tips Archives - CLEVERcreating

10 Exciting and Unusual Things to Do in Cordoba, Spain

May 23, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

Córdoba is about a 4-hour drive from our house if we go in a straight line. There are enough exciting things to do in Cordoba. However, the last time we visited, it took us a week to get there because we first visited several other places.

Including the village of María which has a beautiful botanical garden situated on the slope of a mountain. We also stayed at a campground in the middle of the Cazorla National Park. And visited the beautiful excavations of Cástulo in Linares. I’ll write more about that in another article.

We enjoy this way of travelling so much, getting from one place to another at our leisure and seeing both known and unknown places. I can highly recommend the alternation of camping cabin and hotel stay that we have done.

Profitable Selling Pictures Online? Which Problems and Possibilities Exist?

April 17, 2024April 17, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

One of the ideas in the article 20 Ideas on How to make money after retirement is to sell your digital pictures. Can you start selling pictures online just like that? What are the options you have? And equally important, what are possible problems you can encounter? I’ll elaborate on these in this article.

You don’t have to be a professional photographer nowadays to sell your pictures. However, it helps if you know what you are doing and maintain a quality standard in composition, use of colour and format.

Photography is a Passion, Why is Taking Pictures Important?

April 3, 2024April 3, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

Taking pictures is narrowing your view in a good sense. Looking through the square hole makes you focus on the composition, colour and details of what you see. It’s all about making choices.

When I was 12 years old I got a camera from my granddad. It was an Agfa, that I know for sure. But I am not sure anymore whether it was a Click or a Clack.

All these years I was convinced it was a Clack-II, but googling pictures of it made me wonder. The image in my memory resembles more of the Click-II.

What is Composition in Photography? 7 Tips to Improve your Images

March 4, 2024March 4, 2024 by Hannie Mommers

During my education at two art academies in the Netherlands, I was trained to look at the composition of paintings and sculptures. That was a big advantage for me when I started taking pictures.

Painters often had a conception of composition that depended on their time. The Renaissance had a balanced, calm structure of the works. In the Baroque, the dynamic composition was usually applied.

What is composition in photography? The usual rule of thumb is the rule of thirds. It’s a great rule to start with, but in this article, I will explain some other possibilities for composition you can use.

How to Choose the Right Font for a Website?

November 30, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Why can you read these lines? It is because you recognise the combination of the letters in the words used. The fact that you are able to read these letters and words at all is because a professional typographer designed them.

He or she not only designed the letters but also decided how much space is required between the letters and the words. Horizontally between each letter and word, but also vertically, between the lines.

Not being aware of typographical rules makes it very difficult to use the right font for a website.

How to Use Typography in Web Design? 7 Proven Do’s and Don’ts

November 24, 2023November 23, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

The guidelines for typography in web design are not that different from the guidelines for text in any use. Whether on a screen or on paper, on a truck or on the facade of an office, always ask yourself: “Can people read this in an easy and clear way?”

Almost half of all websites worldwide are made with WordPress, including this website. While WordPress simplifies a lot of typographic decisions, it is still important to have a basic understanding of how typography works.

The following tips apply to both using HTML and CSS, as well as WordPress or any other CMS (Content Management System) website.

7 Ways to Use Colour in Photography Creatively and Differently

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Most people see the world in colour and although it’s also great to take pictures in black and white, colour can add a layer of inspiration and possibility.

When we use colour in photography in a conscious way, we can guide the emotions of the viewer. Colour can create a dramatic atmosphere or a quiet one. Colour can also evoke approval or dislike.

In this article, I describe some of Itten’s colour contrasts applied in photography and I supplement it with a couple of other ways of using colour.

What Styles or Subjects Inspired Visual Artists in the 1960s?

October 6, 2023October 6, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

In the last quarter of 1969, aged 16, I went to Art school to become a teacher in visual arts and crafts. At that time I did not read any national or international newspapers, my parents were subscribed to the local newspaper.

The turbulent 1968 and the artistic expressions of that time had passed me by completely unnoticed. The academy became a pressure cooker of historical insight and political awareness.

I was lucky that my art history and art appreciation teachers were very enthusiastic and were really good at transferring their enthusiasm to their students. Not just on visual artists in the 1960s of course, but on art history in general.

12 Tips to Find Inspiration to Make Art when We Are Stuck

September 29, 2023September 29, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Usually, we find inspiration to make art when we are not looking for it. We are in the shower or preparing dinner and ideas pop into our heads. We walk through nature or in a city and are inspired by what we see or experience.

Then we are so in the flow that we do not need extra inspiration. At other times we have to consciously search for it because we want to create but just don’t know how and what. We’re stuck.

To get the inspiration process going, I’ll give you 12 tips in this article.