Magnolia

Let me provide informationabout different paints, sealers and mediums today. I have provided
general information about it and I would like to go in more details. By reading earlier
three blogs, you will see how easy it is to learn this technique and follow it for your
art work. It gets creative with every stroke.

Paints:Variety of paints include
1.Plaid folkart for fabric – one that can be applied for fabric with brush and the other is
with the tip, applied directly to the fabric.
2.Outdoor paints- They are made to withstand weather conditions and they contain sealer that
resist fading
3.Enamel paints- These are used for glass and metal surfaces and look beautiful when applied.
4.Folkart acrylic- can be used for many different surfaces like canvas, paper, even glass with medium.

Sealers

There are variety of sealers on the market and each one of them are designed to be used with a specific
products. When you seal the paintint, it lasts longer. They are available in either spray or brush -on
form. Apart from that, you have choices of finishes like glossy, satin and matte.
Mediums

There are more variety of mediums to use with your paints than you can imagine.

1. Floating medium to be used with folkart paints – This is opaque without paint in it.
2. Blending gel – This is more for blending and it will prevent dry edges. It also extends
the drying time without thinning the color.
3. Glazing medium – This also extends the drying time and make the paint transparent without
making it watery. It gives paint semi-glossy appearance.
4. Crackle medium – It gives aged look to the paint. Most of the artists use as a background
and as a base layer with dark color. Once it is dry paint is applied with lighter shade whic
produces great contrast.
5. Clear medium-It is used with enamel paints. It adds fluff to paint without adding pigment.

Visit: www.Alkasdesigns.com for more ideas.

I would say that this technique of painting is one of the best technique available
today. It is the ease of learning the various methods of mixing paints and the use
of flat brushes. I emphasis this over and over to make the non-Artist feel comfortable
with it. I never took interest in decorative painting for many years during my painting
career but I think it is a great way to help many release their stress and do not have
to invest too much into it to create small projects for their home as well as help
their family and enrich their life by teaching their children.

Most of the brushes are flat brushes with more surface area and they use good amount
of paint which is opaque in nature as it is acrylic paint. Most of the time the brush
is loaded with double color and sometimes 3 colors. The effect that is produced by using
such colors is quite bright and vibrant on any surface.The folk art colors are used and
they are available online as well as in the arts and craft stores across the globe.They
are relatively inexpensive and with limited supply of brushes and paints one can produce
best results.

Any hobby is expensive and once involved, it can consume time and money. However, with this
One Stroke technique, one can limit oneself . If you fall in love with the
technique and master it, you can have your own business too. Teaching this technique is
great fun too.

Please visit www.Alkasdesigns.com for more information about the various paintings and objects
you can paint on and go through the albums to appreciate the paintings.

Continuing on our journey of mono print and collage, it is quite popular and
many non-artist dwell into it once they gain some knowledge in this area. My
purpose for this blog is to introduce artists and non-artist to explore this
area of art and become familiar with it and enjoy the results while creating
some art pieces that you enjoy for your home, office or any other space.
I talked about working with plates in part 3.

There are many other methods to work with and create a printing effect without the
commercial press. Some of you may have access to print making and those who do not
have access, can use objects like

1. Sponge (of various kind, even a household one would work)
2. Paint brush : Use a flat brush for special effects and experiment with other types
3. Use transfers for transferring if you have some patterns that you want to work with
4. Use water color with more water for transparent effect and more paint with opaque effect
5. Acrylic paint can be use widely with either watering down or thick paint for texture
6. Take impression with either sponge, brush, pre prepared plate, fabric with texture,
or any other object which has texture
7. Plastic mesh bags can be quite effective
Remembering the light and dark contrast, apply your paint according to your own theme either
on paper or canvas. Using archival glue – some liquitex products you can glue your fabric, paper,
or any other objects right on your surface.

Our journey continues on the path of creativity and art. Working with varied colors
always keeps me happy. Not only working but seeing colors brings the ray of happiness
in my life and I’m sure it does the same to others. The Spring, Summer and Fall seasons
bring out the vivid colors of all kinds and we fill our heart and soul with joy.

Experimenting more with Mono print and collage can always bring great results and we
can enjoy those colors in the winter too. Winter brings its own charm and we can indulge
in different colors for that season.

Talking about creating plates for the mono type, it is used as a template if the printing
is done over and over using the same plate.A smooth surface plate free of scratches would
work just fine for the mono type or mono print.One can also use Plexiglas, a plastic plate
if you prefer. I do like to work with Plexiglas as it is light weight and easy to store.
One can etch the surface after cleaning it thoroughly with pointed object of desired lines
or art work. with pointed metal tip, your template or plate is permanent and can be used with your
paper or canvas for imprinting by applying various colors over it and taking the impression
of the design of the plate by pressing it hard on the paper or canvas.

Creating few plates and keeping it aside for later use can also be done. One can create
various designs like floral, animals, trees, leaves and more. When you want to develop
your large work or even master piece, the  prepared templates can be used over and over
again with various combination of designs for your landscape.

In part 1, I talked about the most simple way to handle Mono print or you can call it
mono type too. It is a spontaneous technique of creating an art piece and provides you
free dom to work with variety of materials and surfaces.One can use water color, water
based inks, water color pencils, water-soluble crayons and even pastels.

As you start experimenting with the technique, you will develop your personal style and
preference. As I mentioned in the first part, variety of papers (preferably archival for
final work and canvasses. For experimenting or working first time, you can use any paper
but, at least some thickness like card stock paper. This will hold your paint better.

Variety of materials can be used like metal plates, plastic plexiglas which is safer, wood
can be used once you get familiar with the technique and have more experience with it.
I have used paper, canvass and metal plate when I was experimentig with it years ago. There
is a press machine which can be used if you go to classes. They are professional quality and
use for large paper.

For mediums, water based paint or medium is best way to experiment. However, one can use
oil based mediums like oil based printing inks, oil paints, alkyds (oil based colors), acrylics,
water based oil paints and Couache.

The most simple way to tackle this technique is to mix the variety of colors, use some texture products
like nylon net with design, a plate with some design or a found object from home with design and
applying the color and pressing it on paper or canvas randomly and creating designs. One can also
use the combination 2-3 colors only with light and dark.

This technique has been around in the art world since ages and it is a creative way
to not only have the mementos but also to create the art by using your vivid imagination.
One can just dive into it by following some simple steps.

If you are a sport, music, any other art lover or simply interested in subject like season,
landscape, sea shells, sea findings, you can most definitely create great work with
your mono print.

Here’s what you can follow: Step by step approach

1. Decide a theme of your choice: Like Orchid, Sea scape, Rain fall etc.
2. Gather some clippings from magazines, or any other source and some writings focus
on the subject, use an object with which you can take impressions, use photographs too.
3. Either you can use canvas or 300 pounds thick water color paper for your base (available
in craft store.
4. Mono print: use rollers for paints or use large brushes and use enough water to water down the paint.
5. Either you can take impressions from any objects or use several colors and press them on the paper
using two papers or canvas and paper if using canvas.
6. Use acrylic or water color paints to create your art work in abstract pattern in certain areas
of your paper or canvas.
7. Use your found objects or clippings to glue it on the rest of the surface in different pattern,
alternating every time you use different photo or print.
8. You should have combination of paint and mono print it and use those found clippings, photos or
small objects to glue it on with archival glue which will stay good for years to come.
9. Your art piece is ready for you to enjoy with your choosen theme.

Use of light vs. dark is very important in art arena and otherwise. Once
you have dark either on your paper or canvas or any other surface, using
light against it would work like a charm.

Many of us do not think of it when we develop our art work or designs. This
is such an simple phenomenon, but, is missed at times.

If the painting is based on pastels like the one I have created with waves,
even then, some what darker shade is used along with the pastels. This brings
out the painting and one can easily differentiate different colors and when
eye moves from one color to the other, the art work becomes more interesting.
There is some story to see behind your vivid colors.

For that matter, even the black and white work still looks great if done right
with the proper proportion of light vs. dark. In water color medium one can
go wild with negative painting. Negative painting is the way to have your light
color show well while you put your dark underneath your lighter shade. It just
brings the painting forward. This is a great way to enhance your art work.

Experimenting with different colors and contrast will surely bring wonders to
you your art work.

Acrylic painting has been around for long time and unlike oils, it dries
faster and easy to create art work. I do love oils but it can take lot
longer to dry and quite pricey for folks who want to try something out.
My recommendation for those folks is to take a stab at this medium. One
can find be used as water color too if you thin down your color.

Since the paint dry faster, one needs to work some what faster too in
order to complete your strokes. One can always go over the painting again
if you made a mistake.

One of the great technique which has helped thousands of women is
acrylic painting with technique called one stroke painting.
It is developed by famous woman called Donna Dewberry.It is great
way to learn painting if you have never painted before. It is very
rewarding and one can create project at a faster rate than one can
imagine.

One of the reason for this instantaneous art is the flat brushes
verses round brushes. When you use the flat brush and load two to three
paints for shading, there is lots of painting on the brush which is unlike
if you are used to round brushes.

If you use larger and larger brushes, then, it even works faster. If you are
set out to create a large work on floral, landscape, abstract or just about
anything, this technique must be used. The paints are relatively cheaper
compared to the oils and water color.

Using water color freely with no inhibition is a great way to create a piece
of art. Water color is a great medium if you know how to play with it and
correct your mistakes, it is unforgiving. However, It stores well and dries fast
and develop no odor or fumes.

For abstract art, if it is a large piece, use of large brushes and sponges would
work well for your background as well as layering. Keeping in mind the light and
dark contrast that you always want to create will make your painting glow. The
technique of wet into wet painting always brought me surprise.

For wet into wet technique of water color, use of 140 pounds paper weight would
just work fine. Either submerging in the water for 2-3 minutes would thouroughly
wet the paper or spraying it with water bottle also works depending on how much
wetness you require. if it is soaked, drain it well and wait till the sheen of
the paper is disappearing.Since the water starts drying quickly, one needs to start
with the strokes with paint brush and see the effects it takes. I think this is
one of the coolest way to paint and every time I tried, I came up with a masterpiece.

Just checking it out with your paint brush on the side of the paper to make sure that
your color does not bleed instead it should create the art work you desire. It is great for
landscape, floral and abstracts. The softness in your painting that it creates is
just amazing.

Creations of all kinds are reaching the sky as sky is the limit, therefore,
there is no limit to one’s imagination and creativity. ART is the great avenue
where all the creativity takes place all the time.

Thinking of marbleizing technique in ART was some what ancient method or perhaps used
sometime ago. I loved this technique of combining oil paints with mineral spirit and using
water tray as the base and creating various effects on paper. Obviously one can create similar
illusive designs on canvas too. It is flowing quite easily on paper, it takes it’s own shape.
It is just like digital art on computer. But,the pleasure of it is doing and creating it by hand.
The element of surprise is just overwhelming with the designs that you create.

While completing a piece with marbleizing technique, the same design then can be simply
used and manipulated in the Photoshop and useful for creating special theme and developing
a digital art product. I think the combination of hand made and digital would be really
appealing to mass media.

Not too many folks have heard of marbleizing technique! Every industry is looking for new
and novel ideas constantly and providing them with these ideas is great way to keep us
all creative.