Bubbles: painting

For this full project, I have quite a lot of pictures showing the process from painting the image to making the shadowbox frame. I divided it into three posts. I hope you want to join me in all three.

This post showcases the details of the painting process.

For the main post: http://rijacki.blogspot.com/2017/03/bubbles.html

For the shadowbox frame: http://rijacki.blogspot.com/2017/03/bubbles-shadowbox.html

Supplies for the full project

InLinkz.com

Colouring/Painting Process

I never know if I should be calling it 'painting' or 'colouring'. For this project I started with a digital stamp from Sheepski Designs, Bubble Dreams, and, using water brushes with Distress Ink and Perfect Pearls, brought it to life.

I started by trimming a sheet of 140lb watercolour cardstock (Canson XL) to 8 1/2" x 11" to fit my printer. I then printed the digi to fit the paper. (and my printer can handle the heavier cardstock, Yay!)

Since I have an inkjet printer and the ink is a bit water soluble. I sprayed the sheet with hair spray to help 'fix' the ink. A spraw fixative, like the one from Krylon, might work just as well (or even better) but hairspray is more readily available (and might be cheaper). Hairspray was a trick I remembered from my childhood crafting days.

To paint, I smush the Distress Ink mini into the plastic sheet I use as both a work surface and palette. I use waterbrushes to pick up a small bit of colour for drier brushing or to add water to the ink for a wash. If the brush is very lightly wet, you can get a lot of control, a lot like a marker. The brush can also be very wet, for a wash. Controlling the amount of wet in the brush is the key to being able to achieve different effects.

For part of the background, I created a grassy hill. I started with Shabby Shutters. I watered down the Shabby Shutters to paint a lighter green in the bubbles as an undercoat for their transparency.

For depth, I added Peeled Paint to the hillside. For the skin, I started with Spun sugar to give a light colour under coat.

On the skin I added in the start of the shadowing with Victorian Velvet. In the grass, I added hints of Dried Marigold and Barn Door for early Spring flowers.

On the skin, I painted over with Tattered Rose. This is also blends some with the undercoat and the shadowing pulling some of those colours with it.

I added Worn Lipstick and deepened the shadows with more Victorian Velvet.

I started he hair with an undercoat of Scattered Straw and began the shadowing with Wild Honey.

I added more Wild Honey shading.

I have a great fondness for stencils. I decided to use a stencil from Elizabeth Craft Designs to add in clouds and sky.

I used the largest of the Clarity brush set with Tumbled Glass and Stormy Sky for the sky and clouds. The largest of the brushes can produce the softest look. Smushing the ink into the worksheet and then picking it up with the brush also helps to control the softer look.

I started the long sleeve shirt with Milled Lavender.

I shaded the shirt with Seedless Preserves. For the softer areas of shadowing, I mixed the Seedless Preserves with Milled Lavender. I used purples for her top because I didn't want to go too far into pinky pastels.

With her hair now fully dry, I adding details with small flicks of Wild Honey. I will admit, hair detail is a lot easier when the image is smaller.

With a wet, clean brush, I lift some colour and then add in more over again. I also added Mustard Seed and Antique Linen to brighten and deepen her blond hair.

I added a thin wash of Perfect Pearls Confetti White over the bubbles. With a washy Tumbled Glass, I added the bubble details.

I painted the bubble wand shadowing with Weathered Wood, otherwise leaving them the off-white of the paper. I also added dots of Mustard Seed, Dried Marigold, and Barn door to the grassy hill.

I trimmed the image to just under 8" x 8".

While I paint, I take notes of the colours I use. I would never remember them otherwise. Even remembering what I did in each picture can be difficult a couple days later when I write it up. My goal is to do video from time to time.

The Perfect Pearls has a subtle effect that shows more when the light or angle moves.

To complete the project, I created a shadowbox from from a 12" x 12" sheet of cardstock. For details on how I made the frame: http://rijacki.blogspot.com/2017/03/bubbles-shadowbox.html 

This project was made as an introduction to me as one of Sheepski Designs newest members of challenge blog design team.

My technique is not perfect and is probably quite unorthodox. I have picked up information about colouring and painting from a variety of sources over the years as a self-taught artist. I used to paint quite a lot years ago and then laid it down for a long span. I have almost none of the painting I did before. One of the types of painting I used to do was in the style of Medieval Illumination, a type of art of which I am still very fond. 

About a year ago, as I started getting drawn into papercrafting I heard of watercolouring with Distress Inks. When I gave it a try, along with waterbrushes (which hadn't even been invented when I was painting before), I found I could control it the way I want and use it like the gouaches, acrylics, and paints I mixed back then. I was in love. Since then, I keep improving and refining continuing to work on my painting and seeking to challenge myself.

Come along with me on my journey of discovery :)