Join Me for Mini Art Journal Day 24

Hello there my crafty friends!  Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the next page of my Art Marks Challenge art journal.  The Art Marks Challenge from Rae Missigman and Sandi Keene is technically over, but I was delayed, so I'm sharing my journal pages a bit after the fact.

Day 24 - Build

 

I'm also entering my page into the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge

The Crafty Addicts Challenge

For some Art Marks Challenge history, you can click here.  And Rae's Instagram account here shows what she made for each prompt.  For those who haven't seen my previous posts yet, I'm working in a mini art journal I made out of envelopes, but you can use different whatever materials you have on hand, including scrap or underpaper.  That can result in some pages already having stuff on them.  A hole punch and some baker's twine later and a mini art journal for the challenge ready for art!

Different challenges cause a person to think and possible create art, a certain way.  What I love about art journaling is it allows for whatever level of art.  Depending on why you keep an art journal, your deepest thoughts can make it onto a page.  Sometimes a good brain dump on your art journal page is just what you need.  Whether it's actual writing that you incorporate, writing and your art covers it up, or the art itself represents the brain dump.

For this one, Build was a tough one.  Questons like what do I want to build?  Can I build on something that already existing?  In general, I'd rather build something up then tear something down.

My background is a part of a gelli print.  I used several stencils, including Tim Holtz Patchwork Circle.  I then used a large arrow stencil with Ranger Archival black ink. 

 

I added a few die-cuts from my stash and doodles with my Sharpie pen and my Uni Posca water-based white paint marker.  I also added one of my favorite things in art, ink drips.  These were made with Liquitex Liquid Ink in Yellow Medium Azo.  To do the drips, I put the tip right along the edge of the paper and tap the paper to get the ink to roll down.  Then came the hardest part: waiting for things to dry.

But waiting is worth it.  It allowed me to build up the page without sacrificing what I wanted to do.  And in general art journaling and mixed media is all about communication.

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my art journal page.  Bye for now!

Gelli, gelli, who brought the gelli?

Plate, that is.  If you've never heard of it, that's okay.  I gotta tell ya though, it's a wonder.  It's magic.  It's so versatile and lovely.  Okay, I'm done now, maybe.

You really can do so much with a gelli plate.  It's jello made in a scientific way to it doesn't go bad and instead makes artistic wonders.

 

To gelli print you need a few supplies: gelli plate, brayer, paper, acrylic paints, and texture tools.

Here's a couple different gelli plate options:

Gel Press Gelli Plate 8x10

Gelli Arts Gelli Plate 8x10

 I believe Speedball also makes one.  Gelli Arts and I think Gel Press make several different sizes.  Gelli Arts also has small ones in different shapes.  So the possibilities are really endless.

A brayer is like a paint roller, only smaller and for art, not painting a room in your house.  Brayers also come in slightly different designs, but are very similar and work the same.

This is the one I have, and it works well for me.  Here's a couple more option as well:

Rubber Brayer, 4 inches

Speedball Rubber Brayer, 4 inches

When it comes to paper, you can use almost anything.  I've used notebook paper, cardstock, heavy white paper, deli paper, tags, manila folders.  According to Gelli Arts, newspaper ink can get absorbed into the plate as can photo paper coating.

 

Any kind of acrylic paint can be used, but I have found that less is more.  Too much paint, and its rolling over the sides.  You can always add more.  You want a thin layer, otherwise the texture can get lost.  I've done it myself, and it's not horrible, but I prefer the clearer prints.  This is actually where the type of paint is important.  I've used fluid or free flow paint before, but since it's thinner, you could end up with more than you bargained for.  Fluid or free flow is good for some things, but use a careful hand when pouring.  Or pour it on a piece of paper, roll the brayer in it and then roll it onto your plate.  All that being said, it's entirely possible for some bits or sections to stay on the plate.

In that case, you can do one of two things.  You can pull the paper off enough to see if it's sticking, and press down on the paper more to pull the paint, or you can do clean-up or ghost prints.  Another trick I've learned from printing and watching videos by other artists is you can apply white paint to your plate and that will pull anything leftover onto your paper.

 Last is texture tools, and these can be so many things.  Anything really.  A bamboo skewer you use to make lines, fabric, leaves, stencils.  You can also take old credit cards and gift cards, cut notches into them at different points, and drag them across for texture before pulling prints.

As you do it more, you'll learn you can experiment with many things.  I've seen videos for image transferring and using alcohol ink.  I myself have used packaging from other items to make circles or just weird random patterns that only that object can make.  When it comes to stencils, you can also pull the stencil print, then pull the other print separately, or add another layer of paint for a little or a lot of contrast and pull the print.

 

I've included some recent prints from a session, some of which has already been cut up and used on other projects.

Thank you so much for visiting!  Bye for now!