Dark Beauty - Brush for Creative Jump Start 2018

Hi my dear ones!
Is it possible it is end of January already? Times goes too fast! For me this was a very productive month - and exciting too... new releases, some projects are done... and the launch of Creative JumpStart (CJS) 2018, run for the 7th time by Nathalie Kalbach. I was so happy and honoured to be included in this edition - and today is my reveal day, which means I can finally show you the artwork I've made exclusively for this online class!

I was challenged to think about my favourite "creative recipe" - and here is the result. I hope you like it - I had great time working on it :)

I've made an altered brush (I'm sure we all can find one somewhere in our creative corners!), but you can use this set of techniques for ANY mixed media project! Curious about the details? Here are some close-ups!

Would you like to see the tutorial? 

Sure... but it comes in a package!

You get 31 Downloadable videos from 31 featured artists - over 6 hours of unique content for just 50 USD. 

It's one-of-a-kind online event to kick your creativity into high gear in 2018. 

CJS goes live in January but you can join anytime until October 2018.

If you decide to sign up you will get the access to the creative community, downloadable videos and more! 

You can meet new friends and get your creative juices flowing again...

More info? 
Check the video below and head on over to Nathalie's site to sign up and for more details.

Please note: by clicking links here, on my blog and signing up, you are supporting me giving me a chance to get a bit of money in my pocket :) Thank you so much for that!

It is not too late to join!

Sign up here - n*Studio CJS2018 - Let's Jump!

See you there!
xxx

Don't Forget To Fly

Hello and Happy Creative Monday, Everyone!

Let's start the new week with a brilliant art journal spread from our lovely Tanyalee.

This is what I love about this form so much - absolute artistic freedom and a lot of fun in the creative process itself - when you watch Tanyalee's video below, you will surely see what I mean and feel inspired too. :)
Please enjoy today's post and don't wait to make some art with us this week!

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Hello there lovely artist friends. It’s Tanyalee here with a process video for an art journal spread I made using Finnabair’s new Paper Paste and Metallique Paints.

I enjoyed playing with the new texture paste, it actually dries like recycled paper and the paint reacts in a beautiful way.

I started with a layer of Heavy White Gesso to seal the page – I know not everyone likes this step, but its kind of like my security blanket, so if you follow along you can skip this step if you like.

Next I added some collage materials as layer one.

The next layer is a texture layer with Light Paste through a stencil called 'Harlequin'.

Once that is dry I added some colour with Impasto Paint (Jade) that I watered down and dripped onto the page.

After drying that all off with the heat tool I started working with the Paper Paste. I wanted to add it to the spread like texture paste and then add colour over the top to see how the paint reacted. And I wasn’t disappointed.

The paste dries like recycled paper and is very absorbent and the paints spread and blended beautifully. I used Impasto Paint (Jade), Mica Powder (Gold) and Metallique Paint (Frozen Berries).

My final step was to stamp onto tissue paper. I did this because I knew the texture wouldn’t allow the stamp to print properly. And the tissue paper pretty much disappears into the background.

I used one of the stamps from 'Don't Forget To Fly' set.

My finishing touch was to add some acrylic ink splatter because for me, no spread is finished without them. :)

Here's my video tutorial where you can see all the steps of how I made this art journal spread. Enjoy!

 

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that you love the new products from Finnabair’s range as much as I do!

In messiness

Tanyalee

Products used:

Brand Ambassadors New Products Reviews! {Part 1}

Hello my Friends!

Today I've asked my beautiful Brand Ambassadors to share their first thoughts and reviews

of my new products.

You can find all the info about these new mixed media art babies of mine here on my blog -> {Part 1} and {Part 2} and of course Winter 2018 Reveal on Prima blog where you simply can't miss the stunning artworks of many talented artists

- I'm so proud my products inspire so much beauty! {Part 1 & Part 2}

What's more, you can already find the new stuff in our Mixed Media Place store!

And today, I'd like to warmly welcome you to find inspiration in my Ambassadors' art and hear their opinions - I can't wait to hear yours too! :)

GAYLE

Hi Finnabair friends. My project, ( I’ve called it “The Face Lift”) started as just a bit of collage fun on a very flimsy, thin piece of card stock.

I started to experiment with Finnabair’s new Art Basics Plaster Paste and wow, I was amazed at how light and smooth this beautiful paste is… It reminds me of the white, chalky, super smooth surfaces the old masters would have painted on.

Of course it is super thick so you can build texture with it as well and it works beautifully through stencils.

I applied it onto my paper with a pallete knife and also through a Finnabair stencil.

Because this paste is so light and white, it will be perfect for working in art journals. It accepts colour beautifully as well.

I have used three of Finnabair’s new Metallique acrylics - I was guided by the green and gold collaged leaves and flowers so I used Rustic Brown, Golden Moss and Gold Amber. Such beautiful rich pigments and very easy to use, simply dilute with a little water for soft watercolour effect, paint with a dry brush technique or brush it on thickly straight out of the jar.

I have used all three techniques and you can see what the paint looks like on a paper surface, on top of the Plater Paste and also on the canvas surface.

There is also the added bonus of a soft metallic glow from these wonderful paints... love them!

 LINDA

I really love the new Metallique colors. They are a wonderful grouping of shades that go perfectly together.

The Plaster Paste is an all-time favorite for me as well. Use it with a stencil, let it dry, paint it, and then sand the top to distress. Voila!

The Paper Paste is creamy and dries very fast. No waiting hours for your next step in your creativity.

I added a couple of the new lighter shades of Metalliques on the Paste for the background.

Of course, I'm always drawn to the Mechanicals, and these definitely do not disappoint. I have loved these flowers since the day I saw them. You can base-coat with Heavy White Gesso first, or just add your colors directly to the metal. Either way, they work great. In summation, it's a great release from Finnabair. Bravo!

Here's a Romantic Tag I created with these new products.

RIIKKA 

Hello there! I'm so hyped about the new Finnabair products! Two new texture pastes, one set of new Mechanicals, eight new paints and three rust sets, not to mention the stencil brushes! That's a lot to try out and play with! I'm happy to say that I've already found a couple of favorites among all the new things! 

I really like the Rust Effect Sets especially because they are so easy to use. One pack has all the colors needed for a good rust or patina. But the best part is to mix the sets and create your own thing!

But what I like even more are the new beautiful colors of Metallique paints! The new eight make a perfect palette on their own, but what a rainbow they make when mixed with the existing colors. 

These tags show those paints and two other favorites of mine from the new release - the new Mechanicals and the Paper Texture Paste. The blooms of the Mechanicals set are really beautiful, I especially like the dimensional bloom. And the Paper Texture Paste is almost like handmade paper in a jar! Such a beautiful texture that goes well to different projects!

KEREN

I created a trio of mixed media projects using the new sets of Finnabair Rust Paste.

I used the Military set, the Camouflage and the Metal rust set respectively (from left to right). I wanted to create three similar projects to be able to compare the sets individually.

Although these sets can be used together along with the original Rust Paste sets, I made sure to use them separately in each of the substrates so they colors and textures can be compared.

You can watch the video below to see how I created each one of these projects.

DOROTA

Inspired by approaching Valentine's Day and Finnabair's beautiful new products I made this tag - a really simple project to celebrate someone close to your heart. :)

Paper Texture Paste was used to harden a piece of frayed fabric and it worked just perfectly giving me a beautiful porous surface that could be easily colored and worked on.

I added the color with some gold mist and painted Mélange Art Pebbles and the heart with brand new tones of Metallique paints: Red Wine and Gold Amber.

Mermaid Dreams

Hey there, Friends!

In case you were struggling with some ugly depressing winter weather and were longing for warmer seas and colors - my Creative Teamie Kelly has just the perfect inspiration for you! ;)

Playing with my Art Alchemy paints and some Art Ingredients magic, Kelly charmed up this super easy to create little cutie that could make an excellent gift for a little girl (or yourself!). :)

 

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Hello lovely readers! 

Can you believe its 2018? Today I sit in my art studio, on a cold and dreary day with hot tea in hand. All can think about is escaping to a warm, tropical island somewhere, and floating in the water like a mermaid. :) Painting one is just the color escape I'm craving...

I chose a 20/20 canvas, but of course you can use any size that you want.

I applied Heavy White Gesso to prime it and then I mixed a few colors of Impasto Paints to create the underwater scene. I started with Cobalt blue, Jade and Snow White (you will find all the product links listed below).

Next, I loosely sketched in my subject with the Snow White paint mixed with water and a number 1 brush. I call this “ghosting”. :)

Don't worry about being too precise at this stage as you will paint over and refine her as you go.

That is the beauty of acrylic paint, you can change the shape and add to it until you're satisfied with the result.

Then I filled in her base colors - her skin, tail, and hair. Again, I delicately “ghosted” in her facial features before I painted them, to make sure I like placement.

Have fun with wild colors, after all mermaids are whimsical... pink hair? Why not?! Your imagination's the limit! :)

Artist tips: 

Keep baby wipes and q-tips on hand. I use them a lot during this phase of the painting. If you don’t like something, it's a bit too big or just looks wrong, wipe it off! Try again, you’ll get it! Her lips took me 3 tries before I was happy!

I also keep a spray bottle of water, paper towels and lots of clean brushes to switch them up. Sometimes a new brush brings new life to a painting!!

Take your time and watch her come to life... that blank canvas now has an adorable mermaid staring at you! :)

I also always outline my children’s illustrative art in black paint with a little water mixed in for easy flow, with a small liner brush.

Then it was time to play with some of the wonderful Art Ingredients to add some special mermaid sparkle.

I applied Soft Matte Gel to her starfish bra and sprinkled on Copper Micro Beads for texture. I painted over that with different Metallique paints to make the starfish really pop. (Don't forget to check out the brand new delicious tones of the Metallique line!)

The tail was so much fun! I started with 3D Gloss Gel over what I had already under painted and I sprinkled Glass Glitter, Teal Mica Powder and turquoise Mica Flakes all over to create scales.

I used 3D Gloss Gel to apply the Melange Art Pebbles all over the canvas which look like perfect bubbles! I smudged some Opal Magic Wax on top of pebbles for shimmer and I also applied it in a swirling motion in the water with my finger.

I wanted this happy mermaid to have a message so I used the lettering stamps from the “Tea on the Deck” set. “Collect blissful moments“ seemed so fitting...

I worked on her hair for a while, adding different shades of pink to create depth and shine.

I applied 3D Gloss Gel all over the canvas in fluid water movement lines, the shine will give it a underwater look.

Painting mermaids always makes me happy. :)

I am giving this one as a gift to my niece. This project could make a fun gift for any little girl... they all love mermaids.

Using Finnabair's Ingredients and bright colored paints really lifted my winter blues mood. I felt like a mermaid for the day and I’m ready to paint another one! Are you? :)

Happy Painting!

Kelly




Products used: