Today I'm sharing three journals I painted for the conference vendor fair I did last weekend.
But first, I want to let you know that tomorrow is the last day to sign up for Sarah's class!
I’ve been taking classes from Sarah for the last two years and love her teaching style. She breaks information into understandable blocks. I learned Ps and worked independently to clean up my artwork and complete patterns. I highly recommend Sarah, so much so that I became an affiliate to help share information about the class. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! I'd be happy to share my experience.
Now onto the journals!!
This painting adventure started as a request. In June, I spoke at one of Dr. Carmen's Zoom events about the different ways to journal and the benefits of journaling. She saw a journal I made for myself and loved the look of it. Last weekend I attended a Women's Conference in Lansing, Michigan, hosted by Dr. Carmen, who asked me to make a journal as a giveaway during the conference. I had so much fun making it I made a couple more to sell at my vendor table.
I love using disc journals! There are a host of paper designs you can order, plus you can purchase a punch and put in whatever type of paper you want. You can move your papers around. I ordered the journal covers from Amazon and added a variety of papers - lined, graph, storyboard, blank, to-do lists, hot pressed, and bristol. Most papers are from Levenger, where I first got hooked on disc journals.
I used paint mediums and sealers before and after painting and various acrylic paints from my stash.
I love the look of creating layers that build upon each other.
Shout Out: Dr. Carmen Thomas, who leads Transformation GEMS, a 501c3 Public Charity, focuses on the engagement, education, and empowerment of women passionate about starting a business, sustaining a business, empowering communities, and creating legacies while eliminating poverty.
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.
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!
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!!
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.
Now is your chance to save 25% on not only my stencils, but all StencilGirl Stencils*! The discount will be taken automatically at checkout. No coupon code is needed!
If you buy 6 stencils of the sale size StencilGirl’s 10% everyday discount is automatically applied to those stencils.
But the best part is there are FREEBIES to be had! $100+ Anniversary Stencil by Mary Beth Shaw $300+ a StencilGirl Studio class by Mary Beth Shaw Please note: Freebies are calculated after the discounts are applied.
You can take advantage of colossal stencil savings through 11:59 p.m. CST, November 30, 2021. *Some restrictions apply.SALE FAQ
Thanks for loving stencils like I love stencils!
Do you have an SG wish list? StencilGirl’s biggest sale of the year starts November 28th. You know you’ve been good!
The West African collection released last October has been very popular, and we are now releasing two 9x12 stencils with larger images and words to provide a variety of sizes for your artwork. The West African Symbols Mix-up 5 stencil includes four large symbols that represent supremacy of God, learn from your mistakes, humility and strength, and royalty and greatness. The large word stencil includes words that represent love, intelligence, ingenuity, freedom, feminine qualities, supremacy of God, learn from your mistakes, humility and strength, and royalty and greatness. Use these stencils in art journaling, mixed media projects, and larger bodies of work. They are wonderful as a focal point in your art or for gelli printing, and you can use them to create marvelous patterns on fabric. The stencils are now available at StencilGirl Products.
I'm sharing a project and a couple ideas for how to use stencils to create something for positivity.
Here's a little peek:
Please visit my post at the StencilGirl® Talk Blog to see the the full project with step out photos, as well as a couple of other ideas. I also included a link for a video with tips for creating with word stencils.
Today I'm sharing new stencil designs that I've had to keep secret for several months - ohhh, that has been a challenge for me! :)
I am the artist for August’s StencilClub at StencilGirl Products! I am over the moon - where did that saying come from anyway?! I don't know, but it accurately describes my joy!!
I have a video on StencilGirl Talk today that shares how I got the inspiration for these designs.
StencilClub is a monthly subscription for exclusive designs that are revealed the first day of each month. It is like getting a present every single month! Members also get 20% off StencilGirl® stencils all the time.
Each month, you get:
One 9" x 12" EXCLUSIVE stencil, one 6" x 6" EXCLUSIVE stencil, and one 4" x 4" EXCLUSIVE stencil.
An EXCLUSIVE video for MEMBERS ONLY provided by the designing artist.
A downloadable PDF with basic instructions to go along with the video for that month.
Entrance into a SECRET Facebook group for MEMBERS ONLY! A place to share, inspire and talk all about stencils!
You are eligible to purchase ANY past month for the membership price.
Shout Out:MaryBeth Shaw. MaryBeth is a savvy business woman, talented artist, and has big heart! I am feeling grateful.
I don’t want you to miss out on the biggest STENCIL SALE of the year.
Now is your chance to get 25% off of my stencils and all the stencils! Discount code to use at checkout: joy25.
If you buy 6 stencils of the sale size StencilGirl’s 10% everyday discount is automatically applied to those stencils.
But the best part is there are FREEBIES to be had! $100+ Anniversary Stencil by Mary Beth Shaw $300+ a StencilGirl Studio class by Mary Beth Shaw Please note: Freebies are calculated after the discounts are applied.
You can take advantage of colossal stencil savings through 11:59 p.m. CST, December 1, 2020. *Some restrictions apply. SALE FAQ
Thank you for loving stencils like I love stencils! Stencils add so much to your artwork!
My StencilGirl® stencils are going on sale for Cyber Monday! This is the biggest sale of the year and the savings are huge. Fill your cart up at stencilgirlproducts.com. Start, or update, your wishlist now! I updated mine. :).
Below is some artwork I created from my latest collection West African Symbols ATC Mixup - a collaboration with the fabulous Wendy Featherston.
Today I'm sharing some exiting news that I've had to keep secret for several weeks - ohhh, that has been hard for me! :)
I have teamed up with the lovely and talented Wendy Featherston to create a stencil collection of Adinkra symbols. Please visit our StencilGirl® Talk blog post to see how we used the beautiful symbols and words!
Thank you for stopping by to visit. I hope you are finding moments of peace and joy throughout your day!
In this post, I'm sharing some beautiful colors....
I am diggin' Seth's pigment inks! When I get new art supplies, I have to get to know them - build a relationship with them. 😊
I usually start with swatching. I used StencilGirl® stencils to provide divided spaces for coloring. I added the rich colors of the inks right out of the bottle with the little brush that is attached to the tops. I colored on both white and black cardstock to see how the colors look. Aren't the colors beautiful?!By doing this, I get a feel for how fluid or thick they are, the opacity, if I need one coat or two, and if they blend nicely - which they do!I also dig how they dry matte - except for the four metallic colors which are awesome on black!I plan to use them for my greeting cards and in my art journaling - and I'm sure I'll find more uses for them. Right now I have a couple blank journal covers waiting for some splashes of color... 😉📚
Sales are everywhere and I'm sharing our StencilGirl® sale!! Get your your wish list together. It starts December 1st!!
I'm also sharing this journal cover I made featuring a couple of my stencils - I Get to Choose L648 and Brush Alphabet L645 and this lovely image by Art Impressions called Main Squeeze. Unfortunately, AI does not sell it anymore, however some retail stores may have it, or you may be able to get it on Ebay.
Sometimes I get full at work...in life. I need little reminders to help me remember to take care of myself while I'm busy working my lists (yes, I'm a list person and quite proud of it! :) )
My surface is the cover of a spiral note book. I had previously written the subject of the contents on it in black marker - of course, that was much too plain. After creating a boarder with some low tack tape, I used an old credit card to spread thick gesso over it, not making it smooth on purpose. I wanted lots of texture on this cover! For even more texture, I took a piece of bubble wrap and dabbed around the page and spritzed the surface with isopropyl 91% alcohol in random spots - just to see how the surface responds when I added acrylic paint.
I poured paint directly on the dried surface in a similar pattern to my inspiration piece.
I spread the color around with a paint brush, a sponge and my fingers. I realized I had way too much paint - oops! I started dabbing off, then thought oh! I could "kiss" a journal page and pick up all that rich color. So, that's what I did - I laid a piece of hot pressed watercolor paper from one of my journals and rubbed it like it was on top of my gelli plate. I actually got two pages of color! I used a sponge to spread the remaining paint around and blend. It was then I noticed all the texture. I also noticed some cool designs that formed. I think that may have been where I spritzed the alcohol.
Next I stamped my image and filled in the shape with gesso. I used an old stubby brush to make sure the texture continued. After the first coat dried, I painted a second and let that dry completely.
I used a stamp positioner to stamp the image on top of the gesso and painted her with paint pens. After she dried, I inked up just her face features and stamped them in, again using the stamp positioner to get her features in the right spot. As a final touch, I added meaningful words as my reminders. "Today I am living life" and "self care."
Today I'm sharing some one of my favorite techniques with stencils. I really dig the rich vibrant colors and interesting texture.
I am preparing for a Vendor Boutique that will be held at the 2019 Transformation Conference - a Women's entrepreneurship event - in October and making greeting cards by the dozen. I am mass producing backgrounds. It's so easy to do with this technique.
First, I picked out stencils, choosing designs that had some detail.
I used gloss gel medium to provide texture and alcohol inks for the beautiful color. Scroll down to click on a link to a step by step video I did.
I was first introduced to this technique by MaryBeth Shaw. MaryBeth has so many cool ways to use stencils, as well as a variety of ways to add texture and interest in artwork. I love her workshops - online and in person!
All the stencils used are from StencilGirl®. You can see a video of this technique here.
Coupon code expires June 22, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. CST (Central Standard Time) USA
PLUS The 10% discount when you buy 6 stencils of the same size still applies!
Choose 1 FREE large stencil for every $100 spent (after discounts are applied). You MUST specify your choice(s) by L### (such as L048) in the comments section of the cart when you check out or it will be StencilGirl's choice. Sorry, no exceptions.
*Stencils only. Does not apply to DVDs, books, tools, wholesale orders, StencilClub, or gift certificates. The StencilClub exclusive monthly member discount does not apply.
Hello Beautiful and welcome! You have arrived at the StencilGirl® Creative Team’s Spectacular Squared-Off Swap Hop.
My piece of art work incorporates beautiful design papers created by some of my StencilGirl® creative sisters: Tina, Claudia, Katie, and Sunila&Aditi!
Before sharing the tutorial, let's talk about your chance to win!!
The more blogs you comment on the more chances you have a chance to win one of four $25 gift certificates for stencils from StencilGirl® Products. Comment by May 3, 2019. Winner notified by email May 6th.
Here are the original lovely design pieces I received.
I painted the piece in an art journal that I transformed form a large paperback booklet. I created the journal for a Jane Davenport workshop - Express Yourself. I've been doing my workshop homework in this journal, as well as my homework for another workshop I'm taking - Ady Almanza's Dark is beautiful painting workshop. Below is a painting I did on the cover (inspired by Ady).
This particular face started our as home work for Ady's class. I had previously created the outline.
As I thought about how to use the papers, her hair came to mind - a collage of the papers would give her hair texture, fabulous color and volume. I tore the four designs into smaller pieces and adhered them to my page. I love how the designs add interest and depth to her big hair.
After everything dried, I used color pencils to fill in gaps and used the background paint to remove the black outline.
Next, I sketched in her face with a white pencil and used acrylic paint to add in some highlights, fill in a base coat for her flower and clothing... and here we have "the ugly" stage - or should I say "one of."
After that, it was all about the details - buildings layers, adding highlights and shadows, and of course covering up what I didn't like and re-painting. 🙂So easy to do with acrylic/mixed media supplies.
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!
