sharpen.
Polish to restore finish.

People restore old kitchen and pocket knives all the time and you can find lots of different techniques online. Unless the knife has been rusting for a lot longer than we've been alive, I think you're good once you've removed the rust and stopped the oxidation.


Is there a name for an orange, gray and white -style pattern?

Based on the images you've shown, where the main colors are the shades of grey, I'd call it grayscale with a single accent color, in this specific case, the accent color is orange.

You could also call it black and white with a single accent color but that might lead people to believe that only black and white were used rather than shades of gray.

Something similar can be seen in these ceramic items:

If you were talking more about something like this tea kettle:

It would be the opposite - orange with grayscale accents.

If you're using multiple shades of the same orange (same color, different amounts of white/black), it would be "monochromatic", like the image below, which is an underpainting of a finished painting:


Sewing machine: how to sew a straight line left ⇆ right (instead of front ⇆ back)?

You are describing the technique used for "free motion quilting." On some sewing machines, you can lower the feed dogs instead of covering them. Your machine may come with a "darning foot" or a "free motion quilting" foot which should be used when doing this type of stitching to hold the fabric down while the needle is in the fabric, then lifts when the needle comes up so you can move the fabric.


What materials can I use for faux stained glass?

If you want to make something your kids could color with pencils, crayons, or maybe markers, get tracing paper and draw stained-glass designs on it with a black permanent marker. (If you do the coloring with markers, either wait several days between doing the black parts and coloring them in, or flip the tracing paper around: do the black "leading" on one side of the paper, and the coloring on the other side. Otherwise, no matter how "permanent" you permanent marker, the colored markers can cause it to smudge.) The advantage of this method is that it's pretty cheap, and it will probably end up very similar to the coloring book you have, at least if your coloring book is similar to what I've encountered before. The disadvantage of this method is that it doesn't really look like stained glass.

The other option is to go to the craft store and visit their faux stained glass section. Yes, there is such a thing. :) It involves clear plastic sheets as a base, a faux leading that's basically black dimensional paint in a squeeze bottle (i.e. you pipe it on almost like cake frosting instead of actually painting with it), and clear acrylic paints to go between your leading lines. Again, the process is to paint/pipe the designs with the "leading", wait for that to dry, and then paint the designs. The advantage of this method is that it looks very, very similar to actual stained glass without involving cutting glass and soldering and working with actual lead (Pb). The disadvantage is that it gets pretty expensive. You can reduce the expense somewhat if you can find cheaper sources of clear plastic. For example, see if you can find plain clear plastic plates (like from the party goods store).


Sounds like it could be shellac, possibly suspended in mineral spirits. It might also be damar varnish - but really that is speculation. Why don’t you track down someone from the place and ask them?

They probably had very large containers that were hard to work with, so they would put them in more “handy” jars,
.


If your objective is to create a silicone product, take a different viewpoint of your research thus far. Silicone molds work because silicone sticks to almost nothing other than silicone. If you create a mold using silicone as the foundation, pouring food materials inside means you get food materials out, without sticking.

For your beads, consider that you want a non-silicone mold. The hole in the center makes things a bit trickier, but not by much. You'd have to make a two-part mold and ensure that you get proper venting when placing the sprue for filling. Alternatively, if you don't mind a seam in the finished product, you can make two molds that can be filled independently.

You didn't state the diameter of the beads, and I'll adjust this suggestion to focus on small sized beads, as the project gets easier with increased size.

One will presume that you have ordinary beads of the size you wish to duplicate. The typical method of creating a non-silicone mold requires that the item be coated with a mold-release substance. Tiny beads are likely to be very challenging in that respect and you cannot expect one hundred percent perfection, in my opinion.

A somewhat step-by-step method would be as follows:

Create a modeling clay base, leveled as carefully as possible.
Embed the beads in the base to the half-way point, ensuring that the orientation of the through-hole is vertical.
Embed also in the base at various locations across the bed alignment points. These points can be clay-formed bumps, pyramids, cones, something tapered for easy release. Tapered depressions will also serve well.
Coat the beads and the clay surface with mold-release.
Encase the clay bed within an appropriate box-like structure to create a pouring frame.
Select a desired resin and fill to cover the beads and alignment points.
When cured, remove the clay bed but leave in place or clean and replace the beads.
Clean and apply mold release to the cured mold and the beads.
Create a new pouring frame around the cured mold.
Pour the second half of the mold, allow to cure as before.

When the mold are split and cleaned, any silicone compound applied will form the beads. Without cutting a sprue or vent, you can fill one mold flush with silicone, allow it to cure. Do not touch the cured surface. Fill the other half of the mold with silicone and place the first half in place atop it.

The uncured silicone will bond with the previous pour and create the beads. Depending on the amount of silicone used, there may be thicker seams.

I do not believe small beads can be created using molds involving a sprue and vent. Because the spherical shape of a bead requires a two part mold to release the bead, it is more practical to consider the seam-style creation.

The tricky part will involve ensuring the clay bed fills the bead opening when pressing them in place in the earlier steps. Cleaning the clay from those openings when creating the second mold is equally important. Any points of failure in those items will create a bead without a pass-through hole.


You would use a hand held diamond file.  They are sold specifically for the purpose you are describing (fixing chipped articles).  There are a number of articles and videos online which detail the process and specify which files to use (flat, rounded, etc.).


How to make black paint marks over another colour

That is called a vignette. Basically it is a soft blend of the dark edge that frames the outside of a picture (or any image like a photo or movie frame) into the outer areas of the front face. Here I would say they used a rag painting technique.

Apply the black paint along the outside edges of the board and along the bevel or rounded edge of the outer face of the sign.  Then with a rag rub toward the center of the front face a short way (around 1/8 - 1/2") to get the heavier dark edge. Do this with some randomness and skip areas to make it uneven. The action is a little like applying shoe polish.

Then wipe a little further in toward the center with just a touch of paint on the rag. Likely you will then want to wipe those areas away with a clean rag, maybe with a little solvent on it, to reveal the base color and create the wider faded parts.

The base color has to be dry and oil based paints will work better than acrylics since they dry slower giving you more working time. By varying the pressure as you wipe away the top layer you will get darker and lighter areas. The grain of the wood helps since the valleys hold the paint and the ridges will be wiped away. Do some test runs on a practice board because there is a some finesse to the amount of paint and touch to use.


Do I need to hold the pencil in different ways for different kinds of shading methods?

Yes and no.
Standard Tripod
Assuming you're working on a horizontal plane, such as a flat desktop, you're probably using the standard grip (also known as the writing grip or tripod grip) for your pencil. This grip is good at doing fine detailed work and short strokes. That makes it very helpful for doing all the methods you mentioned, when the scale is small. That is to say, when the strokes you're making are small and detailed. You can do very fine crosshatching on a very large piece, or do large crosshatching on the same piece. When drawing at an incline, such as on an easel or drafting table, this grip is generally only used for detail work.
Paintbrush/brush Grip
This grip has you hold the pencil further up the shaft and along your index finger (see pictures). This grip makes it easier to apply lighter strokes to your piece. If your shading method requires you to apply strokes of different pressure, this grip may help you more. Building up your values one "layer" of shading at a time is a very common method, used with or without the aid of blending. The standard grip makes it easy to press too hard, often making the brush grip a better choice for building up value.
You can combine the pressure control with any of the methods you listed.

Underhand grip
I call this one underhand, but I've seen it called violin bow grip and also drumstick grip. Basically, you hold the pencil between the tips of your thumb and index finger, but your palm faces up (see picture).
The site I used for the picture already has a great explanation of what kinds of shading this is used for:

This grip is the preferable basic drawing grip. It does not need a propped arm, and the motion range is limited only by your arm span; it produces flowing, economical sweeping line and is ideal for rough sketching, hatching and tonal work with the side of lead. It works best on big page and a near-vertical plane (paper pinned to board), and is the preferred grip in academic drawing. It enables working with the lead’s side, for darker flowing lines and shading. It cannot be used with Wacom stylus.

This really is the best grip for using the side of the lead, especially when you're using a properly-sharpened pencil. Using the side of the lead allows you to lay down varying widths of solid tone. That makes this grip ideal for certain types of blending.
This grip also allows you to make fairly detailed hatch/crosshatch marks, although not as detailed as the standard grip. Generally, when you use this grip you keep your wrist stiff and move the pencil with your shoulder and elbow. However, you can flick your wrist to get some consistent, finely detailed lines.
The downside of this grip hinted at in the quote: you can't use it when drawing on a horizontal surface. You need an incline and room for your elbow to move.
You'd find it pretty hard to do detailed work with this grip, or do any sort of stippling/dotting.

Other grips
There are other grips out there, but the point here isn't to list the pros and cons of them all. These are the 3 basic grips, and the rest are essentially variations of them.


How to create a glitter gold effect with colored pencil

The phrase my first painting teacher used the most was "Contrast in Value-!" The best way to make anything look realistic is to pay attention to the lights and darks, or "value" of the colours. I recommend unfocusing your eyes to take in the general sense of contrast- how much of that "glitter" really stands out? Can you convey what you want without it?

I think the key thing would be leaving areas bright white to imply the reflected light. How far along is the drawing? Assuming your paper is white, you could draw teeny tiny circles for the glittery flecks, but only fill in your colour around them so they stay white and look "shiny."


No, spray paints can get into the cooling system through the vents, blocking air flow and gumming up moving parts.  Some spray paints may even conduct electricity  after drying which can short out (seriously damage/destroy) your laptop's electrical components.  The only "safe" way to use spray paint on any electrical device is to unplug (remove battery) and dismantle it, removing the electronic components from the outer shell.  Then paint just the outer shell in a non-conductive paint before reassembling the device.  Since laptops use lots of springs and pressure fitted parts, the dismantling process itself is another great way to destroy a laptop, so don't do it.

Your best bet is to search amazon to see if there are any "laptop skins" specifically made for your model laptop.  These are vinyl stickers which exactly fit the contours of your laptop, leaving all of the vents uncovered and functional.  They come in a variety of imagery and textures.

Alternatively, you could create a jewelry cleaning kit as I described in this answer and use it on the remaining stains.  You might get lucky and return your laptop to its original appearance.


How can you preserve oil paints on your palette between sessions?

Light, Air, AND Temperature. After restricting the air flow like by putting the palette into a container you can put it in the fridge or even the freezer for a longer period.

Some painters immerse the working palette into a recipient of water in the fridge for the best air restriction, because it is oil based the paint is not altered and is workable within an hour of removing from water.

read http://painting.about.com/od/oilpaintingfaq/f/freezing-oils.htm

  It's fine to store your oils in the freezer if you're taking a break. The cold temperature will slow the rate of oxidation and evaporation, preserving the paint.(...) "...by early Renaissance times professional supplies of pigments existed ... Prepared oil paints were kept in the studio under water to prevent them from drying out."

Using left over paint within " the evening or even longer" should not require any special method.
Otherwise, if you add oil to the paint before setting the palette aside it will be work able for days longer, and even longer with a slow dry medium.

The best way is still to use paint little by little so not to have too much left over.


Advice on how to make a pea pod style ring

The basic steps should be easy. The real manufacturing work - I never tried :)

Here are the steps:

Get the silver. Ideally it is already a ribbon of the desired width.
If you do not have a ribbon, then it should be a thick wire.
(optional) Transform the wire into a ribbon. You can use a (small) hammer, or some other specialty device.
(optional) Hopefully, you will not need to melt the silver to make it a ribbon.
Bend the silver ribbon longitudinally, as if you want to make a long tube (similar to a syringe needle.) Do not close the tube!!
Add the pebbles / beans / whatever in their final position.
Close the tube at the extremities, and around the beans, to keep the beans in place.
Decide if the ring has to be closed (O-shaped around the finger, or if you want a spiral - similar to some bracelets).
Bend the tube around a round "stick", similar in diameter with the target finger.
Close the tube longitudinally (probably at the same time with step 9).
"Weld" the end of the ring, if you want to have it O-shaped. I have no idea how to weld easily. Alternatively, you can use some glue. Or stick one end of the tube into the other end (similar with using the extension tubes of a vacuum cleaner). Use the hammer to force the end together, closing the ring.

I hope you have the patience to go through all this.

Note: you may want to try the same by using some cheap material, instead of silver. The first which comes to my mind is metal cans - from food (thicker), or from beverages (thinner).

Another note: you may want to use some glue when adding the beans, to minimize the chances of losing them if the ring goes through a bad time. You may even use the glue around the "pod". Or use some resin instead of glue, for the same purpose. It is better if it is elastic, so it will not crack in case of bad handling.


Is there any eraser that can erase charcoal?

Kneaded erasers are usually perfect for erasing charcoal.
However, when it comes to erasing charcoal, the success of kneaded erasers depends on a few factors:

The type of paper
I've experienced problems erasing charcoal from papers with very low to no grain (this includes the typical A4 printer paper, on which it is hard to draw with anything to begin with).
Select proper paper when drawing with charcoal: a medium to heavy weight paper with a fine to coarse grain (the charcoal needs to be able to deposit particles within the structure, but the kneaded eraser equally needs to be able to pick it up from there). Anything smooth and flimsy is usually a subpar choice for charcoal.

The quality of the charcoal
Cheaper charcoal tends to have an inconsistent structure. If you use charcoal that deposits particles of varying size or at times doesn't leave a trace at all, stop using it and buy other charcoal (if from a reputable brand you might want to ask your money back).
These deficiencies are due to the quality of the burning process, and the type of wood and the part of the tree or plant used.

The pressure applied when drawing with charcoal
When drawing with a piece of good quality charcoal on good quality paper, the lines produced should have a consistent hue. Get a feel for letting the charcoal stick glide over the paper, without consciously applying pressure. Depending on the technique and work method, only after the initial linework is done should pressure be applied to create different hues. Generally, the harder you push the charcoal, the harder it will be to remove.

The condition of the eraser
Lastly, of course, there is the eraser itself. For the best results, use a clean or well-kneaded eraser. Kneaded erasers become saturated when used, and at some point it might be hard for them to pick up anything at all.
I myself have not encountered bad kneaded erasers yet, but the quality could also differ between brands. There is a difference in how kneadable the one is in comparison to the other, but this is a matter of personal preference.


How can I know what chemicals are there in a 'hue', for example viridian hue?

Other than a material safety data sheet (MSDS) or a completely outfitted laboratory and mad science skills, there is generally no way to know for sure what chemicals are actively producing color effects or passively integrated as fillers / extenders / driers. Technically, stores are required to give out manufacturers MSDS upon request. If they don’t, you can report them to the local business bureau. You can also contact the manufacturer; they are required by law to send you MSDS information free of charge.

A good reference work about the general composition of paints is a recent edition of The Artist’s Handbook. There you will find pretty much bleeding edge information about the state of the art in chemical hues etc.

One thing that is rarely talked about however, is the fact that modern pigments - even technically inert ones like titanium dioxide - undergo a crushing process that creates nano-particle sized pigment components. As is well known, nanoparticles can easily traverse cell walls, and can lead to DNA mutations or simply cell death. This is why I highly recommend never getting any paint on your skin - especially those made from heavy metals like cadmium and lead.


Having done an internet seach on -flat weave- I came across this instruction site (registering might be needed.) I found several good pictures and some instruction videos and sites, as will you.

It is basically weaving with free ends, not limited in size but as free ends do tend to get out of hand mostly just done in small stips.
Nothing stops you from adding more sets of strings, getting wider stips0

I would not start with many, I would start with the number in the instructions you use, then add a few more sets of strings, say halve the number again and when that works, start with double the number.
You will notice that the top of the work is not at 90 degrees with the sides, so if you want to do a wider strip or even a blanket, you may need to do several stages of starting, making a sawtooth top.
I even see it as likely your first big work being made up out of several or even many narrow strips, sawn together. Controlling many strings is not as easy as you might think.

Seeing the photos you added to your question, I would call that braiding, not 'flat weaving' and I wrote instructions for up to 6 strings flat a while ago and have them on my (non commercial) website.
Unlike the instructions on the other site, adding more strings working free-hand is very hard to control, but not hard to work out.

On request, a copy of the braid instructions of my site. Copyright Willeke (me, that is.)

Arrange your strings like this. See your strings as two pairs and a single, start counting from the left.

Take the right string of each pair and let it jump over the string on its left.

Now count from the right, take the left string of each pair and let it jump over the string on its right.

From here on you just repeat, start counting on the left, right string of each pair to the left.

Next start counting on the right, left string of each pair to the right.

You can keep on going this way forever.

You can also braid the other way round, but it looks so much the same, you can work it out for yourself.

With most braiding you can just add more strings and keep working in the same kind of pattern. In above set of instructions you can use any odd number of strings, keeping braiding them in sets of two, going from the right for one move and from the left for the next, keeping them going over one, under one for the weave. If you have more than 3 strings you can also go over and under more than one, the more strands, the more patterns possible. But that is not beginners work. When you are ready for that, an internet search (-braiding patterns- -japanese braiding- -takadai- or -kumihimo-) will likely give good results.

One old method of working with many strings is to use bobbins and work on a pillow or a frame.
Japanese frames are on internet, some photos on this page.
And a video with a big piece on a frame (not beginners work.)
And here is one more long video with some useful bits.
Good seach words are

The difference between the instructions on the first site and those on my site is the way the strings cover or not cover each other.


Easy shaping material to use as blank/base/reference for silicone casting/molding

The terminology varies from "industry" to "industry" but the concepts are the same. I watched years ago a video teaching creation of molds from fiberglass cloth. The original was called a plug, the mold was created from the plug and the part was created from the mold.
In jewelry casting, the concept is the same, but the words are different enough that I was chastised online for using the wrong words. Their plug is called a pattern and the rest doesn't matter.
You haven't indicated what you'll be using for the casting material and that's not necessarily critical, as one can use casting resin or, with high temperature silicone, molten metal!
Your post states that one possible plug/pattern is not available in plastic. The material of the plug should not be a concern, as silicone sticks to nothing other than silicone. Mold release can be used for ease of separation, but is not always required. A metal original will release just as easily as a plastic, wood or clay version.
fixer1234's suggestion is certainly a valid one, if your objective is to create the plug/pattern, the shape of which will be that of the finished part. Sculpting clay that can be sanded and shaped by tooling after curing will provide for a finish limited only by your patience.
The same applies to 3D printed plugs/patterns. There will be layer lines, but they can be sanded smooth, or with ABS, vapor smoothed.
For that aspect, consider to locate a makerspace in your area. Our makerspace is closed due to quarantine, but our online resource is active and I've taken on commissions from people who need 3D prints made at non-commercial rates. You may find similar results in your area. With the internet, it doesn't have to be local, of course.
For wall thickness design considerations, use a multiple of 0.4 mm to ensure good results. The most common nozzle diameter is 0.4 mm. If you need something near a 1.0 mm wall, you'd want to design in a 1.2 mm wall. For 1.5 mm, design at 1.6 mm.


To draw anything, is it necessary to draw its wireframe first?

The reason for drawing wire frames, or any construction method, is to properly develop the forms of the object. By laying out the underlying structure, you can get a better sense of volume, proportions and arrangement of the 3D object you're trying to map into a 2D art form. This lets you get the foundation ready before laying down time-consuming details that may be hard to fix later.

If you focus first on the outline, you might recognize the plant as a plant, but you'll lose out on the understanding of the curved blades that make the leaves, or the cylindrical shape of the pot.

Generally speaking, if you start from the edges, the following mistakes become common:

Incorrect proportions, as the base layout wasn't developed first
Poor impression of depth, since outer lines become over emphasized compared to spatial relationships
Too much time spent on making the outline "perfect" leads to slow progression and hyper focus on small areas and not the larger image

These problems can leave the drawing looking dimensionless and misshapen.

Additionally, as you practice construction of real objects, you develop your natural understanding of how objects work. This allows you to become increasingly capable of constructing objects from imagination, or filling in blanks of objects you can't fully see. This is a skill that only comes about with practice.

Now, there are methods of practice and application where you focus on drawing the outline. One exercise is drawing the negative space around an object, effectively leaving you with a silhouette or outline. In such a case, you focus strongly on the relationship of angles and distances between empty spaces. Here, you're also training your eye to interpret 3D objects as 2D forms.

This is also an essential skill. So to answer your question about whether it's always necessary to draw the wireframe first, I would say no. Specifically, learning to draw negative space is highly valuable, and can be combined with your understanding of construction to make believable objects.


How do I get reddish scorch marks with a laser cutter?

The scorch marks in the images provided appear to be condensed wood sap, common with laser engraving. They can be completely eliminated outside of the burn area by using a mask, typically ordinary masking tape. I use sign cutter transfer paper high tack as a mask as it requires less laser power for burn-through.

The scorch marks outside the engraved area is wood sap. The coloration inside the burn area is also wood sap, but is affected by the type of wood.

I've engraved laser-grade plywood, which has a "laser-friendly" concentration of binding glue holding the layers. Using wood that is engineered for routers does not exclude its suitability for laser use, but does not guarantee results.

Another product commonly used with laser cutter/engravers is MDF, which is effectively sawdust and glue. The glue burns/vaporizes and condenses as well.

The type of wood will play a large factor in the coloration. It may be necessary to experiment with various species of wood samples in order to find the red hue you seek.

Lower travel speed of the laser along with appropriate power settings for the desired depth of engraving will provide more sappy burns. Reducing the nozzle air flow with an add-on valve will increase the sap deposited. If you reduce nozzle air flow, do not reduce it to the point where the vapors will travel into the nozzle and fog the lens.


Can someone tell me the purpose of this multi-tool?

That is a fishing/survival tool.  To use most of the tools, you snap the needed tool (such as a hook) off the slab.  The individual tools do not reattach.
As you noticed, most of the tools are for fishing, but some are more general tools, such as a saw.
Whether or not its appropriate for your 14 year old nephew, depends largely on his maturity and your best judgement.  Personally, I think it's fine for the typical 14 year old, especially if they like to fish.
As a side-note, unique tools like this can be great for arts and crafts.  For example, some of those tools can be used to create wonderful patterns in clay or can be used with paints similar to how you would use a palette knife.  Obviously, not for little kids due to the small metal parts, but for adults, these types of unique metal shapes can lead to wonderfully unique artistic expressions.


How can I cover books with contact paper without bubbles?

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


Can you measure the amount of tooth that a piece of paper has?  I'm imagining the paper analogue of grit for sandpaper.

In the sense you're asking the question, the answer is no.  Sandpaper has a specific purpose that's directly related to the particle size of the grit.  It's produced in a huge range of incremental values that allow you to polish a surface by using progressively finer grits to erase the scratches left by the previous, coarser grits.  Theoretically, sandpaper could be made in any grit on a continuous scale if there was a need for it.
Paper tooth isn't graded in that way.  "Tooth" is more of a descriptive term, like "roughness".  Paper comes in a few ranges of roughness for different purposes.  Within those ranges, there is some variation between similar products.  But it's more the case that the paper is made optimized for the end use, rather than made to a specific "grit".

Can the amount of tooth be measured, allowing comparisons between different paper manufacturers?

The paper manufacturer has some form of measurement of the paper characteristics for quality control purposes, and you can see differences in the surface under a microscope.  But there isn't a universal standard measurement of tooth, where you could look up any paper and see its comparable measure.

If not, is it possible for some cold pressed paper to have less texture than some hot pressed paper (i.e. an overlap between the two)?

Texture is different from tooth.  Texture is a relatively large-scale pattern of irregularity in the surface.  Paper can have a texture but low tooth and vice versa.  Tooth is roughness at a near microscopic scale.  Paper for a particular purpose will have an appropriate combination of texture and tooth.

Different production methods are used for different objectives.  During paper manufacturing, different methods can be used to produce paper of different surface characteristics for different purposes.  Very pronounced "geometric" texture (like laid lines or a weave pattern), is often done by making the paper in a mold.  An unstructured irregular surface is often done using a felt blanket or belt with the desired surface texture.
If a smoother surface is needed, a subsequent step passes the paper through rollers or a press.  Whether that is done cold or hot, how much pressure is used, and the smoothness of the surface applying the pressure, affects how smooth the paper's texture will be.
The resulting characteristics of these methods are distinctly different, and the method is selected based on the type of paper (end purpose).  Hot pressed paper is smoother than cold-pressed, so this method is used when the smoothest surface is desired (there isn't overlap).

The level of tooth is affected by a number of things, such as the type of cellulose used, but it is largely determined by the characteristics of the sizing applied.  "Sizing" is a treatment typically applied in a bath to the almost finished paper.  It's primary purpose is to control the absorbency of the paper so that it doesn't simply act like a sponge.

Sources and further reading:

How is paper made? - Strathmore Artist Papers
Cold Press vs Hot Press watercolor paper - Here's how to choose !
Art Paper Surface Types
How to Choose the Right Surface Texture for Your Next Drawing - Carrie L. Lewis, Artist
Tooth and Texture...defined??? - WetCanvas: Online Living for Artists
What Does Tooth Mean In Art
Understanding Paper Tooth - What to Look for in an Artist Charcoal Paper - Nitram Charcoal
What's the difference between drawing paper and regular paper?


What components, wiring, and electronics needed for helmet internals

One option you have is to use off-the-shelf items rather than to try to build your own from components. So many different options are available for the objective you describe, but I think I've found one that fits well with your use.

It's a wired intercom kit that uses a 9V battery and a pair of wires to connect one station to the other. The $19.95 price is for one unit, you'd have to buy two for your purposes.

The microphone is the silver cylinder in the lower left corner of the circuit board and could be extended to the outside (ear?) of the helmet, while the board and speaker would be mounted inside. If you wanted to go slightly overboard, get one set for each ear and one for you, with the speaker at the outside mouth location and the board and microphone inside near your mouth.

As a kit, you'd have to be able to solder the components to the board, but that's a good start in the maker world and a skill that may serve you again in the future. The kit is a good one for learning to solder, as there are few components and nothing too small or complex.

Unfortunately, the instruction manual does not include part identification, nor sequence for assembly, and is therefore lacking as a true tutorial for soldering, but it is not advertised as such. It should still be possible for a novice if appropriate searches are made online for the polarized components.


I agree with the comments.  "Leave a gap or space" would work, instead of a trying to use a single specific word.


How can I avoid fungus in an alien water tank?

It looks like you're making something rather like a specimen in a jar, so why not do it the way the professionals do it: pure ethanol or isopropyl alcohol?

As long as the jar is properly sealed, this should keep your alien fluid in pristine condition for centuries to come.

Of course, this may be overkill. If you do a decent job of sterilising the jar beforehand (I recommend the kind of steriliser used for brewing), boil the water beforehand and seal the jar properly, then even without additions the inside of the jar should stay bacteria/fungi/mould/algae free for months or years.


Does the risk of lumps and clots reduces when moving from acrylic to oil paints?

Well, oil paints will be smoother, yes, but you need to know a few things about how it all works, or you will make mistakes.

Oil paint from Van Gogh uses linseed oil. To make a wash, you would add thinner, classically turpentine. The thinner will dry the oil faster, and probably be more like watercolors. Poppyseed is a slow drying oil, and will eventually yellow to some degree, but less than linseed. The finest oil to use is food grade cold pressed almond oil, it makes paint buttery. But don’t eat paint!

If you add thinner, the paint is lean. If you add oil it is fat. You want to make sure that the layers dry consecutively, so you would paint fat over lean. If you don’t, you will face cracking at some point in the not too distant future.

If you want the paint to dry in a matter of days instead of weeks or months, you can purchase a drying agent commonly known as a Japan drier or more technically, a saponifier. Don’t use much and mix it well with the paint. This will generally add a slight blue to your tint and depending on the brand it will make it glossy. I like to use it when glazing, because glazing takes weeks (or even months) to do in the traditional fashion, and the glossy nature is expected.

Don’t get the paint or thinner on your skin, always ventilate while you are painting and keep small children and pets away from your paint.


Which of these pictures is more abstract?

Neither of these are abstract, but the second one is definitely moreso than the first.

The first has clearly defined objects and flow; it simply looks like a stylized art piece.  The second one, though it has clearly defined objects, lacks flow and is more open to interpretation.  It has some abstract elements, but overall, it is not.

Keep in mind that the term "abstract" is used to define art that does not resemble any other visual references in the world.  It is a bunch of baloney that leaves the viewer to be the one to interpret it.


If it is residue white vinegar should remove it.  Gentle rubbing with wet Bon Ami powder also takes off combination gunk from things like fabric softener.  Laundry detergent isn't usually strongly alkaline enough to etch silicates.


How to best judge grey values for paintings?

Here are some of my solutions

Red filter

Anything seen though red is unsaturated; this is the easiest way particularly to see the scene to paint as a whole. Some DIY glasses have red lenses, some photo filters and gels too, cellophane plastic, plexiglass, tinted glass, or red light bulbs to light the scene.

The cheapest and easiest way by far is to buy a sheet of red-colored acetate plastic. You can just hold it to your face or fashion a simple visor
with it.

Grey scale

Typical photo grey scales go from white to black, with indentures on top. If you need gradations you don’t need extremes, forget highlights and darkest shadows, if you use a typical grey scale you will end up with 2-3 gradations dominant in the painting. Moreover, the gradations are machine made and may not reflect the reality of the values you need.

The best way is to paint a grey-scale yourself with at lest 7 gradations that are needed. You can also paint several of them varying dark tones, light tones, and colors scales.

Wheel grey scale.

Typical grey scales are rectangular with indentation on top. That doesn’t really work because you see the values of all of the other colors above it. Visually, the values of colors change when seen next to each others. To get an accurate value of a specific part, that color must be seen independently from the other colors.

The cheapest and easiest way is to use an old camembert wheel box for the disk. You need a hole in the center, only big enough to see through. Divide the wheel into parts 8 or 12 quadrants and paint the scale on it. Also, you can paint the back of the disk mat black so you can see and judge the color from the other side without distractions or white reflections. You can glue the disk to a thin handle to easily vary the distance from you eyes.


Is there an easy way to get my computer/printer to do booklet imposition?

I looked into this years ago when I was printing out some books to test my leather binding skills. Back then you likely would have used dedicated software to perform this function.

Software has changed since then and Adobe Reader DC does this as well as InDesign from what I gather. Depending on your Acrobat version it should be able to do this well. In short form: the instructions from Adobe Reader DC

In the printer dialog select Booklet. This is found under Page Sizing and handling.

In the Booklet Subset pop-up menu select "Both sides" if you have duplex printer.
Leave the numbers in the Sheets From boxes as they are.
Select Auto-Rotate Pages to automatically rotate each page for the best fit in the printable area.

InDesign has instructions to do this as well. That link is for CS6 and other versions might have similar UI or more specific instructions sets. The Indesign wizard for booklets is more in depth than Reader DC's and covers topic like bleeding, page spacing, magins etc.

Another possible solution is that many modern enterprise copy machines do this natively with their drivers. A place like a copy center likely would do it on the cheap. My old Ricoh at work does this function. It is about 6 years old now and was not top of the line at the time. This might be cheaper depending on your ink/toner costs and size of the book you are making


How do I lengthen this ball chain with screw closure?

From the photos, it looks like there is a spring ring clasp attached to the necklace. You could attach the extender to that instead, since it would just need to have a basic ring ending (easy to find). It might look funny with the screw ends hanging there, though.

Another idea, if you can't find the same size barrel closure, are you ok with (possibly) permanently modifying the necklace? You could either glue or solder another clasp and/or the extender, using the screw ends as a base. Solder would be sturdiest but probably permanent. Depending on the glue you might be able to remove it later, but you still risk damaging the finish with the chemicals (particularly acetone).


What is the way to color tiny parts of a picture with oil pastels?

One method is to use a small piece of the pastel and some solvent to create an 'oil paint' and with a brush complete the high detail components.

  Oil pastel pigment can be manipulated with a brush moistened in white spirit, turpentine, linseed oil, or another type of vegetable oil or solvent. Alternatively, the drawing surface can be oiled before drawing or the pastel itself can be dipped in oil.wiki

I personally haven't used this method, but I watched my Great Auntie finish some of her pastel work with a brush and solvent. Here is a good explanation of how to use solvents and oil pastels: Robert Sloan - Thinner Wash