PAINT IT UP CANVAS AND TUTORIAL

Hello everyone!  It's time for another Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge!!!  This week...it's all about PAINT.  Stop by the blog and check out the projects that my Design Team buddies have for you this week.  You will love the variety of their work and you can get some fantastic ideas about different ways to use paint in your crafting projects.

There are all sorts of paints but I really like to use acrylic paints.  They are easy to work with and the cleanup is a breeze.  There are all sorts of techniques you can do using acrylic paint; from the traditional brush on method to actually stamping with paint!

Here is my canvas that I just finished, using several different techniques working with paint.  In case you're interested in how this went together, I'm adding a tutorial.  So, grab a cuppa, pull up a chair and enjoy!

I started with a 5x7 blank stretched canvas.  I had recently purchased the Stampers Anonymous Phrenology wood block stamp and the Paper Artsy Hot Pics HP1107 stamps set.  I love that image so much and I really wanted to use them!  That was the only thing I knew that I was going to use on this canvas before I started.

Here is how I made this canvas.

 

Step 1: I painted the bare canvas with a base coat of Claudine Hellmuth's White Gesso and let it dry.

Step 2:  I applied a coat of Claudine Hellmuth's Matte Multi-Medium all over the canvas, including the sides.  Then I smoothed a piece of 7 Gypsies Life Collage Tissue Paper over the wet Matte Multi-Medium and tore off the excess paper.  The Multi-Medium works fantastic as a glue and also as a sealer.  In this case, I was using it at a glue.

Step 3:  I found a frame that I really liked from 7 Gypsies Frames Collage Tissue Paper and cut it out.  I applied a layer of the Multi-Medium under where I was going to add the frame.  Then I smoothed the frame down on top of the canvas.  See how the text shows through the frame?  Love it!  Then I applied a coat of the Multi-Medium all over the canvas, including the sides and let it dry.

Now the paint comes into play!

Step 4:  I created a "wash" by mixing some Mermaid Fresco Finish Paint from Paper Artsy with a little water; to thin down the opaque paint to become more transparent.  Then I lightly washed over the entire surface of the canvas.  Then I heat dried the surface.

Step 5:  I created another wash using Pumpkin Soup Fresco Finish Paint and randomly washed over the canvas, creating more color and interest.  I heat set the color.  Then I picked up a bit of Mermaid paint onto a paper towel and began just blotting it to the canvas, creating little splotches of the blue paint.  And I did a little dry brushing with the Pumpkin Soup as well.

Step 6:  Stamping with Paint - I painted some of Claudine Hellmuth's Altered Orange Studio Paint directly onto Tim Holtz' honeycomb stamp from his Mixed Media stamp set.  I did not put the stamp on an acrylic block.  I wanted to manipulate the stamp as I was stamping, to get a random pattern.  **Immediately wash off the stamp after painting on it.

Step 7:  I repeated this technique only this time, I used the grid sort of pattern from the same stamp set and I brushed Snowflake Fresco Finish Paint onto the stamp and then randomly stamped it onto the canvas.  I also white washed inside the frame to make that inside stand out.  I then used some Black Soot Distress Ink on the sides and edges of the canvas to create more depth.

Here are a couple of photographs of the canvas after completing through Step 7.

Step 8:  I stamped the phrenology stamp (LOVE IT!) onto a piece of plain white tissue paper twice:  once in Monarch Archival Ink and again with Aquamarine Archival Ink.  I then cut out the heads and using Matte Multi Medium, I glued the orange head directly onto the canvas.

Then I brushed on another layer of Matte Multi-Medium over the orange head and laid the blue head directly on top of the orange head and then brushed another layer of the Matte Multi Medium on to seal over it.  I've never done this before...purely experimentation but I really liked the cool shadowy type image I got. Experimenting is fun!

Step 9:  Isn't that phrenology head just so cool?  Now to add the Paper Artsy images....the same phrenology heads attached on a steampunk style bird's body! Love it!  I again stamped the bird onto a piece of plain white tissue paper using Jet Black Archival Ink.  I heat set it and cut it out.  Then I applied a little Multi-Medium to the canvas, glued the bird into place then layered the entire canvas with Matte Multi Medium again.  This time, I was using the Matte Multi Medium as a sealer.

Step 10:  I stamped the gears (also included in the Paper Artsy stamp set) directly onto the canvas; allowing the rubber stamp to bend over the edge of the canvas.  Then I added the "ART" inside of the frame.

Step 11:  "ART" was created from some Tim Holtz Grungeboard letters that are painted with a base coat of Little Black Dress Fresco Finish Paint.  I heat set it and then followed up with a coat of the Crackle Glaze.  You can either heat set it or let it dry.  I was impatient so I heat set it.  But, I think you get better results if you let it dry naturally.  At any rate, I then added a top coat of Mermaid Fresco Finish Paint and it crackled a little bit.  I was not totally happy with the crackle result, so I decided to add some Crackle Accents to the top of the letter and I let it dry naturally.  When dry, I distressed the letter with Black Soot and wiped off the excess; better revealing cracks.  Then I glued the letter into place using Glossy Accents.

From here, it was just a matter of layering metal embellishments that I made to look a bit more like they had a patina finish by swiping a little Mermaid paint onto them.  I just put a little of the paint onto my index finger and then lightly worked it onto the metal.  (Just keep adding or wiping away until you get the result you want.)  Since I added some clock elements, I coiled some wire to look like mainsprings and I attached some gears to look like they were springing off of the canvas.

Here is a closeup of the steampunk bird with a pair of altered Tim Holtz Regal Adornments metal wings.  They were altered by swiping a little of the Mermaid and Pumpkin Soup paint onto them with my finger.  The metal Mini Numerals "1/2" is altered with Butternut Fresco Finish Paint that was also swiped onto it using my finger.

Finally, I added "steampunk" at the bottom left of the frame and my canvas was finished!  Just have a play with the paint, layering it up, swiping it with your finger, using brush techniques, washes and then stamping.  Then add stamped ink images and embellishments and you've got a wonderful piece of art!

Now it's YOUR turn to pull out your paints and create something fun.  Then enter it into our weekly challenge.  You could be the lucky winner of our prize of a $50.00 credit voucher 

Your work could also be voted as one of the TOP THREE entries for the week.  

Good luck and it's time to get painted up!

Here are all of the items used to create this piece: