StencilGirl® Stencil Portrait by Artist Pamela Vosseller

Hi, everyone! Pamela Vosseller here! I’ve always been a bit of Tomboy, and I think that is why I believe we all have an inner superhero waiting to let its warrior of Good shine. I remember growing up watching some of my favorite TV shows from National Geographic about the beautiful Indigenous tribes. They had the most amazing headpieces, which inspire my creativity to this day.

In this StencilGirl® project, we will create a whimsical female portrait that is wearing a warrior headpiece designed using StencilGirl® Stencils. I love creating on recycled surfaces; it is especially helpful when you’re on a budget, but I also find those surfaces to have the best texture. So, in this project, we will be using a 12x12 piece of recycled cardboard as our substrate; however, you can always just use paper or a canvas.

I hope you enjoy this project, and I look forward to seeing your warrior portrait.

I used the following StencilGirl® Stencils:

Circle Bubbles

Garden Flowers Tile

Floral Lace

Supply List:

·         Cardboard (any size, I used 12x12)

·         Platte knife or you can use brush

·         Pencil – Water soluble (orange or red)

·         Gesso – White and Black (Okay to use acrylic paint)

·         Acrylic paints: (I use Liquitex and M.Graham)

o   Unbleached Titanium

o   Orange – Cadmium

o   Blue

o   Azo Green or other yellow green

·         Chalk Acrylics – Paper Artsy:

o   Red Lipstick

o   Blue Bayou

o   Steel Grey

o   Mud Splat

·         Posca Pen – black

Using StencilGirl® Stencils in Portraiture

Hello from Sue Ann “Swan” Hum! I'm a full time artist working in Colorado, USA. It's pure happiness to be a StencilGirl® Talk Guest Designer sharing my love of using stencils in Mixed Media Portraiture.

Stencils used in “Come True”:
 Floral Lace by Kristie Taylor
Delicate Face by Andrea Matus deMeng
Streamers and Dots Layered Pattern by Kristie Taylor
Ginkgo by Cecilia Swatton 

Stencils used in “Give Up”:
Soulful Scribbles Dot -Dash by Traci Bautista
Soulful Scribbles Flourishes by Traci Bautista
Peruvian Grid Mask by Cynthia Silveri
Swallows Take Flight by Valerie Sjodin

Stay in touch with Sue Ann
WEBSITE
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK

Day of the Dead Smiling Halloween Skeleton

If you don't like the creepy darkness of traditional Halloween decor, yet like me you love the colors, then taking inspiration from Day of the Dead may be a better option. Also known as All Souls' Day, this celebration takes place throughout Mexico and Latin American countries. It is a colorful 2-day festival that honors life and death. In this project, I borrow from sugar skull designs. Allow yourself to be inventive with decorative ornamentation.

1. Freehand draw a skeleton (or print a skeleton template from the web and transfer it to a substrate. I used Saral Transfer Paper in Yellow to transfer the image to heavyweight Watercolor Paper, 9"x12")

2. Darken the skeleton image with a black China Marker. I like the rough texture of the China Marker, but anything black would work: pastel, crayon, marker, etc.

3. Choose background color; paint around the skeleton image and in between bones.*  

4. Fill in the eyes and mouth with black acrylic paint.

5. Using floral colors, stencil flowers and leaves around the crown of the skeleton's head. 

Stencils I used: Wild Daisies, Mini Rose Bouquet, Woodland Floral Wreath, and Rose Bouquet. 

6. Sketch details and leaves into flower crown with a black ink pen.

7. Continue rough sketchy lines around facial details and bones.

*If desired, stencil over the background to make it look spooky. 

I used Andrew Borloz' X& O Stencil and Mary Beth Shaw's Makes a Mark Pipette stencils in another Skeleton portrait I painted. I also added more painterly details in this one.

Have fun experimenting as you make a Day of the Dead skeleton portrait that is perfectly unique to your style!

Jennifer

Periwinkle Art Studio