Gesso Resist & Stencil Tutorial

Hi and thanks for stopping by! Last week's DLP (Documented Life Project) art challenge was gesso.  I fell in love with using gesso as a resist so thought I'd do a quick video tutorial using three different kinds of gesso.  This is my first video tutorial so be gentle.  :)

Here are a few of the results which I think turned out beautifully!!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one!

I used a combination of Dylusions and Adirondack Color Wash spray inks on watercolor paper.  Details are in the video.  Link below.

These are very easy and quick to do with beautiful results and an easy way to create a starting background for art journaling or for use in mixed media art, collage, card making or scrapbooking!

For details on the technique and supplies used check out my video tutorial on YouTube!

Thank you again for stopping by and I always enjoy comments and feedback below!

Jan

The Original Documented Life Project-Week 2 Prompt: Gesso

Our prompt for this week was to use gesso. And the quote provided was "The beginning is always today." -Mary Shelley

I love the way it turned out, but it is so much more vibrant in person, the pic just didn't capture it! (Bulb out in my light box...headed to Lowe's now.)

The day I started this my order arrived from StencilGirlProducts which included one of Pam Carriker's face stencils which helped me with the face.  Perfect Timing!!

I normally just use gesso as a primer to keep the ink and paint from soaking into the page as much and to ease in removal of same when I wipe through a stencil. It never occurred to me to use it as a resist...duh...don't know why.  

So, I used it as a resist by sponging through stencils and also used it as my only white paint mixing it with the inks and Golden acrylic paint.  My stencil is a TCW stencil of vintage clock faces.  So, here are some highlights of my process. 

This is the TCW vintage clock stencil I used with the sponged gesso. 

Dylusions spray ink in wild plum and Radiant Rain in teal were sprayed randomly over the page.  You can't see the Radiant Rain shimmer, but it is a really nice combination.

I wanted a face to be superimposed over the clock "faces" so I sketched her in in white pencil with the aid of Pam's stencil.

Gesso was used as my highlights and also to mute the background a little.  It pleasantly reactivated the inks a little bit. 

I was struggling with a way to duplicate the clock face image look on the top layers until Pam Carriker posted her journal page so I have her to thank for the circle and triangle image at the bottom of the finished page above.

A little additional tweaking with Prismacolor pencils and Inktense sticks and voila!

 Now for happy accidents....I started with a trial run on some tags with another stencil and used a variety of medium from distress stains and paints to inks from Dylusions, Radiant Rain and Adirondack (see below).

Here is the stencil I used for these. I think it is a Plaid stencil.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the red/orange combo so I did that on a page in my every day journal...and what a WOW!! Adirondack Color Wash in red pepper and sunset orange.

The photo just doesn't capture the brightness, but it looks like that flocked wallpaper from the 70's.  Not sure what's next, but I love it the way it is!

Thanks so much for stopping by. And I always enjoy seeing your comments below.  

Jan

The Original Documented Life - First Prompt: Goals

This weekend I started The Documented Life project which consists of weekly journaling prompts which we share with one another.  It is a great motivator for keeping up a journal and the group is great about sharing photos of their work, tips, advice, tutorials and support. I'll put the link below for anyone interested. 

Here I will share a short visual tutorial of my first week's page with stepped out photos of the process.  I love seeing the process of how other artists arrive at their final destination and hope this provides you with some new ideas to try in your own journal!

I like to start with the end product!

The challenge is to utilize book text and the prompt was "I am my own goal keeper".  Start with a layer of book text, ledger paper, old letters and receipts, etc. adhered with medium of your choice. 

Vintage papers, receipts, ledger pages and a bank note forwarded to me from my friend Cat, 

from her great uncle's store in the early 1900's in NC. 

Add layers with paint, stencils and spray inks. The "text block" is done with gesso to make sure it is easy to write on.

This is the text block filled in 

with a favorite quote.

And one close up shot of a tiny part of the page. I love how the page from the shorthand book shows through the word "goal" here. 

Thank you for reading and I'm happy you stopped by.  Here is the link for The Documented Life Project.

Jan