Using Stencils to Doodle

I love doodling. It is one of the easiest and most relaxing methods, when I work in my journals. This month's StencilClub stencil set by Mary Beth Shaw and Seth Apter immediately got my mind thinking of some good old doodles in my black journal. 

I wanted to highlight the beautiful patterns of the stencils and add my own touch to the solid spaces. 

I first stenciled the 9x12 stencil onto my black Dylusions journal with Dina Wakley Media White Gesso. 

I then stenciled onto a separate black piece of cardstock with the 6x6 stencil. I left a 1 inch border on one side so that I could fold along that seam and use it as a tip in for extra journaling. 

I then glued down the folded edge onto the opposite page to create my tip in. Tip ins are one of my favorite ways to add interest to my journal pages.

All that was left was the doodling. I like to use Uni Ball Signo white pens and Posca paint pens for this as they really work well and are good quality for mixed media.

I added some stamped images from a Lynne Perrella stamp set for Paper Artsy as well. Just such a fun way to create a page that you can use to doodle or journal on. 

This month's StencilClub stencil set might be my favorite yet...but I do say that most months!!!

Join StencilClub by November 15 to receive these three exclusive stencils and accompanying video tutorial with PDF, and 20% OFF STENCILS EVERY DAY!!

My name is Megan Whisner Quinlan. I have been a mixed media maker and book binder for 20 years. I love to experiment and try as many techniques as possible. Art journaling is my way of unwinding and working out the daily stress of life on the page. Mixed media gives me great comfort, and I try to learn and grow as often as I can while working. I live with my family in New Jersey.  You can find me on Instagram: Megan_Whisner_Quinlan and on Youtube: Megan Whisner Quinlan and as an Instructor for the upcoming Fodder School. I love to see what you make, if I have inspired you today, tag me! 

Dotted Leafy Swirl Painting by Linda Edkins Wyatt

Hi! Thanks for visiting the StencilGirl® blog and checking out my first official post as a member of their Creative Team!

My roots are in cloth...I started sewing as a kid, making doll clothes out of old socks, mending and embroidering my own jeans and shirts, then moved on to making my own clothes when I was about 11. My mother was a quilter and basket maker, and my sister a home economics teacher, so they were both strong influences on me. I became a fabric designer and worked in New York's Garment Center for many years, then later transitioned to newspaper layout design.

For as long as I can remember, during school classes, business meetings or long phone calls, I have always doodled. I usually end up with swirly, leafy shapes and dots. Time permitting, I add some checks and diamonds and turn my little 3-inch sticky-note drawings into Zentangles.

For my StencilGirl® Design Team debut, I decided to embrace my roots and instincts, work with my favorite colors and shapes, and create a giant, doodle-inspired geometric painting. I pulled out a 12"x12" canvas, my drawing pencil, my favorite colors, and got to work.

First, I sketched out the basic design: a giant doodle similar to the sticky note doodles taped in my idea journal. Knowing that the paint would obscure the pencil lines, I went over them with a magenta non-watercolor colored pencil, which would get covered by paint but still be slightly visible--a trick I learned from a Jane Davenport video.

Next, I mixed up my favorite acrylic paint colors and started filling in the shapes. I didn't pre-plan where I would place the colors, I threw caution to the wind and went with my instincts. Along with my favorite shade of turquoise, I added a darker and lighter turquoise, a lime green, and a buttery yellow. I debated about adding other colors but decided to keep it harmonious. Here are some of my painting process steps:

Step by step process of adding color to the design.

When the colored shapes were in place, the overall effect was nice but very flat. I decided to add some freehand yellow brush strokes and spots of color to liven it up.

The painting, before any stencils were added.

Next, I looked through my StencilGirl® collection to find just the right designs to enhance the painting. It was hard to choose! I wanted to add texture, contrast, and visual interest to my painting with stencils.

An assortment of StencilGirl® designs were considered for adding interest to the painting.

Using blue painter's tape and deli paper, I masked off around the shape I wanted to fill, then slowly and carefully applied black Archival Ink through several StencilGirl®stencils using a finger dauber. Sooooo much easier and neater than hand-drawing the tiny squares, diamonds, and dots on my little sticky note Zentangles!

Here are a few photos of my stenciling process:



The last stencil I added was a little circle with an x through it that was part of the Stencil Club January 2019 set, called "Mash Up" designed by Mary Beth Shaw and Seth Apter. It's amazing that such a tiny little shape, spotted around the painting, was the stencil that really tied the whole painting together!

The almost finished painting

After all the stencils were added, it was almost done. But... the painting looked like it still needed some more texture. I have long admired the abstract paintings of Danish artist MiMano. Her paintings have bold, splashy color and great detail made with tiny dots and lines. Thinking of MiMano's style, I decided to add some small dots by hand with a Bic white-out pen, green and turquoise TomBow markers, along with black, lime, and turquoise Nuvo drops. The small accents of Nuvo add some shine and dimension and made the final painting sparkle. Here are some detail shots of the dotted and stenciled areas:

Detail shots of the stenciling and hand-painted dots

While searching through my files, I discovered one of my first textile designs, made in my senior year of college (quite a few decades ago)! I had made my own silkscreens--carefully lining up the screens for each of the three colors--and printing them on white cotton with thickened dye. It bears a striking similarity to this painting, which makes me think that the next step will be to send the design to Spoonflower, print some yardage, and make myself a summer dress!

Linda
Mixed Media & Fiber Art Blog

One of my first textile designs (left) bears a striking similarity to my latest painting (right)

Stencils used: 

Stencil Club, March 2019, by Ann Butler, large stencil 



Stencil Club, January 2019, Mash Up by Mary Beth Shaw and Seth Apter, medium stencil 



Stencil Club, April 2013, Stitchery by Mary Beth Shaw, medium stencil 



Grove Street by Nathalie Kalbach

stencilgirl_products

Open your art journal to Stone Pebble Tilings and Water Ripples stencils

You could hardly go wrong art journaling with these versatile stencils direct from the hand of Valerie Sjodin. Let your imagination ripple outward!

Stone & Pebble Tilings 9"x12" L706 

Stone & Pebble Tilings create repeated patterns, layers, paths, stacks of stones in your artwork. If you have stacks of painted papers and wonder what to do with them, watch Valerie’s video and see how she makes a scrap painted paper into a beautiful collage paper. The largest of the tilings overlays perfectly with the 6"x6” Stones Tiling Stencil S677.

Here is a delightful idea if making doodles and lettering pushes your happy buttons.

Stencil your background with spray paints:

Doodle away and include words that are meaningful to you.:

Close-up:

Water Ripples 9"x12" L705

The Water Ripples Stencil helps you create dreamy water movement in your artwork and journaling. Use it alone:

 or layer over stones & pebbles and more…

If you wish to add these stencils to your collection of art tools, click here.

Catch Velie in action on her Visual Blessings blog.

Doodling with StencilGirl® Products

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling this summer and that means far too much time sitting in airports and on planes. To pass the time in a productive manner, I’ve been preparing postcards, ATCs, envelopes and card fronts with StencilGirl® Products to take with me to doodle on. Everything I need for hours and hours of fun fits into a slim plastic box.

This project is ideal no matter how long the journey will be or how far you’ll go! (From the kitchen work table to an easy chair is sometimes just the right distance…)

Here’s my process:

1. Pick a stencil that has some intricate areas as well as some open areas. Open areas provide space for doodling and writing. I'm using Web of Roses by Mary Beth Shaw! Use markers and pens to draw all the lines in the stencil onto pre-cut postcard-size pieces of cardstock, ATCs, or envelope fronts. Use a mix of fine and wide nibs; go for black as well as light and dark colors as shown in the three photos below.

 

2. When it’s time to go, pack up additional pens and markers and some stickers pre-printed with words, quotes, or sentiments. If space allows, add a set of mini-alphabet stamps and a black ink pad.

3. Doodle, doodle, doodle some more. Add color. Add stickers before doodling, or afterward – all choices are yours. Before you know it, the seatbelt sign will be on, the tray table will have to go back to its upright position, and you’ll be at your destination! 

Black and white:

 

Black and white and gold:

Lots of color:

Thanks so much for visiting today! Happy stenciling and doodling!

Judi Kauffman 

TBT with Debi and Cindy - Substrates and Photos

How do you doodle? How do you make marks?

With stencils of course!

Debi Adams and Cindy Gilstrap take it away for this throwback Thursday!

Greetings! It is Debi and I have  a question, have you ever recycled your art?  

What about your rejects?  

Did you keep them or did you toss them out, embarrassed by the end result? This past year, with tight deadlines, (I work in an art/craft based industry), I began to clip the “did-I-do-that?” pieces to a clipboard.  

I thought maybe, just maybe, I could use them in something, somewhere when I’m in a time crunch. They would definitely need to be chopped up and disguised. Without a doubt.  LOL. 

Okay, the real reason I kept them was because I saw someone have all his art papers stacked together in piles and thought it looked cool, visually. 

Today I decided it was time to do something with the castoffs. They were piling up. (Yep, I make lots of mistakes). 

I pulled out my clipboard, and believe me there were some ugly substrates in there, and chose one that had different colors, at least not my usual choice. Stretching my comfort zone is important to me and this one put me there. 

I cut circles from the paper and began working with Mini Quilt #1 stencil by Mary Beth Shaw. 

I painted the quilt design on each one, having some not even centered. I doodled and marked them and, after watercoloring my background paper, decided that tracing and cutting the pattern out from the background paper would be a cool application of the stencil. 

Soon I had threads weaving behind the cut out pieces and somehow, it evolved into this piece. I’m glad I tried something different. Sometimes it’s scary because it means paving a new road, and it might lead to a mistake or two, but the end result is so rewarding. I don’t think anyone would ever know this was made from mistakes. Okay, so now I need a stencil that says, “Take a Risk”.  

You choose my friends.

Debi

Add a Family Snapshot

Cindy Gilstrap used Rembrandt's Words and Inky Circles to highlight the vintage photograph in her art journal.

Cindy says: "Art journals make a great place to keep memories. They could be memories for your eyes only or memories to share. On your next art journal page try using a family photo in your spread. It’s a fun way to combine family and your art.”

Show us how you use your StencilGirl stencils on Instagram:

Our BIGGEST prize ever!

A one-year membership to StencilClub 

beginning October 2017!

A $300 value!