Use Your Wings! - Nicole Watson
HELLO ARTISTS! I’m so thrilled to share this tutorial today as a guest artist on the ArtFoamies blog. This week’s journal spread was completely inspired by the Butterfly Wings stamps. Before I even began, I had a vision in my head of the wings popping off my page with words under, and I also knew what I wanted the page to say. How I arrived there in the end completely surprised me! Isn’t it amazing how art journal play leads to discoveries and happy moments? This spread in my journal page brings me so much joy.
Today's project features:
- Candy Rosenberg | Butterfly Wings | Foam Stamps - Set of 2
- Nathalie Kalbach | Antique Tile | Foam Stamp
- Donna Downey | Polka Dot Bar | Foam Stamp
- Balzer Designs | Shadow Alphabet | Foam Stamps - Set of 26
- Donna Downey | Mixed Up Numbers | Foam Stamp
Using several warm colors, I watered them down a bit and allowed them to mingle on the ledger paper. After they dried, it was next time to create some texture with ArtFoamies!
I used three different stamps to create the background and just happened to apply the paint to them three different ways!
First, I used a brayer and gesso on my extremely well-loved Antique Tile stamp. Second, I used a piece of patty paper as a stamping palette for some umber paint and the Mixed-Up Numbers stamp. I used this stamping palette just like a traditional stamp and ink pad. Third, I painted on the leftover warm colored paint from my background layer onto the Polka Dot Bar stamp. I love how using several colors mixed together on the dots of this stamp creates a unique stamp each time. For each ArtFoamie, I not only stamped on the ledger page but also the burlap page!
After all my awesome texture from the ArtFoamies was dry, I added a little mark-making with my Stabilo-All pencils drawing lopsided circles around the polka dots and then activating them with water.
With the background finished, I began to work on my top layers. I knew I wanted to draw one of the leaf shapes that often find their way on my pages along with stamping a sentiment with the Shadow Alphabet, and of course, use those butterfly wings – which were my inspiration to begin with!
In order for all these elements to come together, I used the Shadow Alphabet stamps as a guide. I set them on my page (clean, not painted!) to sketch the leaf. After sketching the leaf, I colored it in.
While the leaf dried, I set my journal aside to work on the butterfly wings. I stamped several wings onto another piece of ledger paper with black gesso. WOW! I didn’t even think about it, but I loved how the writing from the ledger paper came through to look lacy and delicate on the wings.
Once the gesso was dry, I cut out the wings and painted them with the same colors as my page and the leaf. It took me a while to arrange them perfectly on the page, but when I finally figured it out, I stuck them down only on the center part with some heavy gel medium. I wanted the wings to open so I could tuck a word under each one. I picked eleven different inspiring words from a Tim Holtz sticker set and stuck one under each wing.
For the final touch, I added the sentiment “use your wings” with the Shadow Alphabet. I used a gel plate as a stamp pad this time since I knew it would be a longer process and I wanted my gesso to stay wet longer and be easier to stamp.
I was so nervous to stamp this simple saying, but the ArtFoamies handled the job amazingly.
Check out the process video here. If the video doesn’t appear below, click here to watch it.
I hope this page inspires YOU to use your wings, too! Create, inspire, imagine, discover, dream…and even laugh along the way as you play and discover in your art journal this week. When you do, tag me on Instagram so I can see your amazing art (@nicolewatsonart).
Nicole
http://nicolewatsonart.com
I used three different stamps to create the background and just happened to apply the paint to them three different ways!
After all my awesome texture from the ArtFoamies was dry, I added a little mark-making with my Stabilo-All pencils drawing lopsided circles around the polka dots and then activating them with water.
With the background finished, I began to work on my top layers. I knew I wanted to draw one of the leaf shapes that often find their way on my pages along with stamping a sentiment with the Shadow Alphabet, and of course, use those butterfly wings – which were my inspiration to begin with!
In order for all these elements to come together, I used the Shadow Alphabet stamps as a guide. I set them on my page (clean, not painted!) to sketch the leaf. After sketching the leaf, I colored it in.
While the leaf dried, I set my journal aside to work on the butterfly wings. I stamped several wings onto another piece of ledger paper with black gesso. WOW! I didn’t even think about it, but I loved how the writing from the ledger paper came through to look lacy and delicate on the wings.
For the final touch, I added the sentiment “use your wings” with the Shadow Alphabet. I used a gel plate as a stamp pad this time since I knew it would be a longer process and I wanted my gesso to stay wet longer and be easier to stamp.
I was so nervous to stamp this simple saying, but the ArtFoamies handled the job amazingly.
Check out the process video here. If the video doesn’t appear below, click here to watch it.
I hope this page inspires YOU to use your wings, too! Create, inspire, imagine, discover, dream…and even laugh along the way as you play and discover in your art journal this week. When you do, tag me on Instagram so I can see your amazing art (@nicolewatsonart).
Nicole
http://nicolewatsonart.com
Wonderful pages! LOVE the burlap! We love your beautiful work! Thank you.