First Night Nerves

Evening all. Thanks for bobbing in.

This is my first post for Wendy's House and I'm more than delighted that it will mainly be about Paperartsy Fresco paint. I've definitely discovered my go-to medium.

Initially, I saw a YouTube video of Vicky Papaioannou creating a journal page using Fresco paint with a brayer. I loved the way that the paint skimmed the paper. This was a look that I constantly tried to achieve in uni. Instead of using sandpaper, screwdrivers, wire wool, bread-knife, anything else to scratch back, I should've just brayered the paint on really lightly. It would have avoided the 'over-worked' look and given my illustrations the free and loose feel that I craved.

I started by ordering the colours that Vicky had used in her journal. When they arrived, I painted 12 ATCs (artists' trading cards) with them, just using a tiny amount on the end of my finger. I find this is the best way to get a proper feel for a new product. They were so smooth and chalky and they dried  almost instantly. I was hooked already!

Then I discovered a gem that Leandra Franich, from Paperartsy, had uploaded...

 

I used the paints that I already had and started playing.

Using Winsor & Newton Artists' Water Colour Paper, I brayered happily away. I probably overdid it, but I used Cheesecake, Guacamole, Mermaid, Caribbean Sea, Dolly Mix and Sour Grapes to lay down the first few layers. They dry so quickly, that it's almost impossible to make 'mud' using this method. I very lightly applied the paint with a brayer and only stopped when I was happy with the colour combinations on the paper. 

Next, I used the darker tones of Captain Peacock and Plum through several Tim Holtz mini layering stencils. I knocked back the darkness with some of Darcy Wilkinson's lovely bubbles (PS031) and more Dolly Mix.

This then spurred me into getting out my favourite Donna Downey 'Bubbles' stencil.  I gently sponged Snowflake bubbles all over the A3 sheet.

I decided that the bubbles weren't 'bubbly' enough and needed something to make them pop (s'cuse pun!) Out came my Derwent Inktense pencils and a water brush. 

Finished off with a little white highlight here and there et voila! 

Overall, it didn't take as long as this blogpost! I promise to keep them a little shorter in future.

Love and peace x