"if..." Art Journaling Project Day 3

Using prompts is an easy way to work your way through an artist block. I will be working through the book "The Big Book of If..." by Evelyn McFarlane and James Saywell. I hope you will all follow along with me.

If you would like the buy the book there are lots of copies at
Amazon.com

To paint in- you can use any old hardcover book-look for one that is sewn together not glued or perfect bound or you can get a Strathmore sketch book like the one I am using. Look for pages that are at least 90lbs or heavier.

* If you could spend one whole night alone with anyone in history, who would you select?

It would be Amelia Earhart. We could stay up all night and have girl talk! If would be fun. I have so many questions I want to ask her. I think she must have been an amazing woman. So brave to do her own thing in a time woman were not encouraged to do so. She took off into the air to live her own life...

1. First I Gessoed the page white, though now I can't remember why I wasted my time doing that? The pages are already white! But it does help the rest of the paint go on smoother.

2. I put Crimson Red watercolor paint from a tube on both pages-dry- and then spread it around with a baby wet wipe until the pages were all red.


3. Next I mixed in a little raw sienna and washed it around with a baby wipe.


4. Then I rubbed on a little Lemon Yellow. This time I also wet a brush filled withblue liquid tube watercolor and "flung" it all around the pages.


5. I selected iconic images of Amelia Earhart to cut and alter and then collage onto my pages.

6. Next I selected some background paper that I thought would look good under Amelia. One of the papers I selected had early, industrial clock looking lines on it. It just seemed to fit her time period and the colors worked.

7. I altered the images of Amelia and then glued the background papers into place and then arranged and then the Amelia images on top of the background papers. I used matte Modge Podge to glue everything in place.


8. I gessoed the edges of the collage work to soften them just a little.

9. I added some travel stickers I found at Big Lots. The colors matched my pallet. I used some of the stickers to spell out Amelia's first and last name.


10. Using a graphic design tool. I created lines on the pages to write my story. The tool is really cool. It bends in all types of ways and then you can make the same lines over and over and you sentences will come out even-in any directions. Without this tool all my lines tend to up high on the back side, it's weird.

11. For some highlights I added baby blue dots around the page using acrylic craft paint. Then the blue dried I added white dots around the blue dots.

12. I wanted a little extra punch...did I just just a catchy graphic design phrase? YUCK! any way, for some added interest I painted red hearts around the pages.

13. Finally when everything was dry I aded the words and some doodling with a fine tipped Sharpie.


now its your turn...If you have any questions please contact me!

"if..." Art Journaling Project Day 2

Using prompts is an easy way to work your way through an artist block. I will be working through the book "The Big Book of If..." by Evelyn McFarlane and James Saywell. I hope you will all follow along with me.

If you would like the buy the book there are lots of copies at
Amazon.com

To paint in- you can use any old hardcover book-look for one that is sewn together not glued or perfect bound or you can get a Strathmore sketch book like the one I am using. Look for pages that are at least 90lbs or heavier

1. If you could spend one whole night alone with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?

I am selecting my color palette-blues and greens with an accent of red. I looked for scrapbooking papers, cut-outs and construction paper to fit my palette.

2. Arrange and glue.

I use to try and carefully lay out my arrangement and then try and recreate it as carefully as I could back in the same order. Now I carefully lay it out and then just wing it as I glue it back in place. The frustration I faced from trying to match it exactly was crazy. Besides it always seems to turn out okay when I wing it!

3. For the glue I use Mod Podge gloss-lustere. Make sure you are only using an old brush to apply the adhesive. Glue will destroy a good brush quickly!

4. Free cut construction paper.

I selected a matching blue piece of construction and free cut trees in a variety of sizes. Then I Mod Podged them into place.

5. Found object printmaking-

I used a heavy bond card stock and dipped one end into red acrylic paint to create the lines on the page.

6. I used a punch to create different sized red construction paper squares. I also free-cut 4 long red strips of paper to go
horizontally across the pages.

7. Added white acrylic lines with the card stock and circles with the end of a pen.



8. Added white acrylic clouds with my finger.

9. I added text with a white Gel pen and attached a photo of the hubby holding baby Ayden with Mod Podge. Because the hubby is of course the person I would want to spend one whole night alone with in the world! Hubby is in the military and we do not even live in the same state so spending any time with him would be great...day or night!

"If..." Art Journaling Project Day 1

Using prompts is an easy way to work your way through an artist block. I will be working through the book "The Big Book of If..." by Evelyn McFarlane and James Saywell. I hope you will all follow along with me.

If you would like the buy the book there are lots of copies at
Amazon.com

To paint in you can use any old hardcover book-look for one that is sewn together not glued or perfect bound or you can get a Strathmore sketch book like the one I am using. Look for pages that are at least 90lbs or heavier

1. "If you were to be granted one wish, what would it be?"

2. Place wax paper under the page you are working on to protect the back pages.

3. I did a watercolor wash over the entire background (both pages)

4. I placed a plastic texture rub under the wet paper and went over it with the my finder to create an embossed, textured look. I did not add any more color, I simply pressed with my finger.

5. I continued using different texture rubs with the same wet rub technique until the both pages were covered in texture.

6. I painted the lower portion of both pages a darker blue with an acrylic/water wash.

7. I used a blue colored pencil to fill in the lettering.

8. Next I attached a textured tissue paper square using Hard coat Mod Podge which I bought at Texas Art Supply. I use junk mail catalogs to glue on and then just turn the page. This keeps my desk top from getting sticky.

9. I added the red line by placing a plastic ruler down as a stencil to keep the top part of my line straight. Then I used the wet on wet technique with an acrylic wash and allowed that to run and drip. When the red dried I painted another, full strength (no water added) thin, red line to increase the definition.

10. Here I used a graphic pencil to sketch industrial styled details. (enlarge to see details)

11. Last step-I embellished with torn red construction paper, hearts cut from a download and a heart tag I got on clearance at Hobby Lobby. I also added a few design details with a fine tipped Sharpie (my favorite pen)

Good luck....email me a photo of your page and I will post it here.

doodleallday@hotmail.com