Friday, May 9, 2014

Subtractive Technique with my Just-Released 9"X12" Stencil "Facets"


Subtractive technique, which I first learned from my friend Cindy Powell, works very well with Facets because of its wide openings.


To create this piece, I started with a substrate that is a favorite of many artists, including Mary C. Nasser -- an old map.

Above:  an old nautical map with an early coat of diluted orange acrylic paint.

Above:  the same map after a coat of diluted white gesso has been added. 
Not shown:  After the altered-map substrate had dried, I added a coat of magenta Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Ink.  (This ink comes in a variety of colors.)

Next, Facets was secured to the altered map with masking tape.  Altho many techniques allow you to skip the taping step, the subtractive technique will work best if you take the time to include this step.

After the stencil was secured, I used a water-spritzed terrycloth rag to rub away the magenta ink that showed thru the openings of the stencil.  Then I lifted off the stencil.  Below is the result:


And the final product is shown in the top photo in this post.
 
After creating that image in the top photo, I scanned it into my PC and altered its color in Photoshop:
 
 
 
 Facets is now available at www.StencilGirlProducts.com.