I've been working on both versions of my art journal workshop exercise off and on for the past few days, squeezing in a scribble here, a smudge there, and a swipe of the paintbrush in passing.
Right now my desk is covered in supplies -- my color journal and my art journal, various watercolor pencils and watercolor crayons, pens, brushes, paints, and various other implements of artistic nature. And -- most significantly for this story -- a jar of water to rinse my brushes.
At least, that jar of water HAD been on my desk. When I walked away from the project early last evening, I forgot to empty it. Mayhem (one of my loyal feline studio assistants) took care of that for me.
You know it's a bad thing when you're sitting downstairs and hear a hard clink, a soft thump, and the sound of water hitting a hardwood floor in your office above.
The damage to the desk, floor, and supplies was minimal. (The toe I stubbed on the chair in the dark, however, not so much.)
Let that be a lesson to me: empty the water jar. No exceptions!
Showing posts with label cat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cat. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Artist Journal Workshop 1: Continued
In an earlier post, I shared my work-in-progress for the Strathmore Visual Journal Workshop 1. Picking up where I left off, I began adding other media to the now-dry collage page.
Lesson 2 called for adding more layers and color to the page, such as using gesso to paint over unwanted elements, adding "under-journaling" using graphite, enhancing the depth and shape of the elements using charcoal, adding color with oil pastels, and pulling it all together with a gesso wash.
Lesson 3 called for adding more color and texture to the negative space and image elements with oil pastel, re-doing outlines with pencil, and adding hints of color throughout.
I made an honest attempt to follow instructions, but ultimately my method varied in several respects.
Layer 4 -- The instructions called for adding lines with graphite and then shadows and depth with charcoal. I also added conte' crayon because I liked way the reddish color echoed the layer of scrapbook paper. The charcoal just seems harsh and dirty.
Layer 5 -- The instructions called adding color with oil pastel, and then giving the whole thing a light wash of gesso. I used oil pastels as instructed, but I simply did not like working with them, and I'm unhappy with the effect. (For more on that part of the process, see "Warming up oil pastels: Cup Warmer vs Warm Cat".) I couldn't find my gesso, so I used light washes of white gouche and a mostly-opaque flesh-tone watercolor to tie the elements together.
Layer 6 -- I added more color using watercolor, a step that was not in the original lesson.
Layer 7 -- The graphite disappeared completely into the page, so I used ink where I wanted to see the lines. This is where I stopped, after adding more color, more charcoal, more oil pastel, and ink. I probably should have stopped sooner. Like the page says, you've gotta start somewhere. Knowing where to stop is something entirely different.
I still don't know what Lesson 4 will hold, but I bet it involves adding more layers to this piece. I'd like to try a do-over, using only the materials I'm comfortable with.
Lesson 2 called for adding more layers and color to the page, such as using gesso to paint over unwanted elements, adding "under-journaling" using graphite, enhancing the depth and shape of the elements using charcoal, adding color with oil pastels, and pulling it all together with a gesso wash.
Lesson 3 called for adding more color and texture to the negative space and image elements with oil pastel, re-doing outlines with pencil, and adding hints of color throughout.
I made an honest attempt to follow instructions, but ultimately my method varied in several respects.
Layer 4 -- The instructions called for adding lines with graphite and then shadows and depth with charcoal. I also added conte' crayon because I liked way the reddish color echoed the layer of scrapbook paper. The charcoal just seems harsh and dirty.
Layer 5 -- The instructions called adding color with oil pastel, and then giving the whole thing a light wash of gesso. I used oil pastels as instructed, but I simply did not like working with them, and I'm unhappy with the effect. (For more on that part of the process, see "Warming up oil pastels: Cup Warmer vs Warm Cat".) I couldn't find my gesso, so I used light washes of white gouche and a mostly-opaque flesh-tone watercolor to tie the elements together.
Layer 6 -- I added more color using watercolor, a step that was not in the original lesson.
Layer 7 -- The graphite disappeared completely into the page, so I used ink where I wanted to see the lines. This is where I stopped, after adding more color, more charcoal, more oil pastel, and ink. I probably should have stopped sooner. Like the page says, you've gotta start somewhere. Knowing where to stop is something entirely different.
I still don't know what Lesson 4 will hold, but I bet it involves adding more layers to this piece. I'd like to try a do-over, using only the materials I'm comfortable with.
Warming up oil pastels: Cup Warmer vs Warm Cat
I've been doing an art journal workshop, which specified oil pastels in the materials list. The object is to add color while also providing a water-resistant quality in the work.
I'm not a fan of oil pastels. I find them greasy and unappealing. I bought a set of Cray-Pas a couple of years ago at Cargo Largo, but I've hardly used them. They are just not "my thing".
Being open to new experiences, I dug out my sad, unloved box of Cray-Pas for this workshop assignment. Due to neglect, or perhaps the chilly room temperature, they were hard, scratchy, and unwilling to blend on the page. I needed to warm them up.
My hands, which are nearly as cold as the room, failed to soften the pastels enough to blend easily. I briefly considered sticking them in the microwave for a few seconds, but decided that may result in failure of epic proportions.
I considered the other two heat sources at hand: a USB-driven cup warmer and a warm cat.
The pastels warmed under the cat were only slightly more blendable than the ones at room temperature.
The pastels warmed on the cup warmer were significantly more blendable than the ones at room temperature and the ones at cat temperature. I used these to continue the workshop exercise.
I'm still not a fan of oil pastels. They feel like sludge under my fingers, they don't resist the water-based layer as well as pure wax or crayon, they're useless for detail, and they clog up my pens and pencils on subsequent layers. This sad, unloved box of Cray-Pas is going back into my box of seldom-used supplies.
I'm not a fan of oil pastels. I find them greasy and unappealing. I bought a set of Cray-Pas a couple of years ago at Cargo Largo, but I've hardly used them. They are just not "my thing".
Being open to new experiences, I dug out my sad, unloved box of Cray-Pas for this workshop assignment. Due to neglect, or perhaps the chilly room temperature, they were hard, scratchy, and unwilling to blend on the page. I needed to warm them up.
My hands, which are nearly as cold as the room, failed to soften the pastels enough to blend easily. I briefly considered sticking them in the microwave for a few seconds, but decided that may result in failure of epic proportions.
I considered the other two heat sources at hand: a USB-driven cup warmer and a warm cat.
- On the cup warmer, I placed several pastels on a scrap of aluminum foil.
- Under the warm cat, I placed the rest of the pastels, still in their box.
- After 10 minutes, I tested the results.
The pastels warmed under the cat were only slightly more blendable than the ones at room temperature.
The pastels warmed on the cup warmer were significantly more blendable than the ones at room temperature and the ones at cat temperature. I used these to continue the workshop exercise.
I'm still not a fan of oil pastels. They feel like sludge under my fingers, they don't resist the water-based layer as well as pure wax or crayon, they're useless for detail, and they clog up my pens and pencils on subsequent layers. This sad, unloved box of Cray-Pas is going back into my box of seldom-used supplies.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Making glass gem pins...
Ah, there's nothing quite like the smell of E-6000* in the morning!This morning I've been making glass pins to wear, to donate to the NFPW Education Fund auction next week, and to sell at Archon next month.
I start with a small image of one of my paintings, apply a glob of glue, then squish the gem into the glob and slide it around until the glue is evenly distributed and the image is centered. The photo shows what it looks like at this stage.
After the glue has had time to cure, I'll trim the edges, glue on the pin back, and then seal the back and edges with a mat varnish.
Alternatively, I could glue a magnet on the back, in which case I'd skip the varnish.
*silcone-based industrial-strength adhesive
Monday, March 17, 2008
I didn't do it! ACEO
"I didn't do it!" by Allison Stein.ACEO 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches, watercolor on Arches 140# cold pressed paper.
I posted this little darling to my ETSY shop last week. I used a combination of watercolor and watercolor pencil. The texture was created with salt. I love the expressiveness of the eyes and the color, but I do believe I've reached the limit of how big I should make them.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Playing Catch-Up....
Posting several ACEOs created over the past month or so. All were created using watercolor on 140# paper. I've posted all of them to My Etsy shop (see right column for link).
(above) "Valentine? What Valentine?"
ACEO 2.5x3.5 inches, watercolor on 140# paper
(above) "Gift From The Heart",ACEO 2.5x3.5 inches, watercolor on 140# paper
(above) "I Will Find It!",
ACEO 2.5x3.5 inches, watercolor on 140# paper
(above) "Just One Sniff",
ACEO 2.5x3.5 inches, watercolor on 140# paper
(above) "Hello in There!",
ACEO 2.5x3.5 inches, watercolor on 140# paper
(above) "Heart, I Haz It!"ACEO 2.5x3.5 inches, watercolor on 140# paper
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Three ACEOs
Three ACEOs to ponder. All of which should be posted soon in my Etsy store. 
Pretty Cleo, 2.5"x3.5" ACEO, watercolor on 140# Arches
"Pretty Cleo" is another attempt at an image I posted a few months ago. She's a cutie, isn't she?
The Twilight Castle, 2.5"x3.5" ACEO, watercolor and watercolor pencil on 140# Canson
This ACEO started as I contemplated castles and landscapes. I need to start adding more environments to my work. My imagination apparently inhabits a barren, rocky world that has specatular sunsets.
Smokey Joe, 2.5"x3.5" ACEO on 3"x4" paper, watercolor on 140# Canson
"Smokey Joe" started as a practice piece, experimenting with wet-in-wet on Canson paper. He's such a well-mannered kitty.
Pretty Cleo, 2.5"x3.5" ACEO, watercolor on 140# Arches
"Pretty Cleo" is another attempt at an image I posted a few months ago. She's a cutie, isn't she?
The Twilight Castle, 2.5"x3.5" ACEO, watercolor and watercolor pencil on 140# Canson
This ACEO started as I contemplated castles and landscapes. I need to start adding more environments to my work. My imagination apparently inhabits a barren, rocky world that has specatular sunsets.
Smokey Joe, 2.5"x3.5" ACEO on 3"x4" paper, watercolor on 140# Canson
"Smokey Joe" started as a practice piece, experimenting with wet-in-wet on Canson paper. He's such a well-mannered kitty.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Who? Me? 4x6 OSWA
Who? Me?, 4" x 6" watercolor on Arches 140#
I'm back! After an incredibily busy summer with back-to-back art shows, science fiction conventions, and work-related travel, I'm back in my studio and putting brush to paper. Feels good.
Here's a quick little painting, titled "Who? Me?", inspired by a silly cat photo I found on the Internet. It's 4" x 6" on Arches 140#. Looks like I need more practice with perspective.
This painting is an OSWA, which is an acronym for "Original Small Work of Art". That means it is a standard 4" x 6" size and will fit in standard photo albums and frames. Like ACEOs, the OSWA size standard is becoming all the rage on Ebay and other art websites.
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