Star Girl

 I have been practicing some faces lately with the format that consists of draw an oval, line down the center, line across the center and divid the bottom half for all of the main features. Each one starts out with a grid face and gets turned into a unique individual. I always feel like I'm drawing the same way but each picture turns out very different. The left is a girl face with short hair and I know I'm going to give her black hair. That was all I had "planned".

 I decided I wanted a galaxy in her eyes, but I didn't think it would be as obvious enough by itself. I used masking fluid, which is essentially rubber cement like when you were a kid, that when it dries you can rub it off the paper. I haven't tried rubber cement so I can't suggest it as a reliable alternative. I covered all the places around the eye so I could give her a galaxy mask.

I made a galaxy mask as well as painted the background similarly to tie it together. I used Water color paints as well as neo color II water soluble crayons to hi light certain areas with darker or brighter colors. After adding the galaxy, and while I still had the mask on, I used a watered down gesso to add the "stars" with a splatter technique.   I let all of this dry completely and well. I have never tried to dry paint on top of the mask because I use my heat  gun as I am usually a go- go- go- creative type of artist. I was afraid to burn/melt the mask onto the page..So again, DON'T try that at home.
When it was completely dry, I have to admit this was super fun! I rubbed off the mask like a big gooey rubbery booger. A throwback to childhood for sure!
I used my Prismacolor Premier colored pencils to color in the hair and rest of the face. I used dark blue underneath the hair to give it dimension as I find just black ends up having little texture and a funny flat appearance.

Here is my finished Star Girl. All shading was completed with the Prismacolor Premier pencils. They are a dream to color with because they blend, color over each other and are so creamy smooth. This journal is a Canson Mixed Media (Light blue cover) Journal. One of my favorites because I can leave all the work inside and attached or detach and frame for the wall.  White water based Sharpie is my go to paint pen for eye hi lights and doesn't dry up after one use.

1970's Inspired ATC's

My online art swap group has hosted a monthly ATC decade swap over the year 2016. I jumped in at 1970 and these are my creations. My favorite part of these ATC's is that I created them both in 2 10 minute period to alleviate missed deadlines. Ok, so that wasn't my MOST favorite part, which was actually the use of some very vintage feel fabric I had from my mom's over flowing fabric closet before she moved out of state. Check out the cards below. One is inspired by fashion, and the other..I couldn't resist Twiggy. While I was only barely born in the mid 1970's, I've heard of and can recognize the icon that is Twiggy.

A Little Self Doubt Turns into A FABULOUS Project!

In my previous post I was ruminating about an elementary art project and how I would tie the art lesson into the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Well, I did. I taught this lesson to two different 5th grade advanced students throughout the period of one full day.

The Right to Freedom. Freedom to create art, freedom to express ourselves, freedom to choose colors and techniques in "Making our Mark"

Each student was allowed to make their own color palette and many chose upwards of 5-6 colors each. No-one shared palettes or colors or had to share "mixed-up" colors. It was FABULOUS. They cut out the silhouette profile picture I had take the previous Friday and used it as a mask over their colorful marks. This mask was painted over with thinned white gesso and the results were outstanding. The final touch was writing their personal mission statement, or finishing the sentence "I'm making my mark in the world through..".  Two students, one of them being my son, chose to exercise their rights and write nothing at all, letting the art speak for itself. Check out all of these amazing pieces below.