Online workshop journal page

It's been awhile since I've taken an online class. I always like to see how other artists approach their work and see similarities or differences from mine.  I've followed Cindy Gilstrap for awhile and when her workshops (junqueart.com) were on sale during January, I jumped at the chance to take her Dream Big "mini" workshop. 

In this workshop she takes you through the creation of one double-paged art journal spread using a vintage cabinet card image juxtaposed with bright, playful collage and paint. I loved her page and was happy that mine came out very similar. I did use different papers and stencils than she did but used some of the same paints.

Here is my finished page. I love it and will be trying more of this style incorporating vintage images.

I had so much fun that I signed up for another workshop!

Art Journaling Workshop

It's been awhile since I've worked in my art journal and I've missed it! I love starting with a blank page with no preconceived notions of what it should be and just playing.

I had signed up for a Strathmore Online Workshop (did I mention it was free!). When I received an e-mail that the course "Doodles Unleashed" with Traci Bautista was posted I was excited to get started.  This is a four-week course in doodling with many different mark-making supplies on large-scale paintings.  Traci's style is very different from mine and that is one reason I was intrigued and hoped to learn some new techniques.

Traci works BIG - the supply list included 18" x 24" paper for the substrate.  I didn't have anything that size so chose to work more comfortably in a smaller scale in my art journal.  Following is the two-page spread I created.  I even remembered to take photos along the way to record the process.

The first step was to add color to the blank page using stencils, masks and found objects.  I laid the following on the page: a few "gears" masks from Tim Holtz, a circular piece of plastic needlepoint canvas which I cut to make the one circle and a ring; a popsicle stick (lower right); a small washer (inside the ring); rubber bands in different sizes (upper left); and a piece of drywall tape (lower left).  I sprayed miscellaneous color wash sprays over these.  

Once dry, the next step was to add doodles with acrylic paints.  I continued with the circular theme, painting turquoise, red and violet rings and circles with a brush.

I then continued doodling - lines, dots, more circles - with oil pastels and some more acrylic paint.

Next came the addition of black India ink. This really started to make the designs pop and added much-needed contrast.  I also used Copic markers at this point - they add a subtle background texture.

The final step was adding white to the design using a white correction pen.  I would never have thought to use that - it is very opaque and really stands out.  Traci also suggested using paint pens and neon markers, both of which I didn't have.

This was a fun exercise and got me out of my comfort zone. I usually don't use such vibrant colors, but I am happy with the result and enjoyed just freely creating. I am looking forward to Week 2 using watercolors.