Funky Portraits

Posted on April, 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

I have always been fascinated with faces… and this year I have been having a blast doing an online course called Life Book with Willowing Arts.

I have so enjoyed learning about portraiture , this course has really given me the confidence to step out and really explore different ways to paint and draw faces, and now I am trying to use what I have learnt in how to create a face and start to create my own style incuding different textures with my  mixed media!

If you have always wanted to do portraits then check out Tamara’s site ! here www.willowing.org

All these Portraits are Painted with acrylic paint, some backgrounds are painted some are I have created using different forms of stamping.

So here are a selection of the  fun and fantastical faces I have created …

thinking…

I wonder…

half  the story…

Pixie

Blueberry surprise

Looking Back…

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Portraits …Sketches

Posted on April, 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Inspired by Tam www.willowing.org

fascinate me… so I have started to spend some time looking at creating different types of faces with different mediums… this is my first Sketch of a Basic Face with Graphite ( which is simply a Pencil!) ….

Pencil sketch

Pencil Sketch

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Gel Medium Workshop 24th March 2012 – Book Now!

Posted on March, 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

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Create this Cool Marbling effect with Shaving Foam and Golden Air Brush Colours

Posted on March, 1, 2012 | 1 Comment

Ok this is a great way to create a lovely Marbling effect!

Material List – Paper, Shaving Foam, Spatula Pallet knife, fork and skewer, Newspaper, heaps of handy towels, Golden Air Brush Colours. (Air Brush acrylics have a very thin viscosity and are very close to ink like!)

1) Start off with two pieces of Paper, the same size .

2) Spray some Shaving Foam onto the first piece of paper, and then spread it out with a pallet knife ( shaving foam needs to be approx 1cm in-depth) mmm its just like icing a cake lol

3) Drop some Golden Air Brush colours onto the shaving Foam, maybe to start with pick 4 or 5 colours, dropping about 5 drops per colour.

4) Once you have all your colours dropped onto your shaving foam, then use your (fork, spatula, pallet knife or skewer) whatever you have to move the paint around, swirl it, zig zag it, make patterns, words whatever you like.

5) Now that you have done this, place the other piece of paper down onto the painted shaving foam and press or Burnish really well, Yip this is messy, as some of the excess shaving foam will spill out the sides … but it is important that you do press and rub firmly, when you are done then peel back the top paper and place down in front of you!

6) Now using your paper towels, wipe off all the Shaving Foam from that paper, and you will be left looking at a very Cool Marble Paper !!

Wolaa !

Play around with using all different kinds of colour, and tools to make the designs.  Here is one that I have made and painted some cocoons and Butterflies on…

“Evolve – A Journey”

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What is Interference colour ??

Posted on February, 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

Ok what is Interference Colour? Interference paint comes in Fluid or Heavy Body (in a tube) – simply put it is a paint when viewed from different perspectives the colour flips! Interference colours are quite unique. When painted over a Light background, the colour will “Flip” as you move it in the light. When painted over a dark surface, the colour of the Interference reveals itself. These “pigments” are a copy of naturally occurring colour in butterfly wings and bird features. To get the maximum effect, extend Interference colours with Transparent mediums, such as Polymer Medium (Gloss) or Soft Gel s, such as Polymer Medium(Gloss) or Soft Gel(Gloss)

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Quick Art Tip – What is the difference between Gel and Paste ?

Posted on February, 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

I often get people asking me What is the difference between Gel Medium or Paste?

Simply put….

Gel Medium is usually White when wet and dries Clear  ( with exception of Coarse Pumice gel and Extra Coarse Pumice Gel).

Paste is White when wet and stays the same colour when dry!

Gel mediums can be used an adhesive for  collage , to add texture to your artwork, to thicken paint, and added with paint can make a lovely glaze!

Pastes can add a lovely texture to your artwork, and depending on the type of paste you use you can get lots of different effects. examples of pastes are Crackle Paste, Fibre Past and Molding pastes light, hard, and coarse.

For more information regarding gels and pastes check out my upcoming Workshop to be held in Christchurch on March the 25th 2012!

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Strung Along – Abstract mixed media on Paper

Posted on February, 16, 2012 | Leave a comment
“Strung Along” Mixed Media on Paper

300mm x 420mm

This Artwork was created on Acid Free Paper.  This artwork will need to be framed.

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Posted in Art for Sale - ABSTRACTS, Art for Sale- REMEMBERING CHRISTCHURCH

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Zentangles – No.1 Forever Love

Posted on February, 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

What is a Zentangle?

Zentangles are fun and relaxing, you can create them anywhere anytime!  Creating these Zentangles helps to increase your focus, and creativity and helps to promote personal well-being!

To find out more about these wonderful Inspirational artworks click here :)  check out www.zentangle.com

Zentangle No.1 Forever Love

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Another Quick Art Tip for the Week- Painting with Contrast Colours …

Posted on February, 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

Art Tip of the Week- Painting with Contrast Values

Value = the Lightness or Darkness of a colour.

To Brighten a colour paint its complementary colour beside it.

Complementary Colour – Combining a shade, tint or tone of one colour and the colour opposite on the colour wheel.

When two tones far apart from each other on the value scale are selected for example dark brown and cream,  and these tones are painted right beside each other, sharing a common edge, then that pair of tones are said to be in HIGH CONTRAST.

High- Contrast  pairs of colours appear to come forward, while Low-Contrast pairs of colours appear to recede

In this photo below …

1) I have mixed a blue background, and painted the korus with Van Dyke Brown and Titan Buff.

2) When paint is dry I have made up the background colour and mixed this with a glazing liquid and painted over the Korus that I wanted to appear to recede into the background.

Contrast colours with values …

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Art – Quick Tip – Blending Acrylic Made Easy with Golden Glazing Liquid !

Posted on February, 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

Blending Acrylic  Made Easy with Golden Glazing Liquid !

How many times have you had trouble with trying to blend acrylic colours?

Acrylic dries fast so can be a real issue for people trying to blend with it!

Glazing is a wonderful way to add depth to your artwork !

There are, several great ways to Blend colours but today I am just going to talk about blending with Golden Glazing Liquid!

Using Golden Glazing Liquid is especially good for those that are new to painting?

You will need : Gel Medium Gloss, Glazing Liquid and 4 different colour Acrylic Fluid paints. (I like to use fluid paint as it doesn’t show brush strokes )

* Golden is the Brand Name, and the name of their product is Glazing Liquid.

1 – Seal your surface  that you are about to paint on,  with a layer of Gloss Gel Medium and allow that to dry.

2- Paint a straight layer of Golden Glazing Liquid over your surface, now it is very IMPORTANT : NOT TO LET THIS DRY B4 THE NEXT STEP!

3 -  On your palate, side by side (do not mix them together!) put an equal amount of  Golden Glazing Liquid and Paint.

 4 - Dip your brush into the paint and then glazing liquid and apply straight onto your surface, starting from one side of your surface to about the middle or 3/4 off the way across at that point stop and wipe off any paint left on your brush. ( you should notice that the paint where you started should be way more intense in colour and starting to lighten toward the middle of your surface.)  After you have wiped off  with a cloth or paper towel excess paint on your brush, continue to spread the glaze and paint toward the middle and right across your surface until you reach the other side. ( you should notice by the time you get to the other side you probably will have hardly any paint left just glazing liquid, that is good ! ) * If by this stage the paint is starting to dry and get sticky then STOP  and wait till it is dry b4 you paint any more!

Blending Glazing Liquid, Cad Red Med and Hansa Yellow Med Fluid acrylic paint

5- Now starting  in another area or corner repeat above process with 2 different colours.

Have Fun !!

( and don’t be shy I would love to hear how you got on ! )

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