Hello!! I decided to do another tutorial for you. It's a very, very simple thing--and I use it on almost all of my "journal" pages.
You start with little bottles of paint (the cheap kind from WALLY-WORLD is what I use--I save my Goldens Real Paint for paintings.), a Speedball roller thingie, a JIFF peanut butter lid (you may use any kind of lid--this one just happens to be off of a jar of JIFF--which I had to finish off and eat a ton of, so I could use it), and my favorite paper in the world--Fabriano Artistico Acquarello Watercolour/140 lb/Hot Press/9 x 12 inch size. I like this paper because:
1. Teesha Moore recommended it.
2. It holds a lot of crap without buckling,warping, rolling or tearing.
3. The texture is heavenly, so in moments of insecurity--you can gently stroke it, and it comforts you.
It is a little expensive--$17 for 20 sheets--but that's not too bad. You can order it
here.
Also, you'll need something to roll paint out on. This is a book that one day was unfortunately lying in my path. The back cover was large and flat, and so this is what I use. I do also use the table directly, when it's clean enough to roll paint on. Today it was piled high..so I just shoved the book next to my piece of paper.
So, first--we are going to put some paint down. You don't need a ton--just about a quarter sized amount. A dime sized amount is not going to be enough--and a silver dollar sized amount is TOO MUCH. So think quarters-25 cents. (If you are in another country--sorry--you are on your own, and you'll have to experiment--unless you are lucky enough to have been to the United States, and brought a quarter back with you.)
Next--roll your roller through the paint, covering the roller well.
Take a piece of paper (or mat board, or foam core, or canvas, etc...use any substrate that you want to)...and roll the paint randomly on it. I like starting with light colors and working towards dark colors, but this works just as well if I'd started with black...
add another color to your palette, roll it out...roll it on top of first color. No drying time is needed if you use colors that are going to mesh well together. If your colors will look murky (like when you mix green and pink), then let each layer dry. I never , ever let anything dry. I like working wet on wet on wet..sometimes it works--sometimes it doesn't. It depends all on your colors.
If you are totally switching colors that don't blend well--hit it a few minutes with the old hairdryer. I keep this one hanging on a hook by my table..though I rarely use it.
On my palette--if I am going to switch colors, and they don't mesh--I just lay down a piece of paper, and keep rolling. I do not clean my roller between colors--there is no need to.
So, I rolled out my third color..
It's hard sometimes for me to tell where my paper ends, and my table begins--I am a very messy artist.
I am not liking the color scheme--so I decide to add 3 more colors--mint green, hot pink, brighter yellow.
roll some paint out on your palette (book).
Roll it on the paper...ewwww...
add some lime green....scrunch up your face--say ewwwww again...
get your pictures out of order, so that it looks like you are adding to the paper before rolling out on the palette. Keep going--let your readers figure it out for themselves.
Add some red. Mixed it with yellow. Add some orange. NOTE--AT ANY TIME that your background looks good--you can stop.
Keep adding colors..
keep rolling more paint unto your pallette...
Get it to a point that you are OK with it, and how it looks...
Time for some circles. I have dabbers on a lot of my paint bottles, it makes life so much easier. So, take your peanut butter jar lid--and dab paint on the rim.
Make circles.
Take the bottle of a paint bottle, dab some black on it..
and make little circles. I LOVE CIRCLES!!
Glob some more paint on your palette...
Roll it all over your paper..right on top of your circles... Play--have fun!!
add another color--thereby obscuring your circles completely.
add some more...make it REALLY UGLY!!
Decide to cover the whole thing up, and start from scratch..Pour a lot of gesso on your paper..or a little bit...doesn't matter at this point.
Roll it out on your paper. Gesso will go further than paint, so you don't really need a ton..
Add some more Gesso, make it good and thick...
Get out an old credit card--I think this was my casino gambling card to Isle of Capri. It is plastic and stiff like a credit card...so it works..
You have to be fast with this--you can't let the Gesso dry at all--NOW HURRY...Scrape the Gesso OFF of the paper..I wanted to make long---going in one direction streaks--scrape hard, and wipe the credit card or casino card on anything handy..I used my shirt for this, you can use a towel, or rag, etc.
I think it needs some aging. I picked up some Ranger ink stuff (alcohol ink--I think)..and ..
randomly splattered a little on my paper...Lean the bottle gently to the side and tap it out. DON'T turn it completely upside down and squeeze it!!! I learned this the hard way.
Look at what you have done. Scrunch up face, Make your lips do funny things, and say EWWWWWW... Add some pink paint..
Hate that--so add some turquoise over the pink.
I liked the turquoise, and should have stopped. But I did a turquoise page yesterday, and needed to do another color. So, I added some yellow and orange. I stopped half way--knowing that I had messed up...
So, take some dark red and roll it out on the paper...hmmm..looks ok...roll some more...
OH YEAH...LIKING IT NOW. Get the JIFF circles..put some on this color...
Then load some water and white paint on your brush..and FLICK...FLICK..FLICK...
Just a little...TOO MUCH FLICKING IS NOT GOOD.
Find a foam stamp that you like (I happen to have "XYZ" still stuck together, and I like them), and stamp in a constrasting color.
Stamp a few more times--DON'T over-do...just an accent..and sit back...check for any signs of face scrunching or ewwwing.....if these don't occur..you are DONE.
Thank you!! Live Artfully! ~~Suzan~~
