A MONOCHROMATIC EXERCISE FOR ART TEACHERS & OTHERS

SQUEEZE-BOTTLE LINES WITH BLACK GESSO

 

Gesso has enough body and tooth to use as a barrier to hold in wet media, once it's dry. 

I made my own black and gray gessos.

You can buy colored gesso or add acrylic color to white gesso. A clean squeeze bottle served me well for "drawing" the shapes. I also filled in some areas. Then I let the design dry overnight, before painting. See the first step above.

 

Then, the next day, I used diluted paint to complete the forms and shade parts of the background. 

This study was finished with fluid black acrylic and water.

The water and paint stayed within the confines of the slightly raised gesso lines. This exercise might be good for middle schoolers or beginners at the high school level. Art teachers could substitute watercolors at the painting stage if desired. Even pastels would be great! Students could create their own designs rather than relying on this "Pebble" motif, of course.

EVALUATE & IMPROVE YOUR ARTWORK

ASSESS YOURSELF!

If you're like me, you might love a piece you've just finished, but when you look at it critically some time later, you find fault. Below are some guidelines to help you decide whether or not a work is truly finished, and the best it can be. Use these concepts while the art is in-progress and when you think it might be done. Then go back a few days later and squint your eyes at it again!

ELEMENTS OF ART: line, texture, color, shape, form, value, space

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN: repetition, balance, emphasis, contrast, unity

A:  Did you plan carefully, make several sketches? Did you choose a color scheme wisely, use space effectively?
B: Does the artwork show that you applied the principles of design while using one or more art elements effectively?  

CREATIVITY & ORIGINALITY
A: Did you explore several choices, generating many ideas?
B: Is the work your own rather than copied or, God forbid, traced?
C. Does it communicate your own perspective, and do it well?

CRAFTSMANSHIP & SKILL
A: Is the artwork outstanding and patiently done? Is it as good as hard work could make it?
B: Does it need any finishing touches?

Finally, look at the artwork from a distance. Another idea: Turn the piece upside down for a brand new critical look! Yet another idea: Look at a reflection of the art in a mirror to see what might not work. Happy art-making!



                                         

Have the Principles of Design been used?



USING A TRANSPARENCY AS SCRATCHBOARD

This project is not difficult at all, but the results are striking! 

1. Print an inkjet photo that is high contrast, with many "white" and pure black areas. No gray to speak of! Print it onto an inkjet transparency.                                                                         

   

   A real scratchboard tool is great for this!

2. Flip the transparency to the unshiny, printed side and improve the photo by scratching away some of the black areas. Great opportunity to add visual texture!                                                                                                                                                                        

   

   Improving the inked side of the transparency.

3. If some scratched areas need to be pure white for better contrast, rub a damp cloth over them to remove ink.                

   

   Flipped over to the shiny, front side and ready for the next step!

4. Next, let's add color to this thing. You COULD paint the back side with acrylics, as shown in this previous post. OR you can do it this way, with colored art paper!  Lay tracing paper over the front side of the transparency, and trace all the shapes that you wish to be colored.         

   

   I'm tracing the mask shapes here, onto thin paper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Use the tracing paper shapes in a sandwich to cut out colored art papers, and arrange the colorful shapes on a sturdy background the size of your transparency (or larger).          



I like warm and hot colors with black and white.

  

6. As you glue the colored paper to the background, keep checking  with your transparency that they are in position.  When they are dried in place, adhere the transparency (shiny side up of course) on top.  All done!

Original photo and mixed media art copyright Paula Guhin

     

                                                

TWO FIGURE DRAWING ACTIVITIES TO PRACTICE

FAST SKETCHING PROJECTS TO

HONE YOUR SKILLS

 The first is done with a peeled crayon, used broadside, although you could use stick charcoal, pastel, or any other medium in stick form.

You know how school kids love to be the one posing instead of drawing someone else? At home you can enlist someone to be your model, too. Mass in the figure from the center outward, working on the form but keeping an eye on the proportions, too.

Work in a size that's comfortable for you.

Scribble outward until you reach the outer edges of the form. When you have the entire mass built up, go back and press harder in the bulkier areas to give visual weight.

 Our second art activity is contour drawing, looking at the outer edge in contrast to the massed-in figure above. A felt-tip or rollerball pen works good for this. You must concentrate on the figure's boundaries! Do more than one pose, and work quickly.
 

These are not strictly continuous contour examples.

Continuous contour drawings are done without lifting the pen from the paper. Blind contour drawings are done without even looking at the paper! Regular continuous contour drawings allow you to peek and to lift the pen sometimes!






A FRIGHTFULLY FUN PROJECT

 

"Boos and ghouls" (boys and girls) of all ages enjoy this Halloween activity for kids,

Frightfully clever!

...it's so easy it's scary. Create "bootiful" kaleidoscopes!
Note: If you would rather engage in a less, um, spirited project, use autumnal motifs such as gourds, apples, pears, wheat, and (of course) fall leaves. 


No trick...it's a treat!



Add this to your bag of tricks!

First, gather assorted colors of bright art paper or construction paper in orange, brown, tan, yellow, red, gold, and yes, even gray, white and black.

1. Cut the paper into 6" and 9" squares, enough for at least three or four pieces in different colors for each kaleidoscope.
2. Fold a 6" piece twice, down to a 3" square. Draw a shape on it so big that it "touches" the sides of the square. (The "hinges" on the folded sides will hold the shape together later.) Bones, spiders, skulls, witches, ghosts, black cats, bats, and jack-o-lanterns are motifs that might not be allowed in some homes or schools, but other little goblins usually love them. 
3. Scissors will do for the young artist to cut around the shape, leaving the folds uncut. If the artists are mature enough to handle craft knives properly, they should also cut openings within the shapes to add interest: eyes, mouths, and other open-work. Because the square stays folded, the cutter must press hard to go through all the layers. Use an old magazine or a thick pad of newspapers underneath, of course.
4. When the cut paper is opened up, it looks very different! Now do two or three others, in other colors and shapes. Then try them overlapped behind or in front of the first.
5. Finally, as a background, use a solid (uncut) 9" square or larger of yet another color. Plan first and glue later, rotating the pieces and trying different layer combos to achieve the most pleasing arrangement.

LESSONS STRICTLY FOR ART TEACHERS & PARENTS!

This is the first in a series of fast and fun drawing activities 

for kids,beginning with line.            

Here you'll find drawing prompts that are authentic and economical, foolproof and fun. These are experiences in creating two-dimensional works of art with "dry" media, not paint or glue. No elaborate preparation is required!

            These ready-to-use lessons are easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for children in elementary and middle school. They allow young artists to work on their own with the adult as a facilitator only.  They're tried and tested, meaningful tasks to engage the interest of the creative kid.

            You'll discover that the fifteen-minute marvels in this series are a convenient, educational way to use short periods of time productively.  And most of the artworks can be finished in about a quarter-hour or less.

            We begin with the fundamentals in the first posts—the basic art elements. Each post will highlight a different component. Line, the principle factor in drawing, is the focus of this first section.

            A word about pencils: A common 2B pencil will suffice for most drawings. However, for deep, dark gradations and shadows, try a special 4B or 6B. An HB (or any H pencil) is too hard for softly blended shading effects.

Line: a continuous mark made by a tool onto a surface.                                          

TO THE LETTER

Materials:

·        White drawing paper, pencil &/or other drawing tools

 Have you ever looked at the lines and shapes of alphabet letters and pictured other things? You can “see” a snake in the letter “S” if you try!

What to do:

1. Lightly draw a letter—either capital or lower-case—on a large piece of paper.
2. Squint your eyes and imagine the letter as part of something else. Draw in new lines and shapes, and add more on to it to finish the letter-picture. 

Questions to Ask Yourself:

            Is the artwork as complete and interesting as you could make it? Could you draw a number instead of a letter, and make it part of a brand-new picture?

TAKE A MARKER FOR A WALK

Materials:

· White drawing paper, markers 

What to do:

1. Draw a shape (an animal, a person, a flower, or any other outline) in the center of a large sheet of paper. Shapes are made by enclosing an area with a line. 

2. Next, "take a marker for a walk" around the shape, as closely as possible without touching it. The marker line should go all the way around the first shape, until it touches the place where it began. Then choose a different color marker and create another outline just outside the first, and then another, and another, without touching the other lines. If you can, use markers of different thicknesses, too. Some wide, some thin. Draw around the shape again and again until the page is filled with lines!

For Your Understanding:

       When you repeat lines over and over, you make a rhythm, a regular pattern that lends a feeling of movement. Did you begin with an interesting shape? Did you fill the page with many lines?

WHAT CAN THESE LINES BECOME?

Materials:

·        White drawing paper, pencil &/or other drawing tools

What to do:

1. Lightly draw a squiggle on a large piece of paper. (See those below.) The line can be curvy or sharp and all angles.
2. Squint your eyes and imagine the squiggle as part of something else. Draw in new lines and shapes, and add more on to it to finish the picture. 

NOTE: You mixed-media artists out there, please remember that, besides this series of kid's art activities, I will continue to post material just for you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Embossing Aluminum Foil for Paintings and Collages

Aluminum foil from the kitchen can be embossed, collaged, and painted. 

Some people use heavy string or cord under the foil.

Heavy duty foil is best for this, but any type will do. Cover one side of a piece of foam core with the foil, wrapping the edges and gluing them to the back. Use the tip of a dull pencil to form ridges, flat shapes, and patterns in the foil.

I filled the spaces with a deep layer of medium.

Paint it with alcohol inks, glass or metal paints, or acrylics. Take note of the image transfers used in this example, as well as inks and acrylic medium.

Also see the post  I did eons ago on this very same subject!

KIDS DRIVING YOU BUGGY? Try an art project with them: CREATE INSECTS !

BUGS ON A BUDGET

PAPIER MACHE FUN FOR STUDENTS  

We made bargain bugs, and you can, too: inexpensive insect-sculptures using papier-mâché. Did I mention this was done with high-schoolers? I know, I know, often papier- mâché is reserved for the lower grades. But even older students really get into it, creating not only incredible insects but also cool crustaceans, super spiders, and more.  

See the how-to instructions below!

MATERIALS

• Reference books on insects
• Newspapers and string
• Masking tape
• Wire and pliers or wirecutters
• Wallpaper paste and containers
• Brown paper
• Acrylic paint (or tempera)
• Paint brushes
• Buttons, toothpicks, and other extras
• Glue gun and glue

This project is easy but soooo cool!

BEGINNING THE PROJECT

I loaded up on picture-books of creepy-crawlies, although a computer search could have yielded plenty of images as well. For my demo, I began with several bundles of balled-up newspaper tied with string,  insisting that armatures involve more than one body segment. In other words, I would not accept simple snakes and such.

Next, I joined two or three bundles together with masking tape. (Careful here--some kids will use waaay more tape than necessary!) Then I poked coat hanger wire through the body to create several pairs of legs. The kids could add wire pincers and antennae too. I anchored the wire appendages to the body with a little tape, so they'd stay put.

Make your own creepy-crawlies with this art activity.

PROGRESSING TO 

PAPIER-MÂCHÉ

When the kids had built their armatures, they applied torn newspaper strips dipped in wallpaper paste. I suggested three layers and reminded them that I expected good craftsmanship. Evaluation would be partially based on sturdiness and a smooth appearance. A final coat of smallish brown paper pieces was allowed to dry thoroughly before we proceeded.

We painted the creatures with acrylics, although tempera would do. If you use the latter, try mixing it with white glue for a nicer, less-matte finish. When the paint was dry, we added enhancements such as eyes, whiskers, or "feelers."  (A golf tee makes a great stinger!) We used a glue gun to attach such extras as eyes, filmy wings, and more.

Crustaceans are cool, too!

Try creating fantasy or composite creatures if you prefer.  Think about hanging the sculptures from the ceiling with fishing line to display them.

DECONSTRUCTING HANDMADE PAPERS TO MAKE A NEW ARTWORK

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON'T LIKE A WORK ON PAPER!

I was experimenting one day with adhering layers of paper together and then tearing some of it off. I didn't care for one result, so I painted it mostly red with acrylics. When that was dry, I added white, black,  and blue paint, as shown below.

Not my best work, by a long shot!

I still didn't particularly like the result, but rather than add more paint, I cut it up into squares and rectangles of assorted sizes. Then I collaged them all together, and got the artwork below. 

Which one do you like best?

HOW TO DO A PATRIOTIC COLLAGE

First, my thanks to Shauna for saying she actually likes my scattered approach of covering many disciplines in this space! I may be slightly schizophrenic, but I do like to try everything from assemblage to fine art painting to pure collage to hybrids! It's a sickness, but I enjoy it, and I hope the viewers do, too.

In honor of Independence Day, which is coming up sooner than we think,

I'm working on a collage/painting and showing you the process, step by step.

• First, I gathered together images, papers, costume jewelry bits, even an old red belt with star grommets.

Be sure to find some text and maybe some postage stamps, too!

• Then I began from the back, gluing larger torn shapes to my substrate. I also made a plan for the pieces that would come later, overlapping them with the design elements and principles in mind.

Still not finished. I haven't added any paint yet.

• Stars, flag pin, and pieces of the belt came next. Finally, I added acrylic paint (mostly black and white) to partially obscure some areas, enhance others, and to add a sense of depth.

The finished collage/painting.

 

THANKS FOR VIEWING THIS POST! 

     

PLAYING WITH PAPERS AND PICTURES - Altered Art Mixed Media Techniques

Let's Color, Kids!

Altering papers and printed images to use in collage is easy: Stain, paint, tear, stitch, dye, burn, bleach, or scratch them for effect. Of course you can create dimensional paper, too, by folding, pleating, crumpling, and more.


Rolled, crumpled, creased, pleated, scored.



 


Strong coffee, wet tea leaves, walnut crystals, alcohol ink.

 
















                                                                                                          
Tip:   I saturate papers with rubbing alcohol before applying alcohol inks. Then I immediately soften and spread the ink with a brush or piece of felt dipped in rubbing alcohol.


The finished papers after colorizing them.

Alter lab-processed photographs with laundry bleach. This is not an archival technique, but it's fun! Try a gel bleach pen or a cotton swab dipped in liquid bleach. Apply it selectively to lift areas of color. When you've achieved the desired effect, rinse the print under lukewarm tap water and blot dry with a lint-free cloth. (Note that some papers and pigments resist bleaching action. Also, take all the necessary health precautions when working with bleach.)
 

Bleached spots at left, scratched selectively at right.


Abrading a surface lends an aged, distressed appearance. To scratch the emulsion of a commercially-processed photograph, soften it in a tray of warm water for a minute. Blot it on a hard, flat surface and scrape away with a large needle, nail, or other scratch tool. Sandpaper removes large areas quickly. The light-colored marks show up best in dark areas of the photo.

And finally, do try this: Décollage is an art term that refers to a cutting and tearing technique based on the appearance of layered posters on billboards. The result leaves shredded papers, revealing portions of the images and text underneath.


Decollage example

THIS TRANSFER TECHNIQUE IS SOOOO EASY!

Make a painting that's also a monoprint.

It's fun, and the results are really cool.

MATERIALS:

• Paintbrushes
• Acrylic paint
• Clear acetate sheet, glossy
• Polymer medium or soft gel
• Receiving surface (paper or canvas)
  
  

  

  Even a plastic page protector will do!

   

FIRST, paint the acetate as desired. You can roller some paint onto it, brush the paint on, stamp designs onto it, whatever you like! You can even scratch some of the paint off if you want. Permanent markers can be used, too.




I used a brayer to apply paint to the plastic, too!





Even the permanent marker will transfer later!


Here I began creating a simple, non-objective design as a background on the plastic sheet.
NOTE: whatever you paint will be reversed later, so names, words, or most numbers would be backwards in the finished piece.
THEN let the acrylic paint dry.

NEXT, brush clear acrylic medium or gel onto the receiving surface. (I used heavy paper.) Before it can dry, lay the acetate, painted side down, onto the wet surface. Smooth it down thoroughly. Let dry overnight.




I used matte medium, but the acetate imparted a nice high-shine gloss to the finished painting!

GENTLY peel the acetate off and you'll be delighted that the paint design has now transferred to the surface.
 Be aware that, as with most types of transfers, bits of the original design may not re-locate. You may wish to repeat the process with new elements and layer them onto the previous, dry design, as I did in the completed work below.




This finished non-objective painting was done with two layers (using the acetate transfer method twice).

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please leave a comment if you can.





MAKE A "HOUSE" ASSEMBLAGE WITH HUMOR!

HOUSE WORK: REMODELED HOMES

A HOW-TO ON CREATING AN ALTERED ART ASSEMBLAGE 

Abide in Me, by P. Guhin

"House" and "home" are powerful words and potent symbols. They represent shelter and family, as well as a receptacle for connections. They are icons of domesticity, which we typically link with traditional values and with thoughts of our relatives. A home offers privacy, relief, and comfort. It's indelibly associated with childhood, marriage, and motherhood. This is all about the transformations I perform, making artistic statements, often with humor.

The Perfect Couple

Choosing a Home

The little, dimensional houses I find in thrift shops or secondhand stores always enchant me. These small home décor items pluck at my heartstrings. Some houses are wooden, others pasteboard, still others resin. It's easy to remodel them, while ceramic houses can be very challenging. I also like actual birdhouses, and I snap them up if they're replicas of "people" houses. Old cuckoo clocks would work well, but there is a scarcity of them. Of course you can build your own little house from foam core, cardboard, or wood. Craft stores and art suppliers sell mini houses, too.

MATERIALS

Mini house

Small figures (human and animal) to alter      

Small hand saw or other cutting tool    

It's fun to match just the right head and body!

Scissors

Paintbrushes

Acrylic paints and mediums

Adhesive of choice (flexible modeling paste, heavy gel medium, etc.)

Decorative and found papers

Fabrics and trim

Sandpaper, file, or rasp

Embellishments (optional)

House Beautiful

1. Cut a good-sized door in the front of the house, if necessary, or remove the front piece entirely. Sand rough edges as needed.

2. Decide: Will the finished piece be free-standing or will it hang on a wall--or both? Attach a base or a hanger to the back if you wish.

3. Decorate the inside walls and floor as you wish. Enhance the outside of the house as desired with paint, papers, fabrics, and found objects. Draw, stamp, or write on the piece, and indicate shingles, windows, shutters, bricks and more if you prefer. Be mindful of color harmony so that a pleasing scheme develops.

Notes:

1. Select the house you will alter before you choose figures for it, to be assured of a good fit.

2. Craft supply shops have wee dollhouse furniture, and you can sometimes find tiny chairs at thrift stores, too.

Habitat for Human or Animal

1. I like to acquire tiny figurines at thrift shops, especially if they're made of plastic, resin or a composition material that I can modify. Again, hard ceramic is not so easily transformed. Wedding cake toppers and small toy figures are excellent choices.
2. Alter the figure or figures meant to "live" in the abode. Change out heads, add a hat, mask, or different ears, or place an object in a hand.
3. Allow the adhesive you've used (to join parts) to cure thoroughly before painting it to blend in. Antique the figure with a wash of thin umber acrylic, especially if the face and clothing are much too bright for your taste. Let dry.
4. Affix the inhabitant(s) inside or alongside the home, using a strong adhesive.
5. Seal everything, inside and out, with a UV-protectant varnish.

He's in the Doghouse Now!

There's a Fox in the Hen-house!

Consider creating a neighborhood on a single base.

I make "house plans" when I visit the secondhand shops, and then I do my "home" work!