paper strips

Here is a fun project to try; start with any kind of paper. I used some non-slick magazine page that I used to smear paint with.  

 Tear the paper into strips of similar width and length. Glue the strips onto watercolor paper using mod-podge or gel medium, making a grid 

After the glue dries fill in the white space and had shading, highlights and shadows. You can use a acrylic wash, watercolor or markers, I used a little of all three.

To learn more about the box go to Upcycling with Ruth

After I finished the project I thought it might have looked better if I had weaved the stripes. So on a little box I made, I did the same project, and this time I weaved the stripes. I like it better weaved, but you can do it either way.

The finished project can stand on it’s own or be used as a background for a more complex collage.

Mixed media collage

 

I always loved making collages out of magazine pictures, but have not made any for years. I started by using a glue stick to glue the magazine pictures onto cardstock. After the pictures where in place I painted over them with a thin layer of gesso. Than I colored the gesso with washes and painted shapes on the pages. I gave the shapes and background shading and more color.  By the time I was done I could hardly see the pictures at all. So I started again, this time trying to keep some of the pictures visible.

I covered an 8.5 x 11 piece of cardstock with brightly colored pictures from magazines. .  I started with a glue stick, but gel medium works better.

Using an old gift card I dragged tinted gesso across the page.

Next I painted circles with acrylic paint.

I filled in the space around the circles with gesso, than colored the gesso with soft pastels.

 

I painted another thin layer of gesso around the circles.

I painted over the gesso with acrylics using bubble wrap and a sponge. I finished off the shading using water salable markers, then I spayed the entire page with sealant. 

I like all three collages, but you can see more of the pictures on the last one.

Black cat in acrylics

I wanted to paint a black cat for my son for Christmas. I was having trouble getting a cat that I thought my son would want on his wall.  So I decided to go with a technique that I use in backgrounds. I put drops of paint on a heavy watercolor paper then I used a piece of white card stock to smear the paint across the paper. 

I was going to use the card stock to practice on before I painted on the watercolor paper. I liked how the card stock turned out so much. I framed the card stock. When I gave it to him, I told him it was his cat Neo. He just looked and me and said “I know mom”.  He said he liked it , so that’s good. For his birthday, maybe I’ll try to paint his other cat.

Watercolor

To start this painting I picked heavy watercolor paper. I soaked the paper with plenty of water then I covered the paper with a blue wash. Then I dripped red, orange and green onto the still wet paper. After the paper dried I highlighted shapes and added shading using watercolor pencils.

More Mixed Media Zentangle/Doodles in Circles

Here are some more examples of Zentangles in circles.

Here is another zentangle and doodles in circles painting, this time I used a freshwater fish theme.

The frogs are markers and colored pencils on construction paper.

I had a lot of fun with the circles, I hope you try it out.

Mixed Media Zentangle/Doodles in Circles

To try something new (to me) I decided to use circles to put my patterns in.

I started with 9x12 watercolor paper. I used a plate and a bowl for the large circles, a cd for the medium circles and a jar lid for the small circles.

I filled in the background with blue and green watercolor and orange and yellows watercolor for the circle. I spilled blue on the painting, I decided to just work around it.

I thought the large circle was too big for one pattern, so I broke it up with a design that connected the circles. Then I put a dragon tail behind the design.

I filled in the designs I started with watercolor pencils.

I filled in the background on the large circle with black ink.

Using a black ink gel pen I inked in more patterns, including a dragon wing to go with my dragon tail.

I shaded in my patterns using colored pencils and put highlights on my center design using a white watercolor crayon.

I filled in the background with little circles and abstract designs.

I used watercolor crayons to lighten what was too dark and markers to add color and shading to everything that needed it.

9x12 Watercolor