I'm immersed in classes this month (you can check out WHY in my last post) so I wanted to come up with a quick #fridaymusings post and what's better than a list!
Ten Things I've Recently Learned (or RElearned!)
- Tracing a stencil on the INSIDE is easier that tracing on the outside. This is one of those DUH moments (of which I seem to have a lot lately). But. I have a little card I use to make the grids in my Grid Journal. I couldn't find it the other day and found instead, a small viewfinder. That thing made tracing the grids SO. MUCH. EASIER.
- Apply plaster with a brush. I have struggled in the past with getting thin layers of plaster/gesso. Why did it never occur to me to use a brush rather than a spackle or palette knife?!? Thanks Miss Stephanie!
- Use your Posca Pen caps to make circle marks. Another DUH. Its right there. It's already uncapped. Either express some extra paint onto your palette and dip your cap into it OR just run the pen around the rim. Easy Peasy.
- Splatter water on almost dry acrylics. Let it sit for a minute then simply mop up with a dry towel or rub off. It creates wonderful negative splatter marks. Highly recommend!
- Make marks on dark magazine images. Put your page over some sequin waste or a fruit bag or stencil and lightly sand with a high count sand paper. Instant texture!
- Ultramarine is a WARM blue. Be still my heart. I've always had such a hard time using blue in my work. I've figured out teal. Mostly. And Payne's Gray because it's essentially black. But anything else? I always frig it up. As my tendency is toward the warm side of the spectrum most blues don't play well with that side of the colour wheel. But Ultramarine does. Thanks to Louise Fletcher for that eye opener!
- Contour drawing with your eyes OPEN. I've done many BLIND contour drawings over the years. But it never occurred to me to keep my pencil on the paper while looking at what I'm drawing. The result is a lovely, loose sketch. Thanks to Jeanne Oliver for that little tip!
- Coloured pencils are a delight over watercolour. I love coloured pencils and have used them many times in my art journey. Most often as a stand alone though and I'm not sure why I never tried over watercolours. They work SO. WELL. Go. Try it!
- Colour studies as gel print fodder. Another DUH moment. I've often used monochromatic papers in my Grid Journal or general collaging. But making gelprints EXCLUSIVELY for a collage grid? No more searching for light, middle and dark tones cuz you've already done the work. Perfect for compositional studies. Hooya!
- Mixed media means MIXED media. And maybe my biggest DUH! exclamation this week. Sometimes I am SO dense. Just because you start out with watercolour (or acrylic or collage) does not mean you can't introduce other mediums into that work. This has been an ongoing growth cycle for me but the idea that a piece can be representational AND abstracted? Or refined AND whimsical? THIS was such an eye opener and DOOR opener for me. I've stuffed my graphic/illustrative nature down thinking it wasn't "fine art" enough and here, all along, I could've been incorporating it into my work.
And these are the reasons I take classes.
Because... sometimes even if you know you don't KNOW.
Change is a comin' folks!
Enjoy!