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C o l o r Y o u r W o r l d !
Painting – the laying down of colors in swirls and brushstrokes, adding texture and dimension to a palette or paper; to give beauty to an otherwise ordinary landscape. If you had told me five years ago when I began scrapbooking that I would be using paints on my layout pages, I never would have believed you. In fact, editors at a leading scrapbooking magazine had emphatically told me that paint wasn't good for layouts. Now it's a new generation for scrapbooking - paints are acid-free and here to stay and our pages are looking better than ever!
Seeing a store shelf full of beautiful colors, paints all lined up neatly in little bottles would inspire anyone to want to try painting on layouts. But what if you don't know where to begin? Perhaps you don't even know which tools to collect first? It can be overwhelming and even intimidating to think about putting something as permanent as paint on your beautifully created page. Starting with the basics and building on those skills will help you create a masterpiece in no time.
The tools for painting can be as few or many as the techniques you wish to try. You will, of course, need paint – preferably an acrylic in the beginning. There are many from which to choose and more being added each day. Making Memories has sets of six coordinated colors of paint that are formulated for paper. Delta has a new acrylic paint appropriately called Paint for Paper. These paints are a little thicker and will not warp your cardstock if you use it heavily. However, a good artist's acrylic will also work just as well.
You will need a means of applying the paint to your paper. This will depend on the technique you wish to try: Brush, Foam Brush, Stipple brush, Sponge, even a wadded paper towel will work beautifully. In addition, you may want to acquire a plastic palette to hold your paints, a stencil or two or even some foam stamps . . anything that will add decoration to your pages. Once you have these, the world is your limit.
Now that you have the tools, you can begin with the techniques. Most of these are easy enough for any one at any level and are guaranteed to bring beauty to your pages:
- Brushing – with this technique, you will pour paint on a palette, then dip your brush into the paint and brush it onto a page in a desired pattern. For a watercolor effect, dip the brush into water, and then dip a corner of the brush into the paint. Mix on the palette to a thin consistency, then brush on a page. These strokes work well for a beautifully blended background.
- Stamping – Currently one of the most popular techniques in scrapbooking is stamping with the large foam stamps that are widely available. For this, you will pour paint onto a palette. Dip a foam brush into the paint, then "pounce" the brush onto palette to work paint evenly into surface of brush. Next, pounce the brush onto the decorative stamp, covering the entire surface. Immediately stamp onto page. Repeat as needed to create desired design or lettering.
In the “Cat In a Hat” layout, you can see this very simple technique demonstrated in the lettering.
- Stenciling – Another option is to use stencils. You will use the same “pouncing” technique as above but may wish to use a sea or cosmetic sponge in place of the foam brush for quicker coverage.
Another stenciling method involves stenciling paste and brass stencils and provides a beautiful raised finish when completed. To do this technique you will need to tape all the edges of your paper to a smooth surface. Evenly coat the background with embossing paste and allow it to dry. This will provide a raised, clear background. Add a little water to acrylic paint to achieve the consistency of watercolor paint and brush onto background. Allow it to dry. Tape the brass stencil to the background, and then use a knife to smooth a layer of paste over the stencil. Fill the stencil in completely with paste. Gently remove the stencil and allow it to dry. It, too, will dry to a clear finish. Paint the embossed image with a diluted acrylic paint.
You can see the final results of this technique in the layout Snow Day.
- Texture Mediums, Varnishes and Washes - Once you've mastered the basics you may want to move on to the techniques that will add greater dimension and aging to your pages. There is a vast array of mediums available to accomplish this goal. Texture mediums are mixed with the acrylic and add various types of texture to the paper. Some of these replicate sand, snow, glass, even tiny beads. All are safe to use on your layouts.
Varnishes and Washes are diluted colors that are literally “washed” over a portion or the entire page changing its appearance. Some of the most popular right now include tea staining and aging varnishes to give a distressed look to your photos as well as your layouts. When working with these types of products, it is recommended that you seal your project with a fixative such as Krylon's Preserve It spray.
- Spray Paints and Pens: Which, of course, bring us to spray paints. With the announcement that Krylon's paint products are, in fact, acid free, an entirely new medium in paints opens for the scrapping world. Krylon offers a wide assortment of textures, mediums and colors that had previously been out of reach for paper artists. There are stone finishes, paints that replicate chrome, stain glass finishes that can be used on transparencies, gold leafing pens for edging your artwork, faux suede, paint that looks like spider webs, glitter and white wash.
In the layout Testing 1 2 3, the background paper was sprayed with Krylon silver glitter in increments to give a layered look. The photos on either side were first sprayed with Preserve It and then with a dusting of silver glitter to make them recede behind the main photo, which was not sprayed. This allows the focal photo to pop out. The title was created using stencils and a silver leafing pen.
These are just a few of the many techniques available to scrapbookers and paper artists today. Visiting your local hobby and craft store will reveal many other choices and open a world of creative ideas for you to try. Here are a few points to remember:
- Check the acidity level of the product. Nearly all paints are non-toxic, acid free and will be marked accordingly. Double check to be sure.
- When using spray paints, use them in an open, ventilated area
- If you are unsure about the acidity level of the paper you are using, neutralize its acid with Krylon's Make it Acid Free spray. Most artists' papers are acid free and will be marked.
- When working with digital prints and photos, before adding paint, secure your photo with a fixative spray such as Krylon's Preserve It .
The most important thing of all to remember is to have fun and experiment often. The choices from which to choose are as limitless as your imagination. Now, go and color your world!
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Mac Stanley |
