Oriental Slippers

When you think of the treasures of the orient, you probably think of rich brocade kimonos, a variety of healthful and delicious foods, and age-old tradition. But theres one more thing you should think of-slippers. Yes-coming from a location with a history of shoe removal, Oriental slippers have made a name for themselves. Read on to find out more about them and the different types available today.

Oriental slippers come in a variety of colors and styles. The most popular style is the slide or mule design. This is because they are the easiest to slip on and off, necessary in Asian culture. This is also great for you, because you wont have to get hung up on Velcro or ties. Just come through the door and slip them on right away!

When selecting a pair of Oriental slippers, you have many choices. These slippers are usually found in deep blue, gold, rich green and bright red. They traditionally have lovely and detailed embroidery in the design of flowers, dragons, and other Oriental themes. The materials used to make these slippers are most often silk and quilted brocade. If youre lucky, youll find a pair lined with soft, warm sheepskin!

When shopping for Oriental slippers, there are a few things to keep in mind. You can, of course, purchase fake Oriental slippers for less than authentic ones. But remember that the authentic ones will have the highest quality workmanship. Also, the sizes of Asian footwear are smaller than American footwear. It is recommended that you purchase one size larger than the size you normally wear in order to get the very best fit.

Oriental slippers and Japanese sandals are a great accessory. Whether it's just for the bedroom, spa and around the house or a stylish addition to an outfit during the summer, Japanese and Chinese shoes and slippers are a great idea. Buy authentic zori or geta sandals or cheaper replicas are available in the United States. Find rhinestone and platform flip flops, sandals and other summer time shoes at Flip Flop Sandals.

UGG Men Boots Lamo Sheepskin Australia Sheepskin Fireside Mens Shoes Suede Slippers Moccasins Chestnut
Cheetah UGGS

Tips on Oil Painting - Know Your Oil Painting Brushes

Let us begin with the standard type of brushes used when painting with oils. Here they are:

* The Flat - The flat brush has a flat ferrule, is square-ended, and has medium to long hairs. The ferrule of a bush is the metal sleeve used to join the bristles and handle of the brush.

The flat brush able to carry a lot of paint and can be handled fairly easily. It can be used to produce bold sweeping strokes or when used on its edge it can also draw fine lines.

* The Filbert - The filbert brush has a thick, flat ferrule and is oval-shaped with medium to long hairs. It has long handles. It is a compromise between a flat and a round brush. With its soft rounded edges, the filbert brush is often used for blending and drawing. If used for the purpose of blending, natural hair is best because the wet hairs hold together better.

* The Bright - The bright brush has a flat ferrule, short-length hairs, and is usually set in a long handle. The width and length of brush hair is about the same. The bright brush is suitable for short controlled strokes with thick or heavy color.

* The Round - The round brush has a round ferrule, is round or has a pointed tip. It is used to produce fills, washes, and thick to thin lines. A pointed round is good for fine detail. A pointed round brush is with very short hair is called a detailer for obvious reasons.

Then, there are also a number of special oil brushes that are used to accomplish specific tasks. Here are some of them:

* The Fan - The fan brush has a flat ferrule and has hairs spread out in a half circle. It is used for soft blending, smoothing, textures, and specials effects. For soft blending, natural hair is best while synthetic works well for textural effects.

* The One Stroke - The one stroke brush has a flat ferrule, is square-ended, and has medium to long length hairs. It has a short handle and can hold large amounts of paint. It is primarily used to paint block letters in one stroke hence its name.

* The Sash - The sash has long handles and tapered bristles. Bristles are stiff hairs. The sash is perfect for detailed work on large paintings and decorative painting.

* The Script and Liner - The script brush is a pointed, narrow brush with very long hair. Liner brushes have shorter hairs and are narrower. The script and liner brushed have round ferrules, short handles, and high paint carrying capacity. They are used for lettering (such as signing your paintings), outlining, highlighting, and to produce long thin strokes.

The brushes as described above are really more than you need to start painting with oils. If you are a beginning artist it may be a good idea to try out the flats and the filberts first.

For example, learn how to paint with one filbert real well. See how far you can carry your paintings with just this one brush. You will be surprised, after a few months of practice, how versatile that filbert really is.

It is better to become an expert with one kind of brush than being half an expert with many. Of course, you will eventually find out that you can't do everything with just one filbert. Only then should you add another type of brush to your repertoire.

Remi Engels, Ph.D., is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter. Samples of Remi's work can be found at Remi's Pencil Portraits and Remi's Oil Paintings. You are also cordially invited to subscribe to his Free Portrait Drawing Course and his popular Art Tip Newsletter.

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