Color Inspiration - Choosing Interior Paint Colors by Looking At the World Around You

Choosing color for your home can be fun and easy, when you approach it in a new way. What if you carried a camera with you everywhere you went and took pictures of colors you saw that you liked? Maybe it is the paint colors in a large opulent hotel, perhaps a friend's house. Don't forget the best of all canvases Mother Earth, the richness of color is everywhere in nature. When you purposely start looking it might amaze you what you have been missing.

Watch to see how various places use paint to create different feelings and emotions depending on what they want you to feel or how they want you to act. Great place for this is restaurants, check out the paint colors they use and ask yourself why their choices? See if there is a theme in the colors your favorite restaurants use. Remember they say red makes you hungry... do you think it is true?

If you have a very active play room, go to places that also want you do to high energy things, take pictures of the colors they use in their paint choices. Likewise if you want a very healing quite space, a great place is a hospital, I kid you not, check out the healing colors they use, it might surprise you. In Colorado they use a lot of deep light hues of purple.

Do these activities for several days then compare the pictures and see what they say about you and how you choose paint color. Are they all warm, deep intense or are they lighter more beach hues. Do you see a pattern? If you find a pattern you can use it throughout your entire house. If not that's ok, you choose your favorite and use some of the other colors as accent. When you have made your final choice blow up the pictures so you can have the colors matched, any color can be created at your paint stores or large hardware stores.

Also use some of the photos you have taken and blow up for artwork throughout your home, you may have some masterpieces. Don't be afraid to crop the pictures in different places to create more interesting subject matter. Get a matching mat and you have a wonderful addition to your home.

There is rarely any place I go that I do not see how paint color is used, and yes I always have a camera and take a lot of pictures. It is in my blood and I love it. I am not the norm and that's ok someone has to do it and I always hope to recruit some other newbies. I love color and the way it changes emotions, feelings and actions.

Tips For Using Acrylic Paints

Acrylic paints are very useful for painting the weekend crafts that you and your kids create in your wood shop over the weekends. In dealing with acrylic paints, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your experience in dealing with them.

The nice thing about acrylic paints is that, unlike ones that are oil based, they are fast drying. This means that you can cover your bird house, knick knack, or other craft in the morning and by afternoon it is dry and ready to be used. Of course, since the acrylic is fast drying, it means that you should work with it quickly. Once you open the tube, work with it as quickly as you can to avoid having it dry out before you can cover your target piece.

Acrylic products are among the most versatile of paints in that they can mimic the other two major styles of coverings - water and oil based. For example, by diluting it with water or other substances, you can give the color a slightly washed out look that closely resembles water color. By adding acrylic gel or media, you can mimic the look of an oil painting.

Those who are tight on funds and have never used acrylic products before, may want to start with a lower grade product. Some manufacturers sell what is known as student grade acrylic coatings. These products have a lower pigment concentration and a few other differences that make them less expensive and more affordable for those who can't quite afford the premium paints. And then, as you become more comfortable using acrylics, you can make a seamless transition to the more expensive grades.

If the acrylic container has been previously opened, you may find that some of the moisture has evaporated making the paint thick and hard to handle. In this case you need to thin it out. The easiest way to do this is by adding plain water to it. When the covering dries, it will still provide a water resistant layer to the piece you have painted.

A part of acrylic paint maintenance is caring for the paints that you use. When you are finished painting, clean the caps on your acrylic paint tubes. Clean threads as well. If you don't, you may find it difficult or impossible to reopen it the next time that you are ready to use it.
Article source : EzineArticles

What Are The Best Paint Schemes for Your Home's Exterior?

Figuring out what color to paint your home may be a tricky thing to do. You might imagine how a certain color will look in your head only to find out that it's far from what you imagined when you see it in reality. There are several different ways in which you may choose to go when painting your home, but when it comes down to it, make sure that you carefully consider the choice.

If you're home is old and you want to maintain its historical integrity, try to determine what the original paint color was. Old photographs from previous owners, if you know them, or asking the neighbors may be a good place to start. If you'd like to keep a tone similar to your neighbors, try to pick colors that do not clash with houses in the area. In a neighborhood full of muted earthy tones, choosing that psychedelic green may not be the best choice unless you're trying to get your neighbors to quit pestering you with friendly small talk.

Also consider the landscaping and natural setting of your house. Are you by the ocean? Then a collection of blues and lighter colors might do you just fine. Are you surrounded by trees and bushes? Natural, green and brown colors might be a good choice.

Don't forget about your roof's color, either. It doesn't have to be a perfect match, but make sure that you don't paint your home's exterior a color that clashes with the color of your roof. The same goes for brick houses. The bricks probably won't be painted, so you'll want to make sure that you choose a paint color that goes nicely with their color.

If you're trying to make your house seem larger, choose lighter colors. Light colors tend to make a house appear larger, while darker shades tend to make it appear smaller. Don't shy away from dark colors if you're trying to accent recesses, this may work quite well.

One of the most important things to remember is not to achieve a balance with your color scheme so that one area does not stand out too much.

Article source : EzineArticles