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.

Daily Coloring

This was an interesting coloring assignment. I didn’t have time to color at work because I was very busy. I got home and was so tired from my gym workout that I decided that I would wake up early and color in the morning and then post my assignment on the blog.

And then I got insomnia and couldn’t sleep. So I dragged myself out of bed and grabbed the first markers I could get my hands on—in this case, my TomBow dual tip markers. I have mentioned that there is a slight sheen/slight glossy finish to this paper. While that is good for Copic markers, the TomBow markers didn’t do as well. The ink pooled in some areas and streaked in others. There was absolutely no blending available and the colors didn’t layer either. And now, you know.

Week of Swaps--Day 2

Beach front envelope

Today's swap was a "doodled" envelope swap with items. The idea was to doodle on an envelope and then fill it with two items from a list of items that  your partner would like to receive. Of course, because I have so much product, I always try and send more items than required. On these types of swaps, I put a limit of $3 on postage (although, it would be quite less if I simply sent the two items).

The swap organizer does not stipulate what size envelope to send. I think the goal is to send a business sized envelope and the additional ounce stamp (70 cents) so that the cost isn't prohibitive. I always shoot for 4 ounces (which is the $3 limit including postage for a rigid/thick (more than 1/4 inch) envelope). The envelope is 6 by 9 inches.

My partner liked the beach so I used some stencils and alcohol inks for the front of the envelope. Here is a starfish and a shell.

Envelope back

For the back, I chose a radiation type of stencil and decorated with my classic crosshatch doodling. And of course, I had to generate a plaid of some sort for the background. These were done with Tombow dual tip markers. My swap partner doesn't like neon colors so I used a primary color palette.

Day 20--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Base page

For today's coloring challenge, I wanted to share a page in my personal art journal. The first step was to fill the page with color. In this case, I used pastel sticks in shades of blue and purple. I blended the colors with a cosmetic sponge and then set the color with fixative.

Completed Page

The second step was to add two interest with two separate stencils. First I laid down the butterfly and then laid down the flowers/petals. Originally, I did a zentangle design on the butterfly but didn't like the way it turned out. To cover it up, I tinted Golden light modeling paste with Ice Blue liquid watercolor (Dr PH Martin's). I then applied a thin layer using the stencil. I then added an additional layer that I then textured for interest.

I colored the flowers and leaves with Tombow markers. I added the quotes with a extra fine tip Sharpie is complimentary colors.

Right side detail

Left Side Detail

Day 9--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Today, I decided to combine both of the 30 Day Challenges that I am completing in September. One is the 30 Days of Happiness Quotes that I have been doing in my Hobonichi. The second is the Coloring Challenge that I have been already sharing with you.

Today's quote is a play on words. I was searing through my envelope stock because I will be making some more handmade envelopes very soon. I ran across the image of Monet's home and gardens which I thought would be funny with the word impress vs impressionism in today's quote.

Once I found the picture, I decided what I wanted to do.

Monet's home and garden.

I decided to use vellum as an overlay and to letter the quote on the overlay. I used a Sharpie Brush Marker for the lettering. I outlined the letters with a Sharpie fine tip marker in maroon. I didn't realize how bold the colors have to be in order to work through the opaqueness of the vellum. On the front, I used a .08 Micron liner to outline the pansy stencil.

I then decided to reverse color the stencil from the underside much like they used to do reverse glass painting. I used Tombow markers to apply the color and a Micron marker to add the details. I then applied two used postage stamps to the front to finish the top layer.

Vellum Overlay

Still not thoroughly pleased, I added dried flowers to the underside of the vellum to add interest. These are pansies and verbena.

The underside of the vellum overlay

One of the goals of the page was to question what was real and from where the images were coming. Very much like the Impressionists, you had to look several times to see all of the images and the component parts.

Day 6--30 Day Coloring Challenge

For today's Coloring Challenge, I decided to use one of my stencils and decorate the envelope that I will send my rent check. The theme was the colors and designs of Alhambra in Grenada Spain. The above image is the stencil with basic color.

Here is where I added background color. I wanted to highlight the positive space so I blended green and yellow in two different hues (in the first and third tile).

I then wanted to highlight the positive areas with a gold gelli pen. To highlight the negative space, I highlighted with a white gelli pen.

Detail of the first tile

Detail of the second tile

Detail of the third tile

More Mail Art

Today, I bring you more mail art. It really doesn't take much time, effort or supplies to simply add a special touch to your mail. The above image used alcohol inks and a stencil.

The above image is the same envelope with a mandala stencil, Copic markers and a black extra fine Sharpie to add the crosshatching. Mets colors of orange and blue never gets old.

This just shows you that you can use the same stencil in different ways--so you don't need a whole lot of supplies. If you have a stencil with multiple images, you can use them partially or in total. This is one of my favorite stencils.

Coloring--Day Four

I refuse to send out a plain envelope in the mail. It really takes very little effort to fill up an envelope with color. This is my rent check envelope. This is the back of the envelope. Here I used Tombow markers and detailed with a extra fine tip Black Sharpie.

This is the front of the rent check envelope. To say the least, my landlord knows when my rent check arrives and has expressed his appreciation of the extra effort. His office carefully opens the envelope and has collected them over the 10 years that I have been sending them. His secretary teases that she is going to have an exhibition of my rent check envelopes.

Coloring--Day Two

This is the second page of the coloring book for my first partner. This page was filled in with Tombow dual tip markers. I used a subtractive method on this page. First, the page is filled in with markers. This method works well because Tombow markers are very heavily pigmented. The page is then lightly misted with water. The final step is to take a paper towel and place on top of the wet surface. Press down (do not wipe since you don't want the ink to spread). Lift the paper towel and continue to blot the page (do not re-mist) until you reach the level of coverage you desire.

This technique mutes the colors a little, especially if you use bold colors like I did. 

The above image is the blotted paper towel. I am sure that if I used an absorbent artist's paper that I could have used this blotting image as a basis of some other artwork.