Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from December, 2006

Paper towel transfers…more background papers

You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many background papers lying around waiting for inspiration! Here’s another fun and easy technique…but again, be forewarned that it can be addictive. 1. Put down a piece of freezer paper to protect your work surface…this is a very juicy technique! 2. Dip thick paper towels into several bright colors of thinned acrylic paints. Lay the towel out on the freezer paper. 3. Arrange stencils, both negative and positive, around the towel. 4. Sandwich the towel with stencils between 2 pieces of paper. You can use cardstock, watercolor paper, or even heavier textured papers like wallpaper. 5. Brayer over the entire sandwich. You’ll end up with 2 gorgeous different papers. 6. Use glazes to fill in empty areas if desired, or top with a glaze color of your choice to pull the whole piece together. I’ve used Quinacridone Gold. Copyright 2006 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or di

Frottage background papers

Mah Jong Bluebird I used this method of making multi-textured background papers in last week’s Make Art Monday project. Although the background paper is flat, it seems so dimensional. Here’s how to achieve this effect! 1. Using very thin paper, make rubbings of interestingly textured objects. Try rubbing with wax candles (white) to make reverse rubbings, using the wax as a resist. 2. Add thin glazes of acrylics in an analogous color range. 3. Rip and arrange the papers on a cardstock or watercolor paper base. 4. Use matte medium to glue them down. 5. Wash any dull areas with more color to make the piece blend. Cover with matte medium. 6. Cut out straight edges with an exacto knife if desired. 7. Press flat. Copyright 2006 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, including this notice, remains intact. Technorati Tags: mixed media , collage , assemblage , digital art

Making a small art quilt…with fish!

Fossil Fish Quilts I shared a set of four small quilts last week that I had made after a trip to the Smithsonian, specifically the museum of natural history. I always loved that one as a kid! This week for Technique Tuesday, I thought you might be interested in some of the techniques used to construct these. They use small pieces of fabric, so they’re fun to do in between other projects. Mine are about 9 x 10 inches, and I often make up a bunch of patchwork tops at one time, as long as I’ve already got my machine out :-) They’re also really fast to make, so you could possibly still find time to make a few for holiday gifts this year. Make them unique, with pictures that will be especially meaningful to your giftee! 1. Sew a small fabric quilt top, with a center panel large enough to accommodate the image you wish to use. 2. Print out your image on vellum. Spray with acrylic coating to stop smudges. Cover the image with contact paper, and spray the contact paper with 2 coats of matte v

Freezer paper background papers

Freezer paper painting is fun and easy, but really unpredictable. You will rarely end up with papers that you won’t be able to use, but you also might not end up with many (or any) that thrill you completely. I find that these are usually papers that I end up tearing up for other projects rather than using whole. 1. Thin some acrylic paints, each in its own small plastic cup. Fill a spray bottle with water and have your brayer handy. 2. Place some freezer paper, shiny side up, on your work surface and float the thinned paints on top. Let them mix at the edges. Add pearl ex or other sparkling inclusions if desired. 3. Spray with water to disperse more. 4. Lay down dampened stock paper or watercolor paper to pick up the paints. Brayer down to soak thoroughly. 5. Remove them to a place they can dry undisturbed. Copyright 2006 Cyndi Lavin. Not to be reprinted, resold, or redistributed for profit. May be printed out for personal use or distributed electronically provided that entire file, i

Stamping and overstamping techniques

Round Here’s a really easy way to make a rather complex-looking layered background. I made a couple of simple texture and pattern stamps, and used a set of Jacquard acrylic paints in rich autumn colors. Round , shown above, is the piece that I shared last week on Make Art Monday. String block stamp: Wrap hemp or regular household string around a sturdy piece of cardboard. Use double stick tape to arrange the string into wavy patterns if desired. Heat-carved foam stamp: I used a flat piece of foam and melted a pattern into it with my soldering iron. Do this outside…it stinks! Stamping a background: 1. Paint the background a solid medium color (I used metallic rust). 2. Stamp with the string block in a highlight color (burnt orange). 3. Stamp with the etched foam stamp (super copper and burgundy). 4. Stamp again with the string block (grape). 5. Repeat any of the above steps desired, varying the colors used. 6. Write a quote using a Faber-Castell Pitt pen (brush style). 7. Stamp wi