Creating a Master Board with DecoArt products

I had fun creating a different masterboard similar to last week's using DecoArt products.  There is no end to the color schemes that can be attained by using the Americana line of paints, they blend together very nicely.  I used a Gelli Plate and a piece of water color paper to make the background for this and just a few different colors of paint.  Here is a brief tutorial.

This is a combination of green and blue paints brayered onto my Gelli Plate, then when dry I used a stencil and some Titanium white paint.  To give a punch of color I added yellow paint with more stencils.  At this point the paper can be anything you want it to be.  You can cut it up and use it for cards, ATCs, whatever or in this case I'm using it as a background for a stenciled image.

When all the paint was dry I taped a Prima stencil to the background paper and applied Black Modeling paste with a palette knife.

Lifting the stencil carefully exposes the lovely stenciled image.  Now I can add some additional pops of color.

Some shading was added, catch lights to the eyes and red lips.  Now I have a "portrait" without really knowing how to draw.    I'll be submitting this to the "Bold and Bright"challenge Andy Skinner has going on right now.  Click on Andy's name for the link, you still have time to submit.


Here is the list of supplies used:

DecoArt Products:
Black Modeling Paste
White Gesso
Fluid Acrylics:  Quinacridone Red, Titanium White, Phithalo Turquoise, Antiquing Cream
Americana Paints:  Irish Moss, Yellow Green, Sea Glass, Saffron Yellow, Whispering Turquoise

Stencils:
Andy Skinner's "Have your say"
Prima "Sharon" by Jamie Dougherty
Dyan Reaveley
ArtistCellar

Miscellaneous:  140# watercolor paper, 03 black Micron pen, washi tape, Gelli Plate


Thanks so much for stopping by!  Your comments mean a lot to me, makes me feel like I'm not alone.  Take care ~ Hugs, Renee

A Master Board using DecoArt products

Since my return to South Carolina I've been playing with my DecoArt paints, etc.  We happened to have house guests this past week, our friends Beth and Kevin from Massachusetts.  Myrtle Beach is one of those locations that people seem to pass through often on their way to Florida so we'll be seeing a lot more of our old friends from Mass.  Kevin loves to tinker around the house so he and my husband adjust a lot of things around here when they pop in.  That gave Beth and me time together in the studio.  This was Beth's first foray into the world of mixed media.  Fun times.

To begin we chose to create master boards using DecoArt Americana Paints in Peacock Teal, True Red, Saffron Yellow, Payne's Grey and Cool White.  We applied a thin coating of Gesso to a large piece of 140# watercolor paper, allowed it to dry and then applied our paints.  We squirted the paint onto a Gelli Plate, brayered the paints together and pressed the watercolor paper onto the plate.  When this was dry we used Andy Skinner's stencils with some white gesso and then a touch of the Saffron Yellow paint.  Here's one of our master boards when completed.

The interesting part begins when the master board is cut into different sizes to be used for projects.  Beth began by making her first mixed media card ever.  She looks pretty pleased with her creation.

Beth created Card #2 with a Donna Downey stencil and some black gesso

We made our boards at the same time with the identical colors so we each had one to cut up.  I used mine to make postcards and a portrait using a Prima stencil and some black gesso.

By making a 11" by 15" master board you can create a series of pieces with the same background colors.  It is also a fun project to do with friends who often wonder what you actually do when you're creating art.  All who pass through this studio space are instantly hooked on mixed media when they release their own inner artist.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I certainly appreciate your visits and welcome comments, please leave one whenever you have time.  Hugs~ Renee

Got your coloring book? Now what......

Once you purchase a coloring book you may wonder....now what do I do with it?  Why, color in the pages, of course!  What can you color it with?  Anything you've got on hand.  I started coloring in some of the pages in my copy of The Coloring Studio, it took longer than I expected.  Each page is unique in its representation of the artist who created it.  It is more like a workbook to me since there are so many instructions and hints throughout the entire book.  I started with one of my favorites, Mou Saha, on page 100.  I used Pan Pastels, Memento Markers, gesso, stencils, Micron pens and an irRESISTible Pico Embellisher.  It was a meditative, fun, relaxing experience.  You are not facing a blank page and have the liberty to do whatever floats your boat.  This is what my first page looks like now.

Next I thought it only fair that I color my own design on page 60.  The beauty of the book is that you can add even more doodling to the pages or add stamps, etc. to the pages.  Remember the quote that says "art is never finished, just abandoned".  Play with the pages until you feel like abandoning them.  Here's my page.

I couldn't seem to stop adding tangles, color, stamps, etc. to the page.  Finally abandoned.

Whatever coloring book you choose I hope you're having some relaxing moments with it!  Later down the road I'm sure I'll be tearing out pages and doing other projects with them but for now I'll leave them in the book.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you're having a good one.  Hugs ~ Renee