Tutorial: Mixed Media Experimients with Water soluble pencils & crayons

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Today I’d like to share the results of some recent experiments with a selection of water soluble media and acrylic products. They make superb backgrounds for art journals, ATC’s, cards and the like, just add you favorite stamps, masks and think what you could create. If you would like to try the experiments yourself;

Mixed media experiments with water-soluble media.

You Will Need

• Water-soluble: pencils, crayons, blocks of your choice
• Gesso
• Golden: Acrylic glazing liquid
• Water colour card or try lighter card if gesso has been applied before continuing
• Car sponge scraps or cotton rag or brush if prefered
• Acrylic paint in your choice of colour.
• Non stick craft mat for easy clean up

Method

If you want the option of using these techniques in your journals or other art projects its a good idea to label your experiments as you go. Then if you find one you like, you will know what you used to create it

Label your card stock and scribble your chosen water-soluble medium onto it. Create a 1″ wide block of colour, the height wants to be about 1-2″ so you can leave some pencil/crayon un-coloured for comparison.

This picture shows Derwent Inktense blocks as the water soluble crayon and then the following acrylic mediums applied;

Mixed media experiments with water-soluble media. Water soluble product blended with gesso on the left and with Golden Acryic glazing liquid on the right.

• Gesso:You can apply the gesso directly over the crayon but as it is so opaque you may find that it hides the colour, for a softer effect water the gesso down a little. The result will be a pastel tone of the original colour. This works best with dark or jewel coloured pencils/crayons.
• Golden; Acrylic glazing liquid. You can apply this with a brush and then blend out with a rag, but it works just as well if applied with a scrap of car sponge. The more you work the surface, you will blend away your colouring lines. Work lightly if you want to keep your drawn lines.

Here is a picture of my experiments using first Lyra water soluble crayons with gesso. The second panel on the card, was created using Derwent Graphitint pencils.

Mixed media experiments with water-soluble media. Gesso + Lyra water colour crayons. Gesso + Graphitint pencils

Options/Added Extras

In the examples show I have used the colour & mediums onto SAA practice paper for watercolours. Try these techniques and see how you get on, perhaps trying them over cardstock that has had a layer of gesso first. Compare the difference between how the colour goes onto the page and does or doesn’t move as you apply other mediums to it.

Links

Products used;

• Derwent: Inktense blocks
• Daler Rowney: Gesso Primer in white
• Golden: Acrylic Glazing Liquid
• Winsor & Newton: Galeria; Acrylic paint.

These are really fun techniques to experiment with, you can make your most vivid colours now look vintage and pastel, almost like chalks. Enjoy playing and I’d love to see your results. This is just a starting point, add in masks and sprayed inks, acrylic paint and metallics over the top with some stamping. Great for art journalling and more.

Best wishes and thanks for reading see you soon

Billie

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Rose sketch in Inktense Blocks

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Today I’d like to share a picture of a sketch of a rose that I did using Inktense blocks.

Rose sketch in Derwent Inktense blocks

I’ve had these Inktense blocks for a while but haven’t embraced them. After watching a DVD by Fiona Pert for Derwent I decided to go for it and got on much better. I’m hoping to use these blocks for art journalling as once they have been washed out the colour is set and doesn’t rework

Give these blocks a try

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

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Book Review: Surface Treatment Workshop

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In today’s post I will be reviewing;

Surface Treatment Workshop

• Title: Surface treatment Workshop
• Author: Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran Wilson
• Publisher: North Light Books
• ISBN: 13: 978-1-4403-0824-6
• ISBN: 10: 1-4403-0824-6

My Reason for Buying

I’m a fan of mixed media art and since I have collected more colours and mediums, I was looking for some inspiration as to how to get some of the cool effects I’ve seen people create. When I saw this book on Amazon and the sort of thing it contained, it looked ideal. I tell you this as often a review is based on how well the book lived up to the expectations of its reader, for their purpose

Contents

After an overview of the materials you will need to ‘play along’ the book breaks down into the following sections.

Techniques covers: Additive, Resist, Subtractive or combination.

• Additive; meaning you are adding something to the surface

• Subtractive; meaning you are removing parts or areas of earlier layers
• Combination; meaning a combination of both the above.

Inspirational Projects: Step by step projects, featuring techniques learnt earlier in the book

Resources

Pros/Cons

Pros

• At the start of the book there is useful information about archival quality of the techniques. Not everything shown in the book is intended to or will last for a substantial length of time. Each technique warns you of the archival quality so you know if you use it, whether it is a ‘keeper’ or not. VERY helpful, especially if you were creating art that you intent to gift/sell or put in a memory box.
• You are also advised as to what kind of surface any technique will be suitable for.
• Each technique is given a double page spread. The first page is a photographed step by step, with details for what tools and materials you will need, what surface it will work best on and its archival quality (How well it will last). As well as tips to make the technique your own. On the opposite page there are a number of finished examples, showing the technique used in a variety of ways, there is a brief description of what was used in each one.
• Some of the techniques involve household items, so things you will have to hand
• A variety of techniques to suit all skill levels and ideal for the adventurous, or those who want to be more adventurous but aren’t sure how.

Cons

• There are a few things in there that I haven’t seen in the UK, (no idea what Rinse Aid is?) That said, there is a list of suppliers at the back of the book.

Value for Money

Excellent, like a recipe book for mixed media. If you aren’t keen on attending a workshop at an art store or can’t find a workshop that covers the techniques you are interested in, then this book will save you a fortune! Learn at your own pace and with the colours/materials that you like and enjoy.

Would I buy it Again?

Yes, great for dipping into, or finding out how to use that pot of medium you either bought and just look at bewildered or have heard about but don’t know what to do with.

Summing up

This is a great book for those wanting to get more from their supplies and find new ways to use them. If you are a fan of mixed media then there are loads of techniques in here that will really inspire you. If you already use acrylic paints, then you are likely to have most of the core kit and can just add in a few mediums that tempt you, when you see what can be done with them.

The fact that the book explains the longevity of the technique, is really helpful. If you were creating a special project that you wanted to hand down through the family, this will help you choose which technique will stand the test of time. Not everything you want to make needs to last decades but if its nice to know if it would damage something precious if left next to it

The techniques shown in the book, are suitable for paper-crafters, as well as for wall art and dimensional projects too. A great selection that will help you out of your comfort zone and into the FUN exciting world of mixing your media together.

If you like mad science experiments with your materials, just to see what will happen, you will love this book. If you like projects with layers of hidden colours, textures, and with dimension and want to add more of these to your own style, then this is the book for you.

Links

• Surface Treatment Workshop on Amazon

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

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Mother’s Day Card & a dilemma!

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Today I’d like to share a picture of the Mothers Day card I made for my MIL. Its the first card I’ve made in ages.

Mothers Day Card 2013

Created using digikits and Craft Artist v1. Digikit used True Romantics by Angie Hinksman. I’m a big fan of Anna Griffin and this kit reminded me of AG style papers. Especially the roses. The large pearl in the picture isn’t part of the digikit and isn’t on the card, its to cover the photo of DH & his Mum, who aren’t keen on having their photos being on the internet

Links

• Daisy Trail From here you can find out more about Serif Craft Artist and digikits
• Angie Hinksman Digikits available by this designer.
• True Romantics

Hope she likes it

What are you making Mum for Sunday?

A nasty surprise at the bottom of the garden!

When I went out to my studio at the bottom of the garden to collect a rubber stamp, I discovered a nasty shock. Most of my stamps are stored in  metal drawers, inside a cupboard, inside an unheated garage. I have feared the rubber may not like this situation but DH reassured me that given the stamps were inside drawers, inside a cupboard they would be fine.

After seeing Indigo blu on C&C the other day, I decided to hunt out my checkered stamp and off mount it (remove it from the wooden block), so that I could try a technique shown on the demo. I wanted to apply just part of the stamp, rather than the whole image and have been considering ‘offing’ this stamp from its block, for some time. Now the stamp in question is elderly! It was an elderly stamp when I got it in the sale in a shop and has been ignored in the drawer, save for an occasional coating of stamp conditioner to ward off the worst of any issues its dislike of the storage situation might create. I have noticed that very old stamps have a tendency to leave their foam backing and to lift a bit. Having decided to remove this stamp from its block, I dug my nail under the edge of the rubber stamp itself and it lifted off the foam easy as pie. Now in this case, that was a good thing, but I had the idea that perhaps a couple of other stamps may be more useful off their blocks, so I found those too. I was horrified that these newer stamps, also lifted off their foam backing just as easily eeekkkk!!!   :0

Terror set in at this point and I left the studio in shock, afraid to touch any more stamps and risk damaging any of them further. Now the question is, has storing the stamps in these conditions caused the glue in the backing to perish and therefore most of them will be in this condition? Or is it just because it’s winter and very cold, perhaps this happens each winter and they will be ok by the warmer weather. I don’t normally mistreat my stamps by digging at them with my fingernail, and they have been stored like this for about 5 or so years.

Dilema

Have you un-mounted any of your wood mounted stamps? Did you regret it?

• Do I un-mount my precious wood mounted stamps so I can store them in a smaller space and maybe as a result have room to bring them indoors or hope for the best and leave them where they are?
• I haven’t done a great deal of rubber stamping in the last few years, partially due to poor health the digi side of crafting has taken more of my time.
• Think I might use the stamps more if they were unmounted as they would be easier to store and easier to position on a project.
• I’d like to use the stamps in a different way to in the past. I am tempted to use some (OMG am I really going to do this?) maybe even with acrylic paint or mediums. This seems more the way my creativity is going and I’d like to try using them with a brayer, ie rolling a brayer over the stamp so using the stamp flat on the table, would make that easier.

DH just got back and said it could be that the glues often get weaker bonds in the cold weather, it might all be fine when it gets warmer. Given the stamps are over 5 years old it could just be that the glue has come to the end of its natural life.

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

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Seth Apter’s The Pulse 5: Chapter 8; Tell All

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Last year I took part in Seth Apter’s online artists survey; The Pulse. This week you can hear me; Tell All, over on his blog.

The Artists Pulse v5 Chapter 8; Tell All

Would you like to be involved in The Pulse of Mixed Media? There’s an open call for artists, which if you are quick, you still have time to enter. More details on Seth’s Blog.

Links

• The Pulse 5th Edition: Chapter 8; Tell All. Here me tell all over on Seth’s blog.
• The Pulse 6th Edition: Open call for artists. Closing date 3 march 2013, hurry if you would like a chance to be involved with the next edition of The Pulse.
• The Altered Page

Many thanks Seth, for including me in your creative project and for putting this blog on your Art Blog directory. Seth’s work is amazing, whenever I visit his blog, he kicks starts my creativity in new directions. Rush there now, to find out more.

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

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Pencil sketch; Poinsettia in graphite

Welcome Back

This Christmas DH came home with a poinsettia for us. Regular viewers will have noticed that since it didn’t expire too quickly, I have been making the most of the subject and sketching it. Here is my latest drawing of the Poinsettia, this time in graphite pencil.

Poinsettia sketch on graphite pencil.

I used my Kohl Noir Progresso pencils for this sketch. I love those pencils as they are all graphite without any wood casing so you can get quite expressive with them before they wear down too much. DO give them a try if you can get hold of some.

The picture is a little dark, that’s winter for you Just for comparison, the reason I don’t always brighten my pictures with the computer, is because doing so also alters the look of the shading. The picture below was brightened, its brighter but the tones in the shading have altered too much from the original image. Hope we get some brighter weather soon, I’d like to get more drawing practice in.

Poinsettia sketch on graphite pencil.

Hope you like it, how about you, what have you been drawing this year?

Best wishes and thanks for reading see you soon

Billie

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Product Review: Royal Langnickel Crafters Choice Brushes

Welcome Back

In today’s post I will be reviewing;

‘Sheena’s brushes’ aka Royal Langnickel: Crafters’s Choice.

Product Details

• Manufacturer/Brand; Royal Langnickel; Crafters Choice. Otherwise know as Sheena’s Paint Fusion brushes
• Item number:
• RRP at time of writing: £10
• Set contains: 5 x White Nylon Brushes:
• Crafters Choice White Nylon Wash – 3/4″
• Crafters Choice White Nylon Wash – 1/2″
• Crafters Choice White Nylon Shader Size 8
• Crafters Choice White Nylon Round Size 6
• Crafters Choice White Nylon Round Size 3

Reason For Buying

These were demo’ed by Sheena Douglass on Create & Craft, for use with Sheena’s Paint Fusion (one stroke) painting stamps. My best friend gave me a set of these last birthday, I had bought several of Sheena’s stamp sheets and just started with acrylic paint for the first time. I have limited dexterity and these appealed to me for the cushion grip area on the handle.

Pros/Cons

Pros

• Superb quality
• Grippy sections on the handles. Great if you hands don’t work so well
• Easy to clean
• Great set of sizes
• Perfect for acrylic paints
• Springy without being scratchy, soft without being too delicate
• Very comfortable to use
• Match with Sheena’s one stroke stamp sheets if you are getting into that.

Cons

• Haven’t got any. It would be nice to see a long-handled version of these too.

Build Quality

Excellent

Value for Money

Excellent

Would I buy it Again?

Yes, I use these a lot and they work really well

Summing up

At first glance and with the name ‘Crafter’s Choice’ I can see some artists walking past these as being cheap and cheerful brushes. It would be their loss. These brushes are superb quality for all round crafting and painting and have performed really well. The balance outperforms Daler Rowney System 3 brushes by a mile!

The sizes in the set are ideal for most projects, don’t be an art snob and miss out. Check these out, if you are bewildered by what brushes to buy and get these. Add any extras you need to AFTER you try them, unless you are painting REALLY big, these cover most projects.

Links

Available from

• Crafter’s Companion Hiding under Sheena Douglass tab on the site see direct link below.
• Royal Langnickel Brushes

A great set of brushes, try them, you won’t regret it, they are fab.

Best wishes and thanks for reading, see you soon

Billie

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