Which Are Better: Blinds Or Shutters?

By Tess Reardon

When you buy or move into a new home, the windows are usually bare and you need to make a big decision. Do you go with blinds or window shutters throughout the house or maybe a combination of the two? Most people automatically order blinds because shutters are not as popular and dont get the advertising publicity that blinds do.

While interior shutters are often more expensive than blinds, in most cases they are more elegant looking. Blinds still remain the obvious choice for most people but as more people are exposed to shutters, they realize there is a difficult choice to be made. So many houses have plain blinds on them that if you choose interior shutters instead, your house will stand out from the others.

In a kitchen, caf shutters work great as they let the much-needed light in from the top of the window while providing the privacy you need at eye level. This is why many people opt for a combination of shutters and blinds in their homes. The most common split would be to have decorative shutters on the main floor of the house with blinds in the bedrooms upstairs where there is less need to be fancy. One thing is for sure; interior shutters provide you with a window covering option that should be considered when you buy your new house.

You can also use plantation shutters to add style and elegance to any room or house. Shutters are better than blinds for creating a unique look and you would be astonished at the difference if you could compare the two. Caf and plantation shutters are slowly gaining in popularity and the more people that are exposed to them as an option, the more are buying them.

Most styles of shutters can be found online at a variety of websites. This is your best bet to find exactly what you are looking for and they can be shipped right to your door. Of course if you choose the online route you will have to install them yourself or find someone to do it for you. Buying things online is not for everyone and if you are hesitant to do so you should be able to find shutters at one of our local home improvement stores. - 30435

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Applying Decorative Concrete Coating To Enhance The Look Of Your Walls

By Truman Crawford

Staring at a plain concrete wall is flat out uninteresting. This is generally the reason why folks go for decorative concrete and coating. With a wall, floor, terrace, or driveway which has unique formations, colours, and textures, we get to appreciate just how much creative folk are. To be in a position to turn a plain wall or floor into a pretty work of art is a welcome boost to the industrial coating industry. Ornamental concrete coating has definitely become very fashionable in modern age.

There are many forms and method in the appliance of the ornamental art. By definition, this involves the use of concrete in things that are not especially up to its naturally functional elements. It involves the modification and recreation of cement structures with an ornamental idea and transforming the structure into great concrete designs.

Concrete coating is also necessary in the act of decorative concrete. As with the various forms of the process, there also are many forms or methods with the coating. Concrete coating for this art has particularly become more demanding with the requirement for aesthetics at minimum cost. Modifications to an existing cement structure is, in fact , less expensive than requiring new construction.

A favourite coating methodology is acid marking the concrete. After the acid stain is applied, we will have a concrete design with color and patterns or swirls that makes the concrete look like marble. Other favored systems in the coating include the utilization of concrete dyes, water based stain, general overlays and stamped overlays, epoxy coat, polish, engraving, and reflector enhancer. Most of these involve color and texture, which adds to the decorative cost of the concrete.

Why do people go for ornamental concrete instead of making a new structure with decorative stones? The answer is in the expenses incurred. Slate, tiles, and marbles make great designs and are hot on the market but they are extremely expensive. That's why many people choose to buy cement instead, and employ the different coating processes to form the look of natural stone.

The most common form of this concrete art today is concrete stamping. This involves making the cement look like any natural product. This is particularly fitting in making natural stone terraces. The process for this needs certain dyes to be stirred into the product, and then laid down like regular cement. A pattern is then stamped into the wet material, and you may have a gorgeous result when it dries.

Concrete coating for that is particularly needed when we are making the decision to have our floor or walls resurfaced. Rather than breaking up and replacing a floor with cracks and fading patches, resurfacing is commended. In decorative concrete resurfacing, we apply a delicate layer of fresh cement and cover the cracks and flaws, also adding color and engraved patterns and texture.

There also are other ways in which concrete coating for this decorative form can be done. Whatever process and however way you want to do it, the major benefit of turning to ornamental coating is the undeniable fact that it is beauty and sturdiness at minimum cost. - 30435

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The Watercolor Paintings of Elizabeth Sullivan

By Penny Logan

Ten years ago artist Elizabeth Sullivan moved into a studio apartment. That little event sparked a career as a watercolor painter. Although she had been painting, drawing, dying fabrics and doing sculpture since she was very young, Ms. Sullivan was forced to take up watercolors in her small space, because there was no room for other media.

That small experiment has expanded exponentially and her southwestern watercolor images of horses and other wildlife are now internationally known. Her paintings have been published as art prints in Sweden and distributed to the US and Europe, and have been licensed to companies who have produced area rugs, greeting cards, coasters and more. The small apartment is long gone, replaced by a studio in her house in Elgin, Texas.

What makes Sullivan's paintings so fascinating? Her large paintings of horses, vaguely reminiscent of cave paintings and pictographs, use vibrant colors of the southwest - yellows, reds, oranges and browns with a little turquoise. Attaining the brilliant colors is not a usual watercolor technique, but Sullivan has used the nature of watercolors - transparency - to layer one color on top of another until they fairly pop off the paper.

In speaking of another feature of the medium of watercolor, Ms. Sullivan says, "Letting the paint flow is an important aspect of watercolor, but it takes some practice to get the paint to flow where you want it to flow." Certainly she has mastered that technique.

"I used to paint a lot more realistically," Sullivan remarks, "but what I really wanted to express was the graceful and powerful motion of the animals, so as time passes my paintings become more and more ethereal in that expression." The horses and the buffalo in Ms. Sullivan's work flow across the paper, running for the joy of running.

Painting motion is what she does best. The horses gallop in play across the page. The mother armadillo waddles along with her four offspring in tow. Buffalo run apparently just for the joy of running. Horned lizards circle, checking each other out.

The subjects of her paintings are subjects familiar to the artist. Horned lizards are a recent addition to her subject matter, and after a patron expressed interest, Ms. Sullivan recalled her own childhood fascination with the little creatures. If you make your home in Texas, armadillos are part of the scenery - often found digging up your garden. She has worked around horses for most of her life and studied the animals exhaustively. Each new subject she takes up requires much study and sketching to narrow down the essence of the animal. Then a painting can be begun.

With her four cats sleeping at her feet or walking across a fresh painting, Elizabeth Sullivan loves spending time in her studio or on a ladder working on a new mural. You may also find her at a gallery or art show.

Visit her website www.ecsullivanart.com. You are also invited to write her via email at ecsullivanart@aol.com. - 30435

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Why Garage Floor Paint?

By Suzy Garret

Considering garage floor paint may be a good idea if you're trying to decide on a garage floor. Not only doe sit put a nice, shiny coat on the garage floor, but it's also easy to clean out. Most people find this the most attractive garage flooring option. If there's already something on the garage floor, such as a previous paint coat that's either worn or just nasty, then you can generally just lay the new coat right on top as long as the floor is clean and free of any other types of contaminants. Since it's pretty thick, garage floor paint generally doesn't need to be matched to the current color of the floor.

How Long Does It Take?

Many garage floor paints kits take only three hours to apply, including preparing the current flooring. Though a much more permanent solution, this time frame is similar to other garage floor solutions such as mats or tiling. This estimate also is only for a normal garage; laying down garage floor paint will take longer if you have an unusually large garage.

Preparing Your Concrete Garage Floor

Before laying your garage floor paint, the concrete must be prepared as per the paint manufacturers direction. This applies even if your garage floor is brand new and has never had so much as a bicycle parked on it. The cement still has to be prepared if the garage floor paint is going to adhere to it as it should and provide you with a long life and beautiful finish.

The Mandatory 30 Day Wait

New concrete is susceptible to a slightly different set of conditions. You can usually tell it's new if it's unusually dark for concrete, such as a slate gray color, even if you can't still carve your initials in it. If your concrete is at this stage, you will have to wait before preparing it for painting. Most paint manufacturers will tell you to wait at least thirty days, but different instructions may vary, so be sure to check the directions that come with your kit. If you're unsure as to when the garage floor was laid, you'll probably want to speak with the contractor, or wait at least thirty days from the first time you personally laid eyes on the completed floor. As it will have to be prepped and cleaned regardless of condition, it's okay to go ahead and use the garage for storage, be it cars or boxes. Consider your own likeliness to move all that stuff back out, though, before you trap yourself in a hole of procrastination and never get the job done.

The Best Option?

Garage floor paint can be time consuming and difficult, but the rewards are great. When done correctly, it's very shiny and pretty and will last a long time. - 30435

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How To Properly Paint A Brick Or Rough Surface?

By Truman Crawford

owners often update the appearance of their houses with a coat of fresh paint. However if you are considering painting the 'bricks' on your house then there are a few things you must consider before you break out the spray guns and throw a party!

Painting rough faced brick, block, or stone isn't like painting anything else you will ever have to paint. The big difference is volume of work required and the quantity of material. These types of surfaces will use two times as much material as any other. Being that these surfaces are so porous, they act like a sponge.

The work comes in with the quantity of effort required to work the material into these surfaces. It is slow, hot work. The materials used as far as paint are not any different from any other paint except there are a few special products that do about the same job as regular paint. They may be a little heavier for better hiding. Like wood and metal, there are fillers that may be used on the coarse surfaces. They are latex or oil-based. They're worked into the surface with either a stiff brush designed for this work or a heavy roller.

Yes, you may use a giant quantity of filler and only get about 200 sq. feet per gallon. the advantage to using filler is it smooths the surface which means you will use less primer and less paint. Sometimes you may see someone making an attempt to use drywall compound in place of block filler. This is not a good practice. Using a product for anything that it wasn't reserved for can cost more than using the right product.

The one thing you can count on is that they will fail. Leaving you nothing except the same problem you started with plus an enormous mess to wash up. If you feel confident in your ability in using a spray to apply the filler or paint, that's's great too. Just be certain to cover any surrounding surfaces not being painted and remember even if you employ a sprayer the material will still need to be gone over with a roller to be sure the material is well worked into the surface. - 30435

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Garage Floor Paint

By Suzy Garret

Considering garage floor paint may be a good idea if you're trying to decide on a garage floor. Not only doe sit put a nice, shiny coat on the garage floor, but it's also easy to clean out. Most people find this the most attractive garage flooring option. If there's already something on the garage floor, such as a previous paint coat that's either worn or just nasty, then you can generally just lay the new coat right on top as long as the floor is clean and free of any other types of contaminants. Since it's pretty thick, garage floor paint generally doesn't need to be matched to the current color of the floor.

How Long Does It Usually Take?

Many garage floor paints kits take only three hours to apply, including preparing the current flooring. Though a much more permanent solution, this time frame is similar to other garage floor solutions such as mats or tiling. This estimate also is only for a normal garage; laying down garage floor paint will take longer if you have an unusually large garage.

Testing Your Concrete Garage Floor

Before the garage floor paint can be laid down, the concrete must be prepared to the paint kit manufacturers specifications. Even if the garage floor is brand new, this still holds true. There's no point in laying down a nice, new layer of paint only for it to not last as long or have a shoddy finish because the concrete wasn't prepared correctly.

The 30 Day Wait

If the concrete is brand new, as in has just been laid down and still has that darker color that indicates it's not completely dry, even if you can't carve your initials in it, then you'll have to wait a bit before you can begin preparing the garage floor for painting. Most paint manufacturers recommend waiting at least thirty days, but be sure to check with the instructions before starting, as different kits will have different instructions. If you're not sure when the cement for your garage floor was laid, you may want to get with the contractor and find out. Either that, or you could always wait thirty days from move in to apply the garage floor paint. Since the garage floor will have to be prepped, regardless of condition, there's no harm in using the garage until the thirty days has passed. That being said, it probably wouldn't be wise to pile half your belongings in the garage, as that would surely deter you from applying the garage floor paint when the time comes.

Garage Floor Paint: The Best Option?

So, as you can tell, garage floor paint can be a bit of a pain, but it's also, in many ways, the most effective solution. Garage floor paint does, however, come out very nicely when done correctly. - 30435

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Repainting Your Outdated Kitchen Cabinets For A Fresh Look

By Truman Crawford

Over time, grease, water, heat, stains, and food residues leave indelible marks on your once gorgeous kitchen cupboards. If you did not want to spend a huge amount of cash purchasing new cabinets, you should study your options carefully and you will find how out. Instead of replacing the cabinets, you can think of giving them a face-lift by a repainting them. Do the job yourself, and you can cut down the expenses further. Naturally, there'll be an additional bonus of the creative satisfaction you'll get on doing the work yourself.

If you make a decision to paint your kitchen cabinets, remember that the work could well spread over a period of a few days. This will mean a few days of eating out, so plan the work when it is most convenient.

The first thing is to decide on the color. For this, consider factors such as the color of the kitchen walls as also that of the tiles. The dimensions of your kitchen must also be considered. Also remember that light colors give the impression of spaciousness.

Next, decide if you'd like to color both inside and outside the cupboards. A paint job involves a minimum of three days, and if you make a decision to paint the insides also you will have the additional task of emptying out the drawers.

The 1st step in the painting involves the cleaning process. That suggests you have to take away the dust and grease stains. Remember that cleaning for a do it yourself paint job isn't the same as the common hygienic cleaning pattern that you follow.

Cleaning guarantees a uniform and even finish to the paintwork.

inspect the surface rigorously for any cracks and damages because paint will not cover these blots. Use coarse sandpaper to scrub the surfaces and file down the scratch marks and cavities with wood putty.

Once this is done, prune old enamel surfaces with a primer. You have the choice between oil-base primer and water-base primer. Choosing an oil-base primer is a better choice as the paint readily sticks to it.

While painting the stiles, cover the counter top with a masking or a painter's tape. Begin the painting from the least accessible points and work outwards. Next, paint the inner surfaces first and then move to the outer ones.

You may think about employing spray paint to give your work an even and uniform look. When you're done, allow plenty of time for the drying up process and then reassemble the cupboard back to its original position. The new, fresh, clean, and aesthetic look will give you joy of a day's work well done. - 30435

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Learning How To Draw Or Paint? Use The Grid Method!

By Charles Chapman

When you are learning how to draw or paint, the most common mistake is to jump right into free hand drawing like the professionals do. The problem with this technique is that you have no general skills that you may free hand from, so it is suggested to begin with the grid method to create your images, before progressing to the harder types of drawing or painting (such as free hand). The grid method will give you a step by step method to get accurate and proportional lines, shapes, and images that you will later use to develop your own personal style.

The grid method is a great way to get a small picture onto a larger area such as a canvas. The grid is actually a way to break a picture down into a dozen or more smaller more manageable pictures.

It's quiet simple to get started with the grid method, as all you need is a ruler, pencil, and a piece of paper. First you need to create a grid over your reference image, and then create the same proportioned grid on your piece of paper where you will be drawing or painting. The standard size for a grid is usually about one inch, but that is totally up to you. Once you have your same proportion grids set, it's time to start re-creating your image of choice.

One problem that you may encounter is using a reference image that you simply cannot draw a grid on for whatever reason, in this case you would simply use a transparency film and then overlay that over your source image. Just remember to fasten your transparency film so it doesn't move around, as that would defeat the purpose of using the grid method in the firs place. One final tip is to keep your grid as light as possible, as you will either erase it or draw over it in the process of creating your masterpiece.

No matter what way you decide to draw or paint your image, be sure to do it in order, so if you choose to go left to right from top to bottom, be sure to follow that process all the way through to complete your image creation.

You have now taken a complex subject and literally broken it down into manageable pieces. Have fun and don't be afraid of drawing because with the grid method, drawing is made easy. - 30435

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Decorate Your Home With Original Paintings

By Maria Lanyard

If you are planning a new decorating project you will have many decisions to make. When making your plans, do not forget how you will dress up your walls. You cannot go wrong with original paintings.

If you have never bought original paintings there are certain things you will need to know. The first thing to keep in mind is that you should buy what you love. Most people who buy original art will keep it for the rest of their lives. That is why it is so important that you like what you buy. It is easy enough to find a painting that will match the color scheme in your room, but remember that you will have to look at what you buy for a long time to come.

The options abound for purchasing original paintings. You might want to go see what your local art galleries have to offer. They usually have a lot for you to look at. Directors at galleries know all about art, and can help you make your decision. But keep in mind that what you buy at a gallery will be at a premium price. Galleries ask their artists how much money the artist would like to make on the artwork. After that amount is determined, the gallery doubles the amount. So you are actually paying twice the amount that the artist wanted for the painting.

Another great option for finding original paintings is art fairs. You can find art fairs in most communities. Some are held yearly, while others are monthly or even weekly. The great thing about buying from at an art fair is that you will be buying directly from the artist. It is not easy for an artist to make a living exclusively by selling art. If you buy from the artist directly, you will be putting the money in his or her pocket directly.

Another way to buy directly from the artist is through online auctions. You can find many Internet auction companies, and many artists selling there. You will be able to find a wide range of styles and mediums to choose from. Auctions are a great way to buy art, and you can usually get a great deal.

There are other web sites for buying art as well. You will find sites that are hosted by galleries too. Large corporations have also opened websites for selling artwork. In addition to selling original paintings, many will also sell photography and posters. Like galleries, these sites are managed by professionals. They are experts and only select the best art to sell.

For any online art purchase, you should ask for a certificate that will prove authenticity. These certificates certify that the painting is original, not something that has been copied. A certificate will also be a great benefit to you if you believe the painting might be sold in the future

Original paintings will be treasures for your home. They will add a touch of class, and will bring enjoyment to your whole family. - 30435

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How To Paint Your Wood Trim?

By Truman Crawford

Painting wood trim can be satisfying as it allows you to maintain or change the looks and appearance of your wooden trim as required as possible. Painting it also makes a contribution to its upkeep and upkeep and guarantees its durability.

The following are your quick guide on the easy way to paint your wood trim :

* First, prepare the woodwork. Sand and de-gloss the wood and wash it with a detergent, if at all possible. The paint won't adhere well if there's mud, grease, grime or gloss over the surface.

* Take of or protect items such as door knobs, door handles and hardware. You can paint while the wood trim remained hanged, but you can paint it better if it is laid flat. Use blue tape to cover hardware and handles / knobs, when necessary. If the wood trim is removed, lay it across two sawhorses or a table when you start to color.

* Check for cracks and holes and apply wood fill or caulk as needed. Use epoxy filler or the same stuff used as filler for vehicle bodies to cover fundamentally bigger holes. Again, sand the areas where needed.

* Start your painting. First, apply a coat of primer if the surface has no paint yet. Then, leave it to dry.

* Next is to apply 1 or 2 coats using semi-gloss or glossy paint. These are preferable as these are the most sturdy and also, straightforward to scrub. Using a high-quality brush and preferably one with an angled end, paint in even strokes. Here are way more practical tips and even some warnings when you paint your wood trim :

* It's far better to color the jambs or the area where the door closes into first. Next to color is the trim round the door and the last is the door itself.

* If you should happen to use a paint that gets too dry to spread, you can let it dry all the way. Sand it down and then paint over it.

* For exterior wood trims, make efforts to paint its top and bottom edges even if these are not obvious. This can help to guard it against rot and possible swelling.

* If feasible, avoid using roller on a door. Even if it it's completely flat, it cannot let you lay the paint evenly and may not produce a close look.

* Try to avoid loading up enough paint on your paint brush. Either these will collect in the door's details, will pool up or drip. Paint with one side of the brush with one long stroke. On the reverse stroke, use the other side of the brush. Apply varying pressure when you cut along the edge. Brush lightly and evenly when you paint the finishing coat.

Wood trims are some of the parts of the house. However it could also add to the glow and attract of the house when properly kept. - 30435

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Sponges And How To Paint A Room

By Kim Malone

How to paint walls and materials needed: baseboard masking; bleach; water; crack filler; blue masking tape, 220 grit sandpaper, blocking primer.

Tools: screwdriver; sanding block; rubber gloves; putty knife; paint tray; 9 inch roller; 2 inch nylon brush; stepladder;drop cloth and sponge.

In order to paint, move all the furniture away from the walls and put the drop cloth on the floor.

Use the crack filler to fix any holes, dents or cracks in the wall. Sand the crack filler, after it has dried, until the area is smooth.

If you find mildew, use bleach water and rubber gloves to wash that area.

To remove any dust or dirt, rinse the wall with clean water. The wall must sit for 24 hours to make sure it is completely dry.

Any area that had to be repaired needs to be painted first with primer. Then, tape off the trim. After the primer has dried, continue to add primer to the entire wall and ceiling, if repainting the ceiling. Once the ceiling is dry, use the blue tape to tape it off so the paint from painting the walls will not get on the ceiling.

Use the roller and go over the areas where a brush was used to get rid of brush strokes. Get as close to the tape as possible.

Start at the top of the wall and work your way down. Always, roll up on the first stroke.

When the primer is dry, using a putty knife or 120 grit sandpaper, run it over the walls to get rid of any high spots or bumps. Then wipe the wall down with a damp rag to get rid of the dust.

Use primer and paint for the trim after the walls and ceiling are done.

Sponging on or off: sea sponge; latex gloves; latex paint; paper plate; coffee filters; stepladder; roller and pan for base coat and glaze.

The unpredictability of the holes and different textures of a sea sponge give a calmer look.

Glaze is available in the paint department. There is no color added to it. Mix the paint and the glaze together. This slows drying time and makes the paint a little translucent. Read the manufacturer's instructions for mix ratio.

It is ok to research different mixture ratios. Practice the technique and results on drywall.

Start with the beginning steps if the base color is being changed.

When the base coat has dried, mix the second color and glaze; then, transfer the glaze to the paper plate. With excess water squeezed out of it, dunk the sponge in the glaze.

While turning your wrist in different directions after each treatment to use different areas of the sponge, pat the wall with the sponge.

To achieve the wanted look, use the coffee filter to pat the sponge on every once in awhile. This will unclog the holes the in the sponge.

A clean sponge pressed in an area where excess paint is, will remove it by lifting directly off of it. Take as step back and look at the area to determine if this is a problem.

To sponge off an area, apply the glaze to an area after the base coat has dried.

So the glaze does not smear, place the sponge on it and lift straight off. This will remove the glaze. Clean the sponge when it needs it. Repeat the step for the entire wall area. - 30435

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Looking For A Good Paint Job? Painting Contractors Will Help You Out

By Truman Crawford

Whether or not you are looking to color the inside or exterior of your home, choosing a good painting contractor is vital to get the job finished the 1st time. First, you need to figure out the scope of your project. This will enable you to have a look for the right professional to complete it.

If you have got a little painting project ( for instance, one or two bedrooms to repaint ), hiring a solo painter-operator might be the best choice. Because owner-operators carry nearly no business overhead ( no staff, no office, no commercial vehicles, etc ), they can get your tiny project done for relatively cheaper than a large painting company.

Larger projects , however , are a different story. These need to be done in a time efficient demeanour and single painter-operators simply don't have the work or resources to finish such huge projects to the industry standards and in good time. Such large jobs require the utilization of a trained painting crew, proper painting hardware, and a good project leader, or foreman. Generally big painting roles include multi-room or full interior painting and exterior painting jobs.

Once you have decided whether you must hire a solo-operator or a full painting conractor firm, there are other things you want to pay attention to.

First, when getting quotes for your house painting job, make sure that each contractor outlines the scope of the work. You would like to be sure the guesses include the same service items from each of the contractors. Things like the type of prep work that'll be done, how many coats of paint will be applied, and what make of products will be used, have to be consistent across all painting estimate that you get. This way, when you're later going over the suggested prices, you are comparing "apples to apples."

Many times, inexperienced or non-professional painters will quote the same job for a substantially lower price than any of the bonafide contractors who gave you quotes. Homeowners often get very excited about the instant savings they might suffer, and rightly so. However as the old proverb goes, "you get what you pay for." more often than not, these extremely low bidding painters - in order to save money - skip crucial steps in the prep process, use the least expensive products they can find, and perform shoddy work. In the final analysis, the painting will not last and the house owner will need to get their place repainted too soon.

To figure out whether or not you are hiring a legitimate painting company or someone who will ruin a painting, make sure to check for the following items :

1. Business registration. Is this is a genuine company and will I be ready to hold them responsible in 1 or 2 months time if the painting fails? Unregistered individuals can take you money and virtually disappear and you would have no recourse options and nobody to hold responsible for shoddy craftsmanship.

2. Insurance. Does this company carry insurance? In the event of unfortunate events, you would like to be certain that your home is protected. If a ladder incidentally falls on your automobile or breaks your window, you have to be certain that the Firm has responsibility coverage to cover for these unfortunate events.

3. Examples of past work and purchaser testimonials. Don't simply take the painters' word for it, find out for yourself what others have been asserting about their painting and look at footage of work they have done during the past.

4. Finally, a legitimized painting contractor should never ask you for an important amount of money upfront. Generally 10-15% upfront is regarded the norm to cover material costs, but if the painter asks you for anything over that amount, you should be wary. - 30435

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Ralf Kunstmann Review

By Kerisha Collins

As a freelancer our featured artist uses unique and advanced methods to create his designs. Ralf Kunstmann has developed his skills in Traditional, Photo and Nature Illustration, as you can see in his online portfolio.

Born in Nuremberg, Germany, Ralf became a freelancer in 1991 and is now a member of the Association of Art and the German Designers Alliance.

He has developed his skills in photorealism, airbrushing mix-techniques and painting fine colour shades. Perfecting them as a freelancer through years of experience.

He believes that the process of gradually improving your knowledge are the steps towards becoming the best you can be, as there is always something new to learn about current techniques every day.

2003 saw Ralf enter a new form of design. Learning the skills of a putty knife saw him become an Abstract artist. He saw this as an opportunity to do something else he loved and it is popular with the viewers.

He has now formed a new way of designing, a technique which uses painting and photographs in one design. These techniques and skills must be developed side by side so they fit well with each other. It will be easy to identify when something is not right, when it's taking the photorealism out of the design.

He still enjoys getting in front of the computer screen, creating one of-a-kind designs for customers. Ralf doesn't believe he could go back to analogue illustrations as he decided to go digital from 1998. This choice has made him what he is today and helped him maintain those amazing skills that produce his designs.

Clients from all over the world have had a Ralf Kunstmann design, including Audi, Hoerzu, Zentis, Stern, Messe Muenchen and many, many more. - 30435

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Start Painting on Wood Works

By Andrew Caxton

Wood works have to be painted frequently in order to maintain the charm and beauty.

Woodworks often require painting in order to provide a beautiful appearance. Moreover, painting can protect woodworks from the environment. If you paint the woodworks perfectly, you can stay peaceful for years together, without even maintaining them.

Painting is preferable for white wood furniture and fittings. In addition to protection from insects, it offers a finished appearance to the whitewood furniture. Paints serve as a weather-proof and water-proof element for the woodworks. Coloring the wood surrounds and skirting boards grant a royal look to your home. You can select the color schemes for painting the wood furniture, which match the color of your wall.

Painting though expensive, is the best method of finishing. However, if your budget does not allow painting the woodworks, you can select sealing, which is an alternative to get the finished appearance. Varnishing does not offer better results in woodworks and hence it is advisable to avoid it.

While painting the woodworks, remember not to stain the wood, as this would offer a blotchy and unattractive appearance. It is worth to paint the surface gently with the appropriate brush. You can follow a standard practice to paint the wood surface, but it is worth to use exterior paints for this purpose.

Painting is preferable for white wood furniture and fittings. In addition to protection from insects, it offers a finished appearance to the whitewood furniture. Paints serve as a weather-proof and water-proof element for the woodworks. Coloring the wood surrounds and skirting boards grant a royal look to your home. You can select the color schemes for painting the wood furniture, which match the color of your wall.

Painting though expensive, is the best method of finishing. However, if your budget does not allow painting the woodworks, you can select sealing, which is an alternative to get the finished appearance. Varnishing does not offer better results in woodworks and hence it is advisable to avoid it.

While painting the woodworks, remember not to stain the wood, as this would offer a blotchy and unattractive appearance. It is worth to paint the surface gently with the appropriate brush. You can follow a standard practice to paint the wood surface, but it is worth to use exterior paints for this purpose. - 30435

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