Making Autumn Trees: Printmaking

I love making autumn trees.  This time I changed the way the trunks are made using a printmaking technique.




P.S. I have a great giveaway at the end of this post so please read on.

I also used this idea for an art journal page and an inchie.














MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- sticky backed craft foam
- paper towel roll
- paper
- disk tempera or watercolour paint for background
- black liquid tempera or acrylic paint
- paint in fall colours (acrylic or liquid tempera)
- small brush
- cotton swabs (Q-tips)

PROCEDURE:

I took some craft foam and cut strips in irregular lines, curves, some jagged.


Remove paper backing and stick to paper roll.  Start from the centre out leaving the ends free.  This way you can roll it easier like a rolling pin.

Now there are few ways to load paint onto your roll.  You can spread some out on wax paper and then roll in to it.

You can also paint it directly on to the foam.  This will give you a very precise print but you have to work fast so the paint doesn't dry before you paint all the strips.

Place on your paper and roll out your tree trunks.  This is my first go.  Too many trunks I thought so I removed a few.

To make my background I painted in a sky and a strip of ground on my paper.

Roll on your trunks.  If you get a few smudges, no worries, it's a print that happens and we will use some of these smudges when we make branches.

With a small brush add a few branches.

Time to make the leaves.  Take a few cotton swabs.  I like to cut mine in half.  This gives me 2 sizes of circles, one on each end.

Dip ends into Fall coloured paint and stamp on your leaves.  Clusters work best and don't forget a few on the ground.

I made an inchie as well.  Instead of a paper roll I used a paint dauber but a thick pencil, marker, or piece of dowel would work.

I get a lot of inquiries for ideas to use in art journals.


Here is a journal page using this technique.  You could make a page for each of the 4 seasons using the same technique just changing up the leaves or lack of them.



I hope you give this a try.

I bought this book in the spring.  It was on pre-order and when it didn't arrive on time (did they forget me) I ordered it again.



I was going to return the extra but it's a great book so why not a giveaway.

So why do I like this book:

- smaller size, only 9"x7" so you can have it beside you as you work
- coil binding, pages will stay open to where you want
- heavy weight pages that have a shiny finish, made to hold up to any messes or stray paint

- lots of great techniques with pictures of different projects to inspire you
- artist tips on most pages with helpful advice.

If you are interested in winning my extra copy:
- comment on this post
- send me an email at thatartistwoman@shaw.ca
- or like/comment on my Facebook page


I'll do the draw Thursday.  Good luck everyone and I hope you end up with some paint on your hands today!
Gail

Art Journal Idea and New Giveaway

The end is in sight…one more job to do and then I'm on summer holidays! As I wait for the rain to subside (last project is weather dependent),  I have some time for my own work.

Sometimes I have a sketch or painting in the art journal I just don't like, rather than live with it I paint it over in black gesso or acrylic.

I can then stamp or stencil on top of it or do something different.

Here I made a sketch in pencil on top of the black and then went over my lines with tacky glue. Let it dry flat.

Now I often do this technique with oil or chalk pastels.  This time let's try something different and use gauche.

Gauche is watercolour that is opaque.  It can be layered and you can put a light colour on top of a darker one, (once that first layer is dry).  If you don't have gauche you can create your own by adding white to your watercolours.  White gauche, sometimes called China White is easy to find at the art supply store and often comes in a watercolour set.  A common question I hear from students is, "How do I use this?"

Mix your colours with white to achieve this chalkboard like look.  Because this is watercolour we can achieve our shading by lifting colour.

Paint in the entire area, let dry and then using a wet brush wet the areas you want to be shaded. Dry your brush on a paper towel and then go in on those areas with the dry brush lifting the colour away.

Here I have lifted the colour from under the eyes.  I can go back in and blend this shading a bit more or add colour back if my shading is too harsh.

I can also add more white for my highlights.

Finally you can add more detail if you wish with pencil, coloured pencil or a white PITT like pen.

I just love this chalkboard like effect but no chalky or oily pastels to deal with in the sketchbook.

Margaret Peot has come out with a new book "The Successful Artist's Career Guide".

I've read a few of these artist guides in my time. They can be kinda of dry and textbook like.  Margaret's is much more engaging.

Filled with artist interviews, a few worksheets and some great art!

The artist interviews are honest and open.


I also found lots of practical advice regarding the 'nuts and bolts' of running an art career.

We artists are often not the best at the business side of things.

I know for myself that accounting, invoicing, inventory, supply purchasing, etc. often seem like they take up way too much of my time but it's all part of being a successful artist.

So if you are interested in winning your own copy of "The Successful Artist's Career Guide" by Margaret Peot do one of the following:

- leave a comment on this post
- email me at thatartistwoman@shaw.ca
- like or comment on this post on my Facebook page


I'll be doing the draw on Friday June 20th/14 so get your name in soon.
Only Canadian or US residents please.

Thanks Margaret for sponsoring this giveaway, it's a great book.

Gail

Happy Monday Giveaway

Happy Monday everyone and if you are in Canada I hope you had a great Victoria Day holiday.  I know I did.


I like to introduce you to Fiona Goble's new book, "Sew Quick, Sew Cute".


Every once and a while I just get a yearning to blitz a quick project on the sewing machine, something for me or something to give away.  Normally my sewing machine is churning out banners, flags, kites, etc for my residency jobs.

This great little book has 30 projects you can easily pull together.

Like this Stash box, I could use a dozen….

….or a cup cozy, I have a Father's Day project that is similar.

And who doesn't need an Antarctic play set, so cute!

So if you are interested in winning your own copy of "Sew Quick, Sew Cute":

-  leave a comment on this post
-  like or comment on this post on Facebook
-  or send me an email at thatartistwoman@shaw.ca

I will make the draw on Thursday, good luck everyone.

p.s. Canadian or US residents only



Gail

Happy Monday Giveaway

Happy Monday everyone.  I haven't had a giveaway for a while on the blog so let me introduce you to this little book.








InstaCraft by Alison Caporimo is filled with 50 quick and easy little crafts. Just right when you don't have a lot of time but need a handcrafted item as a gift, party favour or accessory .

You can click on the photo for a closer look.

Here are a few examples of some of the projects.

So cute.

If you want to win your own copy of "InstaCraft" you can enter by leaving a comment on this post,  by liking this post on Facebook, or send me an email at thatartistwoman@shaw.ca

I'll make the draw on Thursday just in time for Easter.

Good luck everyone!

Gail
Disclaimer: All comments provided are my own but the book has been provided by Ulysses Press.

Halloween Mosaics and "Mastering Mosaics" Giveaway

I love mosaics.  Glass, eggshell, tile and of course paper.


Here is a paper mosaic take on a project from last year.


It's like a jigsaw puzzle that you get to design.

I also want to introduce you to this new book, "Mastering Mosaics" by Rayna Clark, published by Schiffer.

It profiles 19 artists showing their design process and step by step directions for 19 corresponding projects.  There are lots of tips and new techniques to learn along the way.  The photos are very detailed and I can't wait to try out the mosaic sculpture that is presented using Styrofoam and plaster strips as a base.

You can enter for your chance to win a copy of this book at the end of this post.






Now back to my Halloween mosaics:






MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- drawing paper
- disk tempera paint
- acrylic or liquid tempera paint
- disposable foam brush
- oil pastels
- bubble wrap
- black paper
- white school glue
- paper for mounting

PROCEDURE:

Using oil pastels make some stripe, wiggly lines, on your drawing paper.

Paint over your lines with orange disk tempera paint.

Let dry.

Take another piece of paper and paint orange, let dry.

Take a piece of bubble wrap, paint with yellow acrylic or liquid tempera.

Press onto the orange paper you painted.

Look at that gorgeous texture the print adds!

Paint another piece of paper with yellow tempera.

Take a disposable foam brush and cut a notch out of it.

Using orange acrylic or liquid tempera use your brush to paint on stripes.

Take a piece of black paper and draw out your pumpkin shape in white crayon.

Cut out.

Take your painted papers and cut into strips.  Cut each strip into shapes, triangles work well.

Using glue or Mod Podge start gluing on your pieces.  Let them hang over the edges as you will trim them afterwards. Leave some space between pieces so the black shows up like the grout.

Cover the whole shape.

Flip the shape over and trim off the excess.

Add eyes and a mouth with leftover paper.

Mount on a coloured background and add some oil pastel accents.

Here's a ghost made with painted book pages, painting over masking tape on paper, and a crayon resist paper.

Now on to the giveaway.

Up for grabs is "Mastering Mosaics" by Rayna Clark. published by Schiffer, 2013.

Hardcover, 11"x 8 1/2", 200 colour photos,
256 pgs.
Suggested retail $34.99 US

If you would like to enter to win do one of the following:

- leave a comment on this post
- send me an email at:  thatartistwoman@shaw.ca
- like or leave a comment on this post at my Facebook page

Contest closes on Friday Oct 25th/13 at 11:59pm.

Canadian and US residents only.

Good luck everyone.

Disclaimer: Review and Giveaway copy provided by Schiffer Publishing.