About Artyfactory

Who is Artyfactory?

Artyfactory is an expanding collection of art lessons that were designed, illustrated and written by myself, John MacTaggart, a retired art teacher from Glasgow, Scotland. I graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1974 and have more than thirty six years teaching experience at high school. Several years ago, I sat down with a library book to try to teach myself something about web design so that I could share my enthusiasm for art and design with a wider audience. Artyfactory is the result so far.

Artyfactory's Illustrated Lessons

Artyfactory places great importance on teaching art visually as opposed to verbally. I believe that artists teach themselves visually first and verbally second. Therefore, the visuals for each lesson are designed before the addition of any text. This ensures that they communicate the essence of the lesson in images alone. Step by step illustrations are used to capture the key stages of each lesson. I believe that concentrating on the visual appeal of the site enhances its usability for a wider audience. Although I emphasize the visual merits of Artyfactory, I also place great importance in the quality of the written content. All text and illustrations are created by me which assists the step by step explanation and demonstration of artistic techniques and ideas. This incremental approach gradually helps the user to form an understanding of the creative process. I also try to enhance the practical side of the work with appropriate background knowledge of its theme or some critical evaluation of the subject. The evolving Art Appreciation section of the site can be used to expand the context of many of our lessons.

Privacy Policy

The privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to me. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information that is received by www.artyfactory.com and how it is used.

Google Advertising Cookies

In order to keep Artyfactory a completely free resource, I run Google Ads with their third party cookies to help fund the hosting and maintenance of the site. You may opt out of these by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy. Find out how Google uses information from sites or apps that use their services and how to control that information.

 

What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to speed up its download and make the user's experience more efficient. The law states that a website may store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of the site. For all other types of cookies permission must be obtained. Some cookies are placed by third party services. Cookies may be used to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse traffic. They may also share information about your use of our site with social media, advertising and analytics partners, who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them, or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. At any time you can accept, withdraw, or change your consent on the Cookie Declaration form which appears at the bottom of each page.

 

Google Analytics

Visitors to Artyfactory are measured using Google Analytics. This records what pages you view within the site, how you arrived at the site and some basic information about your computer. All of that information is anonymous – so I don’t know who you are; just that somebody visited the site. I take great care to keep your information safe and will never share it with others without your express permission. The information collected from analytics helps me understand what parts of the site are doing well, how people arrive at the site and so on. Like most websites, I use this information to make the site better.

 

External Links

Some 3rd parties like Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter may know you visited this website, if you use their services. Sometimes Artyfactory links to external sites for further background information on a topic. I do not link to external sites in return for cash, services or any other consideration in kind. Although I take care only to link to reputable and safe sites, I cannot be responsible for the actions of other web sites. If you have any doubts about visiting other sites through external links, please read or inquire about their privacy policy.

 

Copyright Policy

All the text, graphics and design are the copyrighted property of www.artyfactory.com. Written consent must be obtained for the commercial reproduction and printing of any of the materials herein.

 

Linking Policy

Thank you to all who link to Artyfactory. I really appreciate your links which help to maintain Artyfactory as a free educational resource.

 

Using My Images

If you wish to use an image from Artyfactory please observe these basic rules:

• Ask permission.

• Please do not link directly to the image (hotlinking) as this uses up bandwidth on our server.

• Copy the image to your site and use it on your own server.

• Please provide an obvious and appropriate hypertext link back to Artyfactory.

• Please do not 'hotlink': This is bandwidth theft by direct linking to a web site's files (images, video, etc.). When you view a web page, you are using that site's bandwidth to display the files. Since web hosts charge based on the amount of data transferred, bandwidth is an issue. If a site is over its monthly bandwidth, it's billed for the extra data or taken offline. A simple analogy for 'hotlinking': Imagine a random stranger plugging into your electrical supply, using your electricity without your consent, and you paying for it.

 

Contact Us

I would like the growth of Artyfactory to be guided by your needs. New art and design lessons are often shaped by the opinions you express. I am greatly encouraged by your responses and look forward to hearing from you.

For any questions about Artyfactory, the copyright or privacy policy, please contact me at: ask@artyfactory.com

Thank you,

John MacTaggart