DRAWING GUM MAKES A GORGEOUS PATTERN!

This design on paper was SO000 easy to do, and it looks rather striking, yes? I used plain old manila paper (sort of yellow-tan).
Drawing gum is a masking fluid. I put a blob of it on the paper and blew it around through a drinking straw. Thus the branching lines.
When a few moments had passed, I gently washed with blue watercolor (dye would work, too), over the entire page. It turned greenish on the yellowish paper.
After that was dry, I rubbed the drawing gum off with my thumb. 

TWICE THE DECORATIVE PAPERS WITH TISSUE AND PAINT!

MATERIALS:

1. Thin, inexpensive tissue papers.
2. Dyes, liquid watercolors, dye-based inks, or thinned acrylic paints.
3. Brushes.
4. Smooth watercolor paper.

TECHNIQUE:

1. Crinkle the tissue and spread it out over smooth watercolor paper.
2. Slap on vivid, strong color right over the wrinkled tissue.
3. Let dry overnight. (If the acrylic paint is not thinned enough, it may stick if left on for more than an hour or two.)
4. When you remove the tissue, BOTH it and the watercolor paper should show wonderful batik-like patterns. If you are disappointed in the results, do try again with other tissues, papers, inks, or paint media.

The result is shown at right, below. The tissue used is at left.

TWO EASY WAYS TO MAKE DECORATIVE PAPER

Both these methods are so simple, and fast too! Well, the second technique has some drying time, but it IS quick to make.

Deli wrap adds translucence to this first idea. I photographed it with some lacy black  paper underneath (in the upper left corner) to show how sheer it is.

I simply used water and alcohol inks to create a random, distressed-looking design.

The second method requires sturdy paper or card. Use a painting knife to apply either texture paint (as shown here), molding paste, or heavy gel medium.



While it's still wet, embed tiny beads. These red ones are very small no-hole glass beads. I also used antique gold glitter, which looks white in the photo below.

When dry, seal with clear fluid acrylic medium.

IMPRINTING YOUR OWN PAPERS TO USE IN COLLAGE

Both these techniques are quite simple to do, and the results can be startling!

Technique #1: Soak good watercolor paper in clean water, place it on a hard surface, and apply plenty of vivid, strong liquid watercolors. Lay absorbent textured materials into it. Examples include crocheted fabric, swirls of string, or open-weave burlap. Add more full-strength paint as desired. Place a sheet of glass on top and let dry overnight. If necessary, add a book on top of the glass to weigh down your creative sandwich!

Technique #2: Buy cheap colored tissue (the non-colorfast kind!) in strong colors, tear pieces as desired, and arrange them on damp, smooth watercolor paper. Spray with more water as needed. Then cover with the sheet of glass as before and let dry overnight.

Experiment with both these methods and do try variations, too! Much luck to you.

(I'll publish your successful attempts at either of these here, with you credited, of course, if you wish to send me good quality images.)

Don't You Just Hate It When That Happens?

OK, this posting isn't all about mixed media art. And I'm not a hater. Really. But don't you just hate it when someone says "further" (for distance) when they should say "farther"? Maybe it doesn't bother you, and I understand that. But don't you just hate it when...

1. The little skirt on the "Women" restroom sign is so small that the figure barely looks different from the figure on the men's room?
2. Even in a retirement community, some of the popular "kids" still bully the others?
3. Physicians and nurses, who should know better, are unhealthily obese? And they're YOUR doctor and his/her nurse?
4. You forget a person's name or the name of an object, and these are words you've spoken a thousand times before?
5. You've been standing at the end of a long line forever, only to have another customer walk up and nab first place at a newly-opened register?
6. The sight of an older, unattractive man with a hot wife makes you think, "He's got money." ?
7. The slow, SLOW driver ahead of you makes it through the yellow light but then the light turns red?
8. The only birthday cards you get in the mail are belated ones?
9. We never learn from the past; we just keep sending our boys off to war?

Lesson on Glue Resist

This colorful example is on dyed paper, but you can try it on printed papers, textbook pages, gift wrap, or whatever your creativity leads you to use.
When/if the paper is dry, simply squeeze out white craft glue, fabric glue, or any acrylic medium that dries clear. Dribbling tar gel works very well. Make organic lines and shapes with the glue, or create a geometric design, or write words and symbols.
Allow that to dry, and wash over the entire page with a thin coat of paint in a contrasting color.
Okay, so my finished page turned out hideously ( don't you just hate when that happens?) and I am not showing it here, but I'll bet yours is better!

Wax Resist with a Common Household Product

Waxed paper can be cut into shapes, placed onto plain or painted-but-dry paper, and pressed with a clothes iron. Use a pressing sheet that you don't mind getting melted wax on.
Then paint over the paper again after the wax has cooled. Easy-peasy! In the example above, the upper right butterfly is actually the waxed paper, and the lower butterfly is the wax resisted one.

How to Make Your Own Cellophane Paper

In the paper here, I collaged on some birdlike tissue shapes, but you can make yours with or without any shapes you like! Begin with white or any other very light-colored tissue paper, the cheaper the better. With added shapes or not, place the sheet on waxed paper or freezer paper, and brush the up-side with fluid acrylic medium (I like gloss best for this).
When that's dry, peel up the sheet, flip it over, and apply a coat of the fluid medium on that side, too. When dry--and if you haven't used dark tissue colors--the page should be quite translucent.