Shine

  Happy Friday! That means once again it's time to link up to Art Journal Everyday and Paint Party Friday. So far I've been able to create something new each week but even if I wouldn't it is pure fun to see what others are creating-check it out!

 One of the books I keep on my art table is Traci Bautista's Doodles Unleashed. Her artsy flourishes, flowers and glam girls are filled with color and detailed doodles-pure inspiration! I picked it up and began going thru it again. I never painted or drew a face before and decided that I was ready to give it a go a la Traci.

  This is how my "shine" girl began:

  The 8 1/2" x 11" page was given a coat of gesso. The page was then sprayed with Dylusions Vibrant Turquoise and Inkadinkado Lilac ink sprays. Some Caran D'Ache ultramarine blue watercolor crayon was added to the upper left and lower right. I watered down Kelly Green acrylic paint and dripped and spattered. Dylusions Dotted Flower stencil along with Adirondak paint dabber in SnowCap went on. Here's what I have learned about painting a face-personally, for me, I have found that by drawing a heart shape for the base has been my saving grace in the face not having the shape of an alien :) The heart shape was painted with a yellow acrylic and then came the neck and shoulders. I used my fingers and a bit of pink acrylic paint to add shadowing. I love how some of the background colors blended in-instant depth!

  Over a period of several days I continued working on this. Hair was painted in with acrylics. A pencil was used to draw the eye and mouth before outlining it with a black Sharpie. This allowed me to  erase and redraw until I was satisfied. And the best eraser I have found is a Magic Rub eraser by Sanford which cleanly erases pencil lines without disturbing the underpainting. I doodled and colored and outlined using markers, paint pens, colored pencils and crayons. I made her a "shine" necklace and further embellished with liquid pearls in Platinum, Buttercup and Silver. Done!

 This was so much fun to work on and see it transform that I have begun another face-no more fear!Tho she won't be a "glam girl" I have been inspired to do do somewhat of a series of girls all having a necklace formed by a word that resonates with me.

  Oh, one more thing I did with this page. I decided to make some cards like this:

 Although you can't tell from this pic I printed the image on high gloss photo paper and mounted it to black glossy notecards.

                                                                  Paint me happy!

  " As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others." Marianne Williamson