IllustratingStories.com

Crusade #38

2010-03-12T09:53:45-08:00

We are once again joining the GPP Street Team with Crusade #38 - Grab a Tissue. We had tons of fun playing with tissue paper and using it as an element in our art. Enjoy the video!

DIY Mark Makers: Object from Around the House

2010-03-10T07:36:01-08:00

We love all the beautiful stencils, stamps, drawing tools, and masks that can be purchased out there. However, collecting them can get quite expensive (trust us on this one, heh-heh). Also, there are times when we want our marks to be, well, a little less fabricated and a little more organic. Then again, there are times when we are simply looking to make the odd mark.

Nothing beats a mark maker that was intended for something else (like our pizza cutters). The objects that make those unique marks are worth their weight in gold! Best of all, they are free because they are things we already own. They're just waiting to be discovered from somewhere around the house!

WARNING: If you do pull something from around the house to use in art making, be sure to keep it out of the kitchen and away from food preparation/consumption stations from then on. Otherwise, it could be bad for your health. Many of our arty products can be toxic or are known in the state of California to cause cancer. So, please be careful.

There are a variety of house-hold objects featured as drawing tools, masks, stencils, and stamps in our tutorial today, including a pizza cutter, mini knitting needle, key, silk flower, strainer for a drain, piece of rain gutter screening, orange juice can lids, buttons, basting brush, and more! They serve so many other functions, but make the best marks...

...................................................................................................................

CALL to READERS: Please show us your mark makers. Leave us a comment with a link back to your own arts and crafts projects utilizing unconventional mark makers. We'd love to see your creative pieces and learn about the objects you used to make them!

Substrates, Foundations, and Media -- OH MY!

2010-03-08T00:01:00-08:00

I Blame Artfest (for My Happy Journey)

Until Artfest last year, my visual art education included a few classes in grammar and high school and a few books partially read. Artfest 2009 opened up a new world to me, introducing new mediums and media (primarily watercolor papers and Golden acrylics). It made me realize that the differences in media (e.g., papers) matter and gave me the bug to learn more. Then, a few months ago, I decided to expand my knowledge, taking a few online classes with Misty Mawn (one of my Artfest teachers) and enrolling in a class at a local art school.

Since then, I've learned a lot about media (or substrates/foundations). And, what I've learned has been a great supplement to things I learned about printing and paper when I was in the printing industry. All of the information together (along with some new tips from the internet) has given me a greater appreciation for media and has given me greater confidence when selecting substrates for any given project, whether it is a collage, a scrapbook layout, an art journal page, or something else.

Things to Consider

There are a variety of things I think about now when selecting media:

Color: The brighter the foundation (whether it is paper or wood), the more intense the colors will be when added to it. However, brighter whites may mean a cooler tone for the overall piece, depending on the application.

Weight (for Paper): The thicker the paper, the more durable it will be and the better able to take abuse. However, the thickest paper will not feed into my printer which is rated for just 80 pounds.

NOTE: Paper weight is based upon a ream (usually 500 sheets) of paper at a given size. In general, the heavier the weight, the thicker the paper. (Wikipedia has some great information about this.)

Finish/Tooth: There are a variety of ways to create texture for and finish a substrate (e.g., coatings, processing, etc.). Additionally, there may be different finishes within a given process. For example, there are typically three finishing categories for drying watercolor paper: Rough (paper dried by hanging and generally pretty textured), cold pressed (paper dried in stacks and somewhat flattened), and hot pressed (cold pressed paper that is run through a hot press that smooths the texture).

The more tooth (or bumps on a surface -- whether pronounced or minute), the more there is for paints and inks to cling to. However, the more evident the texture (e.g., the bumpier it gets) the less it may reflect light (because of the shadows cast by the bumps). Likewise, coatings on substrates (such as a clay coating on paper) can change the way light is reflected or absorbed.

Finally, besides light reflection, a substrate's finish impacts whether or not a medium will bleed through, stay on top, or run off the foundation. It impacts the dry-time of mediums, as well. Depending on the project, it may be prudent to prepare a substrate so that it works better with your medium of choice than it would if left as is. For example, it's generally a good idea to prepare a wooden board (or canvas, for that matter) with Gesso so that the mediums won't bleed through.

Durability/Grade: Though most substrates are archival quality, some of the papers are buffered and the buffer eventually expires. So, there is a difference between foundations in terms of durability over time. For example, buffered papers can last for decades (~ 70 years), while other substrates (including paper made from cotton) can last for centuries. Typically, artist grade materials are designed for durability, while student grade materials are designed for practice.

Preparation: Before I begin a project, I like to know what I'm in for in terms of preparation. After all, some of the substrates (like watercolor paper and canvas) require stretching before use to maintain the best durability for the foundation. Once watercolor paper dries, it can be released from the mechanism that stretched it. Canvas, on the other hand, shouldn't be released from its stretchers. Doing so can damage the art. Likewise, some substrates require reworking the finish so that the mediums won't be absorbed through or run off the substrate. For example, Gesso is used to stiffen and condition canvas to accept paint. Knowing this helps me determine whether or not I want to use the substrate for a given project and what's required if I do.

NOTE: There are often ready-made options for foundations with laborious preparation requirements. For example, there are canvas and watercolor papers that are ready to go as is (e.g., pre-stretched and painted with Gesso). Personally, I prefer the ready-to-go options. They allow me to focus on creating.

Brand: For the most part, I'll shop according to price and not worry about brand (or grade) unless the application (how I'm going to use a particular material) matters. For example, both Fabriano and Aquerello deliver beautiful results via their artist grade watercolor papers. However, I've learned from other artists that Fabriano is one of the best papers for folding (no cracking). This is an important feature for those making art journals with this exceptional paper.

Media Options

The following table is a short list of various substrates available that I (and Jackie) have enjoyed using:

Substrate/Foundation	We've used them with...	Notes
Acrylic Sheets/Plexiglas	Alcohol Inks and acrylics	The surface of this is slick and inks and paints can run right off. It's best to go thick (not so much water) with the paints and to mask for the inks. In addition, paints scratch easily (so this isn't a very durable substrate. But, it is clear and that makes it interesting!).
Canvas Made of linen, cotton, a linen-cotton mix, and synthetics, this substrate is available as a fabric, a board, or pre-stretched fabric on a frame.	Acrylics, inks, and watercolors	May require Gesso and depending on the application, may or may not require stretching.
Sticky-Back Canvas	Acrylics, inks, watercolors, and desk-jet printing	We love this material. We don't need to stretch it, it has an adhesive backing, and it is so versatile. It does pretty well in the printer, too.
Paper: Canvas Watercolor Cardstock	Acrylics, inks, watercolors, and desk-jet printing* TIP: Heavier papers handle working and reworking much better than lighter papers. However, preparing a lighter weight with Gesso can help the lighter papers handle the abuse.	Depending on the weight and your printer's weight rating (mine is limited to 80 lbs), any of these paper choices can be a great option for printing scrapbook layouts, collage, and art journal pages. Typically, these papers have a lot of texture. If printing, please do NOT* exceed the weight rating of your printer because it can harm/break your printer. (Seriously, I've done it and it's not pretty.)
Artist Grade Watercolor Papers 140 - 300 lbs, Hot Pressed	Acrylics, inks, and watercolors	Quite simply a dream to work with and very good at taking abuse.
Claybord	Acrylics, inks, and watercolors	A clay coating gives this tooth, but the substrate is soft enough to scratch through to give it added texture. It's an interesting substrate to use.
Wood	Acrylics, inks, and watercolors	Wood is fun because it is full of surprises in terms of texture. However, it does require preparation so that the medium doesn't bleed through/disappear. We often prepare ours with a couple of coats of Gesso.
Transparencies (Ink-Jet)	Acrylics, inks, watercolors, and desk-jet printing Not for alcohol inks (the coating that gives tooth for the ink, isn't very compatible with the alcohol).	Transparencies are fun and work very well as a substrate that you add to a substrate. However, they are not very stiff (or thick) and aren't the best for the primary substrate (unless you hang them) and don't handle abuse (working/re-working) very well. Transparencies work GREAT for transfers done with gel medium.

Some Closing Thoughts

The above information a place to start, but not exhaustive. Likewise, it is a reflection of my own journey, experiments, and discoveries. Please consider this post as a convenient compilation of links and resources for the curious. Then, use the information as a jumping off point -- a place to begin your own experiments with substrates and mediums. In the end, it will be your own process, projects, discoveries, and preferences that guide your substrate choices.

ATC Video

2010-03-05T13:39:42-08:00

This week in the studio, Liz and I worked on our ATCs for the exchange on our Ning Network. The theme for the project is childhood stories/memories. In the video we share a little bit of art and quite a bit of the story behind our projects.

As always, our studio time is filled with laughter. Enjoy!

Textures + Blending = AWESOME DIY Backgrounds/Paper

2010-03-03T15:17:04-08:00

Today's video tutorial is for the DIY creative. It illustrates how easy it is to create your own digital background (or paper) with a few digital photos and Photoshop (CS4 -- but, translates well to other versions/Elements, too).

In this video, I demonstrate how to use a photo of concrete cement, another of a mesh screen, and a pattern that comes with Photoshop to create a textured digital page. Through textures and pattern -- and, with the tool's blending options -- the possibilities are endless. After watching, you might just catch the bug for designing and making your own digital paper for collage, scrapbooking layouts, and art journal pages, too!

Enjoy and happy creating!

2 New Digi Capers Today

2010-03-02T09:35:00-08:00

We have two new Digi Capers today @ 99 cents. Both of them are combo packs with papers and notions devoted to chickens and the farm. We call them our Flew the Coop combo packs. They are so great together that we just had to release them both.

These combo packs are perfect for scrapbook layouts, collage, art journal pages, and more. They are digital and can be used digitally or printed for any project (please see our tutorials for more information on printing).

You can check out the kits and our examples in the store.

Canvas Journal

2010-03-01T00:01:00-08:00

I love that part of my job is to spend hours in my studio playing with all sorts of messy things. My favorite days are those when I do not need to leave the house and can get into my "studio" clothes and lose myself in a project.

Last week, I not only got some uninterrupted studio time, but the project I created was extra special. A canvas journal created especially for my niece for her 13th birthday.

This journal started out as a piece of drop cloth, that I cut to size, painted, and then sewed together. A simple process and my favorite part was that I could make the journal fit this fun pattern paper.

It was a great project to get lost in and inspired many new ideas along the way. This week I will be exploring a few new versions of the journal and am looking forward to turning this into a class later this year.

Not only was this a gift for her, but I am going to get some studio time with my niece as she begins her journey into journaling. Love when a gift for someone blesses my life as well.

Birthday Celebration

2010-02-26T07:40:55-08:00

I was so blessed last weekend to have my dear girlfriends join me for a three day celebration of....well...ME! (ha ha ha)

Actually it was a weekend all about friendship, food, and fun. These ladies (Liz, Reenie, Allee, Regie, & my Aunt Judy) mean the world to me and I am so glad that we had a chance to just "be" together. Daily life pressures and commitments were left at home and we could just breathe deeply and relax.

We had a gorgeous house right on the beach in Neskowin, Oregon. I woke up to the ocean waves and went to sleep gazing at the stars. Simply magical.

Here is a glimpse into our birthday weekend...

New Messy Hands Paper Pack

2010-02-25T07:42:04-08:00

Creating these pages became a labor of love. They each represent a special time with family and therefore are very close to my heart.

Today we have released a kit in Digi Capers, with the backgrounds I used for these pages, along with a few more to tickle your creative toes!

All of our digital kits are $.99 and come with a great terms of use.

3 DIY Patterns via Stamping

2010-02-24T09:30:30-08:00

Pattern is one of my favorite ways to create interest in backgrounds for my illustrated stories. And, some of my favorite patterns arrive by stamping with a few beloved stamps and a variety of inks. There is just something beautiful about stamping; the imperfections, the handmade quality of the technique, that something that gives each mark a sort of organic feel. Whether it's for a collage, a scrapbooking layout, or an art journal page, I love stamping! Naturally, this resulted in the following technique video that demonstrates how to create DIY patterns in three ways:

Basic pattern: When each mark is lined up in rows and columns.
Basic offset pattern: When the marks are offset from each other, row by row and column by column.
Organic pattern: When there doesn't appear to be an obvious tile in the pattern -- no rows or columns. It's as if the pattern might appear in nature.

Enjoy and happy stamping and creating!