Technique #4 "Leafing Pen Resist"

This week Patricia & I worked on "Leafing Pen Resits" which is Technique #4 from Bernie Berlin's book "Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap". Bernie states that this technique works best on watercolor paper so that is where I started. My pages turned out really cool so I decided to try the same technique but using alcohol inks on semi-gloss paper. Woah! Totally different look but equally exciting.

Here are the watercolor pages using just two monochromatic colors. Imagine what they would look like if I would have used 2-3 complimentary colors. She also recommends using a stamp design over the top of these which I haven't done yet. But I did stamp the alcohol ink sheets and used them for the legs on this little fairy doll! Pretty cool homemade design huh? I may never buy scrapbook paper again!!! :-)

Techniques 2 & 3 Watercolor on Baby Wipes & Paper Towels

This week Patricia & I are working on Techniques 2 & 3 from Bernie Berlin's book "Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap". I'm excited to say that another artist, Cheri Phillips, is going to join us in this process. :-)

Patricia did hers first and made some amazing backgrounds on baby wipes using spray mists (which she's already used). I tried that and wasn't as pleased with my results...maybe I didn't wait long enough for the paint to dry but the sheets were very dark and not worth showing.

Next, I got out the watercolors and made 4 pages rather quickly. What I did was layer my sheets; bottom later was cardstock, then 2 layers of paper towels and then the top layer a baby wipe. ( I told you I'm not very patient, wanted to do them all at once - LOL)

What I liked most about this technique is that I didn't have to worry about too much water. If I didn't like the depth/amount of color I had...I just added some water and the color went on through to the next layer under it. When I was pleased with the top baby wipe layer, I used a brayer to "push" the paint through to the layer underneath. I removed the baby wipe layer and did the same thing to the paper towels. A really cool thing happened on the bottom layer...the paper towel left the color on the card stock in a waffle-weave type pattern like the pattern in the paper towel. Very cool side effect!

Thanks, Bernie, I love this technique and will use it again & again. Here is a photo of the final results and the beginnings of an ATC using the paper towels & wipes as a background (they are torn up and stamped). One of my new favorite things to do.

The layers in the photo are from top to bottom: an ATC made with torn up pieces from all the others with a paisley pattern stamped on it, cardstock showing the waffle-weave design, a dried-out kitchen wipe, 3 sheets of paper towels & a baby wipe (with teddy bear!). You can click on the photos to see more detail in the background if you want. Enjoy!

Okay, just a few more! LOL

So many techniques to try. I have been really working on my backgrounds, I think they really make the art. Patricia & I are doing the 2/3 technique from Bernie Berlin's book this week so will be posting those soon. Patricia has had GREAT results and I can't wait to try them both!

Turquoise German Scrap

I got really carried away with the Turquoise German Scrap this week. Here are my new ATC's! I tried several new techniques: crumpled tissue paper for the background, explosion front & chalk/watercolor/spray mists backgrounds. Lots of fun, especially the explosion front! Woah!

My Precious Pet - "Hello Cat Series"

I decided to send Gigi (Gingersnap) on an international journey; China, Germany, Spain, France & Italy. Here are the ATC's submitted for the "My Precious Pet Faux Postage" ARTchix contest. :o) I love them all but my absolute favorite is "Hola Gato". I love her face, isn't she adorable?

Three of the five photos were digitally altered; black/white with layers, light contrast with sepia tone & the acrylic painting of Hola Gato which I then watercolored her eyes and nose. Maybe that's why it's my favorite.

Microglaze & Mosaics

I have been having such a good time with my Microglaze from Judikins and here is my favorite use (so far) for it. I took a fine paintbrush and lightly applied the microglaze to a rubber stamp. Then I pressed the stamp firmly down onto my watercolor ATC card. I set it aside a bit to dry and then applied a transparent green watercolor. Where the microglaze was, the paint just balled up. Very cool, don't you think. I can't wait to try it on something else.

The second ATC is just simply a bunch of 1/2" squares and rectangles made into a mosaic. Not very original but a really fun process. Kind of like making a puzzle!

A Very Artful Labor Day Weekend

After all the hours spent getting ready for the fundraiser, I decided I had better sit down and get some items ready for September Swap deadlines. I had a couple of late-nighters this weekend but once I got started, I couldn't find a good stopping point until I was done. Here are some ATC's I made for the ARTchix Sepia Card Swap (plus a few extras to keep) :o)
I have two ultimate favorites from this series. Which one is your favorite and why?

Technique #1 Intuitive Watercolor

My friend Patricia and I have decided to do the techniques in "Artist Trading Card Workshop: Create, Collect, Swap" by Bernie Berlin.

The first technique is INTUITIVE WATERCOLOR and I must admit that I was a bit dubious about this. I am a very "creative" person but am not very "artistic". For example I couldn't draw a pig but could see one in the clouds. :-)

So I sat down with an 8x8 canvas, my watercolors and a bottle of water. I mixed water and paint together to make a very transparent color. I used 3 colors; blue-green, lime green and turquoise. I swirled the colors onto the canvas with the brush and then splashed some on by "flicking" the brush over the canvas; causing splatters. Then I twisted and turned the canvas letting the paint swirl around. If I needed more paint, I added it. If I wanted more color, I added more paint to the water. I tried a hair dryer and a craft heat gun but found the best way to really move the watercolors over the canvas was to blow on it...sometimes soft and sometimes hard.

When I was satisfied that I had a good mix of colors I sat back and looked at it and couldn't believe what I saw. Sitting there perfectly was a bird... in a nest... in a tree. It was amazing. So I got out my fine-point marker and outlined what I saw. Here it is!

I painted the branches grey and added some color here and there to enhance areas. Then I added glitter, feathers, an ATC card with quote, raffia and the hanger. All in all, a very fun technique and one I want to try again. I definitely recommend this book and this technique although I think I might have had a bit of beginners luck! LOL
Here is the finished piece.