sneak peek

i did a lot of work on the sketchbook (mine) the last 2 days, but i am too wiped right now to post it all. i chose an image from one of my favorite works in progress... this is a few steps back, though.

first i layered a bunch of ripped out pieces of dictionary on this page with gesso (ir already had about 3 dry coats), and then did another coat on top. when it was dry, i used a square punch to punch out two squares through the page.

i pulled out some old photos (from 2004). these are black and white proof prints of some images i took of my nieces, Brittani and Bianca. i cut them down to about an inch over the size of the window, and sanded the edges to be sure the glue would stick really well to them, and glued them to the back of the page, with the image showing through. i also taped the back to be sure they wouldn't slide around as they were drying, and did 2 coats of gesso over the back so i can also draw over them.



after flipping the page the right way to view the images, i edged with aluminum tape, and used a metal roller to put the 'stitch' impressions in. i also drew directly on the images with those sakura gelly roll metallic pens to add some color.

the text is from my (sadly) broken dymo label maker. it's the cheapest one... i don't know how well the more expensive ones last. this one has trouble punching certain letters, and the cutter has ceased to function.

recognize the song the words themselves are from?

details, sewing + watercolor + prismacolor pencils

below you will find the first real attack on one of maralena's awesome backgrounds. i took some gesso over in the general shape of the figure, and hair, (2 coats), then laid down some pen lines (techliner). after it dried for a few seconds, i put in some watercolor, then decided to hand sew some stitches on the shirt. below you can see a detail of that in process...



next came more watercolor, tinting the skin, lips, eyes. after some consideration, i pulled out the prismacolors and went over the paint. de-lish. they're my favorite colored pencils. sooo smooth. yum.


if you look closely, you can see the lines in the face which are texture left by maralena's painting. mmm texture!

what's she looking at? hmmm. dunno. we'll see soon enough.

in transit - yellow robot on the way!

today i sent off the box containing maralena's journal! it should be to her in a matter of days, hopefully two! the inside is a mystery... well, not really. though, truth be told, the images here only give you some of the sense of what the journal is like. you really do have to fondle the pages to tell how thick they are. tactile experience!



i started some layers of gesso in my sketchbook that maralena worked in first. i am working on gessoing the pages between the ones she did, so i will be ready to rapid fire work on a bunch of stuff without having to wait for gesso to dry!

above is an image of a keychain in progress. remember how maralena sent me some to be altered? i figure i'll do those between waiting for coats of gesso to try. multi task!

the one pictured here has already changed a bit since i took the photo of it. more to come!

the last 2 pages

these are the last 2 pages i will work on in maralena's journal before sending it home to her to be worked in. they are also the last 2 pages of the sketchbook--rather the lats page and the back cover. i decided, tonight, to work on them some. the whole idea came about just from wanting to glue in my business card to the very back. plus i broke in my new metallic gel pens.




painting on a blue watercolor + gesso surface was interesting. i plan to go back into this somehow if maralena doesn't. i think the watercolor stains in pink and sepia didn't really come out, and it just looks dirty. must to be fixing. =b

the little sketchbook with the yellow robot on the cover is soon to be winging its way to maralena's house! stay tuned for more posts from both of us!

of gesso + gel pens

i prepped this first set of pages here with gesso (many layers!) and some page bits ripped from my favorite old dictionary, which has contributed to many an art project in the last couple of years!

it's still got a very rough surface, so it's ready to accept any medium maralena decides to use, be it paint or conte crayon or collage!

i doodles some things, made up a little story about fish, and the last set of pages i started at Outback Steakhouse when i went for a family dinner. they were much amused to see me show up with a sketchbook and a box of pens. i asked my niece to help me (Danielle) and she started a page, but got thoroughly distracted by the cheese fries. kids today! ;)






my entry on the left here was done with sigma pens: pigma micron and gelly roll glaze. i heart these pens! a couple small accents are done with other types, and i went to the evil den of evil craft supply (nasty corporate empire), and picked up opaque white, black, and a set of metallic gel ink. i need a Dick Blick nearby. it pains me to give that craptastic hole of a craft store money!

we shall speak of it no more!

so anyway, my favorite part about these pages are the blue lips. i drew the whole thing freehand in about 20 seconds (of course it took longer to color in). that's always fun. it's a little distorted, but that makes it more interesting!

oh, yeah. regular rough gesso surfaces seem to sort of clog the gel pens. suck.

it's all in the details

1. gesso 3 layers.
2. paint on watercolor.
3. coarse sand.
4. gesso 2 layers.
5. paint on watercolor.
6. coarse sand.
7. gesso another layer.
8. paint on watercolor.
9. coarse sand.
10. fine sand.

below you will note some various detail shots of the pages in the journal!







this last photo is a process shot. i am embellishing/altering some plastic keychains maralena sent to me. the trick is, i painted both sides, and was stuck sitting there holding it. then i used that thinkin' brain and came up with a paintbrush and a cup drying rack. which, you know, worked real well until i took the one off the short side and the other ones fell off. tee hee.

when polka dots attack

here you can see the progression of 2 pages that i started on while i was on the phone with a friend. i wasn't really paying attention to what i was doing, but i did snap a photo before i got on the phone, and after.

this page features: gesso, watercolor, cloth paper (handmade!), aluminum, board, and a cut up coin envelope containing a miniature zine i made. the zine is folded down from 1 sheet of paper. it's a little insert surprise for whomever gets their hands on this journal--namely maralena!






i started going in with doodles in silver pen (one of my favorites!) but stopped when the phone call ended. make of it what you will!

revision + 1 more so far!

as you can see, i went back and worked on the third spread of pages. there was just something missing, and i wasn't ready to send it off to maralena without another couple of layers of color. on the left, i added 2 more layers of color, some sharpie, and a little gesso painted heart. on the right, i added several more colors, as well as an ATC with a blue background, edged with textured aluminum. i'll have to take some details soon, so you can really see the finish.





these pages feel really wonderfully thick from several layers of gesso on each side, plus the paper! the paper is pretty thick anyway. there's between 4-6 layers of gesso on each side of every page + the paper itself. kind of plastic-y, but without being sticky, since it's watercolored and sanded. you'd have to feel it to really get the picture.

i am awaiting maralena's package in the mail, which has my journal in. i will switch out that journal and send her this journal when it arrives! well, as soon as i can get to the post office. so i think i will have a couple more days to work on these pages. i have a few more sets prepared for color.

first 3 - maralena's journal

i have been working on maralena's journal, slowly but surely. i started with some pen drawings, and then added color in layers afterward. this is a labor intensive process, and requires several layers of gesso, so it takes a while! you really have to run your hand down the page to appreciate the yumminess!





i have about six or seven more sets of pages with the first layer of gesso down on them. i'm working on the third coat on the next set after those pictured here. i may go up to five. the color blue is really working for me this week, as you can see!

i will soon have my hands on the journal maralena started for me, so i will have to kick it into high gear to get hers to her for the month! it will be fun working on her beginnings for me, and i am sure she will be entertained with my beginnings for her, though i have to admit, it takes a while to get over petting the pages before you can work on them...

(posted by nicci.)