Drawing faces with a Jane Davenport stencil

I drew this face using one of Jane Davenport's face stencils.  This one is called "uptilted", then I just tangled free hand around her face with a Micron05 pen.  She'd be fun to color in, don't you think?

Queen of the Butterflies

I hope you're having a great week!  Don't forget to comment on the previous post for an opportunity to win Stampington's newest Coloring Studio workbook.  It is not just another coloring book, it offers so many articles on techniques and tips to improve your coloring skills.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Hugs~Renee

"Dreamweaver" tangled drawing

I used a Jane Davenport stencil and a Micron pen to make this drawing.  It'd be a fun coloring page.

I hope this finds you all well!  Big hugs and thanks for stopping by ~ Renee

Searching for my Muse

As I have mentioned before we sold our house in Massachusetts and have moved down to South Carolina, quite a long adventure but we're here and getting settled in.  I was sure I packed my "Muse" and carried her around with me for the past 5 months or so but at times I feel like she has been misplaced, then suddenly she reappears!  Usually when I feel like this I start drawing faces and inspiration soon follows.  So here I go again with the faces.  I don't like to start on a blank page so I used the paper to clean off gesso from a Seth Apter stencil first, let it dry then used the paper as a paint palette for a couple of days, just something to clean off a brush or mix watercolor pencil colors on.  Next I used Jane Davenport's small face stencil to get me going in the right direction.

How do you access your Muse?  Leave a comment if you like and share your process!

Hugs ~ Renee

Tilted Up Stenciled Face

I am still intrigued with making faces.  I go through spurts with my creativity and periodically get "stuck" on certain techniques or making a series of projects that are all similar.  Do you do that too?

I have been making other things but can't share them as yet but I can share the faces I've been drawing in between.  I used the Jane Davenport stencil called Tilted Up  to draw this one.  Her face is colored with PanPastels, Memento Markers and white Signo pen.  The black background is painted with Dyan Reaveley's new black paint.  I must admit Dyan's paints are light, cover well, dry quickly and have a nice feel to them after they dry.

Now I just need to journal on the left side with a white pen or I could do a Zentangle design with that same Signo white pen.  Decisions, decisions!  I hope you're having a great week and doing something creative.  Take care ~ Renee

The Face of a Daydreamer

I did one more face this week using Jane Davenport stencils.  I used the stencil called "Tilted Up" in the petite series but made it look as if her eyes are closed.

I was doing this as a daydreamer sketch describing who she is by the words in her hair.  I gave it a little color with watercolor pencils.  Sounds a little like an old song actually.

Just another face added to my small notebook.
Hugs ~ Renee

A Face with Wide Eyes and Tangled Hair

This face was drawn using the "Tilted Up" face stencil by Jane Davenport.  After drawing the face first in Stabilo pencil, this pencil line can be smudged or blended with water, then I did the hair with a Fude Ball black pen.  The face was then drawn over with the Fude pen.  I used Pan Pastels for the colors on the face and tendrils.  Highlights of white were done with my Signo pen.  

I'm doing a group of faces in my Dyan Reaveley small journal.  It is an older journal so the pages do not react well with water, I understand that her new journal now is as sturdy as the larger one.

I've found that the more faces I do the easier they get.  I would encourage all of you to try it, let me know how that works for you!  Hugs ~ Renee

Map art using Artistcellar stencils

I decided to do a little map art today using Jane Davenport's face stencils again.  I looked through my Job Lot 2008 one dollar map book and there is a town in Massachusetts called "Holland".  That is my daughter's name so the face looks a bit like her.  Here is the finished face followed by a short tutorial in the event that you'd like to try your hand at it.

When I do map art the first thing I do is choose the map I want to use.  Next I put the stencil down and then outline the features with a pencil.  I draw the neck and shoulders after the face is sketched into place.

 I find that the eyes turn out better if I leave the stencil in place and start placing the eyes and pupils within the stencil.  You can always adjust the features later.

After that I start putting the hair around the face using pencils, Pan Pastels and colored pens.  She looked like she needed bangs so I cut some twigs out using a Sizzix die using the same map paper.

I continue to adjust the colors on the face and hair using Pan Pastels and white gesso.

Instead of just bangs I added another layer of paper twigs going the opposite direction to form a crown like appearance.

Then I cut a flower out of some additional map paper using Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals die.  I glued that to her head to mimic a crown with a spring flower popped into it.  I used another stencil called Bodacious Pods, also made by Artistcellar,  to make it look like she is wearing a white lace dress.  I used my palette knife to spread a small amount of white gesso through the stencil randomly on the upper body.

I love doing map art, next time I am going to do a similar face but turn it into a personal life experience map.  Doesn't that sound like fun?  Thanks so much for stopping by today, please leave a comment if you have time.  In the meantime, take care, talk to you soon. ~ Hugs~ Renee

Art Journal Mermaid using Jane Davenport stencils

I'm supposed to be working but I keep getting distracted.  I moved my journal to clean the desk and next thing I knew I found a Jane Davenport face stencil that I had misplaced.  I thought before I put it away I'd just draw my one face for the day.  Just a little sketch, here's what I ended up with.

In all fairness the background was already done.  Just waiting for a mermaid to swim through it.

It has been sitting there for months now just waiting for something exciting to be written upon it.  I drew the face on some watercolor paper using the stencil as my guide.  Then I colored it in with Pan Pastels.  Just like real make up she started out with a base coat.

I just keep layering on the Pan Pastels until I get the right combination and then proceed to the hair.  Using a magic pencil (Aquarellable) I make the lines that I will smear later with my finger or a blending tool.  Then I start adding the colors to go with the background.  This is one of the places in the world where green hair is completely acceptable.

Looking at her I thought "this girl needs a tail" so I cut one out of watercolor paper and did my journaling on that before coloring it in with Pan Pastels.  I wrote all my daydreams down about getting out of this COLD weather and going to sunny warm waters where I might run into this mermaid while snorkeling off of a yacht.  Right before the crew makes me a fabulous gourmet lunch.  One last swim and there she is!

Well, a girl can dream can't she?  You know what they say you gotta dream big and in color!  Keep warm or at least keep thinking warm thoughts.  Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll get "back" to work now, I promise.  Take care ~ Renee

Art Journal Faces

I am working in my small, 5" by 8", art journal using the Jane Davenport petite face stencils.  I like the results and the size.  This is one that makes me think of Spring.  I began by outlining her face with my "magic" pencil better known as Stabilo Aquarellable pencil.  To blend it I used a water brush and then added color.

I used TCW stencils for the the flowers and IMAGINE Crafts Fireworks! Spray in the lovely Desert Sand, Bamboo Leaves and Summer Sky colors.  Then I used Pan Pastels for the face and the red and yellow flowers.  A few outlines with a Fude black permanent pen and Voila!  Spring.

Thanks for stopping by.  Take care ~ Renee

Stenciled Face of Autumn

The new Jane Davenport face stencils are petite so they fit perfectly in Dyan Reaveley's new sized journaling book.  Dyan's book measures about 8 1/2" by 5 1/2" which is a great sized journal to pop in your purse.  Very portable.  So what I like to do is trace the face stencils in the book and then when I have a little time I can work on them.  If I'm out and about and waiting for someone I can always tangle the hair if I choose to.

Today's face is one traced with permanent ink and then I used water based inks for her hair and PanPastels for her face.  I have always loved the poem called "Maud Muller" by John Greenleaf Whittier.   His words are so moving: "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these:  It might have been."  I thought she looked like someone reflecting on things that might have been.  She also reminds me that it is Autumn.  Always a time of reflection for me, maybe for you too.

Have a great day, give it your best shot!  Hugs to all of you ~ Renee

Drawing faces on unusual surfaces

When I'm drawing faces I do them sometimes on unusual surfaces like a large envelope.  I chose a white envelope to do this one on and used Pan Pastels for most of it.  For the eyes and lips I did use inks and acrylic paints.  She looks like Mermaid to me, I should draw her tail on the back of the envelope.  This is done using Jane Davenport's face stencil.

For the next one I used a piece of water color paper that has been serving as a kraft sheet that I clean off stencils on.  There are all kinds of paint, inks and gesso on this paper, very random.  I put the stencil on the cleanest part of the paper and added some hair with Inktense pencils and water.

I used Jane Davenport's 3/4 face stencil for this one.  I thought her hair looked quite dramatic!  I love these stencils, if you get a chance to try them out don't hesitate.

I hope you're having a great week.  We've been so busy trying to enjoy the last days of summer, fall will be on us before you know!  Take care, talk to you soon. ~ Renee