Daily Coloring

Coloring Page--Left Side

Today's coloring assignment is a little different. My sister-in-law is a big fan of turtles. Since I was sending her a care package of items she requested, I decided to decorate some blank paper to use as wrapping paper for the books I was sending her.

To design the paper, I pre-wrapped the items so I would know where the creases would be. I then used stencils to place the central figures on the page so once the paper was used I would know where they would appear on the final product. The top image is the left side of the paper which will be the top side of the "box".

Below is the right side of the paper which will be the bottom side of the "box".

Coloring Page--Right side

I layered color with my Copic Markers. This is a favorite stencil of mine and I have discussed layering colors for this image here. Below is the finished page with just the images colored in.

Coloring Page--Filled in

The paper seemed a little plain so I decided to use alcohol spray inks to add color to the background and to add depth to the two central figures. That empty space to the left of the sheet is that part that is the overlap once the "box" is wrapped.

Coloring Page--background color

 All that was left to do was wrapped the items. Here is the bottom of the stack of books.

Package wrapped--one side

 Here is the top side or featured side of the books highlighting the turtle.

Packaged wrapped--second side

Daily Coloring

Cut an colored envelope

For today's coloring assignment, I wanted to try again with the Sharpie and Copic markers. I wanted to try a different technique in hopes that the Sharpie ink wouldn't feather when confronted with the alcohol inks.

One of the other alterations that I made was that I cut out the envelope first and then used the cutout for the stencil design. This allowed me to be sure to get the image/location that I wanted on the face of the envelope. When I stenciled and colored the entire sheet, I couldn't control how the images appeared on the actual envelope. By cutting the envelope first, I was able to guarantee the placement of certain parts of the stencil.

The trick for this envelope is that I sprayed the envelope with fixative after drawing the outlines and the coloring lines. I then let it dry overnight to set. When I colored with the Copic markers, there was much less feathering of the outlines. I think that I am getting pretty close to perfecting these techniques.

Envelope Face

Envelope Flap

Now all I have to do is find out how to send these envelopes in the mail.

Daily Coloring

For today, I wanted to share something a little different. This is a coloring page I designed using the Americana stencil called Oopsy Daisy. The page is smaller than the actual 12 by 12 stencil. I outlined the flowers using a Sharpie fine tip black marker. I used an extra fine tip Sharpie to fill in the the positive space with coloring guidelines. I call them coloring guidelines because the same motif is used for all of the petals of the same flower. If you look at the yellow flower on the center right of the coloring page, you will see that all of the coloring lines are vertical in orientation. With busy designs, this helps a person to identify which element goes with each other.

The page was filled with color using TomBow Dual Tip Markers. This page will be the basis of a separate project. I outlined the page on one day and then let it dry completely overnight. I added color on the second day.

I would have preferred to use my Copic markers but the alcohol in the markers makes the Sharpie outlines feather.

Day Fifteen

Today's coloring assignment comes from the train trip from Dallas to San Antonio. This is a new coloring book that I found on Amazon. it contains a variety of illustration styles but I was attracted to the geometric patterns that I found inside. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of paper. This paper has a higher rag content which makes it have a more porous surface and is therefore less slick. Because of the paper, I immediately wanted to try crayon to see if it would allow an easier blending of color.

After choosing a color palette and design motifs, I simply applied color. Similar to previous assignments I decided to apply contrasting colors to the separate elements of the snowflake: purples for the foreground and blues for the background. I purposely separated each color and assigned it to a specific element.

I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with all of the blank space in the background. If I was at home, I would have created a plaid pattern with my Copic markers which allows for line variation. Similarly, I could have used Sharpie markers to the same effect.

Since I didn’t have those resources, I decided to create a different effect that I used to call the “quilt pattern.” I gridded off the background and applied colors in a random pattern. I chose a monochromatic scheme—in this case, sixteen shades of green. As I fisnished an adjoining diamond, Inwould blend that color with a previously colored block. I would continue to work in this fashion until all the diamonds were completed.

 This paper took crayon well and the color was very easy to apply and there wasn’t any waxy buildup that normally occurs with a smoother paper.

Coloring for the Holidays 2

Book Cover

Today's coloring assignment came from the coloring book Merry Christmas by Alexandra Dannenmann. I purchased my copy from Amazon for $5.39. There are 30 different designs that all appear on black backgrounds for ease of coloring. The illustrations are simpler in design and not overly complicated which might be more amenable to younger audiences. The book is an odd size in that the pages are 8.5 inches square.

Back Cover

The paper is of a lower quality in that it is a much thinner paper than most adult coloring books. I used Copic markers and Sharpies for my sample. These pages would best be used with non-wet media, like crayons or colored pencils. The paper is super absorbent so blending with wet media doesn't really happen. Wet on wet blending is non-existent. I don't know if blending solutions (e.g., Gamsol) would blend colored pencils very well. Because of the porous nature of the paper, there is some feathering with the alcohol based markers and the Sharpie marker that I used was somewhat problematic. The page is only printed on one side so bleed through is less an issue but you will definitely need a coloring sheet beneath the page you are using if you plan on using markers.

Another difficulty is that the book has a glued spine, which usually isn't a problem, but there are no perforations so the book is meant to be kept whole. I discussed yesterday how I like to separate the pages of my book. When I tried, I got a deckled edge on the left side (glued side) of the pages.

Deckled left edge

As for coloring the page, the illustrations are pleasant enough. In the design below, you can see how blending can become an issue. Originally, I didn't like the dark green color of the holly leaves. To lighten up the color, I used the blender pen to remove some of the color. Then I would normally fill in the lighter areas with a complementary color. As you can see below, after removing the color, the page wouldn't accept another color and I couldn't blend a color either. The paper is so porous I had to leave it as is. While not a catastrophe, it isn't what I wanted.

Also, on the candle, I decided to highlight the artist's design on the candle with a bronze metallic Sharpie pen. You can see how the pen feathered a bit. Granted, I used a fine tip marker. If I had an extra fine tip I might have had a little more control but I think that the metallic extra fine tip markers only come in oil-based paint pens.

Finished page

The first edition of this book was dated 2016 so the publishers should know the expectations of the market when dealing with these books. There should be no reason why a higher quality paper isn't used. Having perforations is pretty standard in these books.

I do like the simpler designs and I will probably color another page or two with non-wet media. I am a fan of the black background because it can hide a variety of coloring sins (especially sloppy coloring).

Note: In an effort for full disclosure, I have purchased all of these items myself and I am not being compensated for my thoughts/reviews.

Even more mail

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Another day, another piece of Mail Art. This is another 6 by 9 inch white envelope. I wasn't too happy with the lettering colors chosen because they seemed to wash out once the stencil and alcohol inks were applied to the front. To provide more of a contrast, I outlined the letters with a black Fine Tip Sharpie to make them easier to read. The lettering for this envelope was done in Sharpie Fine Tip markers.

Front detail

For the obverse, I used Copic Markers and a paisley inspired stencil. I really liked this color palette but I don't know exactly why it appealed to me, though.

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Week of Swaps--Day 3

Bunny Postcard

This swap was for two handmade postcards to a single exchange partner. I really like using postcard blanks because they are guaranteed to be an appropriate thickness to send through the mail. My partner like bunnies and coloring.

For the postcard above, I simply ran the postcard through my Xyron machine and then applied the card to this cute Japanese paper. I rounded the corners of the paper to match the postcard blank.

For the second card, I took one of my smaller stencils and used a extra fine tip Sharpie to trace the pattern onto the front of the card . Since my swap partner likes to color, I left it as is so she could provide the color and send it out to someone (should she choose to).

A quick and easy swap.

Day 28--30 Day Coloring Challenge

For today's coloring challenge, I wanted to complete the Women in Orange series and my experimentation with masking fluid. This is similar to yesterday's masking technique in that the same areas were masked. You can see the original color wash in the open areas (the areas under the crosshatched areas). In today's postcard, the red box wasn't added until after the top color wash was added. Different today was the application of the masking fluid. Yesterday's masking fluid was painted in the open areas. Today, the masking fluid was applied with a credit card over the stencil. Because some of the fluid gets under the stencil you can see a more distressed effect when the dried masked areas are removed.

Also, yesterday, the top color wash was only added within the red box. Today, I applied the second color wash over the entire card. I added the crosshatching and the red box after the card had dried.

Similarly, I wanted to do something different on the reverse of the card.

As you can see, I was a little heavy handed with the Sharpie marker when making the box and the marker bled through to the back side. I decided to glue a second piece of scrap paper to cover the bleed through and to give the card an extra heft.

I have been trying to come up with alternatives to alcohol inks for use of the reverse side. For today, I used a stencil and used pastel colors to fill the card. Although a strong dark pen would work, I was afraid that any writing would be hard to read.

Pastel Copic markers

I needed to make the card a little more translucent so I used my Zyron machine to apply a piece of vellum to the card. This would provide a smooth surface for writing and would mute the design/colors underneath. I have to say that this turned out better than I expected.

BTW, the mottled look of the markers was intentional. I wanted a watercolor effect with some of the white base paper showing through. I thought the mottled effect would be amplified by the vellum.

Markers with vellum overlay

Tomorrow is a different project and product.

Day 27--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Today's coloring challenge is the third in the series of Women in Orange. I am still experimenting with masking fluid and watercolors. Today's session including masking all of the negative space and then adding a water color wash to just the lines in the stencil.

The first step was to apply the general color wash to the post card. The second step was to outline the image with a red extra fine tip Sharpie. The third step was to apply the border with an extra wide chisel tip red Sharpie. The next step was to apply the masking fluid to the open areas of the stencil thereby leaving the thick border lines available for the second color wash. The final step was to apply the top color wash only to the area within the boxed area. If you look closely you will see that the thick lines within the red Sharpie marker lines are a reddish solid color to contrast with the reds, yellows and orange colors of the background.

I also wanted to do something different on the reverse of the card. I wanted to play with stencils and shadows. I didn't want to do another alcohol ink treatment but I needed something that was translucent enough so that writing can be read on the card. I found a fun geometric stencil that I outlined in a black Micron .01 pen. I then used shades of grey to color in the arrows. I designated the address area by a zigzag line in grey.

Day 26--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Today's coloring challenge is dedicated to masking fluid. I have never used the product before and I wanted to see what I could do with it. This is a continuation of the Women in Orange series that I started here. This is the second stencil in this four series set. For this card, I applied a water color wash to the card in oranges, yellows and reds. Second, I outlined the image with a red extra fine tip Sharpie. The third step was to apply masking fluid to the area that I wanted to maintain the original color of the postcard. In this case, I masked off the face area. Once dried. I applied another watercolor wash to deepen the color saturation. After this step was dry, I removed the masking with an eraser. In the above image you can see the lighter color of the face in contrast to the darker colors elsewhere. To complete this side of the card, I drew a box around the image in red wide tipped Sharpie

For the reverse of the postcard, I wanted to see how the masking fluid would interact with my alcohol inks.

Step one--basic color.

Step two--apply masking fluid to the image that I want to highlight

Step three--supply the second and third wash of color.

I wasn't totally happy with the contrast in color. I took the original stencil and placed it over the butterfly image and used color to darken the image for a higher contrast. As you can see, the background in step one should have been the color of the butterfly. I added a saturated blue to make it stand out more in the final step.

Day 25--30 Day Coloring Challenge

As we close out the coloring challenge this week, I am deciding to so some smaller projects and maybe one last full size coloring page from one of my coloring book collections. Today, I wanted to test a new product that I found at a local art store. It is Canson watercolor cold press paper in a 6 inch by 9 inch block.

Watercolor blocks are usually sheets of paper that are glued together. You paint on them and they warp less because they are attached to all of the other sheets. When you are done, you separate the top sheet from the rest by slipping a sharp edge directly between the top sheet and the rest of the block. I usually buy Arches cold pressed 140 lb 20 sheet blocks in larger sizes, either 14 in by 20 in or 18 in by 24 in. I like coloring the full sheet with one color palette and then cutting it in smaller pieces and adjust/augment a smaller piece.

I decided to use Copic markers to see how the color worked on the paper. I used a stencil and an extra fine tip Sharpie to outline basic figures.

Basic figures

The Sharpie didn't feather and stayed color fast on the paper. I will have to say that both sides of this paper are fairly smooth or without tooth. Most watercolor blocks usually have one side that is smoother than the other.

I will have so say that the color feathers a little bit on this this paper so it is easier to color to the line rather than one the line. Also, the alcohol in the Copic markers darkens and saturates the permanent Sharpie outlines. So, while the markers are steadfast, the Sharpies in combination with the paper and alcohol of the Copics will feather.

I still haven't decided what to do with the reverse side. I will probably just make this an over sized postcard. I might use alcohol inks on the reverse or do a collage or image transfer.

Day 24--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Finished Postcard Front

I am sure that you were tired of seeing my Art Journal, so I decided to do a different project for today's coloring challenge. I decided to do a simple postcard.

It all started when I mistakenly purchased a book of postcards at a Japanese bookstore. I thought they were coloring postcards--ones with images that you applied color. But no, they were blank postcards that were printed on the back with address lines and a postage box.

Blank postcards

Back of postcard

I took one of my smaller stencils and got busy applying a design. I used a extra fine Sharpie in black to outline the design. Since they flowers looked like cherry blossoms to me, I decided to use a pink palette. I used Copic markers for coloring and since these cards had a smooth surface, the color flowed nicely. Each petal was colored with three colors (RV23, RV04, and R32), The diamond shapes were filled in with a contrasting blue color (B29).

One of my favorite color combinations is chartreuse and pink. So, I decided to color in the background with FYG2.

Postcard before coloring

I wanted to do something on the back of the postcard because the white background is so shockingly white. I got one of my favorite butterfly stencils and used my alcohol inks in the same color palette as the front of the card (pink, chartreuse and blue). I love the pointillist effect of using alcohol inks and stencils. 

Day 23--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Just a little coloring

Today's page is yet another page from my Art Journal. This was a last minute project since I was struggling with something to do. I was flipping through my quote books and this quote spoke to me. I did a simple color wash on the page and let it dry.

Next, I searched through my stencil stash to find something that resembled a sun shape. I knew that I had some larger mandala stencils and stumbled across this one. I outlined the partial mandala in black .03 Micron pen. After letting it dry, I filled in the shapes with Copic markers. I added crosshatching with red and orange gelli roll pens. To take off some of the sheen, I used Ranger Distress Oxide inks in Orange, Pink and Amber (or Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, and Fossilized Amber)--see N.B. below.

I added the quote using a newly discovered letter guide (and I now realized why it was hidden for so long). I should have just inked in the quote myself. I found some stickers that were applicable but they had disturbingly white backgrounds so I used the same distressed inks to make them blend more with the page.

Finished page

While I am not totally 100% happy with the result, it is respectable. The beautiful thing about an art journal is that you can always append, fix, change at a later point. I might gesso over parts and start again. Or I might tint some tissue paper and cover the quote and try again.

N.B. I hate the cuteness/girly level of color designations in the crafting world. I understand that most of the crafters are women but there isn't a need to cater to this audience. Pick color names that truly reflect the color. Variations of pink are fine (hot pink, coral, etc). But "worn lipstick" just doesn't reflect the real color. Plus when I demonstrate, I just can't let the words "worn lipstick" tumble from my lips. I always use the base color designation much to the chagrin of my students. We always get a big laugh out of it and by the time I get to the end of the demonstration we have made some really funny name designations as we try and outdo each other.

During my last class, we came up with "CSI New Orleans stabbed to death three hours ago deep purple dried blood red."

Day22--30 Day Coloring Challenge

For today's coloring challenge, I decided to color a single page in my Art Journal. This was a quick and easy project since I had a lot going on. I forgot to take a picture before I started so I took a picture of the opposite side of the page. Each of these signatures is made up of two pages folded in half. Therefore, there are three two page spreads and two single spreads. So in essence, I decorated page 1 but decided to use page 8 as the before picture. These two were colored at the same time.

After letting the paint dry, I lettered the words and then masked them off with painter's tape since I wanted to do a modeling paste treatment on the page.

Lettering done and hidden

I mixed some modeling paste with blue and green Doc Ph Martin's watercolors. I mixed in brown to get a darker shade. I then used a brick stencil to apply the paste.

Ready for the reveal

After lifting off the tape, I outlined each brick with black Sharpie and filled in the areas between the bricks. I then distressed the bricks and mortar with a Pentel white gelli roll pen.

Top to bottom

Bottom to top

The concept behind the message and how Fear prevents us from doing things in life. Sometime fear blocks you and walls you into a certain type of living and seeing the world. Conversely, many times we can also hide behind Fear so we don't have to delve into a non-comfort zone. How many times has fear of the unknown prevented you from doing something?

Day 21--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Full Page in Art Journal

Today, I decided to share with you another spread in my personal Art Journal. I had shared this color wash spread in a previous post. I decided to fill the page with a quote from myself and some images from a couple of stencils from my stash.

The sentiment comes from my diary that goes on to explain the effects of loneliness. The entire quote reads "Sometimes I sing because I am afraid: of the silence, that I am going deaf, or that no one knows I am here."

The birds were colored with fine tipped Sharpies and the outlines were done with extra fine tipped Sharpies. Because the pages are textured and treated with fixative, I couldn't use my Tombow markers. Tomorrow, I will try to see if my Copic markers will work.

To add interest, I included some international postage stamps featuring birds.

Left page detail

Right page detail