By Gan Tian (Beijing Today)
Updated: 2007-03-05 10:05

A new year, a new you and a new shopping page. Want to do something all by yourself? Dream of being a painter and giving DIY gifts? You won't want to miss these little shops in town

Paint your love

I was stupid and wore a new white jacket when I visited this shop, but Pan Liguo, the shop owner, was considerate enough to prepare an apron for me. They don't sell oil paintings; they teach you to paint your own.

Pan, a grad student from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, set up the Ling Du Shi Xian Art Studio with his classmates only four months ago. You can take your pictures, or anyone else's, there, and Pan will help you with his professional oil painting skills to paint your work. If you and your lover are both interested, go there together. One of you can pose as a model for the other to paint!

All the tools, including paper, pigments and paintbrushes, are prepared for you. For beginners who forget to bring a picture, they also provide a book of pictures you can choose from. During the painting hours, Pan carefully showed me every line, color and structure in my picture. He talked with me about the different theories of oil painting, art and culture. When I finished, I could hardly believe the lady in the picture came from my own hands.

"That's where the magic is-many customers don't think they can achieve so much; however, with our help, everyone can be an excellent painter," Pan sFor talented customers, Pan will make few corrections in the picture, but for others, it will take him some time to make the picture look like a pro's. "Everyone wants to get close to the fine arts, but there are few chances. We provide a stage, a platform and tools," Pan says. The most exciting moment was when I signed my name on the picture. I felt like I was Van Gogh or Picasso. It's not just entertaining, but helps you feel confident and knowledgeable, and builds patience.

Where: No 104, B1, Building 2, Jianwai Soho, Chaoyang.
Price: A base price according to the difficulty plus 80 yuan per hour; average of 300-400 yuan.
Tel: 010-58696475/136 0132 5849

A caricature made in South Korea

Located in SoShow, this little shop's dreamlike name, "Huan Jie," means "Magic Place." Yes, it's a magical place that can turn your photo into a 3D clay figure. The DIY product here is a clay figure of yourself. The figure, more a caricature, has a cartoon look and an exaggerated expression of laughing, crying or making a face. To have a try, hand over your photo to the shop owner, show your face clearly and fork over the cash.

If you aren't carrying a photo of yourself but are desperate to have a try, you can pay and e-mail in your most satisfactory photo later. After confirming it with the shop, your photo wll be zapped off to South Korea where cartoonists will pick out the most obvious features of your face and draw your cartoon image. Seven to nine working days later, you will receive a 15cm-tall figurine.

It should be noted that the picture will be kept a secret during those days. That is to say, before the figurine arrives, you won't have any idea how it will turn out. "Maybe they do this because the coany wants to surprise you," my friend who went with me said, "So be prepared, and don't get angry if they make you hideous! The material we use is called 'soft pottery,' but I don't know what it actually is," the shop owner says, "But it looks beautiful and slick, so the figure should be OK.If you want to have some figurines for different moods, just give them pictures of your expression on sad days and happy days." I've decided to give one as a gift to one girl I've had a crush on for a long time, but first I need to steal her photo .

Where: 035, F/6, SoShow, No 40, Chongwenmen Wai Dajie, Chongwen
Price: 248 yuan, 300-400 yuan normally

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