As America grew, she became a country of great wealth and power. This attracted many Europeans to immigrate to America for a better life. These numbers have been artists such as Marcel Duchamp, who is considered the father of object art. He left Paris during World War I for the safety of America. The Roaring Twenties became a time of great change in culture, art, and societal norms in the US. America’s move to the forefront of the art world became most evident following World War II.

The 20th century brought American realism and modernism with artists such as Mary Cassatt and George Bellows. The American Southwest movement had notables including Bert Greer Phillips and Georgia O’Keeffe. Artist Aaron Douglas and photographer James VanDerZee were included in the Harlem Renaissance. The Depression brought about New Deal Art, and Abstract Expressionism was a popular Post-World War II art form including artists Jackson Pollock and James Brooks. More modern American movements included Pop Art and Conceptual Art.

As American art grew, so did US art galleries and museums to display the pieces. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, America has many huge cities, and each one has notable galleries worth visiting. Some of the more famous ones include the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institute and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Orlando Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the San Diego Museum of Art.

If you are considering a career in art, don’t limit your education to just a good art school. Expand your horizon by visiting as many art galleries across the US or only in the state where you live. Collections constantly change, giving you opportunities to regularly expose yourself to a variety of art. There will be no greater thrill than when your own art is displayed in a gallery for all to enjoy!

1. Centre Georges Pompidou- Perhaps one of the most iconic structures in Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou is a very modern building with color- coded mechanical systems made visual purposely by the architects that created the building. This museum houses art from the 18th century to current times with works from Matisse, Chagall, and Picasso.

2. Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris- If you are looking for more modern art work, Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris is your place! This museum has a large collection of 20th century avant- garde art, including pieces by Picasso and Kandinsky. An interesting piece of art work at Musee d’Art Moderne de la Ville is Raoul Dufy’s, “La Fee Electrice”, which pays homage to electricity!

3. Musee du Louvre- Musee du Louvre is yet another internationally recognized museum in Paris. This museum has the world’s most plentiful collection of brilliant art and antiques. Formally a royal palace, this museum also happens to be the world’s largest museum. With the arrival of Leonardo da Vinci and his famous portrait, “Mona Lisa”, the transition from royal palace to all- encompassing museum began. Musee du Louvre was officially opened as a museum in the 1600s but was not open to the public until 1793. Whenever tourists visit Musee du Louvre, they especially enjoy Le Jardin des Tuileries. This nearby garden is an extension of the Musee du Louvre, providing a beautiful floral garden with marble statues. This museum has reasonable admission prices, but admission is free on the first Sunday of the month.

Obviously, it is possible to devote an entire trip to discovering Parisian art museums. If your itinerary includes many other destinations like most European travel itineraries do, make sure to stop by at least one of the fabulous museums listed above. The experience will enrich your mind as well as your trip.

Located in the heart of the city that never sleeps, the Museum of Modern Art, the MOMA, is praised all over the globe for its incredible collection of modern art. The museum has everything from projects made simply out of cardboard and a little bit or metal to the first set of moving pictures. Just recently, the MOMA had an exhibit titled “Paper: Pressed, Stained, Slashed and Folded” where the artist illustrated the different ways in which paper can be manipulated. The MOMA even shows films throughout the year. MOMA also has a part of the museum dedicated to modern photography. This famous museum also has a film component to it. Currently, MOMA is featuring a film called “Nollywood Babylon” which is a documentary about film in the African nation of Nigeria. The location of MOMA also makes it special. People come from around the world to view the collections housed in the MOMA.

Musee d’Orsay, is located in Paris, France along the Seine River. This museum is home to all of the different forms of contemporary art like sculptures, painting, books and film. The museum also features different kinds of contemporary art such as furniture. Interestingly enough, the museum was originally built out of a railway station. Not only does the museum feature contemporary art, but also work from the mid 1800s until the mid 1900s. It has incredible collections of photographs and architectural drawings. The museum has one of the best collections of impressionist art, a form of contemporary art, in the world. Probably one of the most interesting things about the museum is it features an exhibit of how the museum was originally designed. Like the MOMA, this museum’s location makes it even more spectacular. This is a museum that, if you are in Paris, you certainly do not want to miss. This museum has a type of artwork for everyone.

These two museums are perfect for those wanting to find incredible collections of contemporary art. Each is located in a beautiful spot of their respective cities, which makes them even more incredible. These museums also feature different types of exhibits than regular art museums such as, film, photography, and architecture. Even, if you are not a connoisseur of contemporary art, these museums are sure to have something for everyone. Next time you are in New York City or Paris, you should certainly consider taking a walk through these museums.

Once you have the tools, you’ll need to see things differently than what you’re used to. The first thing is to begin to see only shapes. Throughout the world, you can boil down everything into simple shapes. For example, your computer monitor is really a cube or a square in terms of seeing shapes. When you’re looking at a model for your realistic drawings, you’ll need to identify shapes. Fingers and legs can be boiled down into cylinders. Human noses can be boiled down into triangles. Human heads can be boiled down into egg shape.

After you’ve gotten the basic shapes down, you’ll go back and refine things a little until you have something similar on paper as what your original is. Next, you’ll define shading. Notice where lights and darks are. For darker areas you’ll use a softer pencil lead, such as a 6B or 2B. Be sure to apply adequate pressure. For lighter areas you’ll use a harder pencil lead, such as an HB with a little less pressure.

For textures such as drawing fur and hair, you’ll use a harder pencil that is sharpened, such as a 4 H or 6 H. Next, you’ll want to smooth and blend these shades with your paper stump, tortillions, tissue and cotton balls. Experiment with them on a separate sheet of paper to see the effect each has. You’ll need to be comfortable in using these and know the end result before you use them.

Another important component to realistic drawings is knowing your proportions. For example, the adult human is about seven to eight heads tall. Children are a little different. For example a little toddler’s head is larger in proportion to his body than the heads of adults in proportion to their bodies. This is why when inexperienced artists attempt to draw children, they come out looking like shorter adults. Proportions also rule the animal kingdom. There are different rules for drawing horses or lions than for humans. You’ll want to know the proportions before you render something.

Cover art or cover designs are also a way for artists to express themselves. Of course, the best way to express the feeling of an artist is by letting as many people as possible to know about it. And what better way to do this than using an artist’s work to front a product? What many people do not know is that cover design for artists is an excellent way for them to display their skills and be known to many people. It is a given fact that many artists volunteer to be a part of a brand or a product so that they can develop their talent and for other people to notice them.

Some may think that this is a very selfish manner for some artists because it is like using a product to be able to climb their way up the success ladder. The truth is that cover design for artists are very important because they are not just given the chance to support and patronize the product, but at the same time, they are also given the chance to speak their emotions through their art. Of course, part of doing this is also to become popular but this is not the defying reason why artists agree or decide to create a design for a certain product.

Therefore, if you are an entrepreneur who wants to sell something online or anywhere else in this planet, just remember the impact and importance of a cover design for artists. In short, as much as possible go with someone you know who is an aspiring artist. This way, you will not only give them the chance to earn some money but you will also give them a chance to bloom as an artist. The thing that you entrusted them with a responsibility – no matter how trivial it is – is an indication that you trust their capabilities. And of course, this in turn will really boost their confidence in themselves and in their works. This will also be good for you not only because you will have a very expressive cover design for your product, but also because you know that you have lead someone towards what he/she is really passionate about.