Create visual journal boards from recycled materials like cardboard. Cardboard panels make great surfaces for deconstructed layers of torn paper, drips of paint and personal graffiti. They can be scratched with scissors or an awl to tear away portions of the top layer of paper so you are left with the corrugated texture. The panels are perfect for stand-alone collage paintings, but they can also be stitched to use as covers for visual journals.
The first step to creating the mixed-media layers on the panels is to add black-and-white doodles and words or collage photocopies onto the surface. I like to cut my panels into 7" × 11" (18cm × 28cm) pieces, so they are long and narrow.
Paper is torn away from the cardboard panel. I used a black chisel-tip permanent marker to write the words.
This panel has black-and-white photocopies of my photos from Thailand and typography collage sheets glued to the surface. The photocopies will be painted over with a wash of acrylic paint. I usually cover only a portion of the panels with photocopies.
For this panel canvas, I wanted a raw edge, so I tore the photocopies. The top layer of paper is peeled back from the panel to reveal the corrugated texture. Over the black-and-white backgrounds, the top layers are stained with acrylic paint washes, and more of my writing and doodles are incorporated.
Here the top layer is created with a messy application of paint with a foam brush. Once the first layer of collage and paint were dry, I loaded a foam brush with water and added a little paint. I then tilted the board down to form the drips of paint that run down the panel.
The bottom layer of photocopies shows through on this panel. I painted with acrylics around the main image of the temple and added lines with Prismacolor colored pencils. The photo- copy is stained with PanPastel soft pastels.
This panel has a layer of cardboard shapes glued to the surface before it’s painted. The simplicity of the background color with the bright contrast of the red painted cardboard shows how you can layer pieces of cut cardboard on top. Glue the cardboard with tacky glue, then let it dry.
The first layer of this panel has found paper and photocopies collaged to it. I painted over the flower with acrylics and used a black oil-based paint marker to outline the shapes and add contrast with fluorescent pink and white paint pens.
Inspired by the juxtaposition of colorful urban graffiti walls and blossoming gardens, my graffiti bouquet paintings are visual journal collages with extreme color and texture in rich, vibrant layers. They combine “fusion dyed” collage, monoprints, freestyle lettering and doodling. The paintings are layered with black-and-white images, expressive marks and personal graffiti.
Spread gesso onto the page with a foam brush. Swirl the brush in a circular motion to add texture. Scratch words, floral shapes and other marks into the gesso with a skewer. Let it dry. Doodle and write words with a black chisel-tip permanent marker.
Cut flower shapes from photocopies of your artwork and collage them onto the surface using Collage Pauge. Seal the collage with another layer of Collage Pauge.
Paint over flower shapes and stems with acrylic paints. Fill in the background with acrylic paint, mixing different shades on the page.
Paint the stems and leaves in darker acrylic paints using a flat brush. Cut flower shapes and stems from handpainted paper and collage them on top of the painting.
1 (2.5CM) FOAM BRUSH
140 LB. MIXED-MEDIA PAPER 500 SERIES (STRATHMORE)
ACRYLIC PAINT (MATISSE DERIVAN)
BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTOCOPIES OF ORIGINAL ARTWORK
BLACK CHISEL-TIP PERMANENT MARKER
COLLAGE PAUGE
DIMENSIONAL FABRIC PAINT (TULIP SLICK)
GESSO
MARKERS (COPIC)
ROUND AND FLAT PAINTBRUSHES
SOLIDIFIED PAINT MARKER (SAKURA)
SCISSORS
SKEWER OR OTHER MARK-MAKING TOOL
WHITE CORRECTION FLUID PEN
Let the piece dry. Outline the collage shapes with markers.
Doodle around the flowers and collage shapes with a white correction fluid pen and a solidified paint marker.
Doodle with dimensional fabric paint and outline the flowers and words.
Being trained as a graphic designer, I enjoy creating art by hand, then digitally enhancing it. I employ a number of ways to digitally alter my art, including using Photoshop and various iPhone apps like Hipstamatic, Pictureshow, Instagram and ArtStudio. The programs instantly alter photos by blending layers to create amazing effects. Explore how you can digitally enhance your art!
I combine my photos with elements from my digital art journaling that include digital brushes, stamps, overlays, hand-lettered words and backgrounds, all created from my mixed-media paintings. I use a Wacom Bamboo Craft pen tablet to digitally scribble words and journal over my photos.
Layer 1: A photo of my garden taken with the iPhone Hipstamatic app opened in Photoshop
Layer 2: Digital floral stamps from my Doodles Unleashed digital brush kit (www.treicdesigns.com)
Layer 3: Final image with layers of digital stamps and journaling written with a pen tablet
Layer 1: Hipstamatic photo opened in Photoshop
Layer 2: Digital kit brush of flower doodles stamped over the photo
Layer 3: The final image with journaling written with a pen tablet over the top of the photo
Tell stories with the images captured with your camera. Digitally merging photos on the iPhone is an interesting way to document your daily journey. The ArtStudio app provides a simple way to layer photos with blending modes. Create visual stories with the images you capture.
These three photos tell the story of a day in my creative life, capturing my painting table, collage idea board and the time I spent in my garden. The photos were taken with the Hipstamatic iPhone app:
Camera settings—Lens: John S; Film: Blanko Noir; Flash: off
Photo of a transparency monoprint on the studio table
Camera settings—Lens: Buckhorst H1; Film: Blanko; Flash: off
Photo of painted collage cutouts
Camera settings—Lens: Kaimal Mark II; Film: Ina’s 1969; Flash: off Photo of flowers blooming in my garden
The final image with photo layers blended in iPhone ArtStudio app
The final image enhanced with Instagram Earlybird filter
This piece is a combination of layers of a painted background of doodles and a hand-drawn letter. It was altered and created in Photoshop. I took photographs of two different pieces of artwork and layered them in Photoshop, then blended the layers with different filters.
Create a unique hand-drawn alphabet. Draw the outline of letters with a black chisel-tip permanent marker. Fill in the letters with markers and gel pens, alternating colors. Have fun—make them colorful. Add doodles and dots to accent the letters. Add flowers or swirls to the ends of the letters.
Scrape a couple of colors onto a paper with a plastic tool (like an old hotel room key). Layer different markers, gel pens and pencils. Add collage pieces and doodles.
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
BLACK CHISEL-TIP PERMANENT MARKER
PEN TABLET (WACOM)
PHOTO OF ALPHABET LETTER
PHOTO OF PAINTED OR COLLAGED BACKGROUND
PLASTIC SCRAPING TOOL, SUCH AS AN OLD HOTEL ROOM KEY
Take photos of your artwork from Steps 1 and 2. Import the images into Adobe Photoshop. Import the painting image from Step 2 as the bottom layer. Create a new layer and import the letter image from Step 1.
Create a third new layer and select the brush tool. Draw the Letter “A” in white. I prefer to draw with a pen tablet, which is more precise than using a mouse or trackpad.
In the Levels window, change the blending mode to Multiply, which causes the levels to blend into one. Experiment with different layer adjustments like Overlay, Color Burn, Linear Dodge, Vivid Light or Difference. Each will create a different effect.
