Inktoberfest

It's October, but for artists, we might know it as Inktober.  A 31 day art challenge where we strive to create new inked art every day for the entire month of October.

I'll be joining the challenge this year.  You can follow along on my Patreon, Facebook event or on Pinterest.  I've been preparing all week for this month long undertaking.  I have papers cut to size and an art journal being prepped for the arting to begin.  Here's a sneak peek onto my art table....

Papers cut to size, and an art journal being gesso'd for arting.

So many, many pens.  They've all been checked and ink is flowing!

Metallic and white gel pens for dark paper.

Let's do this!

Be sure to check out many great artists participating this year!  Facebook ---> #Inktober

Follow Gillian's board Inktober 2015 on Pinterest.

Infusions and Muses

I've had to quit drinking coffee.  It hurts my stomach, like many other things I love to ingest.  But tea helps.  I've been buying different teas almost every week.  I bought blueberry the other week and the tea bags were so pretty.  They would turn this vivid pinkish red color and they smell so good.  So I decided to save a few tea bags and make some Artist Trading Cards that have been colored with tea.  A few blueberry and a peppermint tea, right after I brewed myself a cup I put the bags on the paper.  With unexpected results.  The paper has blue instead of pink.  The tea is red, the bags turn red, the paper turned blue.  The peppermint has a lovely green shade.  I do like how they look together.

Well, I brewed up another blueberry and saturated the paper in very hot water with the tea bags.  It's all waiting to dry.  I took some process shots.  I haven't decided what I'll draw on them yet.  I might collage them a bit.  See if I can salvage the bags themselves to work in contrast with the bgs.  I'll definitely be scanning up the resulting texture before I art them all up to share on my Patreon.

Colors are a bit off due to my lighting, just couldn't get the white balance better.
The bags are red, but the stain is blue and the peppermint is green.

I'm thinking for my Patreon model I'll be doing funded creations as free public access and the Patrons will get bonus rewards of other stuff that didn't need to be funded.

I think I might art them with pretty illustrations.  I recently joined this gothy art group, Between Heaven and Hell (closed group), that shares all sorts of inspiring images.  Pretty girls with a dark aesthetic.  I'll have to decide after they're dry.  Maybe sketch up some ideas.

An Apology for Scott

I borrowed Scott's book for 10 years.  I found Squee stashed away in a box since I moved from my old apartment.  I didn't have any way to return it to him before I had moved and now, ten years have gone by!  So naturally, I wanted to do something special.  An apology card seemed a grand idea.  Scott loves origami, so an adeptly folded card, intricately paper cut seemed like the perfect idea.

I took progress pictures.  I think it took me close to a week start to finish, carefully cutting out these little curvy swirls and details.  By far, the most elaborate paper cutting I have ever done.  I drew the design in pencil on the back side of the paper, gave it a unique shape by folding it on the diagonal.

Most of the time spent was on the cutting.  I think that was day 2 or 3 pictured above.   Day 1 it just sat there being decided how to fold it and all.  

After all the paper cutting was done, then embellishments were added.  I thought I was going to use my Cuttlebug folder, but decided on using this drain filter mesh instead.  I smashed some cardboard in between and ran the foiled embellishment through my Cuttlebug.  I cut an oval by tracing the bottom of my glue bottle, then made a slightly wider template on cardboard.  It is the same outline shape as on the folded card.  I covered some card stock with aluminum foil tape and cut out my shape.  The "S" is hand drawn with silver gel pen on black card stock. 

Layered the pieces to see how they would look.  The oval is cut from cardstock covered in aluminum foil tape.

Mesh sock texture sheet and Cuttlebug plates A, 2 B's and rubber mat.

Now my oval has a nifty chainmail looking texture.

Instead of erasing all my pencil lines, since I was afraid of tearing all my hard work, I sponged on some metallic silver paint.  I used a spare sheet of black cardstock to stencil on the design, rather than on scrap paper.  It gave a wonderful effect, which I used for my Patreon rewards for my Patrons.  I have cut that sheet into ATC sized to be used for future arty projects.

While the paint dried, I cut out a scrap piece of my DCWV Stardust Paper Stack to fit in the border of the inner part of the card, added some contrast by first writing in black fine line sharpie, then going over in silver gel pen.

Finally, I glued everything together and admired my handiwork before putting in the bubble envelope along with his package.  I threw in some little origami stars I made with thin scraps of paper in various colors.  They're fun to make and super easy.  I'll have to make a quickie tutorial some time.