With the rest of the alphabet stencils cut (ok… v, w, x, y, z aren’t done yet… it’s a bit fiddly and I wanted to get on and play!) today’s page is all about sat sat saturday…
Layering up the letters, positive and negative cut-outs
Using a mix of acrylics, glazes, watercolors, gouache, pastels and charcoal to see how they work out
I left the Frisket Stencils overnight, and yesterday morning I unpeeled the results…
See what I mean about the deckled edges? See close up, there’s the trace of an outline where the colors bled under the stencil.
At a midway point in the process I added more stencils over the already colored page, it’s made a ghostly image
I also began cutting an alphabet stencil. I was playing about with the cut out letters……
The letters placed at the edge of the page were on flatter paper so weren’t so prone to under-bleed of the ink – slightly crispier clean edges!
I do love stencils, and after watching this vid from Julie Pritchard and Chris Cozens I was inspired to follow their technique using my own stencils. (I especially like the way they recycle the colors from the stencils onto tissue paper to reuse later on in collages)
So, I got myself some Frisket Film (if you’re shopping in the UK I can recommend Artifolk.)
Frisket is a low tack film that can be be cut to shape with scissors or craft knife, made especially for airbrush masks. (although I’m not air brushing, I’m using a spray bottle with dye.)
Used on a flat paper it sticks just enough to withstand leaks and dislodging, but on the bumpy lumpy surface of my sketchbook page it doesn’t have enough ‘cling’ to make a completely water-tight seal, but I’m happy with this – where the color oozes under it makes for a deckled edge to the stenciled lines.
Building up the layers is a lot of fun!
Dabbing the puddles of color to soak up excess liquid keeps it (slightly) under control!)
After letting it dry I added a couple more Frisket shapes, re-sprayed and a sprinkling of Brusho powder.
Check back later and I’ll show you how it developed from here!
Sunday 29 April: This page started out with some overspill remnants from previous inky fun – the golden orange magenta dyes.
It’s been a while since I played with watercolors and the blue forms are today’s addition.
I’m messing about with different techniques – this time using a water brush dipped directly into the tube of watercolor paint.
The wonderful rich turquoise is from the Koh-I-Noor dye paint
I love the magic of colors interacting!
Watery puddles take the pigments in their flow. As the water evaporates the trails are left.
Through the pages of the recent weeks I’ve made some unexpected discoveries:
Everyday I look forward to my bit of time set aside for play, there are similarities, sure, but everyday is individually distinct from it’s neighbours.
The ‘no rules’ rule liberates any planning, expectations, or regrets. By photographing the interim stages they are captured, so when they vanish under another layer of something-totally-else, I still have a memory of them to refer back to.
The properties of one small detail can infuse into other parts of the page. A textured paper inspired these scored lines…
Sometimes new characters drift through my subconscious and out the end of the pen. They reside here, waiting to return in a future idea. Or not. It doesn’t matter!
The adage less is more does not apply. The contents of the page unconsciously reflect the content of the day, and some days are bright, loud, bustling and care not for a controlled, contrived design and color scheme. They are just pieced together with what is at hand.
The possibilities ARE limitless!
Thursday’s page focused on utilising bits of the dyed paper through stacking n stitching, to exploring cut and torn shapes
I’m so glad I posted the beginnings of Wednesday, cos all trace of that pink ricey start are now hidden beneath layers of acrylic dots!
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