Thinking About Flying

Inspired by the works of Kelly Rae Roberts and Susie Blu, I spent this Sunday afternoon trying another face.

I was very patient this time.  I started out with a piece of cardboard (OK, it's the back of a cereal box).   I tried something that I saw in a video by Samantha Kira Harding.  I put gesso on the cardboard, then wrote all over it with Prismacolor Premier markers (she used Copics, but I don't have any), then brushed gesso over the writing.  It smeared some of the marker which looked really pretty and you  could see a sort of ghost image through the gesso.  Then I used stencils and spray ink, acrylic dabbers, and ink dabbers.  I collaged some torn book pages, decorative tissue paper, and a lacy rice paper.  I went over everything with watered down Golden Titan Buff to calm it down a little and make the papers more integrated.

I drew the girl with a charcoal pencil, then painted her face, arms and hair.  After it dried I used a charcoal pencil, Pitt markers, and a white gel pen to draw her facial features.  After I painted the dress, I stamped a butterfly on regular white paper, reduced it, then colored it with markers and glued it to the dress.  I added the wings, some more stamping, and a little molding paste through a plastic grid.

I just need to brush a layer of gloss medium and it will be finished.

You know it's hard to develop one's own style.  I watch a lot of tutorials on Youtube and am addicted to arts/crafts magazines.  When someone is showing you how to do something, naturally, your piece is going to look quite a bit like theirs (just not as good, of course).  I'm guessing that many people gain inspiration and technique from others, then eventually develop their own style.

I'm working on it!!

Pretty Paisley

As much as I try to do other forms of art, I always end up pulling out the pens and drawing.  I just love to draw with a nice black pen, then color.

I bought a new book on Friday -  Creative Doodling & Beyond: Inspiring exercises, prompts, and projects for turning simple doodles into beautiful works of art by Stephanie Corfee.  It's good because she goes through different doodling shapes and boarders and leaves space for you to practice next to her doodles.  Okay, can you tell which page is mine and which is Stephanie's?  Of course you can.....mine are on the right.

Here's my doodling from last night.

Playing with Colored Pencils

Here's the project that I worked on while watching Celebrity Appentice.  I was very happy about 2 things on Sunday night - this drawing and that Omarosa was FIRED!!

I used a black Faber Castel Pitt Artist Pen and Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils.

 

 

 

Here's the tutorial  that I watched to learn how to draw the fat squiggly things.



Blowing Alcohol Inks

There are several videos on youtube about blowing on alcohol inks. So, I tried it and it is so easy, so fast, and so pretty. I made this one in about five minutes. I used glossy inkjet paper, Ranger inks, and a straw. You just drip the ink on the paper and blow.

ZATISSE - A little Zentangle, a little Matisse

I found the Modern Master Challenge on Art Journaling,  I found it a little too late  They were doing Matisse in February.  However, I thought I would take a look at some of his paintings and find out a little bit about the guy.

He was pretty interesting.  He hung out with Gertrude Stein, Picasso, the Cone sisters (who were very interesting - I might write a post about them someday) and other artists and collectors,

Matisse was a painter, printmaker, and sculptor.  In 1941 he had surgery and remained in a wheelchair afterwards. With the help of an assistant, he started creating collage-type work.  He called it gouaches découpés.  He brushed gouache onto paper, cut it in pieces and  attached it to other paper.  His works were large in scale.  During this period he created the Blue Nudes, which are probably some of his most recognizable pieces.

So here is my tribute to Matisse.  I zentangled one of his nudes.

The Real Blue Nude

Look at My Tote Bag

I really like Zazzle.  I discovered the site a couple years ago.  There are other similar businesses on the web, but I've used Zazzle and haven't been disappointed.

I would like to put some of my art on greeting cards, coffee cups, tote bags, etc.  So, I uploaded a piece to Zazzle and ordered a tote bag and a card to see how they would look.  I'm pleased, considering that I photographed the art journal page with my iPad.  If I actually decide to try to sell something, I will photograph my art using more professional equipment (better lighting, better camera, etc.)

I ordered the extra large bag, so it makes the picture look like of small.  It would probably look better on the regular sized tote bag.

This is a drawing that I did while watching "Dance Moms" last night.  I think this would look really cute on a coffee cup or dishes.  I think I'll order a coffee mug from Zazzle to check it out.

Playing around with Gelli Plates Again

I really love the Gelli Arts gelatin plate for monoprinting.  It is so easy and it's really simple to clean up. Inexpensive craft paint works the best.  The prints make great collage paper or backgrounds.

Here are a few that I did this afternoon.

I used a wood graining tool on these two!

Also, here's a painting that I did in my art journal some time ago.  I was flipping thru today and I had forgotten all about this one.  I touched the trees up a bit.  This is a little dark for me.

This is the Gelli plate that I use - the 8X10.