I started by making some collage paper on deli paper using my gel plate. I used
various areas of both stencils and a variety of PaperArtsy Fresco Acrylic paint.
Once I had a sheet filled, I set it aside for later.
I then took several colors of PaperArtsy paint and brushed some
colors onto a sheet of Bristol Smooth paper and sponged a variety
of the stencil patterns on top of the colored sections.
I cut pieces of collage paper and previewed where I wanted to adhere them to the page.
I cut the painting to the size of an 8"x 8" wooden panel to help me decide what other layers were needed.
Using Acrylic Ink I added an additional layer to highlight some of the sections and stenciled areas.
I decided it needed additional interest so I used washi tape by UM WOW studio to add another layer.
After adhering the tape with Matte Medium, I sponged some paint on the edges of the washi tape
to blend them into the background then used the stencils with other colors to connect the painted
areas to the painting. Using these layering techniques will give a more cohesive finish to the painting.
To finish the painting, I used Golden Regular Matte Medium to adhere the Bristol paper to the wooden panel and trimmed off any overhang. I added some of the same stenciled elements on the edge of the panel and then added a thin layer of the acrylic ink I used in the painting so they matched.
Thank you very much for stopping by the blog today to see the many ways these stencils can
be used as a mixed media tool. I will be back next month to share my September project with you.
I want to thank StencilGirl® Products for providing me with this free StencilClub
set so that I could play in advance and share what I create each month with you.
Join StencilClub by August 15th to receive these exclusive stencils, an accompanying video
tutorial with PDF (both downloadable!), and 20% OFF STENCILS EVERY DAY!!
Happy Creating!
To see more of my work please visit my Instagram page.
How
Trish McKinney Brings An Old Painting Back To Life
Using Her StencilGirl Stencils!
Hey Everyone!
Trish McKinney here today to share with you a fun process using my stencils and
ask an important question - Are you like me and have thousands of
half-finished, tired, and broken down paintings?!
One of my
favorite things to do is to go when things are slow in the studio, is to go
through my stacks of old paintings that for whatever reason are not quite
working. I lovingly refer to this area in my studio as, where these
paintings rest, as “the dead zone”! This is where paintings go to die - @ left below.
I love this
process of bringing a painting back to life as it causes me to think outside of
the box and shake things up! This is because I have no commitment to these old
paintings and I am not afraid to risk doing something new - something
different- something unexpected - experiment, asking "what if?"! Often, I learn more and discover new techniques from this exercise
than taking a 3 day workshop!
One way I like
to revamp, rejuvenate, and restore my unfinished paintings is by using my
stencils. And for the painting I selected, I used my newly released
StencilGirl stencil designs - Lacey Leaves and Leafy Weaves (gosh,
I love those names! :) - and my Branches Giant stencil. Here is my
process...
I began by
going through my many stacks of paintings, but because the leaves were probably
on my mind, I gravitated towards the many unfinished paintings from my Nature’s
Palette Collection.This is a painting
process where I use real leaves, and many other natural, nature-inspired
materials to create a painting. So my leaf and branch StencilGirl stencils were
a perfect fit!
Assessing The
Painting...
Once I settled
on a painting, I began the assessment part.I started by picking out the areas of the painting I loved which leads
me to selecting my focal area - the area I want to emphasize. This will help me
to not get lost once I begin to stencil.
I began this part of the process, by
remembering what my dad always told me - “before you can fix something you
first need figure out what is broke!”. Even though he was talking about
cars, it is a profound but simple truth about how to fix a painting!So I looked for all of the areas that were
not working in this painting and why they did not work. I always go down my
checklist of principles of design to figure out what is “broke” and usually
find many - ie, value, negative spaces, color harmony, line quality, etc... -
this gives me a direction and road map that gets me to the next step.
Selecting The
Stencils...
Since I
already had my newly released leaf stencils on my mind and the painting was
nature-inspired, the stencils I used were easy to select. However, I often love
to use stencils to fix paintings that are not as literal or predictable.Like the paintings below.
Many of my
stencils are designed without framed edges for this purpose - to give artists
the option to use them either in a more abstract way - creating rhythm and movement
through varying line and shapes - or a more literal interpretation.
Time To Start
Stenciling!
I like to get
2 palettes going with sponge rollers to apply the paint.One palette is for gesso and the other is for
dark values these are always colors already in the painting - 2 cool darks –
Permanent Violet Dark and Turquoise Phthalo - and 1 warm neutralizer color -
Quin. Burnt Orange. I also have Quin Nickel Azo Gold to tint gesso areas once
it dries.
Since I had
lost some of the edges of the leaves, I begin by using the “bump outs” for the
leaf stencils switching between light & dark – ie, light edges against dark
backgrounds and dark edges against light backgrounds. Then I use my brush to
refine them out even more. I tint the white gesso once it is dry, with thin
glazes of warm & cool colors.
Then I begin
to connect the leaf shapes with my Giant Branch stencil – 12” x 24” which will
give harmony and added texture.I move
all around the painting, making sure I place the stencil in impact areas
leading the eye towards the focal point leaf in the lower right quadrant. This
will also give added depth too.
Finishing…
I knew I was
finished when all of the “broken” problem areas were fixed and the problems
were resolved.
Here is my final painting alive & restored! And I am very pleased how it turned out!
Leafy Wonder - 22" x 22" - mixed media on paper
This process
is so satisfying to complete and I hope you will be inspired to try it yourself! Solving the problems of an unfinished painting by making it new again, teaches us all so much and you will learn so much about design along the way!The joy of this project is that you will have no
commitment since you are not in love with the painting to begin with – so a perfect
atmosphere is set up for bold, wild creativity! In other words - what have you got to
lose?!
I hope you have fun
trying this technique!
To learn about
Trish McKinney - the paintings she creates and workshops where she teaches
these techniques and more - go to her website @ trishmckinney.com
Follow Trish’s
shenanigans on FaceBook, Instagram, & her YouTube Channel to be inspired…&
sometimes laugh!(find
links on her website home page)
Stencil Links...
Stencils Used
are designed by Trish McKinney and sold online @ StencilGirlproducts.com
-Lacey
Leaves- 9”x12StencilGirl Stencil
Mask with Bump Out
-LeafyWeaves- 9”x12StencilGirl Stencil
Mask with Bump Out
