Stencil Portrait with Distress Crayons

I find drawing faces so intriguing, it's as if each face falls out of my pencil and has its own story to tell.  Using a stencil is a terrific building block, the stencil lays a quick foundation and it reinforces the positioning of the facial features.  By outlining the face through the stencil with a Stabilo pencil I'm assured that the shading will take care of itself.  The Stabilo pencil is water activated, it seems to blend into the right places on the face.  I use Distress Crayons to do quite a few of my portraits now and a quick spray to the entire surface at the end gives it a water colored appearance.  I had several posts a few months back showing a step by step tutorial on how to create your own water colored portraits.  If you follow the directions it is as simple as it looks, I taught my 11 year old great-niece how to do this with very successful results.

Thanks for stopping by, if you have any questions about this technique just send me a message.  I hope you're taking a little time every day to create some kind of art! Hugs ~ Renee

An art journal page using Jane Davenport's face stamp

Can't draw faces the way you'd like?  As you know I love face stencils but have you seen Jane Davenport's large face stamp?  It's addictive and actually very versatile.  I used it in my art journal, the large Dyan Reaveley one, because the pages in that journal can withstand a lot of water.  The face is stamped with StazOn ink and then colored in with watercolor pens.  The words written on the page are the lyrics from the song "Will you still love me when I'm no longer beautiful".  There is generally music blasting in my studio while I work and this song inspired the pages.  If you have difficulty writing something in an art journal lyrics are always an option.

I have a color challenge to work on right now so there are magenta colored projects all around me.  Her hair and lips were trials of pigment inks blended together searching for just the right shade.  Black Gelatos provided the shading around the face.  I hope you like her.  That stamp can be found at Michael's along with Jane's other magical products.

Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate your visits!  Hugs ~ Renee

submitted to Craft Stamper Magazine/Take it Make it ~ April theme "Anything Goes"
Stamps featured:  Jane Davenport's large face stamp
swirls in hair:  Joy Clair "Hugs and Smiles"

Stenciled Faces with Distress Crayons

I promised to share more stenciled faces colored with Ranger's Distress Crayons and here they are.  The technique and supplies are identical to the previous blog post so if you have questions you can refer back to that post.  Whenever you change the color palette the face has a different feel to it.

It seems that changing the position of the catch light in the eyes make the eyes appear to be looking in a different direction.  All three were done the same way with just different colors.  I hope you'll give this a try since so many have mentioned that they purchased the Distress Crayons and haven't used them much, myself included.  They really are lovely to work with!  Hugs ~ Renee

A Mermaid with Tangled Hair

"I Live in the Mists of Time and Eternity"

I have been drawing faces for quite a while now, for something different I am trying to show emotion in the eyes.

This mermaid was sketched on top of watercolor paper that was previously coated with a thin layer of gesso.  The colors on the paper come from several sources.  First of all I applied StazOn Studio Glaze with a baby wipe in Emerald City, Blue Hawaii, and Cactus Green.  I watered down some of the Studio Glaze in Gold and using a paintbrush, splattered it across the page.  I allowed the colors to dry before I sketched her hair out around her face, dividing it into sections that could hold different tangled patterns.  Using a Micron 08 black pen I began tangling patterns into the sections.  I did use a Stabilo pencil in a couple of the sections and then turned it into a wash with a wet paint brush.  The fish tail is also done with StazOn Studio Glaze in the Cactus Green color applied directly to the paper and allowed to dry, which gives it dimension and texture.  I used a stencil to add more texture all around the image with Creative Medium Turquoise Iridescent paste.  Finally a light smear of Gelatos in Grape and Metallic Mint were blended down with a baby wipe to soften the edges.  In her hair is written "I live in the mists of time and eternity".

Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate your visits and comments.  Hugs ~ Renee

Stenciled Teacups

It's Tuesday, time for stenciling!  I am still creating little stenciled teacups using different Artistcellar stencils, combining them for backgrounds and decorations on stamped teacups.  This is similar to the one I created last week, the same color palette but different designs.  If you have time, sit down with a cuppa and take a look at my process.

This process started just like the one last week with a piece of my master board.  My master board has stamped images on it in different shades of blue and pink inks.  To begin I cut a piece measuring 4" by 4" and then stamped a teacup image on the paper.

When the ink is dry I started using stencils to make the designs and lines that I would color in or doodle designs in later. 

 First I completed the background with different stencils using Dylusions spray inks in a water brush type pen.  I used a Coral stencil with Fresh Lime ink.  Then I used the X's stencil with a deep yellow Memento marker called Dandelion.  When I was finished with the background I drew a horizon line with a Micron black pen.  I used the same pen to doodle in a design on the bottom portion of the cup.  I colored in the teacup with Dylusions Bubblegum Pink ink and Vibrant Turquoise.  The Memento Marker in Dandelion was used on the handle and other parts of the cup and saucer.  I made the teabag out of a tag and a piece of twine.  The phrase was part of a longer DR phrase just cut out, inked the edges of it and after gluing it on I anointed it with a coating of Clear irRESISTIbles Pico Embellisher.  The only thing left to do was ink the edges with StazOn Chai permanant ink.  Chai seemed like the perfect color to use!  Then I adhered my little water color panel to a  blank 4" by 4" canvas.

  Now I have two.

Thanks for stopping by today, I hoped you enjoyed seeing how I use my stencils.  I like getting the maximum value out of my supplies and using them in unusual ways does it for me.  I'll have another stenciling idea to share with you next Tuesday, hope to see you then!  Hugs~Renee

Tangerine Masterboard

I enjoy making cards so occasionally I create a Masterboard that can be photocopied and cut apart to reuse several times.  That way you don't have to re-create the wheel over and over.  Just make multiple copies of your paper on good quality card stock and you have your very own paper with whatever theme you like.  There is a Tangerine challenge coming up with The Stampers' Sampler so I can use this Masterboard to make cards or whatever for that.

I call this page "Crazy Cat Lady in Training".   I am a cat lover so I can totally relate to this girl with her sweet kitty!  She is from DeviantScrap.com in the Alice collection.  My husband is allergic to all animals so this is about as close as a cat is getting to our house.  Oh, well....have a great week.  We had absolutely beautiful weather here in New England today.  50 degrees F in December!  It doesn't get any better than that.  I hope your week is off to a good start.   Talk to you soon.