Sunday 10 April 2016

Playful art journal page 8

This journal page has two topics - resist and spring :0) Resist is the first one, because it was the inspiration for the background I made for this page. When I saw the set of samples done by Michelle Remy I knew I want to try it, because the range of mediums which can be used for this technique is really impressive and inspirational. And I love my result I must say. For me it looks like an old tapestry. And sometimes if I do something I like so much, I really want whole page to be in harmony. That's why the second topic is spring/love, because that is the feeling I had from the background when I finished it and because Spring in all his beauty is finally here all around :0). 

Resist technique is a combination of more mediums in this case. First I applied Dylusions paint Dirty martini with Ranger foam applicator. In the lower right corner I already had thin layer of Dylusions After midnight paint, so the final color is darker. I did not use any water and this coat of Dylusions acrylic paint really help to this technique and my lighter journal paper to absorb next layers without damage. Next I stamped text and rose stamps with Dylusions archival mixed media ink pad in Dirty martini color. Ink is darker than paint in the same color, so it is nicely visible. Around edges I went with Jet black archival ink pad, again with foam applicator. I dried the page with heat tool and than I stamped Flourish background stamp from Tim Holtz with Finnabairs clear gesso. I put it on the stamp with roller, so the coat was even. This is my resisted part. Finnabairs clear gesso is smoother than others I have and does not have such a rough "tooth" when dried. That is significant for the last, most important layer - Dylusions Dirty martini spray heavily applied with foam applicator. The paper must be really saturated with this liquid layer, so the resisted gesso part can become visible. During the application I also moistened my applicator with a few drops of water, so the final coloration is lighter in some parts and darker in others. When the page is completely dry, I fixated all with coat of Ranger Micro glaze. I put it with my fingers and than buffed with dry cloth. 

Corners, text and element are stamped with Jet black archival ink and embossed with Wow clear detailed embossing powder. For the flourish I made an extra piece of paper with Dirty martini paint, black archival ink and Wow clear embossing powder. Than I put a double sided tape on the back side and cut two flourishes with Tim Holtz Mixed media 2 Thinlits. I did use the cut out pieces of the flourish and because I wanted the segments turning left and also right, I cut one flourish from the front and one from the back side of the paper and flattened the rougher edges with my Big Shot. Than I had enough pieces to play with so I made my own flourish. Some butterflies and corner picture are from Graphic 45 Mon amour collection stamps and are colored with Dylusions sprays in waterbrushes. Last white touches I made with Uni-ball signo pen. 

And that's it....I really hope you like it and thank you for your patience with so looooong article :D

7.4.2016 Playful art journal page 8


Sunday 3 April 2016

Playful art journal page 7

Playing with Pan pastels is fun still, so this journal page has a whole background made with Pan pastels, Finnabairs clear gesso and stencils in Seawhite hardcover art journal (25x19 cm / 10"x7.5") :0).
At first I used foam applicator with light blue Pan pastel for whole background, than I used a waved stencil from Simon says stamp with darker blue pastel and than I covered whole page with two layers of clear gesso (just to be sure that I will not destroy my thinner journal paper later). Finnabair's gesso is quite smooth, so I could easily used it for my next step - I covered whole page with third - darkest - blue color of Pan pastel. Clear gesso holds pastel beautifully, but I was still able to remove some of this third color layer with wet baby wipe through circle stencil. Final result are the lighter circles with visible wavy pattern from first two layers of Pan pastel.
Then I used Tim Holtz white texture paste with TCW Nautilus stencil and I reduced the shine of the white color with light blue pastel applied with brush. The structure of the paste is a little bit rough, so I didn't want to use my foam applicator for it and I had a better blending possibility.
At the end I embellished whole background and shells with Indigoblu gilding flakes and I wanted to have at least the central circle a little bit dimensional, not just flat. Here I found out one important thing (for next time), that I really don't like the Indigoblu special gilding glue for this kind of gilding. Maybe it was because of the layers of Pan pastel, but it did not hold the flakes well when I brushed the excess flakes off (some parts ended scraped, although I did use a quite soft brush) and on some spots it left some "rubbery" sticky lumps....so for example the gold circle I gilded three times and rest of the page two times. In the end, for the last trial I used Design-Metall liquid gilding milk from Efco instead (you can use any gilding liquid). You can put the leaves on it in 15 minutes after application, it holds the leaves with no problems and with no sticky residue. I also applied the protective varnish for metal leaves from the same company, so it could keep the shine of the metal leaves and protect them from scratches for a longer time (unfortunately metal leaves are not the real gold, so they will not stay shiny forever). Outcome of this experience is, that next time I will use the white gesso or a texture paste to build a dimensional objects and than lay the metal leaves on gilding milk.
The sea horse was stamped with Indigoblu gilding glue, gilded and colored with Dylusions sprays in waterbrush. I also re-gilded some parts of it with gilding milk and used the gilding varnish.

At the end I must say, that this page was a great creative adventure and I really enjoyed all new techniques, although it was a bit difficult in a few moments :0) 

2.4.2016 Playful journal page 7