Impressionistic Art with Oil Pastels and Vellum

Working with oil pastels is a love of mine.  They lend themselves to so many surfaces!  I would like to show you how to use your "finger" to spread out oil pastels, and to "paint" with oil pastels.

Here is the May kit.  Mixing everything within the kit works well!!

The background is created in the vellum book.  Oil pastels are colored thickly and then spread out with my finger.  The heat and oils from your finger(s) breaks down the oil pastel.  I used Amazing Crafting Products Allumilite Metallic Powder in Pearlescent.  Use a soft mop brush to spread out the powder.

Note:  I used the powder straight from the jar because it is a large surface I wanted to cover.  BUT if you are using the powder on a smaller surface or background, use a small watercolor brush, dip in container, and tap off in the lid.  This will prevent too much powder on the surface.

Stenciled over the background using the stencil in the Stampendous N Studio Stamps and Stencils.  The Prima Marketing ink was used.  Lightly tap over the stencil with the ink.

This is an illustration I created, draw or stamp an image (permanent ink).  Pencil is used and then a Micron Pen (Sakura of America) is used to trace over my pencil lines.  A kneaded or nylon eraser will remove the pencil.

I alternated inks with oil pastels to add color.  The inks were used on the moon and skin and light areas of pants.  The edge of the oil pastels used to add spots of color, then spread with my fingers.

Although the photo cannot show it, I used the Allumilite Powder in gold and pearlescent to add highlights and accents.

Here is a drawing of my son, asleep on the couch.  I liked the natural look so after the drawing I did a light spray of fixative so the pencil marks didn't smear.

With your craft sheet or on plastic, lay down thick patches of color and then use a watercolor brush and odorless mineral spirits to break down the oil pastel.  Dip the brush in the mineral spirits and light tap off the brush a little so it isn't dripping.  Color areas, adding more oil pastel and mineral spirits.

add more oil pastels on top to add texture and shading.

Here is a close up of the oil pastels.  This was created on bristol board.  On cardstock or a more porous surface, the color will soak in even more.  This is where you have to make sure to tap off your brush, if it is drippy, it will stain the cardstock.

An easy way to achieve the same look is to stamp an image with permanent ink and do the same technique.

Hope I have brought you some ideas to try with this month's kit!!!

Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

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Dream on, Dreamer!---and this month's Texture Tip

Good morning! Melissa here with a new tutorial using April's kit materials, specifically the super cool mini clipboard. Let's get started!

To begin, I covered the metal clamp from the clipboard with some gesso and the gold ink from the kit (my new favorite ink!). I also dabbed some random spots with Ranger Walnut ink. When that was dry, I used some of my leftover rusting powder from Dusty Attic (from the March kit) to give it an overall distressed look.

While that was curing, I covered the chipboard piece with a piece of the tissue paper from the kit. This blue and gold paper makes me happy!

Next, I added one of the Tim Holtz bingo card stickers and used one of the new Dina Wakely heart stamps and StayZ On ink from the kit to do a little stamping.

I continued to build the collage layers over the bingo card. I used a clip art image of the lady from my stash and fussy cut a little peacock "hat" from another sheet of the tissue paper found in the kit. I found two little flower stickers in my stash and added them onto her hat as well. Found the word "dream" sticking to the side of my collage junk drawer and that seemed to be the finishing touch.Now she's lookin' pretty fancy :)

Using the blue mini StayZ On ink pad, I did some inking around the edges. Just to give it a little definition!

Continuing with the theme of my lady's peacock-ish headdress, I altered a coordinating chipboard peacock to match. This poor little bird went through a few different variations. I finally settled on glitter. I mean, this lady is looking pretty glamorous, so why not!? TEXTURE TIP: In the past I have used glitter paste as a texture, but I think a lot of us overlook just simple glitter. It adds more of a fine grainy texture than what you get with texture paste. At Nat Kalbach's class at CHA we received some gorgeous Stampendous glitter tubes. I used this to make this chipboard dazzling! It started out red, then gold, then I settled on a mixture of the blue glitter with the gold ink. I didn't coat it completely, because I wanted it to look a little vintage to fit with the overall style of the piece.

For the finishing touch, I attached some gold ink enhanced paper flowers from Prima to the clamp. Then I "nested" the peacock above them. I had some leftover Amazing Clear Cast Resin left over from my elephant painting, so I decided to cover the entire chipboard portion with it. I can't bring myself to throw any of that stuff away, it's too awesome!

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My Life is Mixed Media

Continuing with the feel of impressionistic artists, the February Kit is a fun way to explore color, texture, and expressing what you feel inside.  Gelatos, Pan Pastels, a button (enhanced), paint, and Amazing Mold Putty was used for this journal page.

I cut a white journal page from another white board book.  The main journal is painted with a sponge and a few blue hues tapped on to create the background.

The page itself started out with paint, sponged in various colors, overlapping.  The hues were intensified with Pan Pastels.  I love that the kit had the pink and green color!  The white Gelato was drawn through various areas in a free form way.

I made inkjet stickers of the woman and quote printed on vellum.  Adhere those with an adhesive that dries clear.

The button is enhanced with Copic Markers.  Copic Markers work well on non-porous surfaces.  The areas were a plain light tan, and I wanted to tie the colors in with the page.

The wing is molded with Amazing Mold Putty and the regular resin.  Once molded, I painted with a pearl paint.

Close up of molded wing and enhanced button.

The word Life is enhanced with the black Gelato.

I glued the page to the cover.  I can't wait to start doing more art journaling inside!!!

If you look at this art, I have used paint, pastels, Gelatos, elements, and quotes.  Mixed media is so fun to experiment with and play with how all these mediums work together.

Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

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Introspection

The February Kit is outstanding!  It spoke to me on many levels.  Our partner this month is Sin City Stamps and I used the quote in the kit that matches the introspective look of my daughter.

The kit comes with 2 Pan Pastel colors, and some great application tools!  Also Gelatos.  I started my smooth canvas with white Gelato.  Gelatos can be spread with your fingers or with a damp brush.

Cover the surface with the white Gelato, and spread with fingers.  Then add the Pan Pastels.  I have other colors so I added that too.  The Gelato is sort of like a resist of sorts and the Pan Pastels seal the Gelatos as the pastel sticks to the Gelato.

Do a sketch or find some black and white clip art (copywrite free) and do an inkjet transfer.  The directions are in Creative Art Concepts for Papercrafts by C&T Publishing.

Transfering the image onto the Gelato/Pastel surface using a bone folder.  Areas are highlighted with the white and black Gelatos.

A stencil added with Distressed Paint and a little Pan Pastel, and other Pan Pastel colors added for shading and highlighting.

The artwork is finished by stamping quoted and using Pan Pastels to color and shade.  The butterfly element is added as is one of the buttons from the kit.  The button is enhanced with Copic Markers to match total composition.

Be free with your expression, it comes from the heart and soul.  I love color, I love layers of color, and texture.  A layout doesn't have to be complex or overly detailed all the time.  Use your color to express what you feel.  This can be used as a scrapbook page, journal page, or framed and given to my daughter!!


Cre8tivelea Yours - Lea

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