Today I am making a color chart of the acrylic paints that I have. I've been working on some paintings where I need to match colors. Have you done this so that you have a reference of what's in your stash? I find it very helpful!
I created the blank chart on Google Sheets and added a black line to show how opaque the paint is. Below is a download that you can print to capture your paint colors.
Depending on your printer, you can print it on watercolor paper and use it for your watercolors or other type of paints. If you do not have a printer or your printer does not handle thicker papers, you can try your local office store. I have copied files onto a jump drive and taken the file to my local office store/printer many times. You are welcome to share the chart.
Printer Tip: You may need to increase the size of the jpeg or select "Scale to Fit."
If you follow me, you know I am a lifelong learner. I love learning new techniques, especially where I can use my current supplies. hehehe. I also love to share when I find something really good. I'm sharing with you a new class on coloring - coloring with design in mind. Studio Xhico teaches it. I first met Xhico when we both took Bonnie Christine's Immersion Course. Since then, I have been following him and learning from him!
Join us July 10-21 for a deep dive into color. LET ME IN!
Xhico is giving away a Pantone Formula Guide to celebrate. Purchase before midnight tonight to be entered to win! Deadline is 12:00am PT Friday June 30.
Xhico is teaching a free workshop all about color. If you're enrolled, log into the hub, and you'll find the workshop in your library. Don't forget to watch it today and enter the MAGIC WORD before midnight! All the details are in the lesson.
If you're not enrolled yet, it's not too late. Join here.
Color Quest: Create a personal color palette
Create Color Palettes
Color Theory Basics Review
Color Meanings
6 Ways to Naming Color
Answers to your Color Questions
Free Downloads, Prizes & More!
Xhico would love for you to join him in Color Quest this week, It's going to be a fun time of learning about color and expanding your design knowledge to create better art. Get the color confidence so color comes second nature to you.
If you invite friends to join you at the free workshop or Color Camp, you can earn money with referrals with Xhico's Affiliate Program. Click here to learn more.
Today I'm sharing my art piece for another #100daysofStencilGirl day.
This was an easy and fun way to mass-produce ATCs. Stencils are so much fun to work with!
To see many ideas for using stencils, check out the hashtag #100daysofstencilgirl.
I used a Tulip sponge to apply acrylic paint and inks through the stencil Couture ATC Patterns L916 for the background, designed by me. If you want a sharp image, sponge off excess paint for a dry brush technique. If you want a painterly/blurry image, do not sponge off. The harder you press, the more the paint will spread under the stencil. You may want to practice a few times to find the balance of paint and pressure.
After the background dried, I painted flowers on each card.
After the flowers dried, I added black outlines and dots in the centers to make the flower colors pop.
Are you ready for the beach?! These lovely ladies are relaxing and enjoying the peaceful water view while sipping a refreshing drink. Ahhhh…
Today I'm sharing a behind-the-scenes look at one of the ways I design greeting cards. Sometimes I intentionally create a design for a greeting card; other times, I create something and later think, oh, that would work on a greeting card! The design could start from a pencil sketch, a painting, a mark, a scribble, playing around in Photoshop, or a coffee spill in my journal. For these lovely women on the beach, it was intentional.
I completed the design entirely on my iPad using the Procreate app. It has become my favorite digi drawing tool! In Procreate, I have all the art supplies available with no prep or cleanup. Many, many, many brushes emulate traditional painting - and there are many more available. You can even design your brushes. Procreate also has a solid fan base of artists who teach how to use the tool.
I found a great printer that captures all the love I put into my art. I also found the right combination of quality paper and cardstock. I’ve been making greeting cards for years, starting with stamps and inkpads [shout out to my dear friend Marge!]. I’ve experimented with all brands of cardstock -I have a bit of a paper library. 😁 I still enjoy stamping, but there’s nothing like having my artwork on a card. ☺️
I have a new SkillShare Class! Alcohol Ink After Party - Paint a Beach Scene. As you can tell, I'm a fan of the inks and love sharing techniques with them. :) In this class, you will learn a controlled way to paint a beach scene with a palm tree. I’ll share tips to help you get the desired results. I would love to have you join me in class!!
If you do not have access to SkillShare, the link below will provide you with one-month free access to all the classes. The link takes you to my teaching page with all my classes, but please take advantage of the month to visit others classes and check all the learning opportunities at Skillshare.
I hope you are having a good day - getting rest, meeting your spiritual needs, nourishment, and activity. For me, everything else falls into place when all those needs are met.
I've decided to change the name of my blog. My creative groove has changed over the years, and I want the title to reflect where I am. As I get older, I find I'm managing being human. I have many dreams, thoughts, wishes, and goals. I will not achieve all of them in my lifetime; however, I will achieve the ones I prioritize and invest time in.
I appreciate you reading and following my blog. I hope my words and art inspire and encourage you, as many people have done for me.
Shout Out: to everyone and every experience I have encountered in my life.
Is it spring yet?! Where are you, sister?! I needed warmth and recently took a flower painting class with Christie Herrmann Hawkins. I came out of the class with an acrylic and a watercolor version of bold blooming flowers.
acrylic watercolor
I am a lifelong learner with many classes on my list. I love checking out new teachers, exploring new techniques, getting various tips and tricks from multiple people, and then see how I can fit them into my style. I’m partial to the black outline, just a smidge. Painting with Christie @thesocialeasel brought back warm memories of watching Carol DuVall back in the day before YouTube - does anyone remember Carol?! Priscilla Hauser was a frequent guest, and I loved her decorative art paintings. That’s the first place I remember seeing a black outline of painted flowers. I took a photo of the piece before I added the black line.
Which style do you prefer, white outline (yesterday’s post), black outline, or no outline?
Shout Outs: Christie is a lovely teacher. Austin Kleon, Author of Steal Like an Artist. I read Austin's book once a year.
Today I am sharing my first sketchbook, where I filled every page! I can see the improvement by consistently spending time in my sketchbook. With every sketch, I learn something to do more of or less of. hehehe. I have enjoyed being part of the #sketchbooksquad community for the past year. My drawing has improved and I've met some lovely, encouraging people!
I'm Sharing my artwork submission for the @drawadot open call for the PRIVATE POLICY S/S 2023 collection, "Noah's Arc - Peace for All." 🕊🕊🕊 What a fabulous collection! The winner of this open call was announced. @alixstemmelin ! Congratulations Alix!
It's been a minute! I've just been living life... enjoying family, peaceful moments, and a little binge TV. I've also been planning how to move forward with my illustration and surface design business. There are so many options for artists today it's easy to go down a rabbit hole. For someone like me, whose mind is always going, I had to focus and get serious about what I wanted to do with my joy of coloring. I'm happy to say that I am on my way!!
One of the communities I joined last year was Draw A Dot. I have been learning so much about fashion illustration and the industry - so interesting! I've had the opportunity to work with an illustrator agent, hear directly from fashion experts, get insight into their processes, and be inspired by beautiful fashion artwork. The Orange Dot Project is a celebration of the Draw A Dot Community's 10th anniversary. The Patreon members have been invited to each create an artwork to celebrate this special occasion for sale in the shop. I'm excited that I get to participate! This project is particularly special this year because there is a fund behind it. For each sale from this collection, $5 USD will go to an artist fund, and $5 will go to the artist who created the print. At the end of January 31, 2024, the artist who sells the most prints from this collection will receive this fund. You'll see interesting and artsy prints at the shop for this celebration/contest. I hope you like mine, but if you find something you like better, we'd appreciate your support! .
Independent artists doing what they love... Below is my print.
Shout Out:Marcus Kan for starting the Draw a Dot community and for ALL the support, encouragement, and connections he makes for the community. He also collaborated with me on my print. I loved the way it turned out!
Happy Thanksgiving in the USA! Many of us spend time reflecting on what we are thankful for - our families, friends, opportunities, joys, and challenges.
This is also the time of year when there are many, many... many sales as we move into the Christmas season. I'm sharing a sale with you!! November 27th - November 30th StencilGirl Products is having its biggest sale of the year! All my stencils, plus thousands of others, will be on sale. Three days of SuperStencil Savings starts November 27th!
Alcohol Ink After Party - Paint a Pumpkin In this class, you will learn a controlled way to paint a colorful pumpkin using alcohol inks. I’ll share tips that will help you get the results that you want. I would love to have you join me in class!!
I'm excited to share my new collection available from StencilGirl®!!
The Couture Collection features models, clothes, and fabric designs. You may have noticed that I've been a bit fascinated with fashion illustration over the last few months. :)
The couture collection was inspired by my love of fashion illustration and warm memories of playing with paper dolls when I was a child. The collection consists of Couture Models (a 9x12 model stencil with two sizes of three different models), Couture Closet #1 Small (a 6x6 closet for the smaller size models), Couture Closet #1 Large (a 9x12 closet stencil for the large models), and Couture ATC Patterns (a 9x12 ATC fabric/texture and other little bits stencil to complement the models).
The set includes masks and fitted openings for endless possibilities for your artwork. Outlines provide a jumpstart for coloring, masks and open stencils allow for your customized designs, or you can use the ATC stencil included in the collection for fabric designs. The couture models also include a curvy woman, as many of us have curves and we embrace all of them! The women can be used as focal points for greeting cards, journal spreads, on canvases, on walls, and included in larger art pieces. They work well with a variety of supplies. There are so many possibilities!
Below is a short video that introduces the collection and describes how I get to know new stencils.
Below are pieces of art that I made using the new collection of stencils. I had such a great time AND I have so many more ideas. If I didn't have to sleep, work on other projects and eat, I might get to them all. hehehe
I cut it out - TIP: Lay the bathing from closet1 small (S920) over the colorful piece and trace it so you can easily see where to cut.
For finishing touches, I used a variety of colored pencils and pens to add her face features and hair, show subtle shading on her neck and back leg, and add shoes. Nothing fancy, just little touches to make her pop on the card. The stamped sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.
Evening Wear and Showing Hands
I cut out a model (L917) and her dress (L918) from the large set of sprayed images in the video. Next, I laid the dress over the model and drew a simple outline of hands with a white pencil - extending the lines from her wrists.
I cut out hand shapes in the dress.
I cut out the inside area of her arms and trimmed around her body.
I tried on her dress to make sure that it fit around her hands.
Added a design to her dress with one of the ATC sections (L916) and a gold metallic pen.
I repeated these steps for the other two large models and added jewelry and cute shoes with pens. They are ready to step out into the evening!
TIP: When you use an outline to paint/color your model's body, you can get the shape of her arms by laying the mask over the body and painting inside her arms with the same or similar color to the background.
Original Designs
For this journal page in a gray sketchbook, I traced each model mask (L917) in white pencil, then traced over the white in a dark gray. Next, I used acrylic paint to add their clothes, blending on the page - but not too much, so all that rich texture will show through!
Tag
Single layer (no scissors needed)
I drew one of the small models (L917) with a colored pencil and colored it with water-based markers. NOTE: I traced inside the stencil and used the mask use draw in the shape of her arms and also drew in an outline for a suggestion of her hands. Don’t worry about detailed hands, just the shape works. You can also use the dress mask to trace around her hands' shapes.
I drew in a line with colored pencils to separate the shapes of her legs, as well as a little lipstick. I laid her dress stencil over her body and colored it in with a marker.
I laid the dress mask right inside the dress shape and held it in place with my opposite hand while I colored a darker blue, adding design and interest.
I used colored pencils and markers to add hair, lipstick, shoes, and shading. I had so much fun creating three women!
Bookmark 1
Using the mask from her large closet (L918), I traced her outfit first, then traced the body as if she were wearing the outfit. I added a line to show her leg in front and a wavey line to show the bottom of her shirt.
Next, I colored her shirt with a marker and gave it a design using one of the sections of the ATC Pattern stencil (L916).
TIP: To keep the design inside the clothing, lay the closet1 large stencil over the ATC stencil to keep your pattern in bounds. Be sure to line it up. Here I was showing an example where the ATC stencil goes down first and the clothing stencil on top. That way your design lines are crisp.
I colored in her pants, and added shoes and festive flowers in her hair, inspired by Frida Kahlo.
'Oops Note': After I colored in everything, I realized I missed adding the ATC pattern to her sleeve. It was easy to line the stencils back up and add the design. :o)
Bookmark 2
For this bookmark, I traced the model mask (L917) onto the cardstock and colored her in with markers. Next, I colored her hair, drew in shoes, and added details to her face with colored pencils and markers. I added her swimsuit (L918)from one of the spray pieces shared in the video. For the decorative flooring, I used the ATC Pattern stencil (916) and a colored pencil. I like the soft look the pencil created.
Journal Page - Happiness Is...
For my last example, I colored her body and her hair with acrylic paint. I used alcohol inks to create bright festive dresses. I traced around the dress mask, traced all of the inside designs, and cut them out. I used a marker to draw on her shoes.
TIPS and SUGGESTIONS:
Be sure to wipe all water soluble supplies off your stencils to make sure you only get the colors you want the next time you use them.
When drawing shoes, hair, and facial features, I use references to help me with shapes and stylized designs. It's easy to keep them as simple shapes to finish off your model.
Shout Out: To the StencilGirl® team!! They are awesome to work with and I just love all of them!! For fashion design instruction and inspiration, I appreciate Jane Davenport , Zoe Hong, Jessica Durrant, and Marcus Kan!!
So….I was sketching in my ‘A Year in Small Drawings Sketchbook’ by @matildatr. I started by following directions for the subject, and then I don’t know what happened - other subjects just popped into the squares. There’s always at least one face. LOL! Faces happen… Sending out positive vibes!!
I'm sharing a couple of ideas for how to use stencils to bring some colorful joy to yourself and to others.
Here's a little peek:
Please visit my post on the StencilGirl® Talk Blog to see two ideas with step-out photos. I also included a link for videos with tips for creating with word stencils and African symbols.
Hello Beautiful! Sharing my illustration for the @drawadot@schiaparelli Haute Couture F/W 2022 open call.
I did some research on Elsa - a fascinating woman with a very interesting story! @danielroseberry is the current Creative Director. His 2022 F/W collection is fabulous!! Having so much fun with drawing fashion and seeing all the beautiful creative illustrations!!
I started this piece by painting the individual illustrations in my art journal.
I took a photo of the pages and pulled them into Adobe PhotoShop. Inside the tool, I put the individual images on their own layers, improved their look, and played with the layout to find something I really liked. I learned how to do all the steps from Sarah Watts. Sarah is offering a course on how to take your artwork into Adobe PhotoShop and create surface pattern designs. I took the course last year, and I'm taking it again this year as she has made updates. I just love how Sarah explains the tools and shows examples with her own artwork. In addition to teaching PhotoShop, she shares a lot of information, and has guest speakers, from the surface design and illustration business. You can use what you learn to create your own designs for your personal use or for your own business. I continue to take classes from Sarah and had such a great experience, I became an affiliate for the course.
All the Images and Text on this site are owned by the original creator, Trena Brannon. Please do not copy or use anything without asking permission. These projects and stories are shared for inspirational use only. Designs may not be copied for the purpose of publication or contest submissions. Thank you for your support!
