A few weeks ago I wrote about my discovery of a great site that offers over 5,949 how-to videos in 228 categories, including dvd’s on my passion for sculpting with polymer clay by famous artists. If you missed it, please go to this link for a description of the SmartFlix service and how it works:
Learn To Sculpt And Just About Anything Else Right At Home
Summer is here and where I live, it’s becoming too hot to spend much time outdoors unless you can spend it in water. Many of us already know that watching movies on DVD is a great way to get through these “dog days” of summer. Why not change the routine a bit this year and learn a new skill or check out a new hobby as well? SmartFlix DVD’s give you the opportunity to educate the kids while they think you’re just amusing them.
The SmartFlix Top Ten List this month features the 10 highest rated SmartFlix videos of all time. Representing a variety of categories and subcategories, these DVD’s are the absolute cream of the crop, rated by the best critics…SmartFlix users! Try out a new skill or hobby with one of these DVDs and you won’t be sorry. Leave your own review, too…your opinion is as important to SmartFlix as it is to other customers searching for the perfect video!
#10 Water Media Collage Workshop
All 16 customers that rated this DVD gave it a 5-out-of-5. You’ll learn to use colors harmonies to unify your work and a design grid to help make sense of the organization of materials and build confidence in your own artistic abilities.
Learn to sandwich fibers, combine and alter pre-existing materials to make them more light fast, personal and satisfying and to create a rainbow of colored tissue prefect for layering.
Carrie Burns Brown’s presentation is sequential and well organized. She shares the tips and tricks she has learned over 30 years to help ensure success. Carrie’s workshop is inspiring, thorough and will keep you busy for years of creative expression. Here’s a customer review for more info:
- “I loved this DVD so much that I rented it a second time! Carrie Brown shares everything she knows about creating great Water Media Collages, from creating your own materials to putting it all togther. It really inspired me and I’m looking forward to teaching these techniques to my students in the fall. Thanks Carrie and thank you SmartFlix for making learning so affordable!” – Eva M.
Rent Water Media Collage Workshop and create a beautiful work of art with a unique approach!
#9 Sculpting Polymer figures for Beginners
Sculpting a Polyer Mermaid Made Easy
Learn step by step from Patricia Rose how to sculpt a cute mermaid out of polymer clay. This is a great video for beginners interested in sculpting. This DVD is about 110 minutes.
How to Sculpt a Fairy in Polymer Clay
Learn step by step from Patricia how to sculpt a sweet 7″ fairy in polymer clay in this beginners video. Learn to sculpt facial features, sweet pouty lips, toes and fingers, ankles and knees. Learn posing,expressions, how to choose settings and tip and tricks and wing design. This DVD is about 120 minutes.
Learn to Sculpt Detailed Faces in Polymer Clay
Learn to sculpt beautiful female facial features with Patricia in this very detailed Instructional video. You will learn the tricks to make a pretty female face very time you sculpt! This DVD runs about 120 minutes.
Here is a customer comment on this unanimously-rated-5-out-of-5 video:
- “Fantastic video!!! I can’t recommend too much that you see this. Everything she says you will learn, you will! The ease of sculpting she introduces is exceptional. The mystery is gone. The delight of picking up your tools and following along with her, turns into a song and not a drudge! You will truly make items just like she does from this video!!!” – Doris J.
Rent Sculpting Polymer figures for Beginners today!
#8 Making Motorcycle Gas Tanks
In this video, Ron Covell goes through the process of making two very different motorcycle gas tanks. The first part of the video shows a chopper-style tank being made from steel. Design, layout, patterning and buck construction are shown in detail. Hand shaping is demonstrated, as well as the use ofa manual shrinker and the benchtop English wheel.
The second part shows a comma-shaped tank being made from aluminum. Design, layout, and patterning are shown, along with annealing, hand shaping, and metalfinishing. Both the benchtop and full-size English wheel are demonstrated, and both TIG and gas welding are utilized. The tank is leak-tested, and a method is shown for making hidden rubber mounts.Each step is clearly detailed, and described in a manner that is easy to understand. The techniques shown in this program can be used to make motorcycle tanks of any shape. Here’s what a customer thought about this favorite:
- “Ron Covell does a great job in his videos. Not only does he explain how he does things but how you could do them using what you have at your disosal. If you’re at all interested in making a gas tank then I wouldn’t hesitate about watching this video. Very well produced, very well laid out, and the information is top notch. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in it.” – Chris R.
Rent Making Motorcycle Gas Tanks today!
#7 Housebuilding – Framing Walls
This one is bound to save you some serious bucks, and in a time of gas prices beyond $4 per gallon, every dollar really counts!
In this wall-framing video, Larry Haun and his brother Joe build the exterior and interior walls of a basic 1,600-sq. ft. house. Starting from the completed floor deck, they take you step by step through the entire process, showing you practical ways to organize tasks, streamline procedures and handle tools and materials efficiently.
Here’s your chance to watch a framing master at work, and to become a better, more efficient carpenter yourself.
Each section of the video covers a specific topic in detail: layout, plating, headers, cripples, trimmers and rough sills, detailing plates, building and raising walls, plumbing and lining, sheathing walls, and more.
Larry Haun has been a production framer for almost 40 years and a teacher of apprentices for almost 25. He has honed his skills and techniques on hundreds of tract and custom houses, finding countless ways to save time, reduce costs, minimize problems and improve quality. Here’s a customer comment for more info:
- “Larry’s second in a three part series. These are probably some of the best how to series I’ve ever seen. Lots of information but still keeps the video moving smoothly along with out undue footage perfectly edited I’d say. Watching this I’d compare it to an apprenticeship program. Everything broken down in simple steps and he shows various framing methods for different applications.” – Chad O.
Rent Housebuilding – Framing Walls today!
#6 Expanded Portrait Techniques With Painter
The Painted Portrait for Photographers – Watercolor in Painter & Photoshop
Learn how to use Photoshop to enhance each facial feature of a retouched image and transform it gracefully into a painting using Corel Painter IX. Create classic portraits in styles of watercolor, hand tinting, sketching, pastel and oil painting. See how brush expression makes a difference in the mood of the painting and how to pull color into interesting shapes.
Learn to balance rough art techniques with photo-realism in a believable and artistic manner and learn how to achieve the hand-painted look while preserving the ultimate photo realism. You will also learn how to make and save custom color sets and how to correctly apply styles of texture to your painting. Expand your vision within Painter and create your own artistic photo image paintings.
Working with the Image Files, Workspace Set Up for Photoshop, Preparing the Face, Workspace Set Up for Painter, Creating the Composition, The Basic Blend, Adding Interest with Paint, The Details, Textures, Final Adjustments
Expanded Portrait Techniques with Painter
Advanced Preparation Techniques, Painter as an Enhancement Tool for Photography, Tinting Techniques in Painter, Chalk Techniques in Painter, Sketching Techniques in Painter, The Classic Photo Oil Painting, Leaving the Photograph WAY Behind!, Conclusion.
Here’s what a customer thought about these 5-out-of-5 rated videos:
- “WOW! These DVDs are just excellent! I learned so many new techniques. Be sure to take plenty of notes – you’ll forget things and want to refer back to them. There are so many lessons included – it was hard to watch and digest them in just one week! Jane Conner-Sizer is and excellent teacher. She explains in detail what she’s doing and why. I would highly recommend them for anyone wanting to learn more of Photoshop and Corel Painter.” – Patty M.
Rent Expanded Portrait Techniques With Painter today!
#5 Oil Painting – The Lady Of Shalott
Techniques Learned: Grid Method of Drawing Enlargement, Tonal Wash/Ink Wash Underpainting, Opaque Academic Grisaille Underpainting, Underpainting Glazes, Opaque Overpainting, Drybrush, Glazing, Scumbling.
This video was filmed during the School of Oil Painting, where this painting was the subject of the Old Master (Venetian Method) workshop. It was filmed over a six-day period and shows every demonstration performed for the class. You can be a part of the workshop and paint along with me, just as the participants of the class did. The package contains everything you need to understand and execute the project. Take advantage of this unique product to learn Old Master methods used to reproduce this popular painting, originally done by the great Victorian artist, John William Waterhouse
In reproducing this great masterpiece, She chose to use the most complete academic method available to explore this painting. A grisaille underpainting in shades of which, black and gray is the foundation of this beautiful work. Lessons presented in this lengthy work include instructions on how to enlarge the drawing from 18″ x 24″ to 30″ x 40″ or 36″ x 48″. Here’s what a customer thought:
- “A very informative video about the classical grisaille technique. Highly recommended. The techniques presented can be applied to any style of painting and improve the end result. Well organized and presented! I also thought it was interesting that Waterhouse who created the original painting did not use this technique but the workshop’s end result was a reasonable facsimile.” – Samuel C.
Rent Oil Painting – The Lady Of Shalott today!
#4 Clocks – Advanced Clock Repair
Learn the advanced repair techniques used by many of the top professionally trained clock repair experts.
A few of the many topics covered:
Straightening pivots and arbors, Repairing lantern pinions, Replacing worn or broken pivots, Wheel tooth replacement, Working with spring barrels, Barrel tooth replacement, Barrel hook replacement, Soldering technique, Clock repair using a lathe, Pivot polishing on a lathe, How to use various clock repair tools, Alternative repair techniques, Bushing movement plates, Tools used in clock repair.
Here’s what a customer thought about this video:
- “Clock repair is almost a lost trade there is not that many clock repair tradesmen doing it any more mostly because a lot of old-time clock repair men have passed away or they are to old and cannot continue doing repairs. Times have changed and we live in a throwaway world where you buy a new clock and if it stops running you just throw it away and buy new one. There is still a lot of clocks out there that people want to have repaired this is why we have to keep this trade going. This is my first time watching a course on clock repair. I am glad that John has made these courses to get a new generation of clock repair people interested again in the trade. John tope has done a good job with this advanced course. This course on Advanced clock repair has good techniques and gives you step-by-step procedures on repairs. This course is for someone that has already some knowledge of clock repair,you must already know how to completely take apart and reassemble a clock before going through this course. I recommend it and if you already know how to do some of the repairs on this course it is always a good opportunity to watch a other clock repair person to get their techniques to make you more knowledgeable for repairs. I look forward to watching his other clock courses.” – William W.
Rent Advanced Clock Repair today!
#3 Sculptural Glassworking
Disc 1 – Introduction
The basics of working Pyrex brand of sodium borosilicate crystal, including geometric solids, beginning techniques and many small animals. This DVD runs about 120 minutes.
Disc 2 – Small, Quick, Moneymaking Items
Pendants, earrings, small animals, marbles, buttons, napkin rings and much more out of borosilicate glass. This DVD runs about 120 minutes.
Disc 3 – Fantasy
Larger pieces, including dragons, pegasus, unicorns, wizards and mermaids- a more advanced tape. This disc runs about 120 minutes.
Disc 4 – Aquatic Life
Larger pieces, including dolphins, whale, shark, turtle, seal with ball, octopus, seahorse and scuba diver on this advanced tape. This disc runs about 120 minutes.
Disc 5 – Wildlife
This advanced video includes ram, deer, giraffe, eagle, elephant, trees and cactus. This disc runs about 120 minutes.
Here’s a customer comment on this fantastic series:
“A great introduction to flameworking Pyrex glass. Lewis makes it look really easy. I now am very motivated to get myself a torch and start making Pyrex animals and pendants. I can just see myself at my local county fair, with a big group of watching customers waiting to give me their money as I turn out hummingbirds, dragons, and dichroic pendants. Lots of fun!” – Gabriel W.
Rent Sculptural Glasswork today and you could make a bundle of pieces and sell them…for a bundle of cash!
#2 Woodturning – Turn it Up with Jimmy Clewes
Disc 1
A colored form turned from Maple with hand carving and a 12 carat white gold.
A simple hat turned thinly without any jigs – just careful tooling.
Extra Features: Jimmy talks about various methods for mixing and using coloring.
Disc 2
A natural edge bowl from Acacida burr, discussing shape, tooling and forming.
A lidded box turned from Box Elder burr with chattered Ebony Insert.
Disc 3
A double natural-edge turning from Australian Mallee Burr.
Jimmy Experiments: a unique multi-offcenter sculpture with Ash with Ebony highlights.
Here’s what a customer had to say about this video:
- “Excellent DVDs! Great production values and brilliant instruction. My only complaint is that he makes it look much easier than it will ever be for me. My fault, not his. Very highly recommended!!!!!” – Gordon R.
Rent Woodturning – Turn it Up with Jimmy Clewes today!
#1 Oil Painting – Victoria: Painting Portraits in Oils from Photographs
Learn fine art techniques including the direct alla-prima painting method to produce a work of art in a loose, impressionistic style. Project materials include computer-prepared guides and maps that will make it easy to see the shape, planes and values on the human head.
This program is designed for beginning portrait painters, and is useful in understanding basic portrait painting concepts, whether the painter uses photographic references or works from the live model, as both scenarios are compared and contrasted.
“Victoria” is painted with a limited palette of colors and shows how you can create realistic fleshtones from just a few basic colors. Recipes for generic flesh colors and values are given, which can be adjusted subtly to match the flesh color of your model, whether it is painted from life or from photographs.
The simplicity of this head and the composition make it the ideal program for a first attempt at portrait painting, as all the photographic references used in the program are included in the printed materials that accompany the video. Here’s what a customer had to say:
- “This video is great! My husband doesn’t even paint and he was fascinated by it. We watched it twice. She explains every step in great detail. It was so inspiring that I wanted to run out and buy tons of canvas. I’m a beginner and she made it look achievable.” – Terry O.
Rent Victoria: Painting Portraits in Oils from Photographs today!
We all have tons of friends and family with summer birthdays…and I’ll bet you do too! For a gift that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to a loved one’s face, give them a SmartFlix Gift Card! This is a cool and different kind of gift for anyone in your life, and perfect for any occasion.
Gift cards are available in $10, $25, $50, and $100 denominations. So surprise someone you love with a real treat, and take it from us – people think these gift cards are fantastic as well as extremely useful!
Click here to purchase a gift card that is redeemable for renting any of the thousands of videos SmartFlix offers!
Happy Renting and Happy Summer! and a big Thank You to all of my loyal readers!
You may also be interested in my
Tutorials Page at Parthena Black, Dreams In Polymer Clay and Wire
