Image Transfer
Image transfer is a great way to add complex images into your art work. Dover art books are a great resource. Be sure to respect the copyright laws associated with the images. The image that I used was not in color to begin with. My home printer is a toner based laser printer that only prints in black. I’n not sure how an inkjet printer would work with this. I just remember that when I had one and used wet media with it, the ink would smear. If you don’t have a laser printer, you could go to a copy shop and make your copies there. To add the color,…
New Art Journal
A few weeks ago I started a new art journal. A new art journal is a blank slate that will take you where ever you wish to go. This particular art journal is an exploration into mixed-media experimentation. I bound the art journal with watercolor paper in a long stitch. The covers are made from the back of the pad of watercolor paper. The first layer on the pages is gesso, then watercolor and then random bits of collage from a magazine and other artwork that I have done. I also: Created portraits with watercolors Made patterns and blobs with watercolor paints Used Pinterest as inspiration. I thought I could…
Free collage paper for your mixed-media art
Although a lot of my creative work is done in art journals, I like to work on other surfaces and explore other techniques. A few years ago I purchased a dozen pre-gessoed boards for a workshop. I still have several unused boards that are still sitting on my shelves waiting for Something. I started my project with a collage using torn apart security envelopes that came in my mail. Instead of throwing the paper in the recycling container I thought it would be a good source of free collage paper. I made sure to use patterns that didn’t have text. The exception was the blue patterned paper with the “c”. I had no idea what…
File Folder Upgrade
This file folder upgrade was done with a recycled file folder, pencil, collage and white paint. Because the folder is going to be on my desk, I wanted it to have a new look instead of the plain one. Mixed-media is the perfect remedy for a plain file folder. I found the file rack at a rummage sale for twenty-five cents. The file folders were free because they were getting tossed by the company next door. I paid ten cents for the book I took apart for the collage images. The first step was to sketch out a face. I’ve been practicing faces from Pam Carriker’s book, Mixed Media Portraits.…