Desk accessories are important because we spend most of our daily life at our workplace. Creatives and entrepreneurs do probably also spend a big part of their nights there. 

The workspace is seemingly the most honest reflection of our weaknesses and strengths combined. Having a functional desk means to have a practical head.

When sitting there we likewise pretend to be someone else, project our identities towards images of perfection, to then often rewind the button and go back to our inner flaws. Nobody will know, if not the wall in front of us or the desk, which we ad-nauseam punch if stressed-out. That’s right: our desks are kingdoms of our true feelings.

Keeping it tidy and organized will prevent us from struggles comparable to tunnels of no return.

So open your pad – digital or non – and take note of some cool stuff.

It’ll at least give you a boost of inspiration to start with reorganizing your desk – and soul.

Don’t get us wrong. Desk accessories can also be futile and purely decorative. But again, designing your desk to a specific style, like modern or rustic, or following a calming color scheme can bring a sense of focus even during your most chaotic work moments.

Go through our selection of the best six must-have accessories to enhance your working routine!

Calendar Desk Pad

Nothing keeps you focused like seeing your whole week or month in front of you, right on your desk. Keeping a paper layout of your schedule gives you the flexibility to make changes or answer calendar-related questions without opening yet another program on your computer. 

There are fancy ones out there that’ll rock your planning habits. Go get them now!

Daily Task Pad

Next to your desktop calendar, get a daily task pad. The first will give you the big picture; this will narrow things in detail. It’s your day at a glance, line-by-line, and is oh-so-satisfying to complete. 

 Check your calendar, email, and personal notes before closing out for the day. Any to-do items for that day, add them to your Daily Task Pad. Any others that you can schedule for the future, add them to your calendar or planner to stay ahead of upcoming commitments.

Desk Organizer

It’s so easy for the many things you need at your desk to get out of hand. Piles of paper, pens, and products are stressful to look at and impossible to use. To avoid crowds, we suggest the following neat and elegant solutions. They won’t obstruct your space, so they are even convenient for smaller ones. 

Magnetic Chalkboard

If you have a bit of wall space above your desk, this chic magnetic chalkboard acts as a message board, a note-keeper, and even comes with shelves. Save essential messages, tickets to tonight’s show, instant photos of your last vacation, and flower vases next to your work station. We are sure this will cheer you up!

Multi-functional Monitor Stand

Boost your working performance, reducing your eye and neck strain by raising your monitor about 9 cm to an ergonomic position at ye level. It will make you feel better while enhancing your desk by creating more storage space. Easy as it seems!

Blue Light-Blocking Computer Glasses

Even though this isn’t exactly a “desk accessory,” it’s a necessary desk-activity accessory. 

Blocking the harmful blue light emitted by electronic displays will save you a lot of headaches, literally. Working day and night can impact your sleeping patterns and hormones and give you eye strain that lasts long after you’ve turned your screens off. 

A pair of blue light blocking glasses can reduce dry eyes, headaches, eye-strain, insomnia, and much more if worn while operating on your screens.

We hope to have provided you with cool hints to make your work routine an enviable place to bee in.

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Photography in 2020 it’s probably one of the most overrated and competitive creative disciplines. Finding your way into the business – or as a pure photography amateur – may be a challenging process and also leed to giving it up. Our suggestion is to take your time away from a screen to select some of the best books by renowned masters of photography published in the last years, to show you how to cut useless money and time-consuming steps.

The following is a listing of the must-have reads for beginners to start with or for business professionals to deepen their technical knowledge. We wish this listing may help to develop all the skills necessary to fulfill your photographic objectives.

3 BOOKS IF YOU ARE A FIRST-TIME PHOTOGRAPHER.

• UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE by Bryan Peterson.

EXPOSURE AND LIGHTING TECHNIQUES, THE MOST CRUCIAL SKILL FOR BEGINNERS, TO UNDERSTAND.

Before grabbing your camera, take your time to study how exposure and lighting will affect your dreamed results. UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE by Bryan Peterson, it’s a popular book on how to use your camera settings to reach your aimed images. It’s rich in visual examples to help you understand how each environment affects exposure and lighting effects.

• HOW TO CREATE STUNNING DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY by Anthony Justin Northrup

PUT THEORY INTO PRACTICE WHILE YOU LEARN NEW SKILLS.

Each chapter of this how-to guidebook ends with several exercises for readers to practice what they’ve learned. The book covers an extensive list of skills from composition to lighting and exposure, to scouting a perfect location to studio shooting.

• THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK by Scott Kelby

LEARN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TOOLS BY A MASTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY TO PROVIDE REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES.

Each part of the five published ones is a stand-alone book. By giving practical advice, it smoothes your learning process while getting into full experiences. 

3 BOOKS IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER.

• READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO TAKE GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS by Henry Carroll

PRACTICE YOUR SKILLS WITH HANDS-ON TIPS.

Do you want to develop the quality of your images without having to read a complicated technical manual? This book is for you. This book focuses on all skills, from basic settings to the choice of the right camera lens, and has illustrated tips and tricks provided by some of the most talented photographers of all time.

• WHAT THEY DIDN’T TEACH YOU IN PHOTO SCHOOL by Demetrius Fordham

GROW YOUR NETWORK ND SELL YOUR WORK.

Do you feel there was something left out after completing your photo school? Probably it’s about the lack of business-related topics in photography, a problem often undervalued in schools. This book shares excellent tips to help you grow your network, finding and impressing clients and reaching out to brands for partnerships.

• BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS by John Harringto

LEARN HOW TO THINK AS A BUSINESS PERSON.

Do you feel you achieved your photographic identity but are still struggling with how to place your business out there? This book is a guide to help you understand this complex field and smoothly navigate the challenges along your way, from dealing with clients to mastering and sell your work.

3 BOOKS IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR PHOTOGRAPHY INSPIRATION TO ENRICH YOUR SKILLS.

• HENRI CARTIER BRESSON: THE DECISIVE MOMENT by Henri Cartier Bresson

A COLLECTION OF THE BEST IMAGES BY HENRI CARTIER BRESSON HANDPICKED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER THAT CHANGED PHOTOGRAPHY FOREVER.

This book, initially published in the 1950s, focuses on the search for the decisive moment. Henri Cartier Bresson goes beyond street photography, and with his work, he influenced generations of photographers.

• ANNIE LEIBOVITZ AT WORK by Annie Leibovitz

A BOOK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE.

Dive into this book, and discover the making of Leibovitz’s most iconic images. The unique look and feel of her style have made her a living legend in the history of photography.

• ANSEL ADAMS: 400 PHOTOGRAPHS by Ansel Adams

IF LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY IS YOUR INTEREST, DON’T MISS THE LARGEST AVAILABLE COMPILATION OF ANSEL ADAMS WORKS.

Ansel Adams is probably the most recognized American photographer of all time – either for his images and for its inspiring quotes on photography. This book captures the American landscapes and includes brief essays providing insights into his technique and creative vision. 

The post BEST 9 PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS TO READ IN 2020 appeared first on Hue & Eye.

The following pastel drawing tips will indeed apply better to soft pastels, although they may also be suitable for oil ones.

1. KNOW YOUR SURFACE ACCORDING TO YOUR CHOSEN SUBJECT.

Please don’t underestimate the surface you choose to work on with pastels, as it will significantly affect your work. Pastel drawing papers are available in a wide range of colors and textures. We suggest starting working on a toned surface as it will allow you better to manage all the shades of darker or lighter colors. But this is totally up to your creativity!

The texture, or “tooth,” is what will determine the overall technique. A smooth surface will allow you to have more control over the shades and gradients but offers limited use of layers. Applying too many layers onto a smooth texture will indeed give a flat result. A coarser texture will provide you with more layer options, although it’s limited when it comes to managing smooth gradations and details. 

We strongly suggest having in mind your chosen subject and result before the choice of paper. 

Lastly, if you wish to bring more contrast to your art piece, choose a color that is opposite to the color temperature of your subject’s. Or if what you are looking for is harmony over contrast, then choose a paper color that will match the color temperature of your main subject. 

2. LAYERING AND MIXING COLORS

As mentioned already, pastels are very similar to paint, so like with opaque painting mediums, colors can be layered over previous ones in many desired ways. Layering will make colors appear more natural, and all the color layers will then mix, either optically or through blending techniques.

We suggest adding multiple layers for a better finished natural result.

Differently to paint colors, mixing pastels doesn’t take place on a palette but directly onto the paper. You may combine colors by overlapping a layer to another or blending them with a finger, a piece of tissue, or a blending stump.

3. BUILDING DETAILS

With pastels, you won’t need to plan your details as you would do with other mediums, as you may address them later. It is still an excellent idea to sketch them before starting the artwork, although you won’t need to develop them fully. The details will be added easily over the top of your colored layers or base.

4. WORK QUICKLY BUT BE PATIENT

Pastel means a great choice to add color to large areas in a short period. So we suggest getting as much color on the surface as quickly as possible. Remember that you may refine details later. You need to be patient to building-up color complexity, although this might sound contradictory will what just said. 

Differently to oil painting – where a simple brush may add a considerable detail – with pastel drawing here is where the tricky part hides. We indeed must allow all of those previously applied layers to do what we have in mind. It is through the process of developing a layer that we will finally see our desired result.

5. BE SURE TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT MEDIUM TO APPLY DETAILS

Pastel sticks are a common medium used to apply details, although they are quite tricky to use. We suggest starting managing details with a pastel pencil, which consists of a pastel point encased into a wooden pencil. It allows you to control and shape the feature required while it may still be blended, mixed, and used with traditional pastel sticks.

Another essential trick is to use a small white or black tone to add hints of details. Although it might appear flat and unnatural, we suggest mixing the black one with brown and blue hues and the white one with yellow or grey ones to add a little depth. Also, adding a small layer of color on top of the black area or in the mix will prevent it from looking too flat.

Ultimately, we shall mention that fixating your final artwork is possible but not mandatory. It can, indeed, alter the tone of colors by making it darker. We suggest protecting your work with a cover sheet to store it until ready for framing.

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