Women’s ethnic wear is customary women’s ethnic clothing that appears elegant on traditional and modern ladies. They have been a part of rich heritage culture and have been in vogue for a long time. Their popularity has hyped up drastically and can never go out of trend. While you can easily buy designer women’s ethnic online, you might often find it difficult to decorate your ethnic outfits in the best way possible.
Well, no worries, as this blog is here to rescue you from that overwhelming feeling! In this blog, we will discuss various accessorizing and styling tips that will assist you to look gorgeous and ramp-ready in your Indian Anarkali suits, dresses, and kurta set.
Gold Toned Metal Kundan Necklace
Accentuate Your Feminine Grace By Putting On This Necklace Set From Zaveri Pearls And Let Your Look Be Exceptionally Beautiful. Club This Necklace Set With Traditional Attire To Look Gorgeous In No Time. An Exclusive Assortment Of Fashion Jewelry And Accessories Brought To You By Zaveri Pearls, Select Your Kind Of Jewelry And Get Decked Up For Upcoming Festival Or Party.
Grey Handcrafted Jutties
Elevate your style with this classy pair of Mojari from the house of Creative Art & Craft brand. Featuring a contemporary refined design with exceptional comfort, this pair is perfect to give your quintessential dressing an upgrade.
Green Handcrafted Silver Earrings
Stylish Kundan & Pearl Chandelier Earrings
This Earring set is crafted in gold plated finish with stunning antique finish – these earrings are really special .The Earrings feature kundan & stone studded. Be stylish and smart with these Golden Earring. Perfectly crafted. Wear it with a suit or a saree, and lehenga for an ethnic yet classy look.
Handcrafted jhumkies
Jhumkis add a pinch of ethnic grandeur and glamor to Indian ethnic outfits. They’re embellished with multi-colored stones, gems, and pearls so that you can match them with the color of your respective garment.
Hoops
Hoops earrings never go out of trend, and they look super-chic and adorable with all types of women’s ethnic clothing. They appear stunning with georgette Indian women’s dresses, kurtis, and suits.
Chandbalis
For ethnic women’s dresses, suits, and kurta sets. Moreover, it looks splendid with highly embellished outfits. These are mostly carved into a stunning half-moon design and add a luxe essence that further emphasizes your look.
Mang Tika
To steal the limelight while donning women’s ethnic online, one must try to wear something enticing and unique. And what could be better than a maang tika? This is often headpiece jewelry in India, mostly worn by women during wedding ceremonies, festivities, and major events.
Statement Neckpiece
Long statement necklaces are a must-have if you have ethnic wear in your closet. They’re made from exquisite details and they mostly reach till the waist.
Choker
Chokers have taken the world by storm, and lovely ethnic chokers aren’t far behind. They effortlessly blend with Indian women’s dresses, suits, gowns, and kurtis. It’s the pearls and stone that add the additional oomph factor.
Embellished Heels
Heels aren’t comfortable for everyone, and wearing heels for long hours may be a tiresome job. In such a case, embellished wedge heels inherit play as they’re comfortable. They are doing an equivalent trick as heels with Indian Anarkali dresses and suits.So this was a list of items that can help you accessorize your ethnic wear.
Without our dad, what would we do? They have empowered us to pursue our dreams and follow our passions. Therefore, gifts for dad should be something special, especially on his birthday, to show them how much we care. After all, you would like to make your gift stand out and steal the show on Christmas, his birthday, or any other special occasion by showing up with these unique gifts for dad. Here are our top picks for gifts that every father would love!
Gift Ideas for Dad
A Father is both our foundation and our family support system. So give your dad a gift that would remind him of how much you cherish, respect and admire him. Help him indulge himself or get him something that would make him smile every time he looks at it.
This is a list of gift for father that he will love:
1. Tie:
A Tie is one of the most classic gift for father. They often end having a lot of special memories tied to them, especially when they are gifted by a loved one. So, this makes it a gift that your dad will love and cherish! Ties are easy to find and they often come in a gift set with a pocket square and cufflinks, making it perfect for any special occasions!
2. Personal Grooming kit:
Self-care is important, even for our dads! They need time to unwind and focus on themselves. For most men, shaving is that time. So, gift a specially-curated shaving kit that allows him to relax while shaving. Give your dad a premium quality personal grooming kit, after all, he deserves it for the hard work that he does every day to give you the best quality of life!
3. Cute T-Shirt or Night ware
This one is lovely and makes for a perfect dad-to-be gift! This lovely DAD tee is comfortable and perfect for any occasion! This bright red cotton tee’s terrific for a casual family gathering or a baby’s day out with their fathers. The t-shirt is handmade with high-quality organic cotton and as a present for new mothers is super comfy and cute! This adorable t-shirt makes for the best gift for dad-to-be!
4. Personalized Picture- frames
Show your gratitude and reverence to your father with this gift for dad that is a lovely and customized photo frame. The beauty of this frame is that it can be customized, you can write a special message to your father and a picture that is special for both of you. You can place them on a table or hang them on a wall to preserve and cherish your special memories. An addition of a simple frame can give spaces in your home a personal touch.
5. Watch or Wallet
With your father’s endless hours of support and love, it’s fitting to give him a durable carefully designed watch which helps him to track the style all that time. Every time he looks it he will, of course, think of you affectionately. Watches as gifts for dad should match his wonderful personality and dashing looks, so make sure to keep that in mind while selecting this gift.
6. Speakers
This gift for dad is perfect for the fathers who are tech-obsessed! Have them go gaga over a high-quality Bluetooth speaker. This also makes for a great gift for fathers who are music aficionados. Most Bluetooth speakers these days have phone connectivity and FM radio enabled giving your dad the choice to listen to anything he wants to.
7. Greeting Cards
There’s nothing better than greeting cards for your father. Either way, a beautiful greeting card is all you need to convey the message to your father. A card with a quirky yet cute statement that makes your father feel special is the tiny but lovable gesture that is enough to make his day.
Each year for all your dad’s dedication and hard work you show your love and appreciation. So many ways are there to show your dad how much you love him and what he does for you and your family. Make your Dad’s Day gift count, because there is something for every form of dad in this list of personalized gift ideas. Just don’t offer the gift of a generic Day of Father. Let your dad know how much it means for you by choosing a personalized and practical gift that he can trust for the rest of his life.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed/shared in the blog above are personal thoughts of the writer.
You are here because somewhere you are obsessed with bohemian fashion style right? so here I have come up with an exclusive bohemian style ultimate guide with useful information about how to carry a bohemian look also Which are the essential things to wear while eating a boho look.
Do you love layering unique accessories?
Enjoy expressing your free spirit?
Then embrace your inner flower child, style fearlessly, and dress for the bohemian style personality.
What Is Bohemian Style?
The bohemian style is characterized by whimsical, floaty fabrics, funky patterns, and artful layering.
Bohemian style, also referred to as boho style, has always been an alternative style to the fashion trends of any given time. It incorporates ideas from around the world as well as from history.
It is a style which features long, loose, colorful clothing and is most associated with the peace and love hippie era. It is particularly linked with creative people such as artists, musicians and writers.
Signature Elements Of Boho Style
Key elements of boho style are long loose layers, tassels, fringing, natural fabrics, patchwork, paisley and plenty of jewelry.
Tips For Dressing In A Bohemian Style
If you do love a boho way of dressing, below are some of the ways to get a boho chic look.
1. Layer Your Clothing
The key is to create a relaxed, free-spirited look and layers will help you to achieve the travelling gypsy look which inspired this style.
2. Choose Long, Flowing Pieces
The whole idea of boho style is that it is free and easy.
You shouldn’t wear anything that constricts you. Choose long, flowing maxi skirts and dresses, and loose tunics and peasant tops.
3. Add Plenty Of JEWELRY
As well as layering your clothes, you can layer your accessories.
Opt for necklaces with tassels or coins as well as stacking your bracelets and wearing plenty of rings.
4. Choose Natural Fabrics
Bohemian style is at one with nature, so you will want to choose natural fabrics whenever you can, such as cotton, linen, hemp, wool, leather and cheesecloth.
5. Think About The Prints You Use
Possibly more than any other style, the bohemian look can be defined by the prints you opt for. Look for heritage prints which have cultural significance, such as tribal, ikat, trellis, paisley and kilim patterns.
6. Choose Natural Colors
Just as you will want to choose fabrics which are natural, choose colors which are soft and muted or which can be found in nature. You could look at a palette featuring burgundies, mustards and russets, but you may also wish to take your inspiration from the oceans and add blues to your outfit choices.
Why The Bohemian Style Suits Any Body Shape
With loose, forgiving layers, the bohemian style suits many body types.
The layers can add curves to a rectangular body shape, and can balance out a pear body shape with detailing, ruffles and dramatic necklines to draw attention to the upper body.
Add maxi dresses with uneven hemlines or dresses with bell sleeves to your capsule wardrobe. Layer vests, jackets, scarves and other elements over this foundation.
Look for vintage inspired patterns, velvets, ikat tribal prints and rich detailing to communicate a romantic, bohemian style.
A Complete Bohemian Style Wardrobe For You
Below is how to create your own bohemian capsule wardrobe.
Boho Tops
Choose tops with interesting cuts, a relaxed fit, tribal, paisley or batik patterns, ruffles and unique hems.
Bell sleeves, embroidery or shirts made of unique materials like faux suede add instant bohemian style to even a basic outfit.
Cardigans And Jackets For Your Bohemian Outfit
When looking for sweaters this season, try to find knitwear with tassel or tie detailing as well as bell sleeves and patterns. You could opt for a short sweater to layer over longer tops, or create long lines with a long cardigan.
Choose jackets with stand-out details and unique shapes to layer over bohemian dresses, pants, and skirts. Bohemian style wardrobe staples include kimono jackets, shearling or suede vests for a bohemian rocker style, capes or ponchos, and faux fur vests to layer.
Bohemian Pants And Jeans
Show off your bohemian style by choosing pants that really make a statement. Add pants to your wardrobe that have offbeat or unusual details and materials.
Bell bottoms, embroidery, patchwork, faux leather or suede, or natural textures like gauze and linen add offbeat adventurous style to your wardrobe.
Bohemian Style Dresses And Skirts
When choosing skirts look for spirited details like waterfall hemlines, fringe, embroidery, crochet, and lace detailing. A hallmark of the boho style is to combine pieces in interesting and unexpected ways.
Try pairing a leather skirt with a delicate lace top. Wear a rugged shearling vest over a longer length feminine skirt.
Bohemian Chic Boots And Shoes
Choose substantial boots and shoes to offset the lighter floaty layers of the bohemian style if you are dressing for cooler weather. Oiled leather boots work well with uneven hem maxi skirts and dresses.
For summer, choose sandals with substantial straps and contrasting textures. Look out for booties with details like grommets, and laces, and booties made of surprising materials like sumptuous velvet.
Accessories To Wear With Your Boho Outfit
An easy, often affordable way to add bohemian style to your wardrobe is with artful, attention-grabbing accessories. Wide brimmed and fedora hats and bold jewelry communicate a bohemian sensibility. Layer necklaces to add boho style to any simple outfit.
Choose unstructured bags in a slouch or hobo shape. Mix in details like colorful tassels, fringe and nubuck leather for an earthy vibe. Try your hand at bohemian dressing by thinking creatively. Mix exotic patterns. Wear layers of long necklaces.
Try wearing long, statement-making earrings, wrap a tie-dyed scarf, or add a stack of ethnic inspired bracelets to your ensemble.
Part of the beauty of bohemian style is the ability to put together outfits in unusual ways, so you could wear these in dozens of combinations.
Women Blazer is an absolute staple for all ladies in the present day. A glance at the history of blazers explains why you will find any styling collection with a blazer. Almost all fashion shows and magazines cover a blazer since it is the most versatile apparel.
Interestingly, the best season to wear a blazer is…EVERY season. Yes, you can wear it all year-round. Select a lighter fabric for summer and a thicker one for winter.
To ensure you make the most of a blazer, here some styling tips to wear women blazers both casually and formally.
1. Dark Grey Women Blazer Jacket
Not sure what to wear when you have to go to a friends’ gathering and want to look the most remarkable person there. Here is a unique tip for you. Get your hands on a dark grey jacket, wear it over a blue horizontal striped blue & white shirt with black jeans.
It is the guaranteed way to amp your styling game. Besides, no one would have thought about this off-duty combination. Consequently, you will be the center of attraction.
2. Black Blazer with Accessories
Already own a black blazer, but it seems boring to you? Then you do not know the power of a black women’s blazer jacket! The pairing of a black blazer, light grey jeans, white high neck is super easy to pull together, helping you look stylishly casual.
You have the option to apply red nail paint if you want to spice things up. Add a wristwatch and a black belt to the equation, and you are ready to make the fashion statement without overdoing it.
3. Off-White Women Blazer Coat
A white blazer is an essential staple that adds feminine refinement for an elegant look. Consider pairing a blazer with a black turtleneck shirt and blue jeans to make the combo sophisticated.
If you are more on the classy side, wear ethereal chains and rings to bring a little zing, the whole combination will come together beautifully. This idea is strongly recommended to the ladies who prefer delicate and edgy clothing rather than slouchy apparel.
4. Black Blazer with Bold Makeup
Are you looking for a tip to wear a blazer for an evening event? Here is the blazing idea for you with a black shade again, but this time, you will come to know how effortlessly you can rock a black blazer to the formal event.
Open front black blazer and white crewneck shirt with fancy earrings and bold makeup; these all elements will attractively come together, making you look ravishing without scrabbling around on your wardrobe. Now, you have got the real-life saver tip!!
5. Oversized Blazer and Dress Shirt
People love trends that offer both style and comfort. Therefore, oversized clothing is a rising trend. But it does not mean that you start wearing shapeless clothes and end up looking shabby.
Combining these three pieces will bring the modern twist.
It’s important to bear in mind that you have to choose a more fitted bottom to balance the oversized look. It deserves consideration, especially if you plan a vacation trip while staying stylish is a priority and comfort.
6. Red Blazer and Black V-Neck Shirt
When in doubt, go for a bright hue, and you can’t wrong with the vibrant red. The classic mix of red and black always fails to disappoint. So, try teaming a red blazer with black pants and a V-neck shirt for a sharp and dapper appearance.
Don’t stop here; instead, finish off with subtle makeup and accessories to complement your outfit. You are good to go to a night party!
7. Pink Women Blazer Jacket
Have you been combing through your wardrobe but still have not anything to wear for a business meeting? If Yes, then certainly you are in dire need of this tip. Opt for a stylish pink blazer and low neck inner and get ready for office without exerting much effort.
For the bottoms, go for wide-leg trousers that will keep you comfortable all day long. Don’t forget to wear a delicate wristwatch; this item can pull together your whole formal getup.
8. Khaki Plaid Pattern Blazer
Suppose you want something relaxed and casual without stepping out of your comfort zone. It is possible with a khaki plaid pattern. Pairing it with the basic t-shirt and black jeans elevates the outfit totally in a flash. Besides that, anyone can easily create this getup.
Conclusion
We’re glad that you’re into blazers, but before you go ahead and buy them, make sure you learn about the diverse variety of styles, cuts, colors, and proper blazer fit. But be assured that buying a blazer is undoubtedly a good investment for the long run since it comes only next to Leather Jackets. With those, too, you have multiple styling options to get your money’s worth out of it.
This is an interesting question and also one of the most asked questions as well. Anyone with a good sense of fashion and the latest styles can create a fashion blog.
Sometimes a better platform can help you to express your fashion sense and help many people out there without any idea on what to wear or how to wear. There are many fashion blogs as of now, but to get succeed among these competitors is a very hard task.
Blogging is not an easy profession. Starters have to work a lot to establish their name and get more followers. Creating a fashion blog is the same as creating any website. The only difference is that anyone can create a blog but to create a fashion blog, you need to have some special talent.
You can engage users using your styling sense and create an awareness of new fashions and trends that are happening around the world. Good observation and research are essential to be a good blogger.
Before going to create a blog, you must answer the following questions
Who are your blog readers?
What do you want to achieve?
How can you reach your goal?
While writing, every blogger first needs to find their targeted audience. When it comes to a fashion blog, there should be a group you need to target and write fashion tips for them. If you are targeting teenagers, write compelling blogs to attract their attention. Also, set an intention before doing anything and work hard to achieve it.
Steps to Start a Fashion Blog:
Creating a fashion blog is very easy if you follow all the steps properly. After you decided on creating a blog to help users, know about the latest fashion trends and your fashion concepts, follow the steps given below to create a blog of your own
1. Choose the right platform:
The first step to create a fashion blog is to choose the right platform. There are many platforms like Instagram, WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, etc to create a blog. Most of them are free platforms also.
How will you select the best from them?
For that, research about its advantages and disadvantages. By knowing Pros and Cons you can decide a better platform to publish your blog.
Blogging with Instagram:
Instagram is also a large platform you can use to create more followers to your posts. Instagram is mainly an image posting platform and you can also put small videos here. If you want to create a good name among users, post better clicks and reveal your style sense through your image.
Thematic posts are always hit on Instagram. Many big brands use this platform to promote their product. The only problem with this platform is, there are many terms and conditions for you to follow. Use Instagram by following those conditions and create your own identity in this field. Use proper hashtags to reach the right people. If you cannot spend money to create a site, Instagram will work for you.
Blogging with Tumblr:
Tumblr is also a good platform where you can start blogging. You can see by logging into Tumblr because most of the displays on newsfeed will be blogs. So, this is a hybrid blogging platform you can use where they give more importance to visual elements. This is a free platform anyone can use but the problem with this is that you cannot optimize your content for search engine here.
Traffic generation will be very less and if you want to look more professional, writing on your own domain is the best choice. WordPress is the popular option for that
Blogging with WordPress:
WordPress is one of the most popular and trusted platforms many bloggers choose to blog. The main reason behind it is the popularity it gained and there are millions of users to this platform. The best thing about creating blogs on WordPress is the plugins they offer. WordPress comes with many plugins that can help you with your blog optimization.
There are free as well as paid tools available for bloggers that can help to produce a better blog to its users. In short blogging in WordPress is easier than blogging with any other platform. The flexibility and customization options are exclusively for WordPress and cannot find it anywhere else.
Anyone can create their blog on this platform without much technical knowledge. This is also available worldwide in many languages.
Tips to know before you Start a Fashion Blog:
There are thousands of fashion blogs and your content quality is the only way to stand out in the crowd. You can get attention by creating variety type of contents. Don’t follow other blogs and choose the same writing style. Think something different and implement it in your writing. Here are some useful tips for a beginner in fashion blogging
Start with celebrity dressing style:
When you start a blog, it is always best to write about celebrity styles. Many people want to look like celebrities and follow their dressing style. If you can help users, you can get many followers.
Write about moderate clothing:
When you write about dresses, make sure that it should be approachable. Normal people always enjoy watching expensive dresses but how many people can buy them? So, when you write about dresses make sure to add dresses that everyone can get. People always look for fashion by spending less.
Quality and consistency:
When you write contents, you should make sure not to compromise with your content quality. If you want to be followed by many, user’s consistency in writing is also important. Post blogs regularly and make your site active
Variety topics:
When you want to find topics for your blogs you should pick a variety of topics. Pick a common interest and write blogs about it. If you can give them some extra tips to make their look more stylish, that can also include in your blog. Sometimes your tips can attract many users and increase your site traffic as a result.
Don’t copy:
While writing blogs especially fashion blogs, don’t copy from anywhere and write. Produce 100% original contents on your own language. You want to showcase your opinion about each style and that should be completely genuine.
Don’t make it as a shopping guide:
The ultimate aim of every blogger is to get more links and increase raking. But when you optimize your blog one thing to keep in your mind is that, don’t make it as an advertisement blog.
Present your blog well:
The appearance of your blog is very important to attract search engine and users. When you present a blog about a topic you need to arrange it well, to make user hooked on it. Give an introduction and conclusion to your topic also.
Promote your content:
You cannot succeed only by writing well. Promoting contents is also very important as writing. Share your blogs on all social media accounts and improve its reach. This can help to get attention from more users and can increase site traffic.
Most of the bloggers earn money from their blogs in a ton of ways ranging from:
Affiliate marketing
Events
Brand collaborations
Advertising
Sponsored content
Let’s briefly talk about each one of them so you can understand even better about how most of them are making money from their blogs.
Affiliate Marketing
Almost all of the blogs mentioned above use affiliate links on their blog posts to link directly to products that they use or recommend (such as clothes, accessories, tools and products etc).
There are also bloggers who wear custom made clothes or accessories and post them on to sites like Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram etc along with the affiliate links to let their audience buy. In return, they will get paid based on either clicks or a percentage of total sales made from their affiliate referral links.
If you’re also a fashion blogger and looking to make money through affiliate marketing, we recommend you to check out these best affiliate programs and pick the best performing products that suit your target market.
Events
There are so many bloggers who attend events or organize fashion events where they make decent money from each and every event they organize. Not only events allow them to make money but they expose themselves with other brands, people and more.
Brand collaborations
The #1 biggest advantage with fashion blogging is that you can use blog posts, Instagram, Youtube videos, Pinterest collaborations and so many other mediums to promote other brands and easily make money from online.
That’s the reason why majority of these bloggers use a ton of ways to collaborate with brands to promote their products and take money or commission in return.
Advertising
There are basically two ways most fashion industry bloggers make money through advertising. One is banner ads (by showing banner ads within their site either within pages or sidebar or footer) and the other is display advertising (such as using AdSense ads, Infolinks, Media.net and so on).
Although display ads are widely used by if you’re running a fashion blog, we recommend you to focus more on getting banner ads from sites like BuySellAds.com so you can get paid more for your traffic. Banner ads mostly depend on several things listed below
Cost Per Impression i.e. how many people see your ad
Cost Per Click i.e. how many people click on your ad
Cost Per Action i.e. how many people actually try or buy a product you are advertising within your site
That being said, you can also give a try to display advertising and here are some of the best AdSense alternatives you can check out.
Sponsored content
Sponsored content simply means you are promoting others content by taking money, products, services in return. We’ve been lately noticing one of the common things among these bloggers that they have become more transparent.
Whenever they are promoting sponsored contents, they are using the hashtags #ad #sponsored etc to indicate that the content is sponsored by a brand or company. Not only it help their audience understand that it’s a sponsored content but they love that kind of honesty which helps you increase your bottom line in the long run.
That being said, if you’re thinking to launch a fashion blog and make it profitable, we recommend you to check out the following post as it’s a must read for every fashion enthusiast.
Pen and ink is an ancient drawing medium that has been popular with artists for centuries. Nowadays, we have access to all kinds of wonderful pens that artists of days gone by could only dream of! From fine liners and dip pens, to markers and brush pens – there are so many of these drawing tools to choose from. Each offer their own unique properties for pen and ink drawing.
Pen and ink can seem like a big step from pencil drawing – especially for beginners! You can’t erase pen, unlike pencil, so your mark making must be carefully calculated. There’s nothing worse than creating the perfect drawing only for it to be ruined by one misplaced line! With pencil you are able to adjust your shading by varying the amount of pressure while drawing. This isn’t the case with pens! You’ll need to rely on carefully placed lines and marks to give the impression of shading. Tightly compacted linework will give the impression of deep shadows, while spaced out linework will create an area filled with light. Juxtaposing both these tight and loose marks will create a drawing with great contrast and texture.
Below easy pen and ink techniques for beginners below offer a great starting point, if you are looking to grow in confidence with your pen and ink technique.
What You’ll Need to Get Started
If you’re just starting out with ink drawing there are only a few bits of equipment you will need. Compared to painting, this discipline has a fairly low cost entry level, so is great for artists who are just beginning their creative journey or who are looking to level up their drawing skills. To begin you will need the following:
A selection of drawing pens.
A dip pen, nibs and appropriate ink if you prefer working with a dip pen.
Graphite Pencil & eraser if you would prefer to sketch before you ink.
Once you have these materials you will be ready to go! Typically the materials you will need for pen and ink are easily transportable, so if you’re taking classes or working on the go creating art couldn’t be easier!
What are the Differences Between the Types of Pen Available?
There are so many different types of artists’ pens available, it can be difficult to settle on the right one for you. Especially if you’re a beginner! We’ll take a look at a few of the variations of pens we stock and explain the varying qualities they bring to pen and ink drawing.
Fine liners & Technical Pens
Fineliners Paper have a plastic or fiber based nib held in a metal casing. They have very fine nibs, typically ranging from the smallest 0.03mm size up to 0.8mm, depending on the brand. The nibs all have a fixed width, so the line you get will be very uniform, consistent and skip-free. Most of pens are pigment based and waterproof – so your drawings will be lightfast and can be worked over with water color or ink later. All of our fine liners are available in black, with select ranges available in other colors. Fine liners are the easiest pens to draw with if you’re a beginner.
Brush Pens
Brush Pens offer more variation in line width than a fine liner pen. Their nibs have a wide base that then tapers to a fine point. Typically the nib is made of a conical piece of felt, but there are pens that have a true brush tip made of individual fibers like a paint brush. You can vary the weight of your line by adjusting the amount of pressure you draw with. Light pressure will result in a fine line, whilst pressing down harder will create a thicker line. They are fantastic if you want more diversity in line weight and style in your drawing. Or are looking for a more versatile pen to experiment with. Some brush pens are water-soluble, so you’ll need to double check this if you want ink that is permanent.
Dip Pens
Dip pens are not cartridge fed like fine liners and brush pens. Instead, you dip them into a bottle of ink and re-dip once the ink runs out. This technique is more akin to the types of pen and ink drawing done by artists of the past. One benefit of dip pen drawing is that the colors available are virtually unlimited. Most bottled inks are suitable for use with a dip pen, so there will be plenty of colors to choose from! You also have the choice of working with either water-soluble or waterproof inks, depending on your preference.
Dip Pens don’t give a uniform line. As you apply pressure the flexible tip of the nib will move, allowing more ink to flow from the tip. They also have a tendency to splatter ink if the nib catches on your paper. For some people this splattering can be an annoyance, but for many it is part of the charm of drawing with a dip pen. Nibs for dip pens are also interchangeable, so you’ll be able to swap them out if you fancy a change.
You can use other specialty pens, like calligraphy pens, for line drawing. These types of pens have specially designed nibs usually used for hand lettering techniques. You can use them to achieve precise marks and textures for drawing. They do require a bit of experimentation before you get the hang of using them.
Technique 1: Hatching
Hatching is the easiest and one of the most basic ink drawing techniques. To hatch you essentially create a series of horizontal parallel lines. You can use a ruler to get sharp straight lines for an architectural look but freehand lines will give your drawings more character. The closer together you draw your lines, the more dense the shading effect they will create. The further apart they are the lighter the shading will appear. This technique is best for shading areas with medium shadow.
Technique 2: Cross-Hatching
Cross-Hatching builds on the Hatching technique. Essentially you’ll need to start by creating the same hatched lines as before. Once you’re done you’ll create another layer of hatched lines that overlap your existing linework. This second layer is commonly done at a 90 degree angle, but you can add them in as many layers and angles as you choose. The more layers you add at different angles the more dense your shading will become. Use Cross-Hatching for creating areas of deep shadows while creating texture.
Technique 3: Contour
Contour shading works similarly to Hatching, but your lines will follow the curves of the object you are drawing. If you are drawing a curved object then using contoured lines over simple hatching will give more illusion of shape. Hatching can leave your drawings looking a little flat. As with hatching, the closer together the lines, the deeper the shadow effect. Don’t worry about your lines being perfect – little imperfections will give your drawing character.
Technique 4: Cross-Contour
Cross-Contour works along the same principle as Cross-Hatching, only you will start with contoured lined rather than hatched lines. Again, you can add in as many layers and directions as you want to build up the shadow density you need.
Technique 5: Stippling
Stippling is one of the more time consuming pen and ink techniques. It relies on carefully placed dots to give the impression of shadow and depth. The more densely concentrated your dots, the deeper the shadow will be. Create each dot by pressing the nib of your pen against the paper – you aren’t really ‘drawing’ and filling each individual circle. The smaller the nib size of your pen, the smaller your stippled dots will be. In areas that have very little shading you will only need to place a few strategic dots here and there. It can take a long time to build up your shading, especially if you re working on a large piece. Consider the size of the nib you use and don’t lose your cool! This technique gives ultimate control over the contrast between light and dark in your work.
Technique 6: Circular Patterns
Use Circular Patterns to create areas of both light and dark shadow. The larger, looser and less tightly packed your circles the lighter your shading will be. As your circles become smaller and more dense your shading will appear much darker. This technique is great for quickly capturing natural textures in a uniform way – try using it to give the impression of foliage or scales.
Contrasting lines and Broken Cross Hatch are two similar techniques that work the same way as a regular cross hatch. Contrasting lines (sometimes called ‘weaving’) is used to create a pattern where small groups of hatched lines are drawn at angles to each other. These lines can be made in a uniform arrangement, or placed in a more random manner depending on the texture you want to create. You can overlap these lines to create an unbroken pattern.
Broken Cross-Hatch is similar but works with groups of intersecting cross-hatched lines. The more your lines intersect the darker the shading will be. Both these techniques generate an aesthetically pleasing texture.
Technique 8: Continuous & Random Doodled Lines
Continuous and doodled lines are usually made up of one unbroken or a few very long weaving and overlapping lines. These lines shouldn’t be made in any sort of predictable pattern. Rather, you should relax your hand and just begin to create instinctive marks. It can take a little bit of practice to let go and relax, while also bearing in mind not to go overboard. Once you’ve practiced a little you’ll soon be able to create shading that’s perfect for giving the impression of textures like leaves, bark and more!
Technique 9: Pressure Lines & Thickness
This technique makes use of the different sizes and styles of nibs available. If you are working with fine liner pens there will be lots of different nib thicknesses available to you. Using a combination of these thicknesses in your drawings will make it easier to create varying degrees of shading. Try mixing up the sizes of pens you use to see how different sizes affect the types of linework you can create.
With Brush pens you’ll find that the more pressure you put on the pen, the thicker your linework will be. This allows you to create a single line with a varying line weight – something that you can use to your advantage in your drawings. The thickest lines can be used to create dramatic shadows, while the variation in line weight will give your drawing more character.
Other Hints & Tips
If you’re just starting out begin by practicing these techniques on simple geometric shapes. Start out with a cube and work out how light and shadow will affect each of its faces. Try and translate this contrast in dark and light into a drawing using the techniques above.
As you grow in confidence start trying to render more complex objects. It can be useful to draw these objects from life to see how light and shadow appear in a real life setting. Try capturing mugs, glasses and other household items.
If you’re nervous about putting pen to paper try planning your drawing with Pencil first. This planning will help you work out where your lines need to be placed, without worrying too much about making mistakes.
Try pens with specialist nibs, like the Pilot Parallel Pen for some interesting mark making techniques.
Try mixing up different techniques to help define the form of the object you are sketching. Cross hatching and contour are commonly used together.
Use a mixture of different pens in the same drawing.
Change the way you hold your pen. Holding your pen at the bottom will allow for more free, expressive lines, whereas holding it close to the nib will allow you to work in more detail.
Add water to water-soluble linework to add character and interest to your drawing.
Use dry pens for texture. Using a dry marker, felt tip or brush pen can add texture to your work as they create a broken stroke of ink.
Use colored pens to add a bit of vibrancy to your drawings.
In order to draw realistic trees with pen and ink, it is important to pay attention to accuracy of the form (structure), and to learn how to create the illusion of brightness values and transitions with pens.
Bamboo
When looking at ANY tree, examine its basic shapes.
It is a good practice to draw its simple shapes first:
Once you understand these simple shapes, you can use your artistic license and your knowledge to recreate it.
There is no point drawing every single leaf as you see it (when using a reference image as a guide).
Banana Tree
For trees with big leaves, like a banana tree, first draw a study of the leaves from different angles.
For a realistic result, make sure there is no symmetry, and that each leaf is unique.
You can use markers; they work well with pens.
Olive Tree Trunk
Look at some reference images, or actual trees, before drawing the tree trunk.
First, draw outlines to create the form (structure).
Remember:
Draw thin and gentle outlines, so they are not bold.
Last step is texture drawing.
Focus mainly on brightness values, while drawing marks with shape and direction like the reference image.
How to Draw Leaves
Drawing leaves can be challenging. Understanding their structure, and breaking the drawing process into steps, will produce a satisfying and realistic result.
Each tree leaf is in different direction, has a different degree of foreshortening, and is overlapping other leaves.
Simply put, the form and texture of leaves is abstract and messy.
To draw that, you need to be sketchy and loose with your marks, and to avoid any pattern!
Next step is to pay attention to brightness values. That is how you create the illusion of volume. Meaning, three-dimensional and not flat.
To create that illusion, scribble more lines for darker values, and fewer lines for brighter values:
In addition, pay attention to leaves size, depending on the tree type, and how distant it is from the observer.
For big leaves, sketch big marks, and vice versa:
While the treetop is messy, at its edges you can add some indication of leaves type and size.
Photos & Contrast
When I am taking photos of a tree, I do it from several angles.
If possible, I circle the tree to get a photo from every angle.
Pine Trees
Before diving into complex texturing and rendering, if you are a beginner, you might want to practice the next step.
Draw any random tree shape, sketch some random marks to fill it up, and then draw more sketchy marks in one side and at the bottom of the tree (to create a darker value for the shadow area).
This should not take more than 5 minutes! The advanced texture you will see after this example is just a matter of many hours of practice to refine the texture marks.
Pine trees are relatively easy to draw from imagination.
They have very small, needle-like leaves.
I like to start by gently drawing the form, and then fill it with small, random marks, that are NOT in any specific direction or with reoccurring shape.
Last step is to draw more marks for darker areas, depending on the direction of light you choose.
Pine trees come in many types and shapes.
Looking at a reference image can help at the beginning, just as a guide to draw the form, and to pay attention to dark and light areas.
Other than that, try to be loose and sketchy with your marks.
When drawing a close-up view, you can indicate the needle-like leaves at the edges of the tree.
Snowy Pine Tree
A pen has only one brightness value. Therefore, you have to use different techniques to create the illusion of transitions in brightness values.
One technique (or style) is to use hatching. Hatching means drawing parallel lines.
By drawing lines with different degree of spacing between them (or with different line width), you can create an illusion of different brightness values.
Another method is to use cross-hatching.
Cross-hatching means drawing sets of parallel lines in different direction. By adding more sets of cross-hatching, you can create the illusion of darker values.
You can use ANY pen for drawing. I prefer artist-grade technical pens (also fineliners). They create lines with fixed width, and their ink is made of pigments, which is very durable and lightfast.
For the snow part, you can leave it empty (“white”), or you can use hatching in some areas.
In this example, used some hatching, and some marks with very light gray marker.
Christmas Tree
A Christmas tree is just another pine tree, but with decorations.
To add some baubles, first draw their shape, and then try different types of hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling.
Stippling is a drawing technique that uses dots. The more dots you add in one area, the darker it looks.
You can add other decorations to your Christmas tree.
It is best to first sketch some test drawings on a different paper, to see what works, before adding them to your drawing.
Tip:
If you find it hard to draw a tree with a pen, you can always start with a pencil.
When you reach a satisfying result, you can go over it with a pen, and gently erase the pencil marks.
Drawing with White Pens
When drawing with white pens, pay attention to the same drawing fundamentals.
While with black pens you draw more lines for darker areas, with white pens you should draw more lines for light/bright areas.
These pens are most effective on black (or dark) paper, and for highlights.
Keep in mind:
White pens are designed for covering.
Drawing with a black pen (which has ink) over white areas (made by a white pen), may ruin the pen’s nib, because it will be covered with the white substance (therefore its ink will not flow smoothly).
Aspen & Birch Trees
Aspen & birch tree trunks are easy to draw when doing it in steps.
Draw the form first:
Then, add some basic details:
Finally, draw some brightness values, and texture:
Overlapping
Overlapping means an object that partially covers another object.
When you see an object that overlaps another object, you assume that this object is in front of the object it covers.
Overlapping is one of the most powerful ways to create the illusion of depth on a flat paper.
Because you cannot erase pen marks, it is best to draw foreground objects first!
If you want to draw a house in front of a tree, draw the house first:
Do the same for tree branches.
First, draw the branch that overlaps a tree, then the tree trunk.
For trees that have a complex structure, with many branches, you can use a pencil to draw the basic shapes.
When you are happy with the result, you can draw over it with a pen, and gently erase the pencil marks.
Transitions
Transitions are part of drawing (and painting) fundamentals. They exist everywhere!
For example, different areas of a flat plane have different relationships with any light source, reflections, and shadows.
Therefore, always look for transitions (in brightness values) for your drawing to look realistic and natural.
First, look for light and dark areas.
Then, look for transitions within each area. Transitions from dark to light, from light to lighter, and from dark to darker.
By drawing with NO transitions (and using hard edges), you can create something that looks unnatural, as opposed to something realistic with transitions.
The same way a gardener trims bushes and trees, you can use your artistic license to create something that looks artificial or man-made:
Good to know:
Transitions are not limited to brightness values. Transitions exist in colors, texture, edges, and temperature (transition from warm colors to cool colors).
Weeping Willow
A weeping willow tree is a bit tricky to draw.
Its leaves are easy to draw at an up-close look. As you get farther away, you can see long clusters of leaves with no single leaf shape.
You can start by drawing an outline for the tree structure. Do it gently.
Then, one way is to draw the treetop (crown), section by section.
Alternatively, like in this example, you can draw the dark values first.
Something to consider:
As mentioned above, a pen has one brightness value (usually black, though other colors exist, more on that later).
By drawing gently and swiftly, with a sharp angle, you can produce lines that are less defined, and therefore with a lighter value.
This is awesome! You’ve decided you want to broaden your gardening knowledge and are looking for the right places to become a garden expert.
A big piece of advice here, it’s better to select a handful of sources to learn from than to try to follow everybody and everything. Trust me, I’ve tried it and little time is left for actual gardening.
Best Gardening Websites, Blogs, and Resources
Without us wasting your time any longer, here are the best gardening blogs and websites , divided into multiple categories and sorted by our community, to follow and grow that green thumb.
Best Plant Websites with Databases and Resources
Below are some of the best plant websites offering huge databases.
Plant Care Today
Gary Antosh founded this plant website in 2012 but he has been in the field for over 47 years before that. He began with a penchant for collecting rare plants which he had to learn how to grow on his own.
Garden Org
Lyman Wood founded this NGA in 1971 with a goal to promote gardening. They share growing knowledge, environmental awareness, and planting enthusiasm.
You will love their vegetable garden section!
Growing the Home Garden
Dave has launched the website in 2007 as a fun way to share his home gardening experiences. Since then, he has shared over 2000 posts covering different home gardening topics like vegetable gardening and plant propagation.
If you are looking for a vast plant resources, you are in the right place. Find articles, garden research, community features, gardening software tools, and more.
Not only does their plant database contain 750, 129 plants for effective plant identification, they also teach how to identify different kinds of pests and diseases and give you knowledge in harmful weeds in the garden.
Best Garden and Landscape Design Websites
Are you a fan of exquisite beauty? Perhaps, you don’t want to simply build a garden but instead, a stunning landscape that can catch people’s eyes? Below are landscape design websites that can help.
Garden Guides
A garden resource composed of ten team members and twenty contributors, the website is certainly a great place to find information about gardening.
The best part is that they offer DIY ways to build structures in your garden that will excellently enhance the look of your green space.
Garden Design
Whether you have a small garden or a sun-deprived location, Dayna shares different tips and tricks in container gardening and shade gardening. She also shares landscape design guides in building front yard landscapes and backyard landscapes.
She also writes about the different types of plants that you can incorporate in the type of garden you decide to make: from annuals, perennials, shrubs, flowers, succulents, trees, and vegetables.
Pith and Vigor
Rochelle Greayer covers topics in garden styles, garden design, garden inspiration and trends, and plants on her website. With a penchant to teach her design skills, she willingly shared everything she learned from The English Gardening School in London to her readers on her website.
If you want to learn how she did her garden designs for countless private gardens and hospitality properties around the world, be sure to join her Garden Design Bootcamp!
Best Home and Garden Websites and Blogs
Planning to build a humble little home garden? Here are some of the best home gardening resources and websites.
Better Homes and Gardens
Edwin Meredith founded the magazine in 1922. Today, their site contains plenty of useful information for beginners and advanced gardeners.
He also shares tips and resources for beginner home gardeners on his site. Read through his content now and create a productive home garden in no time.
Best Microgreen Websites and Blogs
Not everyone has the luxury of space in their humble abodes but worry no more because microgreen gardening is here to save the day. Check out the awesome microgreen gardening websites below!
Balcony Garden Web
With limited space, it is easy to lose hope in building a nutritious garden. Fortunately, the Balcony Garden Web is here to help us plant our first microgreens.
Their microgreen planting guide will teach you about the best container to use, the best plants to grow, and the plant care necessary to harvest the most nutritious microgreens.
Bootstrap Farmer
Brandon Youst and Brad Youst founded the Bootstrap Farmer with the help of other microgreen and gardening enthusiasts.
They offer an extensive microgreen planting guide and resources for others to follow successfully. With a goal to promote hyperlocal food on a national scale, they offer everyone all the help they can give, even the cost-efficient materials one may need in getting a micro-farm started.
The Micro Gardener
Anne Gibson founded The Micro Gardener not only to grow microgreens but to help people grow good health. She covers topics in growing microgreens simple, quick, and easy in the least time, energy, and money needed as possible.
If you want to learn how she grows organic microgreens and most importantly how to start your journey to good health, you better check them out now.
Best Horticulture Websites
Looking for in-depth knowledge in horticulture? The gardening websites below will suffice to your needs.
Horticult
Ryan Benoit and Chantal Aida Gordon founded the Horticult in 2013. They started by asking a lot of questions from experts in the horticultural industry and visiting plenty of public, botanical, and home gardens. All the while, they were sharing everything they learned on their blog.
They have shared the gardens they built through the years. Check them out on their website now.
RHS Beginners Guide to Gardening
Gardening can be off-putting due to jargon. Fortunately, RHS is Loaded with easy to understand gardening knowledge.
For one, their extremely helpful glossary that explains gardening jargon in understandable words. The site also covers essential gardening tips on planting, weeding, fruit growing, veggie planting, and container making
The Survival Gardener
Author David The Good founded the website Florida Survival Gardening in 2012 and eventually migrated to The Survival Gardener in 2015. He shares tips on how to grow food in the least amount of work possible.
While he avoids using pesticides in his garden, he is not an organic purist, mainly because he gets frustrated with slow-growing fruit trees. Nevertheless, you will learn a lot from his content and books.
Best Vegetable Garden Blogs and Websites
If you want to grow vegetables to have a steady supply of healthy food, the following vegetable gardens can help you immensely.
Growveg
Wouldn’t it be nice if our gardening resources were easier to navigate? Well, GrowVeg has made it possible for us. With a team of tech experts with a gardening double life, an app has been created to help people plan a garden in the comforts of their smartphones.
Aside from an app, they also have written gardening guides, plant information, and pest data on their website. What are you waiting for? Give it a try today by downloading the app!
Vegetable MD
A project of the Department of Pathology at Cornell University, Vegetable MD online is an extensive resource that is particularly helpful in identifying and preventing plant diseases.
They cover fact sheets about vegetable diseases, virus weed hosts, tomato diseases, and more. They even have it written in Spanish.
Bifurcated Carrots
Steph Mandell and Patrick Wiebe founded the site to share experiences in gardening, despite not having land and owning a garden in Amsterdam. They have worked on friend’s lands and community gardens which have helped them hone their gardening skills.
If you are looking for tips and tricks in heirloom gardening, you’ll find plenty of information on their website.
Best Urban Gardening Blogs
City-living and gardening have not always been an easy good combination but thanks to urban gardening websites, city-dwellers now have an idea on how to start and be successful in growing houseplants. Check out the resources below for more information.
Young Wife’s Guide
Jami Leigh has written an ebook about Apartment Gardening which most people in the urban area will certainly find useful.
The guide highlights how to practically use small spaces to your maximum gardening ability. She also shows how newbies can stay on budget while gardening. Aside from that, she covers topics in picking soil, seed, and the best place to grow your plants.
Urban Gardens Web
Looking for different ways you can approach urban gardening? This gardening blog may just have what you need. Here, you can learn about container gardening, no-dig gardening, shade gardening, hydroponics, raised garden beds, square-foot gardening, and rooftop gardens.
They also cover topics about indoor gardening, guerilla gardening, herb gardens, terrariums, window boxes, and more!
Best Plant Information Websites
With the diverse kinds of plants in the world, you need a place to look for plant information. Fortunately, some websites have dedicated time and effort into building one for your needs. Here are some of the best plant information websites online.
Dave’s Garden
Dave founded the garden website in 2000. Today, it is one of the largest online gardening resources. It offers over 200,000 informative encyclopedic gardening files about bugs, plants, birds, grow guides.
Aside from that, the website also caters to the needs of every gardener, hobbyist, or professionals alike. They have built a huge community that is perfect for sharing experiences and advice and active seeds and plant trade.
CornellCals
A project of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, CornellCals is an extensive resource that is particularly helpful in identifying poisonous plants that can harm livestock and other animals.
If you have a mini-farm at home or have pets, reading through some of the data from the website can save the lives of your pets and animals.
Best Flower Information Websites
Flower lovers, growing your flowers can be easier by looking through the resources below.
Flowerona
Rona Wheeldon founded the site in December 2010 to inspire and support flower growers and the floristry industry.
As a previous floristry student and floristry industry worker, she has shared floral inspirations, flower knowledge, and floristry courses with everyone on her website.
Floretflowers
A family-run flower farm, Floret Flowers specializes in growing uncommonly unique heirloom flowers. Their website offers useful flower growing resources from starting flower seeds, preparing the soil, and growing with landscape fabric.
The site also offers tons of data about different types of flowers: anemones, biennials, carnations, asters, cosmos, dahlias, narcissus, poppies, ranunculus, sunflowers, tulips, zinnias, and more! They got an online workshop running too!
Higgledy Garden
Benjamin Ranyard’s blog is filled with flower growing guides. They cover flowers like achillea, amaranthus, ammi majus, ammi visnaga, borage, bupleurum, calendula, bells of Ireland, cerinthe, cleome, and so much more!
He also offers a free ebook about sowing flower seeds. Go to his website now and learn more about flowers today!
Best Organic Gardening Blogs
Do you want to start an organic garden? Here are our favorite organic gardening website resources.
Martha Stewart
If you looking for gardening tips, tricks, and techniques, Martha Stewart’s robust collection has got you covered. Her timeless and useful techniques have helped gardeners around the world.
To have a better understanding of gardening fundamentals, head over to her site and read about gardening tools and tips and tricks to a flourishing garden.
Mother Earth News
One of the longest-running sustainable lifestyle magazine online, Mother Earth News covers expert editorial coverage about organic gardening, homesteading, and livestocks.
Aside from those, they also cover topics about green homes, green transportation, green food, and natural health. It is always best to start with a garden to encourage green living at home!
Smiling Gardener
Phil Nauta founded the website to help organic gardeners everywhere who want to go deeper in learning how to grow nutrient-dense food. He offers detailed ways on how to build an incredible soil for organic plants to grow into.
He also offers a free 92-page ebook about Holistic Gardening where he covered compost and microbial use, soil testing and fertilization, and pest and weed control.
Veggie Gardening Tips
If you are looking for gardening tips for growing vegetables, this website has got you covered. They cover organic techniques for growing herbs, fruits, and veggies.
Kenny founded the website to write about the joy gardening brings him. He also tries to spare beginner gardeners from his trials and mistakes.
Enough gardening resources to get started?
With the plethora of gardening websites, resources, and apps you can use online, gardening has definitely become more accessible to aspirants than in the past.
Serengeti is probably one of the most well-known safari destinations in Africa. It has been awarded the best national parks in the world multiple times and it is known to be the place to witness the greatest wildlife show on earth, the Great Wildebeest Migration.
With more than a million animals living on this virgin savanna covering more than 15,000,000 hectares (37,000,000 acres) across the northwestern part of Tanzania, there is no better place to go on a safari than here.
Within this travel guide, you will find all the information you need to help you plan out a safari trip of a lifetime in Serengeti National Park including a suggested itinerary, a guide on how to pick the right safari tours, and so much more.
Tarangire National Park
The first place on safari trip is Tarangire National Park, a great park to begin your journey where you will be able to learn a bit more about wildlife behaviors, how to track them, and what kind of protocol you should follow while you are doing a game drive.
Tarangire National Park is named after the Tarangire river that runs across the park. The place is known for its abundance of Baobab trees, long-live alien-looking massive trees that are native to Africa and Australia.
Tarangire National Park is also known for its high density of elephants many of them often congregate along the river. You will also see a ton of zebras, wildebeests, water buffalos, and other species scattered around the park.
There are also more than 550 bird species living in the park, making it a great place for bird-watching. There are also predators like lions, leopards, and cheetahs, but we only saw a few lion cubs on a tree so they must be pretty rare here.
Your safari tour should arrive at the park before midday and they will take you on a game drive the entire afternoon with a lunch break at a lake viewpoint inside the park. Watch out for the monkeys there. They love stealing tourist food.
Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park is pretty far but along the way, you will be passing through Ngorongoro Crater and you will be able to see some really beautiful mountain sceneries as well as several Maasai settlements as we enter their territory.
The road from Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti and even once you are inside is extremely rugged and dusty, and without a single shade around, it can get pretty hot in the jeep so do prepare.
Once you arrive, you will find yourself in the middle of an expansive plain, so large you can not see its boundaries. The Maasai people called this place Serengeti which means an endless plain, a fitting name for such vastness.
With such an expansive and unobstructed terrain, you can easily spot all kinds of animals on both sides of the road all scattered throughout the plain from impalas to zebras, and if you are lucky, you might find a family of lions resting under the few trees they have here.
The terrain in Serengeti is great for hunting and so you will find many lions and cheetahs here, although seeing them on the hunt is not as easy as these predators are not known to be very active, and you will often find them resting most of the time.
Spending a night inside Serengeti is another highlight of the trip. You will be hearing all kinds of animals at night from elephants roaring to hyenas howling.
After a night in Serengeti National Park, you will be woken up at sunrise where you will then be ushered off on an early morning game drive, which is the best time to see rare animals as they are most active during this time.
In the early morning, you might also be able to see some hot air balloons dotting the sky. If you are there during the Great Wildebeest Migration, you are going to want to go up the hot air balloon.
Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater is a large volcanic caldera formed by volcanic activities millions of years ago. What makes Ngorongoro Crater so special is how rich the vegetation the crater floor is, which is not so common for a volcanic caldera.
When the volcano erupted, it collapsed onto itself creating a large floor as deep as 600 m (2,000 ft) and covering over 260 square km (100 square ml). Due to this collapse, a stream nearby was drained into the lake at the center of the crater creating a condition where animals can strive.
In the early morning, you will again be woken up extremely early to begin a morning game drive down in the crater. Your guide will take you on a winding road down to the crater floor where you will be able to see tons and tons of animals congregating around the lake.
What makes a game drive in Ngorongoro Crater so special is the fact that the terrain there is completely different from the one you saw in Serengeti or Tarangire.
In Serengeti, there are a lot of animals but they are often scattered out and it is not so easy to see them in big groups unlike in Ngorongoro Crater where all the animals are gathered around the lake in a boundary you can actually see.
Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara is another national park that you can visit as part of your safari tour. It is like Tarangire National Park with an ecosystem outside of Serengeti, but more forestry, and you will see more baboons and other monkeys here than any other places you’ve been to.
You will spend the first half of the day driving around the lake and you will encounter a ton of baboons and blue monkeys on the get-go. They are known to congregate around the forest area leading up to the lake as well as elephants and all kinds of birds.
Since the area is so foresty, you won’t find as many predators here as in Serengeti due to all the trees obstructing the view. There might be some lions and leopards here but they are often up in the trees, resting, or looking for animals to hunt which makes them harder to spot.
When To Visit Serengeti, Tanzania
The best time to visit Serengeti is in the dry season from late June to late October where animals often congregate around water holes, making them much easier to track down and spot. Not to mention, there are fewer mosquitoes during the dry season which will help reduce the chance of you contracting malaria.
That said, it can also be quite crowded during that time and most safari companies will jack up the price to meet the demand which can be pretty expensive.
Visiting Serengeti between out of the peak season can be a unique experience if you don’t mind the sporadic rain. Between November to May, the scenery will be lusher with more greens all around. The rains are often short except between March and May and you will find Serengeti to be much quieter and cheaper than if you travel between June and October.
All in all, you can pretty much visit Serengeti all year round. Each season in Serengeti has its own pros and cons and it all comes down to what you want to see in Serengeti.
Landscape architecture is, far too often, the forgotten profession of the construction industry.
While architects of buildings sweep all before them in the media and at the awards ceremonies, those that shape everything that surrounds, complements and frames those structures are often the unsung heroes of a project, entwining natural life with man-made environments and blending architecture with the earth in extraordinary ways. Indeed, the discipline should be regarded as an integral part of the built environment, as some of the most iconic designers in history can attest to. Luis Barragán, who called himself a landscape architect, once said: “I don’t divide architecture, landscape and gardening; to me they are one.”
In recognition of this vital discipline, Architizer’s A+Awards — the world’s largest awards program for architects and products — includes categories dedicated to the innovative works of landscape architecture firms, including prizes for public parks, private gardens and the coveted Plus award for Architecture +Landscape.
To this day, there are many important landscape architecture firms that, despite their profound impact on the urban environment, get less coverage than other architects. To put this right, we’ve put together a collection of some of the best landscape designers on the planet.
Balmori Associates
Founded in 1990, Balmori Associates is a New York City–based urban and landscape design firm. Balmori projects enjoy wide notoriety for their inventive interfacing of landscape and architecture, utilizing research and collaboration to collapse the boundaries between nature and structure. The firm insists on producing ‘green infrastructures’ — designs that invite community interaction and reveal constructed and natural operations — in its projects, be they parks, open space restorations or recreational venues. Recent projects include the GrowOnUs floating landscape on the Gowanus Canal and the Rebuild by Design project Hoboken: Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge with OMA.
Gustafson Guthrie Nichol (GGN)
Based in Seattle since 1999, this 45-person practice has a professional staff with expertise in landscape architecture, architecture, art, engineering and ecology. GGN provides clients with extensive skill in the design of high-use, prominently sculptural landscapes in complex urban contexts. The firm’s work operates from deep research into each site’s history, ecology and communities and varies in scale and type, from campus and master plans to furniture. Among its notable work is the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Campus.
Hood Design
Established in 1992, Hood Design is a firm specializing in creating dynamic, cultural environments in which people live, work and play. The studio practice seeks to engage with urban landscapes where residents share collective physical, social and economic resources, as these multidimensional contexts set up powerful, sculpted resolutions for several neighborhood redevelopment and revitalization challenges. Over its 25 years, the California-based practice has enjoyed critical acclaim working on such varied projects as Splash Pad Park and the de Young Museum with Herzog & de Meuron. The award-winning firm has received citations from such divergent institutions as the AIA, the Cooper-Hewitt and Fast Company and has won the 2010 Venice Biennale.
James Corner Field Operations (JCFO)
You may know the firm already, but we just had to include it on the list nonetheless. Winning some of the most coveted commissions in the last 10 to 15 years, JCFO is a landscape architecture and urban design practice with offices in New York City and London. The firm is noted for its innovative, contemporary design interventions across a range of project types and scales, running the gamut of large urban districts to complex abandoned and postindustrial sites. Guiding the firm’s work is a strong commitment to designing a vibrant, dynamic public realm informed by both the ecology of people and nature. Critically acclaimed and award-winning projects include the High Line, Freshkills Park and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Martha Schwartz Partners
Headquartered in London, the firm has over 35 years of experience designing gardens, plazas, parks, institutional-plus-corporate landscapes and public installations. The firm situates itself at the intersection of landscape, public art and urbanism, believing that the urban landscape acts as a platform upon which an artful synergy of human and natural environments occurs. MSP’s multidisciplinary staff works with cities to help envision and implement projects that adhere to environmental, economic, social and environmentally sustainable principles. The firm’s eagerness to collaborate provides opportunity to work on a range of project types and scales in complex urban, social contexts with a particular need for human connection, identity and enjoyment. Notable projects include the Dublin Docklands, Exchange Square in Manchester, England, and Mesa Arts Center in Arizona.
!melk
!melk, founded in 2010, is an urban design and landscape architecture practice based in New York. The studio draws from a wide-ranging international portfolio derived from 20-plus years in conceptualizing, developing and implementing projects in many cities worldwide. The guiding principle for its park and waterfront projects is to embrace every social, political and economic challenge, using these as motivation to produce site-specific interventions. Setting the firm apart is its creative methodology, which comprises research, advanced technologies, attention to detail and quality in addition to profitability and courage. Key projects: “The Park,” Kodrina Complex masterplan with Studio Libeskind and Governors Island Park with West 8.
Studio-MLA
Based in Los Angeles, California, Studio-MLA is a full-service international landscape architecture practice and has under its belt a diverse range of public and private projects. From large urban parks and neighborhood redevelopment to intimate garden spaces, MLA approaches each work with high emphasis on holistic, public engagement and creative methodologies. The firm’s design interventions seek to foster rich, layered experiences, using the experiential qualities of natural and man-made elements as well as the ephemeral properties of materials. Some of MLA’s work that reflects its profound technical expertise and inventive imagination include the LA River and Hollywood Park master plan and Dodger Stadium.
Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA)
MVVA is an 80-person practice working on an array of project types and scales ranging from large public parks and university campuses to intimate gardens and private landscapes. Guiding the multidisciplinary firm is the desire to create dynamic landscapes and communities that are strong in identity, enhance everyday experience and enrich quality of life. Characterizing MVVA’s work is its attention to high-quality programming, environmental performance, financial resourcefulness and technical innovation. Among the firm’s higher profile works are the Brooklyn Bridge Park and Teardrop Park.
Michel Desvigne Paysagiste
Established in 1988, Michel Desvigne Paysagiste enjoys collaborations on premier projects such as the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis with Herzog & de Meuron and the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts with Norman Foster and REX/OMA. Distinguishing the firm’s work is its decidedly agricultural aesthetic and approach to urban sites. MDP prefers to introduce flexible frameworks and planting strategies that create varied, unpredictable densities and textures, unlike the prescribed manicured spaces that are the rage today. Through this approach, MDP projects play with time and succession (vegetation growth, ephemeral experiences brought on by seasonal changes), thus acquiring vast quantities of anticipation and possibility.
Mikyoung Kim Design
The 20-year-old firm with a body of work spanning the Americas and Asia is one noted for its culturally sensitive landscapes that address the collective human experience and environmental issues. Driven by a zeal to enliven and heal the public realm through a layered, multigenerational civic experience, the practice exploits its deep understanding of material detailing and technologies. A background in fine arts and music allows MKD to sculpt designs that blur the boundaries between landscape architecture and environmental art. The range of designed landscapes, from playgrounds to parks and master plans, all feature seasoned understandings of hydrology and lighting plus holographic technology in such projects as the ChonGae Canal Restoration Project.
OLIN
With offices in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, OLIN seeks to affect positive change through landscape architecture, urban design and planning. Utilizing a rigorous research, analytical and iterative design process, OLIN imbibes the intrinsic qualities of a site and its community and artfully transforms its projects that include urban districts, campuses, civic parks and ecological/regional systems. No stranger to prominent commissions, the firm’s recent work includes the 11th Street Bridge Park project with OMA, the Bryant Park restoration and the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument.
Sasaki Associates
Since its founding in 1953 by Hideo Sasaki, Sasaki is now a 270-person-strong firm offering high-quality service in landscape architecture, architecture, civil engineering, urban planning and urban design, graphic design and branding and data science. The firm focuses on a holistic, interconnected vision and framework in crafting the plethora of urban and campus environments it operates in, driven by the core tenet “what we create will shape the way we live.” High-profile projects are common to this firm, including but not limited to the Chicago Riverwalk and the Lincoln Memorial Landscape.
SCAPE/Landscape Architecture
A landscape architecture and urban design studio based in New York, the studio seeks to integrate natural cycles and systems into its many projects that deal with regenerative infrastructure and public landscapes. Projects range in scale from a regional ecological plan to an urban pocket park and enjoy a synthetic solution informed by the firm and its collaborators’ diverse skills. SCAPE boldly engages communities and stakeholders and thoughtfully translates its vision into realized landscapes of lasting significance and reconnects neighborhoods and habitats for current and future generations. Notable projects: Oyster-Tecture for the Museum of Modern Art and the Living Breakwaters Rebuild by Design winning proposal (South Shore of Staten Island).
Turenscape
Earning wide international acclaim for its innovative environmentally and culturally significant designs, Turenscape is a firm with over 600 staff providing services in landscape architecture, architecture, urban planning and design and environmental design. Driven by a philosophy of “nature, man and spirit as one,” Turenscape projects amount to over 300 ecological cities and 1,000 completed projects in China alone. Key projects for this firm include the Red Ribbon Park, the 26-hectare Yanweizhou Park in Jinhua and the Shanghai Houtan Park.
West 8
Founded in 1987, this landscape architecture and urban design practice has offices in Rotterdam, New York and Brussels. With an international team of over 70 architects, landscape architects, urban designers and industrial engineers, West 8 draws from its expertise in tackling complex projects, spanning large-scale urban master planning and design, waterfront, parks and squares. West 8 combines its Dutch and landscape heritage in applying a design logic based on utility plus necessity in constructing landscapes that respond to such issues of water management, population growth as well as reinforcing cultural identities and expression. Key projects include the Governors Island Park, Schouwburgplein public square and four WaveDecks on the Toronto waterfront.
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