Art Journal Tutorial
Today’s art journal tutorial comes from my Guest Blogger spot over on Colour Me Positive. Lisa runs a weekly challenge blog which is always so very positive. I chose a quote that is often attributed to Abe Lincoln: “Whatever You Are, Be a Good One.” In fact, it may have come from William Makepeace Thackeray.
I’m a huge fan of Dylusions Ink Sprays. I am also a big fan of good old fashioned stamping, and this page gave me lots of pleasure to create. Here’s how I got started:
Stenciling
After applying the base layers of color, I used the Large Hall stencil from StencilGirl and sprayed Dylusions through it. See left photo, below. It can be tricky to work with sprays on top of sprays. For this reason, the page should be totally dry before you add another layer.
To put it another way, stenciling won’t be clearly defined if the page is damp. You can fix this by using an ink blending tool with an ink pad to create more definition. My photo (above, right) shows how the ink defined the stenciling.
Free Download – My Dylusions Tips
I’ve created a Dylusions Ink Sprays cheat sheet for newsletter subscribers. It explains how I apply the colors for blended backgrounds. Click here to get your copy!
Stamping
What can I say? I love the good old wood mount stamps.
I wanted that tag to melt into the page so I placed it on top of the page, replaced the stencil, and added ink with the blending tool again.
My favorite part of this project was incorporating tags for part of the quote. I loved using all sorts of stamps and stencils to create these!
Here’s a tip – one good thing to remember in art journaling is to use stencils across different layers. Adding just this small bit of stenciling across the page and the tag helps unify the layers.
Would you like to see more of what I do with Dylusions Ink Sprays? Check out my online class with Craftsy called Inventive Ink: Colorful Mixed Media Effects and it comes with lifetime access and a money-back guarantee. Newsletter subscribers receive an automatic discount code for the class, so sign up here for the newsletter if interested.
Thanks so much for the visit! Remember to check out Colour Me Positive and consider joining this week’s challenge. I would really love to see what you make with this quote as the inspiration.
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Marjie
what stencil did you use in the picture under “stenciling”? It gives such depth
Hi, Deanna. That’s the Large Hall stencil from StencilGirl Products. It’s a favorite of mine!
Wow – you always build intense colour so when you’re let loose with the Dylusions sprays it really catches fire! Amazing.
Alison x
What a lovely comment, Alison. Thank you! Hope all is well on your end!
I am so happy to have found you. I am taking your Craftsy class and I loved it. I have been practicing the blending…I think I am starting to embrace the imperfections because of it. I love your color combinations. Thank you
Thank you so much for letting me know, Alicia. I’m delighted to hear you are embracing imperfections, and thanks for taking my class! Hope you will post your work in the Craftsy forum – I would love to see what you’re creating!
I haven’t whipped out my ink sprays in a while. I love the vibrancy and bright colors of Dyan’s inks (just like her, aren’t they?). I need to get messy with them soon. Thanks, Marjie. Love your page and tips!
Thanks for visiting, Julie. You are right about Dyan AND her vibrant colors!