Tutorial Thursday

I am a member of Tole Town. It is a fun place that offers 3 patterns a month and a line drawing challenge.  I have a friend who is always the first to post hers, and once someone posts, it is difficult to think of something different, because your mind is focused on the cuteness of your friend’s creation!

I always feel that I have to put this disclaimer into every pattern I share on my blog, lest someone think I am hiding some deep dark secret~~no secret.  DecoArt is the Best in my opinion, so, here goes: I am also a member of the DecoArt Helping Artist program that allows me to get some free products, but mostly, I buy things at a discount, which is great for me, because I LOVE to try new things.  I have used DecoArt Americana paints for over 20 years, so obviously, I use them because I love them.

I am fascinated with Mixed Media and have spent quite a while learning how others use these products.  I have to admit, I am not a fan of gluing things on things, but I LOVE the process of using textures and building layers and colors.  SEE—if you look for something you like, you will usually find it!  If I do start to glue charms on top of charms and fake flowers, PLEASE form an intervention for me.  And, by all means, when you see me painting a skull, you best fall to your knees!  LOL

As I was chatting with my friend who finished her line drawing challenge, I left with some good ideas.  THEN, as I was doing another scroll through fb-land, I saw that DecoArt Media was having a Mixed Media Challenge called “Under the Sea.”

Ok, those who follow me KNOW that Mother did NOT believe in coincidence!!  SO, I grabbed a piece of paper and sketched something really quickly…honestly, I did it in about 10 minutes.  Yes, it might actually look like it took me 10 minutes, or less…that is ok. As long as you don’t tell me that, I can live with you not appreciating my silliness! Chances are, even if you do tell me, I will probably get over it, too…

It would be politically incorrect for me to share that my mermaid looks like a drag-queen mermaid, so I will not say that, because I will NOT be unkind, and what?  Me? Make fun of my own skills?!!  Ne-va!!

I have been sharing some step-by-steps of the process in this post. I’m not going to type instructions, because hey, I’m not getting paid to make a pattern!!  (she says giggling…)  I am amazed at how something so simple can use so many different products…how do I keep doing that.  I am going to do a self-challenge one day and do something with only 4 or 5 colors.

Sooooooooooo….here is a list of the colors I used to paint this on an 8x10 Canvas board.

BUT FIRST, I want to give credit to Lorrie Weber for the cute little jelly fishes…Thank you, Lorrie…this was fun.  She owns the copyright to them, and it is only nice to give credit when you use someone’s drawing.

I made my FIRST print using my gelli-print that I won over one year ago.  To make the paper, I used the DecoArt Americana Colors: Citron Green, Boysenberry Pink, Tangerine.  This paper was used to make the banners, the table and the jellyfish.  Honestly, the banners look just like I painted them.  I am thinking I might not be a good gelli-print Ambassador—Sorry, Geli Print People—others do AMAZING things with them, and I am in awe.

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics: Translucent White, Carbon Black, Yellow Green Light, Viridian, Diarylide Yellow, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Metallic Gold, Dioxazine Purple, Cobalt Blue Hue, Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Teal Hue, Primary Magenta and Green Interference.

DecoArt Media White Gesso, DecoArt Media Matte Medium

DecoArt Metallic Lustre, Majestic Purple

Just a few hints of the process:

I used a piece of Punchinello to stencil Gesso onto the background.  For some reason, when I think of doing something with the sea, I think of bubbles, which reminds me, saying BUBBLES is hard when you are angry, and I have been angry today, so once again, ART is just what the Doctor ordered.

The background was created using Translucent White and Cerulean Blue in the middle and working Cobalt Blue Hue around the edges into the lighter background.  I seem to like a lighter center with a darker edge.

What I forget about when I use these wonderfully pigmented Fluid Acrylics, is their translucency.  It is so fun to build colors, but when I did my turquoise fish, I laughed as the Purple I added turned into a dark blue!!  I had visions of a purple/turquoise fish, but that is ok…I am capable of powering through.  I could have changed it, but he just seemed that he was meant to be...it had NOTHING to do with my being lazy~~maybe...

I added Green Interference on top of the Mermaids fish suit.  It looks really cool in person…

The sand is Metallic Gold instead of a traditional sand, because, isn’t the magic of the sea, the treasures she hides?  Who KNEW there was a Popsicle Bar under the sea?  Perhaps I should learn to dive, after all… (nope, not happening, I hope…Another Mother saying, “Don’t say what you are not going to do, because you will end up doing it!”  Yikes…better not chance this one…)

I added Translucent White to tone down the colors and to make them more pastel for the popsicles.  Also, I based the fish with Translucent White, before I painted them.

Oh, I forgot that I used a Fudeball pen to outline the banners, table, and jellyfish…I have to admit, that I am enjoying how easy they are to use, and I might be getting lazy by using them…that is ok. Something in life should be easy, right?

I finished by adding Majestic Purple Metallic Lustre around the edges.

This is what my pallet looks like after this was painted...see the little dots...it takes very little paint!

AND, by all means, don’t waste paint!  It drives me crazy to watch videos where paint is wasted.  It take a VERY small amount of paint to create any of these objects…just put a small dot onto your pallet, and add to it if you need more.

I think everything is just straight up painting…If I can do it, then YOU can do it…just have fun!  Life is too serious and unkind, so doing something for JOY is such a gift…I do not take this gift of art for granted, one bit. Will my art change the world?  Absolutely not, but it does CHANGE ME, so that is a good thing.  I am simply blessed to create~~charlotte♡