Techniques on Tuesday with Jessica Sporn

Hi - Jessica Sporn here to show you a fun technique to do with leaves.  Here in the northeastern USA, they are falling from the trees and are everywhere.  When I walk my dog, I can't help but pick them up!

I have painted "portraits" of them:

But by far the most fun thing I've done recently is use them as stamps!  Here's how:

Collect some leaves (my rule is that they must have already fallen!) of different shapes and sizes.  Here are the ones I used, after they were already covered with paint:

Mix up some watercolors, or get out your favorite sprays.  You can either paint/spray directly onto your leaf, or paint/spray onto a craft mat or plastic plate and then dip your leaf into the paint.  Then press your leaf onto watercolor or other sturdy paper.

You can either leave the imprint exactly how it is:

 or use your brush with water to soften it and blur it a little, creating lovely transparency and texture:

You can also use paint/spray around the leaves, using them as masks:

Stay in the same color family to avoid making muddy colors as you overlap and re-activate your paint!  Here's an art journal page in the making using this technique:

On another page in my journal, I went to town stamping my leaves and overlapping the colors.  Before I knew it, I had almost filled up an entire page:

I thought - wouldn't this make beautiful hair!  So I stopped and added a face.

Hop over to my blog to see how I digitally put this lady on a background and added some text.

Hope you enjoyed this technique.  If you try it, please share your link in your comments below, or use the technique to link up for the next Show and Tell Saturday! 

Do you have a technique you'd like to share?  Please let me know by sending an email to jessicabethsporn (at) gmail (dot) com.

Warm regards, Jessica

Jessica Sporn is a mixed media artist and illustrator, known for her strong use of color, texture and heartfelt style. It's been said that her artwork always contains a sprinkle of my soul! She is a designer for Stencil Girl Products; her illustration work can be found on stationary, giftware, and Judaica products for Aviv Judaica. Some of her Judaica designs are sold at the Jewish Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is is represented for licensing by Creative Connection Inc, at http://cciart.com/, and is proud to be a co-moderator of Artists in Blogland!

Techniques on Tuesdaywith Maria McGuire

Jessica here, with another Techniques on Tuesday post.  We've had some great techniques featured here.  Do you have a technique you'd like to share?  If so, please let me know in the comments.

This month, our technique is brought to us by Maria McGuire.   Maria is the leader of the Stencil Girl creative team.  She maintains the Stencil Girl Talk blog, as well as her own fabulous blog, Believe, Dream and Create with Maria.

MARIA:  I want to show you a technique I like to use to make background papers to be used as collage elements. I learned this technique at a local gallery while taking a collage class.

Supplies:

Colorful Magazine Pages from National Geographic--no other will do.

Golden Gloss Polymer

Nevr Dull available in the automotive section of most big box stores

Found Objects/Stencils

Process:

Pick colorful magazine pages. Pour some of the Golden Gloss Polymer into a paper plate. Use found objects to "stamp" the polymer onto the magazine page. Let dry completely.

Open the Nevr Dull can and rip off a piece. Make sure and do this in a well ventilated area. Rub the Nevr Dull over the magazine page and until the desired amount of ink comes off. As you will see, the areas coated with the polymer  stay colored and give you a cool effect.

So that was the way I learned the technique. But how about if you use a stencil? 

I put a StencilGirl stencil designed by Mary Beth Shaw over the magazine page. I then poured a line of polymer right on my craft mat above the edge of the stencil and used a card to scrap the polymer over the stencil. Lifted away and let dry.

Now you have a new way to use your stencils and beautiful papers to use in collage.

Thanks to Artists in Blogland for having me visit today!

Maria

Thank YOU Maria McGuire for this awesome technique.  Now it's your turn to try it!
 

Technique Tuesday with Corrine Gilman

Jessica Sporn here with another Techniques on Tuesdays. I can't wait to try this project, which is brought to us by Corrine Gilman, of Sparkle Days Studios:

Corrine Gilman

Turn a Hard Book Cover Into A Mixed Media Wall Hanging

Today's technique takes an ordinary hard bound book cover and transforms it into a mixed media wall hanging with just a few simple steps.

Materials and Supplies:

A hard bound book cover with inside book pages removed(find these at the thrift store or use one you already have)

matte knife or scissors

hole punch or awl

gesso

hole reinforcement

Papers - hand made, painted, vintage book pages, wrapping paper, tissue paper - anything not to heavy

acrylic or craft paints

gel medium, collage glues any kind you are used to working with

wire for hanging any type

ribbon or fabric strips

buttons or beads (optional)

Remove the cover from the book using a matte knife.  Gesso both sides.  Don't worry about the inside which might be ragged, you will cover it later.  Punch two holes in the cover and reinforce with the stick on hole reinforcement. Paint your book cover on the front, side edges and back side with whatever colors resonate for you. Collage both sides(for the inside I usually use some simple papers since it will be against the wall and focus on the spine area to reinforce it with collage).

When everything is dry, wire a hanger on the top and decorate with torn and tied cloth strips or ribbons.  You can add buttons or beads too if you like.  If you want you can also punch a third hole in the bottom and make a hanging tassel as a further embellishment.

Most important of all; be free and loose and have fun!

Corrine Gilman is a mixed media artist and intuitive painting facilitator. With a background in the communications industry, she enjoys writing as well and blogs regularly.  She believes we are all creative beings with the ability to share our own joys through the creative process.  She gives herself permission to be sparkly and sprinkles glitter wherever she goes.  You can read an excellent interview with Corrine from this past February at Texterial.   She is one of the instructors this October at Lucky Star Art Camp in Texas.  Her blog, Sparkle Days Studios, is full of affirming inspiration.

Technique Tuesday!

Jessica here, with Technique Tuesday, this time brought to us by Heather Kuzyk.

http://kookaburralaughing.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-random-art-of-kindness.html

Heather: 

Hey Hey!  I’m so happy to be sharing with you guys on technique Tuesday, because we all know sharing is caring.  My style is down and dirty, I’m a no rules kinda gal.   Rules… bah.   Anything goes, as long as I have fun doing it… I’m a hedonist that way. 

The technique I am sharing today I came across as an art teacher, and have used with much success with my students.  But why should the kids have all the fun?  What I love about this technique, is that although you have some control with placement of color, the dye will blend together to form random patterns and textures on the paper.  It’s a surprise each time you remove the tissue.  So with out further ado, I present Tissue Paper Tie Dye.

Materials List:  Spectra Bleeding Art Tissue Paper Rainbow Pack (available through Blick’s or Curry’s Art Supply for my Canadian Compatriots!)

Water

White Vinegar (optional)

This technique works best on paper, any kind really.  I’m using a mixed media journal in my video.

I’ve had people ask if it works on fabric, so I tried in the video.  It works as long as you don’t wash the fabric after.  It’s not color fast on fabric. It will wash out. 

I hope you enjoy!

--> Heather Kuzyk is a graduate of Canada’s renown Craft and Design Program at Sheridan College in Ontario.  She has been an art teacher for the past 15 years, teaching young and old alike the joys of ceramic arts, mixed media, and art journaling.  

http://kookaburralaughing.blogspot.com/2013/04/glue-it-tuesday-and-other-thoughts.html

 In her spare time, Heather is an avid trader of Artist Trading Cards, art journaling, and spreading the Random Art of Kindness through the Art Abandonment movement.  You can read about her escapades on her blog.

Do you have a technique you'd like to share?  Email me at jessicabethsporn (at) gmail (dot) com with a brief description.  Upcoming artists sharing techniques are:

July:  Corrine Gilman
August: Maria McGuire

Techniques on Tuesdays

Jessica here, with another:

Techniques on Tuesdays!

Each month, on a Tuesday, we'll show you a video or photo step-out of an art technique.   Do you have a technique you'd like to share?  Email Jessica at jessicabethsporn (at) gmail (dot) com with a brief description. of what you'd like to share with Artists in Blogland.

This Tuesday, the amazing Marjie Kemper is guest blogging for us.

Marjie just came back from Ranger U, where she learned tons of new techniques.  I'm thrilled that she agreed to share some with us!
 

Marjie:  I'm happy to be guest blogger for AIB's Techniques on this Tuesday's feature! My style is shabby chic.  I’m particularly drawn to Tim Holtz, Dyan Reaveley, 7 Gypsies and Basic Grey. I love stamping, scrapping, collage, mixed media and art journaling.

http://www.marjiekemper.com/art-journaling-without-a-sentiment/

http://www.marjiekemper.com/distress-paints-meet-distress-stains-tutorial/

I'd like to share 3 techniques using Perfect Pearls by Ranger, in both the powder and mist forms.

Here 's a photo of the finished ATCs:

And here is how I created them:

These products are incredibly versatile, and I encourage you to give them a try. They look great in 'whole' form as shown above, and are also wonderful when diecut, punched, torn, etc. Hope you enjoyed the video, and that you'll come visit my site, where I blog regularly and share lots of step-by-step tutorials!

http://www.marjiekemper.com/xyron-something-old-and-something-new-tutorial/

Marjie  

Supplies used: Perfect Pearls, Perfect Pearls Mists, Perfect Medium, Ink Refresher, Water, Heat-it Tool, Sizzix ATC die and Rays Texture Fade      

Techniques on Tuesday

Jessica here, with another:

  Techniques on Tuesdays!
  

Each month, on a Tuesday, we'll show you a video or photo step-out of an art technique.  This Tuesday, it's our own Marcia Beckett with a fun and easy technique for us. 

Marcia:  Today I am going to show you a very fun technique for unleashing your inner child in your art journal.  When I was little, I would use this crayon transfer technique all the time.  It was so magical to me.  I had forgotten all about it until I saw a blog post on a crafty momma blog.  Visit the Chocolate Muffin Tree to see what she did with her kids.

First, start by coloring a loose piece of paper in patches.  Color really hard.. use those muscles!  Regular crayons work just fine, but you could also use gelatos or oil pastels.

My daughter helping to color a sheet.

Page covered in crayon and oil pastels

Place your colored page face down on top of a page in your art journal.

Write, draw and doodle with a ball point pen on top of the paper.  Apply lots of pressure with the pen.  While you are writing, the crayon will transfer over to the journal page.

Writing on top of the paper.

When you lift the paper, your drawings and words will transfer.

I don't want to confuse you, but another way to transfer is to place the colored sheet face up in between two pages.  Draw on the back of one of the pages, and the crayons will also transfer (in reverse).

Here is what I mean:

Colored paper underneath.  Draw on top with pen.

Here are a few more examples of in progress journal pages with crayon transfers on them.

What to do with the leftover crayon-colored sheets?  You can tear them up to create backgrounds!

Thanks for reading and feel free to say hi to Marcia on her personal art blog or her art teaching website with lots of art projects for kids.

So, what did you think?  Do you like this idea?  Or is it not your kind of thing?  (That's okay too.)  Tell us how you felt about Techniques on Tuesday.  What would you like to see for Techniques on Tuesday?  If you have a technique you would like to share with us in a tutorial, please let us know in the comments.

Have you checked out our Color This Quote challenge for April?  If you haven't done anything for it yet, maybe try this technique paired with this month's quote and link up!

Techniques on Tuesdays

Jessica here, to introduce a new feature at Artists in Blogland called:

 "Techniques on Tuesdays."
  

From time to time, we'll show you a video or photo step-out of an art technique with a linky list for art inspired by the technique.  I couldn't think of a better person to ask to do the first one than Carolyn Dube - my co-moderator of Fall Fearless and Fly, and teacher of the free online workshop Use Your Words, the monthly Gelli Plate Party, and the upcoming online class, A Colorful Workshop, Gelli Printing!

Carolyn:  One of the ways I get started making an art journal page is by looking for a jumping off point, a place to start.  A great source of starting points for me are my Gelli prints.  This print grabbed my eye today.  I built on what I was drawn to as I created this page.  Jack and the Beanstalk had a huge influence on it!

As I finished this art journal page it struck me that when someone picks up a paintbrush or makes a Gelli print, that is where the adventure begins. Just like Jack's magic beans took him on an adventure my Gelli Plate took me on one.   Where will your creativity lead you today?

Thank you Carolyn, for sharing this wonderful technique.  Please visit Carolyn's blog for lots of other techniques and tutorials and to sign up for her classes. 

Do you have a technique you'd like to share on a Techniques on Tuesdays post?  Let us know in the comments below!  

I hope Carolyn's inspired you to create.  Make sure to link your work below.