Painted Backgrounds

I created some backgrounds this weekends with my 

Art Menagerie group.  They're still a work in progress.

Next month we'll be turning these into flag books

like this one HERE

Background 5: Textured Galaxy

We Are The World
Here's a new art journal spread 
from my Junque Journal


Click HERE to view my
Textured Galaxy Background
Technique.

Junque Journal Backgrounds: 3 and 4

Take A Sip Out of Life!

Here's a new spread in my junque journal I created.

(Click HERE to see my Junque Journal How-To).

Background 3: Oil Pastels

The face spread did not start out like this...

I had first painted the page with gesso 

like shown above BUT I originally

had something else in mind where

I had drawn the eyes and then had

a favorite quote with it,but things

didn't turn out the way I had 

envisioned...don't give up when

this happens because often times

a "happy accident" happens where

your idea takes a whole different

turn, but ends up working out!

Since my idea did'nt turn out I decided

to create a face around my original eyes.

I used one of my favorite products

Portfolio water soluble oil pastels

because I can draw with them, and

(wipe off and restart if necessary)

use my fingers to smear and blend 

the colors together so easily. After 

I will seal them with PYMII then 

outline areas with a fine sharpie.

If your not comfortable drawing faces

try drawing abstract designs blending

and smearing the colors so you get 

comfortable.

Background 4: Layered Acrylics

For Background 4 I started out 

by swiping plain acrylic craft paint

across the page just to give it a basic

background. I didn't mind that it wasn't

fully covering the words because I was

adding several layers of acrylic paint.

Supplies Used

Acrylic Paint

Punchinella (aka sequin waste)

Stencils

Make-up Sponges

Foam Stamps

Here I began layering my page using various pieces of 

sequin waste, stencils and acrylic paint. I have found that 

using a make up sponge works the best for me when 

I'm pouncing the paint over the punchinella and stencils.

 The idea is to keep adding layers on top of layers, 

but make sure that you first dry each layer.

You can see how each layer adds more depth.  At this point I 

used a foam stamp and some white acrylic paint and stamped a 

larger design.  I then went back again lightly with the punchinella

to help blend the layers and give even more depth.

Now that I finished my layering 

I wanted to add a bold image 

which I found by way of some 

junk mail from Barnes and Noble.

I created the straw from some 

twisted paper and then wrapped 

it with craft tape.  Once I adhered 

it to the page I outlined the tea glass 

with a dark oil pastel and blended 

it in to give the image some 

added depth.

Next I sealed the page using PYM II

so that I could then go back in with

my pens to write my message.  I've

found sealing the pages helps not clog

up my pens. Otherwise the paint has

a tendency to get into the nib and then

they don't want to write.

Junque Journal: Background 2

Click HERE to see 

my Junque Journal

How-To

In my previous post HERE 

I showed you my scraped 

paint technique next step 

is to further embellish it.

STAMPED BACKGROUND

DESIGN

Supplies Used:

White Gesso

Foam Stamps (with a larger design)

Color Mists

Foam Brush

Paint Pens

PYM II

Wax Paper

Heat Gun

Step 1:  Using your foam brush load your foam 

stamp with white gesso.

Step 2:  Looking at your background decide how you

want to stamp your design (randomly or in a pattern?)

then begin stamping and reload your stamp with

the white gesso as needed.  **The reason I prefer

white gesso instead of white acrylic paint is that I 

want my stamped design to have some tooth to 

accept my Color Mists.

Step 3: Since I chose to stamp a pattern I also wanted 

to add another stamp some what smaller in design 

between my larger stamp pattern.

Step 4: At this point you can leave your background 

to dry naturally or use a heat gun but remember to 

keep it moving so you don't over heat the paint 

and bubble it up.

Step 5:  In this step I'm misting my gesso stamped 

areas with  Color Mists (sprayable watercolors).  

This step will  add another layer to help marry 

my two backgrounds together. 

Step 6:  Because the Color Mists are watercolors 

I like to use my heat gun to dry them (again 

to keep your heat gun moving).

Step 6:  Once your Color Mists are completely dry 

You'll need to seal them since they are water

soluble.  My favorite to use is PYM II .

*OPTIONAL*

Step 7: To further embellish your background

you can use paint pens to enhance your designs.

 Step 8:  I loved how bold this background turned 

out, so I decided turn it into my cover of my 

junque journal.  Just to help strengthen the 

spine I've added some craft tape along 

the seam down the middle.

Junque Journal: Background 1

As promised here's the next phase of 

my junque journal.  This scraped paint

background technique is a simple 

technique, yet very rich looking! 

It can be used as is or as you 

will see it can be enhanced.

Click HERE to view Phase 1 

of  my Junque Journal How-To

Scraped Paint Background

Supplies

Heavy Bodied Acrylics

Old Credit Card or stiff cardboard

Wax paper

I prefer to use heavy bodies acrylics they glide and mix

well compared to thin craft paint. I'm using Golden

brand which is my favorite, but there are other 

brands as well such as Liquitex.

Step 1:  Place your wax paper under neath your page 

over hanging the edges so you don't get paint on the 

pages beneath.

Step 1b:  Squeeze a dime or nickle size amount of paint

out on your journal pages.  starting at the time use

lighter to darker hues.

Step 2:  Using your credit card (I save the sample 

credit cards that come in the mail for this) start at the

top and scrap your card across the paint mixing as you

go down the page.  Wipe your credit card off on some  

wax paper and begin again. Be careful you don't 

over mix your colors and muddy them.

Step 3: Continue until you have covered the entire page

completely and allow to dry.

Here's the finished look.  At this point

you can stop and use this as a journal page

or continue to the next step to enhance it more.

Stay tuned for my 

Stamped Gesso Background 

Technique

Download these 2 backgrounds for 

your own art use.

How-To Turn Junk Mail into a Journal

See how to turn 

THIS into

into THIS

Check out my Junque Journal 

How-To using a Trader Joe's 

sale Flyer

HERE

Let the Fairy in you fly!

Remember the paper towel background I saved from the colored Easter eggs I made using my Color Mists (if not click HERE)? I ended up using one of the paper towels on this chunky canvas above.

Here's my finished piece using the canvas.

Here's the quote I used:

"Spread your wings and let the fairy in you fly!"

~Author Unknown

<==check the archives to view previous posts

Magnetic Background

Magnetic Paper Towel Background

(Click to enlarge)

Here's a twist on a paper towel background technique my son came up with. He had a bottle of iron dust he'd collected in sandboxes at school when he was a kid using a magnet (evidently sand has iron in it, who knew!).

Mix together

1 Tablespoon Iron Dust collected from sand using a magnet

1 1/2 -2 Tablespoons Future Floor wax (liquid acrylic)

Pour on and paint the paper towel with the mixture and allow to dry. I then drizzled gesso mixed with tar gel and a little bit of water. While it was still wet I sprinkled it with bronze mica powder and allowed that to dry. Last I painted the hearts and dots with gold acrylic craft paint. Notice the letters spelling out LOVE those are magnetic letters from the fridge. For those wondering-- the paper towel is still a little stiff but still very pliable.

<==check the archives to view previous posts

Quicky Newsletter Background

Here's a simple background technique using a Trader Joe's newsletter flier as my base. Click HERE to view the tutorial. I love using printed fliers for backgrounds and then tearing them and using just pieces in my art.

Have fun and play!

<==check the archives to view previous posts

To Cover or Not to Cover....

Sometimes I start out rearing to go with a great idea for a background in mind and it all comes together, so much so that I fall in love with the background, and then I have a hard time covering it up. Such is the case with this piece I created the background on a 6x6 chunky canvas by first adhering pages from a book using fluid matte medium on the front and the sides of the canvas. I then gave it a light coat of Golden's titanium buff fluid acrylic mixed with a bit of transparent glaze. After that I added other colors mixed with glaze, rings of color from gesso and acrylics and then splattered it with watered down acrylic . The sides I painted black and white striped and then accented the edges with a water soluble oil pastel stick.

I loved the depth it has and how you can see a hint of the text from the book pages, but now what? I couldn't decide what to put on the front and there it sat for several weeks staring at me I hated the thought of covering the background up and nothing seemed worthy silly as that sounds! Until I finally decided to just go for it and cut a moon shape out of a book page and painted it with acrylics and then adhered it with gel medium. I'm loving it now and will probably do a matching sun to go with it.

I've come to realize my favorite part of creating a piece is creating the background yet with that comes the hard part of taking that next step to put something on the background. I wonder if other people have a problem with this as well, do you?