Kids, Teens & Mixed Media at Top Tip Tuesday

 

 

It's all about Kids/Teens for the next two weeks at Top Tip Tuesday and I'm the hostess for this challenge. With kids in mind I created a mixed media tutorial which incorporates kids art which you can see here on the TTT blog. A big congrats to the winners of the We're All Heart challenge and a big thank you to Kenny K for providing the team with our current images. My project is a bookmark and I used Map Kid which is actually a freebie. ;-) I colored my image with Copics, fussy cut it, and made a handmade tag from a manila folder. Ink sprays were used to create a background and rub ons for journaling & visual interest. Now, here's a sneek peek of my mixed media project over at Top Tip  Tuesday using my daughter's art at age six.

Ok, I promised on the challenge blog to share more info about mixed media. I have some examples showing how to create mixed media along with a tutorial I created this past summer which will help you with building a background and more. At the end I'll share a new 11x14 canvas I created using more of my daughter's artwork.

Texture

 

I created my sun by laying a circle stencil down and

rubbing a coat of texture magic (found in art dept.)

over the exposed holes. Carefully lift the stencil leaving

the raised impression. Once it dries use rub ons and

stamps to add texture. Note: texture magic is white so to

achieve this color I added yellow acrylic paint.

 

For this piece I used modeling paste (found in the art

dept.) and again laid a stencil down, used an art spatula

to spread and carefully lifted it to reveal a bouquet of

flowers. After it dried, I added acrylic paint to the top

& bling to the centers for a pop of color. It creates texture,

dimension and visual interest.

Here I used wood letters to journal & add texture.

I painted each w/acrylic paint & applied crackle

accents on top. Click the photo to see the

detail up close. The squiggle line is a rub on &

that's sketch tape at the top, all of it adds texture.

 

I hand cut each leaf on this tree and twisted some of the

leaves so they lift off the page. Using apple rub ons

instantly turns it into an apple tree like the one

in my son's favorite childhood book, The Giving Tree.

Make your art personal! 

 

 

Backgrounds

 

For my background I downloaded a sheet

of butterflies from the internet & printed

onto regular copy paper. A thin coat of matte

gel (found in art dept.) was spread over the entire 

page. I placed it face down in my art journal

& pressed firmly to smooth out any wrinkles and

began using a bone folder to transfer each image.

Work quickly then lift the transfer page up and discard.

Use a heat tool to dry (I use a blow dryer

set to low)

 

 I've used book paper as a base and transparent acrylic

paint, more wheel stamps, grid & dot rub ons. This

is a classic example of how dark rub ons fade adding

depth and white tend to bring the image forward.

 



This is a wall hanging and I shared the link

to the tutorial for it earlier. It was created for a baking

challenge last summer. The crystal heart was made by using

products you would use in baking and the tut covers

how I created it step by step.

 

Shading

 

Shading the tree makes it blend in & look like it belongs there.

Pick a matching shade and run your marker along the

edge and rub it in with your finger. Note: I created this

canvas to record my son's love for this book when he

was a boy. The stenciled "B" is the first letter in his

name and the number patterened paper on the tree

trunk plus the stenciled alpha's are reminders of his

age as a young child. Personalizing your art makes it

one of a kind and preserves precious memories.

 

 

 Journaling

 

A Dymo Label Maker adds a retro feel and I used

a doodle pen with permanent ink to emphasize each one.

You want to use permanent ink so it doesn't smear.

I first saw Donna Downey do this & I loved the idea.

Tags & date stamps add a nostalgic touch.

A computer generated phrase is the easiest way to journal.

Size it to fit your needs and cut each word out then add

doodling or simple lines like I have here. You can also

stamp your words & cut out, whatever works best for you.

 

Cut Outs & Dies

 

The house & bird are cut outs which I decoupaged

to my canvas. Cut outs and die cut shapes

are an easy way to create art in mixed media.

 

Full Views of Each Project Shown

 

This was created using a digi stamp as the

focal point which I personalized with the

name of my son's fave book when he was a boy.

This sweet page preserves my daughter's

second dance recital. I copied the original

photo and opted for a black/white version.

Do not work with original photos or artwork,

always make a copy to work with. Don't be

scared to use lace/ribbon/trim on your piece.

I also incorporated a handmade chiffon flower

and more wood die cut pieces with the layered

butterflies that I added pearls and glitter to.

TIP: To ensure your glitter applies evenly

spread a thin coat of matte gel with a brush

and sprinkle glitter over. Tap excess off and

you should have an even coat every time.

 

The cuts out featured on this page are from Christy

Tomlinson's She Art line. I love her bright, cheery

colors and be sure to check out Christy's video tutorials

on her blog to learn more about mixed media.

TIP: I previously mentioned that die cuts & cut outs

are an easy way to build shapes. Another great source

is magazines, cut the image(s) out and use as a template.

I also like to use wood die cuts like fences, doilies, flowers,

etc. as stencils. In the end I get more mileage out of them this

way. :-) 

 

My New Project 

 

 

I've used two additional drawings my daughter made 

between the age of 5 & 7 on this. The house is so much fun &

I love the message on the roof. It's kind of hard to cut stick people

out so I took the easy way & cut a big circle around the two of us lol.

The stems & leaves were made from polka dot washi tape cuz

I like the whimsy factor it added. She Art text is my upper background

& another dp from that line was used for the grass. The grass needed to be

a little greener so I used acrylic paint to add more color.It's okay

to go over patterned paper with acrylic paint but be aware that

if you use it full strength you will cover the paper up so either

use transparent paint like Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Paint by

Ranger or dilute your own with water until it's transparent. I

use a spray bottle to dilute so I'm adding a small amount at a time.

The third piece of her art work was a page with large dots on

it which I later learned were flowers. I used them to

create a doormat, a roof topper and a wierd looking

bug on the bottom right under the flowers.

 

Close ups & original of her house

 

Used the dots for a roof top & door mat.

She said I went rub on happy, maybe I did. ;-)

 

I used two more dots & came up with this creature.

Rub ons created his antennaes & I doodled

on his wings with a permanent ink pen.

 

Drawn by Sara S. at age 7

 

 

 

 Links to popular mixed media artists:

 Dyan Reaveley-check the tut links to view her ghosting & shadow stamping techniques

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer-super talented mixed media artist

Kate Crane-check out the monthly calendars she's made in 2012

Mindy Lacefield-I love the soulful look of Mindy's people

Juliette Crane-whimsy, what can I say, her work is full of whimsy & I love it 

 Tim Holtz-no link necessary as he's everywhere lol

 

 

Sponsors for Kids/Teens Challenge

 

Kenny K

Provided the DT with images, thank you!

 

 

Fred She Said

Prize: $20 Voucher

 

 

 

Prize: 3 packs of die cuts

 

 

 

 

Thanks for hanging in for such a long post. I do hope you'll pay the design team a visit and view their inspiration at Top Tip Tuesday or by clicking on their links on my right sidebar. I'll be taking a break until Sunday to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with my family. For those celebrating I hope you have a wonderful time enjoying family & friends.

 

Hugs,

Lisa xx