ATC-Sized Stencils and Masks Paired with Their Big Sister Stencils and Masks -- Part 1

 What's visual unity?  Is it important?  How does it work?  What's it got to do with ATC-sized stencils and masks that were inspired by full-sized stencils and masks?

Visual unity helps to make a painting "work."  It's a characteristic of artwork that pleases the viewer's eye and invites that viewer to spend time exploring the art.

One way to develop unity in an artwork is to build rhythm and repetition into it.

By repetition, I don’t mean repeating the exact same color, size and shape across the whole piece -- unless you’re trying to create a pattern.  Patterns can be beautiful and exciting or they can be boring, but that’s another topic; not what I'm addressing here.

When I say repetition, I mean that similar visual images (for example, loops and swirls) are repeated across the piece -- similar, but varying in some ways such as size, shape, color and/or texture. 

What thrilled me in creating ATC-sized images was the idea of developing miniature versions of some stencils and masks that I'd previously designed in 6" x 6" and "9" x 12" sizes.  I knew that I would be using these originals and the ATC sizes together.

My just-released ATCs differ from my originals not only in size, but also in other ways.  Yet even with these differences, the viewer’s eye finds enough resemblance for easy recognition.

How does this help achieve unity when creating a new piece of art?  

Today’s photos show my 9” x 12” mask Fantasia used with the ATC-sized Fantasia, as well as 2 other ATCs with similar loops and swirls – Ski Lift Works (from ATC Mixup Swatton #1) which is derived from 6" x 6" Ski Lift Works  and, from ATC Mixup Swatton #2, Sprigs, derived from  my original mask 6" x 6" Sprigs.  

I chose each of the above with the goal of image repetition (images of loops and swirls in this case) because repeated images -- with variety -- hold an artwork's content together.  These image variations reward the eye, enriching the visual experience. 

My first step was to cover a 12” x 12” stretched canvas with several layers of heavy-body white “pearlized” paint as well as heavy-body gold interference paint.  I chose these "metallic" paints because I like the way they glow thru alcohol inks.

At the start of each application, I used an art spatula to cover one edge of the canvas with big dollops of heavy-body paint. 

Starting at the edge with the dollops of wet paint, I scraped the paint across the entire canvas with a "taping knife" from a home improvement store.  These knives come in assorted widths; I used my 12"-wide knife. ("Knife" is a misleading label, since the edge is not very sharp.)

I wanted to end up with a nearly-perfect level surface so I did this spreading 3-4 times, allowing drying time between applications.

After the last layer had dried, I experimented with arrangements of the 9" x 12" and ATC-sized masks -- 

Once I'd settled on an arrangement, I started adding alcohol inks in drops, and spreading the drops with a fine-line marker bottle filled with rubbing alcohol (pictured below, middle left side.)

I continued to add alcohol inks and rubbing alcohol ....

 I left the masks in place while leaving the project to dry.  It's important to check a time or two during the drying period; if the inks get too dry, they will stick the masks or stencils to the "metallic" paints underneath.

After allowing about a half-hour of drying time, I lifted off the masks:

As you can see (above), repeated loops and swirls are visible across the entire surface, and while they share similarities, they differ from one another.  A scattering of straight lines are included to avoid monotony.

Size, color, texture and shape variance of related images cement an artwork's unity -- but unity alone isn't enough to fully entertain the viewer’s eye. 

Another important quality in a satisfying painting is value contrast.

When I reached the point illustrated in the photo above, I realized I wanted more light values.

I decided on two ways of adding light values; the first was to bring out pieces of gold foil giftwrap that I'd once painted translucent blue --

I turned the papers over, placed my 9" x 12"Fantasia mask onto the back sides, and used a Sharpie pen to trace some of the shapes.

To cut out the shapes, I could've used fine-detail-cutting scissors but I chose a plastic cutting mat with knife .

Recently I learned about a new-to-me product that may be just right for this kind of delicate cutting.  It's a ceramic bladed knife "pen."  It's advertised to be safer than the knife shown above; and it's recommended for this kind of fine-detail cutting.  A plastic cutting board would still be needed.

Below:  the artwork after I'd cut out my first set of shapes and added that reflective paper to the painting with Golden gloss soft gel medium.

After adding that first set of cut-outs, I opted to do more tracings with the Fantasia mask.  I cut out the second set and added them to the painting with the same soft gloss gel medium.

Even then, I wasn't satisfied -- my painting was limited to a minimum of light values (the yellows) and a maximum of medium values (magentas and aquas.)  I liked that uneven balance, but the art still lacked enough value contrast to please me.  I needed to add dark values.

My solution was to cut apart my dark-paint-stained pieces from the May2019 Stencil of the Month 3-piece set.  (Yes, cutting was emotionally painful!  But I told myself that stencils and masks were created to be used in creative ways.)

As you can see, I experimented thruout this project with turning the canvas and at the end, my decision was to turn it as shown above.

I was nearly finished, but my eye wanted just a tad more light-dark value contrast.  So I cut apart the 6" x 6" mask Puddles, designed by Rae Missigman, painted them yellow with acrylics, and added them (lower right below) as a final touch:

ATC Mixup Swatton #1--
  

ATC Mixup Swatton #1 (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 inspirations --

Ski Lift Works (6" x 6")

Cats (6" x 6")

Fantasia (9" x 12")

Hot Air Balloon (in 2 sizes -- 6" x 6" and 4" x 4")

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 -- 

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 inspirations:

Penguin Family (6" x 6")

Sprigs (6" x 6")

Ornamental Iron Curls (6" x 6")

Thistle (9" x 12")

and

Small Thistles (6" x 6")

Mikki's Flowers Mask (6" x 6")

Ginkgo (6" x 6")

Fern Fronds Silhouette Mini (4" x 4")

Osprey Wings (6" x 6")

Thank you for stopping by my blog today!  To subscribe by email, please use that option in the upper right sidebar.  To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

Two New ATC Sheets -- Each 9" x 12" with 9 Images Apiece

Today's post will give a quick glance at ATC Mixup Swatton #2.
These brand-new 18 images are mostly stencils, but several bonus masks are included. 

 ATC Mixup Swatton #2 offers you these images:  

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 (9" x 12")

Top row L to R--

Penguin

Sprigs

Ornamental Iron Curls

Middle row L to R—

Thistles
Mikki's Flowers
Ginkgo

Bottom row L to R—

Fern Fronds Silhouette
Osprey Wings
Swan

Some of those images are "echoes" of full-sized stencils and masks that I'd designed previously.  But in every case, the designs differ from the originals.  They stand alone as independents; and of course, they can also be used with the original stencils and masks that inspired their creation.

Today's first two art samples created with Osprey Wings are below.  Although ATC-sized, these stencils and masks work in lots of different applications.  The top image below is the cover of a greeting card--

And the second art sample, below, shows the way I used it in a watercolor painting of mine:

Below is another greeting card cover.  My first step in developing it was to use masking tape in securing the stencil atop a pre-painted tag.  Next, I grabbed an old credit card to scrape crackle medium thru the stencil. 

Right after after using any kind of high-viscosity (thick) media with a stencil, I clean the stencil -- or at least, place it in a basin of water to keep the medium soft so I can easily clean it later.  I don't bother to clean stencils or masks used with thin paints.  But thick paints and gels can dry to clog openings on some stencils and masks, so I don't let them dry on the stencils.

After the crackle paste had dried and crackled, I painted it with blue acrylic paint.   (You can better see the crackles by clicking on the image below to enlarge it.)  

The gold embellishment right above these ginkgo leaves is a product no longer on the market, as far as I can tell.  It was a self-adhesive trim sold by Mark Enterprises.  The closest thing I have been able to find is Dresden gold foil embellished decorations.  The Dresden pieces that I use are not self-adhesive, but they work well with a gluestick.    

Dresden embellishments come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.  The ATC sample below features four of them as decorative corner pieces.  

Before adding the corner pieces, I had used Fern Fronds Silhouette and red acrylic paint on textured gold foil-bonded paper.  I cut out that print and used a gluestick to give it a background of dull silver paper.

Dresden embellishments are available on Etsy, from several sellers, as well as here on AmazonSmile.

Above is a sample print of Mikki's Flowers.  The watering can came to me on a piece of junk mail; I covered it with translucent red acrylic paint.  After that dried, I used near-opaque yellow acrylic paint with the stencil to print atop the watering can.

Below, you can see a sample print created with Ornamental Iron Curls, using a pre-painted paper tag as the base.  After tying ribbons thru the hole in the tag, I used a gluestick to add it to 2 layers of backing.

I'll be posting lots more ATC art samples here, continuing to celebrate the release of these two new 9" x 12" stencils.  Altho sized for making Artist Trading Cards, they work just as well in creating bookmarks, gift-tags, collage elements, embellishments for art journal pages, hanging ornaments, and even refrigerator magnets!

Here's another piece of info -- I've discovered that there are 2 DVDs on making ATCs!  You can find them here.

Thanks for your visit here today!

To follow this blog by email, please use that option in the upper right sidebar.

To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.  

Brand New ATC 9" x 12" Stencils and Masks Used in Creating Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Today's post continues to feature my own versions of unique Valentine-themed art samples, all created with my newly-minted 9" x 12" sheets of stencils and masks entitled ATC Mixup Swatton #1 and ATC Mixup Swatton #2.

Newly Released: a brand-new collection of 18 images -- mostly stencils, with several bonus masks included -- all sized for creating Artist Trading Cards!  

ATC Mixup Swatton #1  (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 (9" x 12")

To me, anything decorated with a heart can be dubbed a Valentine!

These brand-new 18 images are sized for creating Artist Trading Cards, but I've explored lots of other possibilities -- bookmarks, gift-tags, collage elements, embellishments for art journal pages, hanging ornaments, and even refrigerator magnets!  

Today's post focuses on greeting card covers.

Above:  You can click this image to enlarge it and better see detail.  The blue and gold tag was printed with Diagonal Mania, the first ATC design on my newATC Mixup Swatton #1 Stencil.  The background was made with a pre-printed novelty paper that I'd bought ready-made.  Dresden embellishments are available on Etsy, from several sellers, as well as here on AmazonSmile.

Below:  Hot Air Balloon, from ATC Mixup Swatton #1 , was used on watercolor paper that I had previously sprinkled with carbon powder, then set with dollar-store hairspray.  (This is a cheap version of a fixative spray.)  After the hairspray dried, I added a layer of translucent reddish acrylic paint. The 2-tone blue background started life as a blueprint; then I printed over that with pale blue acrylic paint and my full-sized 6" x 6" stencil Ornamental Iron Curls.  (A new, smaller version of Ornamental Iron Curls is included in my ATC Mixup Swatton #2.) 

The hot air balloon above differs in size from images in my original two stencil-and-mask sets entitled Hot Air Balloons.  They can be seen here.

The bookmark below was printed with Ski Lift Works, which is included in  ATC Mixup Swatton #1-- and is derived from my original 6" x 6" Ski Lift Works.  Its embellished pale purple background was cut from a pre-printed novelty paper that I'd bought ready-made.  The heart was created with a Marvy punch.  Because the base was a tag, I added ribbons before using a bluestick to unite the stenciled tag with its embellished background.

The center image above was printed with Unfurling Leaves fromATC Mixup Swatton #1-- but the actual design of unfurling leaves was only an excuse to create an abstract image with the help of a very busy background paper (originally an ad photo of a small European village.)  This Valentine card was made on a 6" x 6" bronze metallic foldover blank greeting card from JAMPaper.com.  With a gluestick, I embellished the abstract image using strips of papers, leftovers from previous projects, as well as the pair of hearts.  The large orange heart was freehand-cut.  The small dark heart was made with a Marvy hole punch. 

Another bookmark, shown below, started with a tag and the image Fantasia from ATC Mixup Swatton #1 -- a design based on my 9" x 12" stencil Fantasia.

I used an old credit card, or an artist's spatula, to spread modeling paste thru Fantasia, then placed the stencil into a basin of water to keep this thick medium from hardening on the stencil.  (I don't clean stencils used with thin media, but thick media will clog some openings if allowed to dry on stencils.)  After the modeling paste had dried, I brushed the tag with thin black acrylic paint.  Later, my last step was to dry-brush across the tag's uneven surface with heavy-body metallic gold acrylic paint.  Dry-brushing is a technique described in detail in earlier posts, but anyone with questions can leave them in the Comments, to receive a detailed answer.

   

Today's last Valentine-themed art sample, below, was created in the same way as described for the bookmark above.  Instead of modeling paste, I used crackle paste.  (To better see the crackles, you can click on the image below to enlarge it.)

This bookmark also started with a tag and the image Fantasia fromATC Mixup Swatton #1-- a design based on my 9" x 12" stencil Fantasia.

After the crackle paste had dried, I brushed over the tag with translucent blue acrylic paint.  Finishing touches included adding a heart cut from gold metallic paper with a Marvy hole punch.  

Thank you for coming to see my blog today!  I will continue posting daily art samples to show ideas for using my new 9" x 12"ATC Mixup Swatton #1 and ATC Mixup Swatton #2.

To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.

Two 9" x 12" ATC Sheets of Stencils and Masks--Available Now at StencilGirlProducts(TM)!

Newly Released: a brand-new collection of 18 images -- mostly stencils, with several bonus masks included -- all sized for creating Artist Trading Cards!  

ATC Mixup Swatton # 1  (9" x 12")

ATC Mixup Swatton #2 (9" x 12")

These brand-new 18 images -- mostly stencils, with several masks included as a bonus -- are sized for creating Artist Trading Cards, but in playing with them, I've decided to explore a wider range of possibilities -- bookmarks, gift-tags, collage elements, embellishments for art journal pages, hanging ornaments, and even refrigerator magnets!

A word about the masks that come with my 9" x 12" ATC Mixup 1--Swatton and ATC Mixup 2 --Swatton....

It's important to carefully separate these masks from the rest of ATC Mixup 1--Swatton and ATC Mixup 2.--Swatton  It helps to use fine-detail-cutting scissors, or a plastic cutting mat with knife .

Here's another way that I haven't yet tried:  a new-to-me product that may be just right for this kind of delicate cutting.  It's a ceramic bladed knife "pen."

Pictured above: a paint-stained mask from ATC mixup 1--Swatton.  Now that the paint has dried, I'll be adding a round magnet to the underside and using it as a refrigerator magnet.  The magnet cited above comes with a self-adhesive surface, but, for those who want a stronger hold, it can be reinforced with a strong glue like heavy gloss gel medium.  I'll be adding the magnet right behind the darkest area of paint, to keep it from being visually obvious, since the paint-stained mask is somewhat translucent.

ATC Mixup 1--Swatton offers you these images; and it's the 9"x 12" sheet that today's post features:

ATC Mixup 1 -Swatton (9" x 12")

Top row L to R--

Diagonal Mania

Desert Blooms

Unfurling Leaves

Middle row L to R—

Ski Lift Works

Cat 1

Cat 2

Bottom row L to R—

Cat 3

Fantasia

Hot Air Balloon

Some of those images are similar to full-sized stencils and masks that I'd designed previously.  But in every case, the designs are different in many ways so as to stand alone as independents.

Below is a greeting card cover embellished in layers.  The top layer was made with another image in ATC Mixup 1--Swatton.  Desert Blooms is its title.  To create it, I used masking tape to secure the stencil to a sturdy paper (in this case, paper I had previously painted aqua and gold.)  My next step was to use an old credit card in spreading high-viscosity "pearlized" white paint thru the stencil.  (High-viscosity = heavy body.  And I use the term "pearlized" to describe paint that has a metallic sheen.  "Iridescent pearl" is another label that I see used in describing this paint.)

Immediately after using any kind of high-viscosity (thick) media with a stencil, I clean the stencil -- or at least, place it in a basin of water to keep the medium soft so I can easily clean it later.  I don't bother to clean stencils or masks that become stained with thin paints.  But the thick paints and gels can dry to clog up some of the stencil's openings, so I don't let them dry on the stencils.

For the Valentine-themed ATC below, I followed the usual steps -- using masking tape to secure the stencil on the tag, then getting out an old credit card to scrape a medium thru the stencil.  This time, I chose crackle paste, which you can better see by clicking on the image below to enlarge it.  After it had dried, I painted it with blue acrylic paint and embellished it with purple paper additions.  The blue-and-white background-border was cut from a print I'd made with my 4" x 4" mask Fern Fronds Silhouette Mini.  

With the art sample above -- using another image (Fantasia) from ATC Mixup 1--Swatton -- my approach was to start with a sheet of 140-lb. watercolor paper that fully dried, after having been dipped into water topped with bubble-blowing bubbles tinted purple with an acrylic ink.

I scraped heavy modeling paste thru the stencil, then placed the stencil into a basin of water for easy cleaning later.  

After the paste dried, I dry-brushed across the tops of the shapes with gold metallic acrylic paint.  Once the gold had dried, I rubbed the entire area with water-thinned dabs of Golden Micaceous Iron Oxide acrylic paint.   Again, you can click on that image to enlarge it and better see details.

Fantasia -- a brand-new ATC stencil from ATC Mixup 1--Swatton -- was derived from my 9" x 12" original stencil Fantasia.  This ATC stencil was also used in printing the central image below.  Its base was a tag.  Details about its heart embellishment and its bottom border embellishment are below.  Since it has a heart, I'm calling it a Valentine! 

Below is yet another image from ATC Mixup 1--Swatton.  After printing the hot air balloon and waiting for the blue paint to dry, I used a gluestick to add an embossed foil embellishment.  These Dresden embellishments are available on Etsy, from several sellers, as well as here on AmazonSmile.

  

Today's post is the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg!  I'll be posting lots more art samples here, continuing to celebrate the release of these two new 9" x 12" stencils.

Here's another piece of info -- I've discovered that there are 2 DVDs on making ATCs!  You can find them here.

Thanks for your visit here today!

To follow this blog by email, please use that option in the upper right sidebar.

To scroll thru the pages of my StencilGirl stencils and masks, please start here.