nathalie-kalbach

Second Floor Challenge #5: Found Object

Are you ready to take the second floor this time? If you have no clue what I am talking about- read all about it here :) The Second Floor Challenge

So today is our 5th Second Floor Challenge: Found Object

Click here to see what Julie did

Whatever that means to you or however it inspires you.  The prompt is simply meant to get you started.  The level of challenge you aim for is entirely internal and up to you.

Found Objects….Love them. What does this mean in the Art World?

Let me just quote Wikipedia: “A found object, in an artistic sense, indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose, but which exists for another purpose already. Found objects may exist either as utilitarian, manufactured items, or things which occur in nature. In both cases the objects are discovered by the artist or musician to be capable of being employed in an artistic way, and are designated as “found” to distinguish them from purposely created items used in the art forms.”

But an found object could also just be something that you found!

My problem with found objects is, that I want to incorporate them in my work- but then I can’t get over me to use them. Because most of those objects are one of a kind findings at a flea market, a junk yard or something I have this “perfect moment” feeling. This leads to piles of stuff of objects that are desperately whispering “take me, take me!” yet….I am just ignoring it ;)

So the first floor was ….picking up stuff that I had in my pile of “found objects” to use. I didn’t make a huge effort – I simply picked the first three items I found on the pile.

Lightbulbs – mini lightbulbs, which i had found last in Australia at a junk yard, a little cross stitching hoop – I have no clue where this came from , and a vintage yarn spool which I found at a flea market in the States and says Kismet on the spool ends- FATE :)

I transfered some beautiful Prima Ledger Paper to a canvas fabric and then added the found objects on top of it, pit a frame on top and and knew I would love to give this my friend Katja who is a costume director and made me my favorite clothings in my wardrobe :) (If you are ever in Hamburg for longer and are looking for awesome tailored clothes – let me know !)

But what I didn’t know for two days before I glued it down, was…what else and which paint media I should add. It was taunting me. Every time I passed  the project walking by…I thought…”I like it- but mmmmhh what am I going to add to it?”. I took everything apart, arranged everything differently and yet…in the end I would end up with exactly the same design as before. And walk out of the studio, sighing again…

And then…I slapped my hand against my forehead hard today…still have some fingermarks…”Mc Fly…you like it as it is, so just glue all down and leave it” . It is OK to not use paint media (pssstttt….I used gel medium but don’t tell anyone ;) )

What I learned from this challenge:

  1. It is ok to use stuff from the pile of found objects…it is not even noticeable that something is missing.
  2. The frame hiding underneath a stretched canvas is a beautiful thing.
  3. It doesn’t kill me to not use paint on a project.
  4. Less is sometimes more
  5. Projects like this are extremely hard to photograph– it looks so much better in real life …sigh
  6. I am cheating and even lie in my blog post since I actually not used the first 3 things I found in the pile…my hand magically wandered over the Dresden dolls…because seriously they need to be on a really really cool project, I haven’t even dreamed of yet ;)

If you’d like to leave a link showing off what you did in response to this challenge, here’s the linky list:

add your own creations inspired by our 2nd Floor Challenge: Found Object

have a wonderful day

hugs

Nat

Comments (12)

  • marjiekemper

    |

    That’s so flipping cool… love how your mind works to come up with the bulbs around the sewing gizmo (forget the name of that thing but I had one as a little girl when my grandmother taught me how to cross-stitch).

    Reply

  • Melisa

    |

    Wonderful collage! So smart of you to realize it didn’t need anything else. I just found this challenge. I wonder if I have time to make something? I pick up lots of found objects to use in my art but have trouble using anything I feel is special or I can’t get more of. I just tend to hoard.

    Reply

  • Catherine

    |

    love love love — the green lightbulbs are awesome! I have a LOT of found objects I can’t bear to use hoping I can find a few minutes to do something for this with them ;-)

    Reply

  • misty

    |

    You are so funny! I thought that I was the only one who can not tell a lie and admit to it after saying it! This is awesome…not your normal style but still totally awesome!

    Reply

  • Lisa Flaherty

    |

    Great piece, and great lessons. I can understand how it took great restraint to make it to the 2nd floor with this piece, instead of skipping merrily down your painty, first floor hallway! :) Love how you applied that cool spool and the thread especially!

    Reply

  • Cindy Kotora

    |

    Very interesting piece! So different from your usual style. How did you transfer the Prima paper? TFS

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

    |

    I have this wonderful collection of special items that I may use some day.
    I also have that attitude that it must be super special (as if I won’t find more “special” items in the future). Like what you did and how you used the light bulbs.

    Reply

  • jane w.

    |

    awesome- those tiny bulbs are so cool!

    Reply

  • linda

    |

    What a fabulous found object piece of art! Love everything you post, but especially when you give the thought processes behind what you’ve created; would love to see more about your thoughts behind mixed media pieces your create. I’ve learned so much from your blog. Thank you for your generous spirit!

    Reply

  • Jean Marmo

    |

    I love the list of things you learned! I could take a lesson from yoU!

    Reply

    • Martha Richardson

      |

      Oh man…a week off the internet and look what I missed…lots of catching up to do but I’m up for it ;) Love this challenge!

      Reply

Leave a comment

Little Date with Max, Andy and Pablo or I am OK

Attention: This Blog Post contains art work that shows nudity and some cruelty, if you have a problem with this, you might be better off looking at something else :)

This weekend I indulged again in a little ME-Day at the Hamburger Kunsthalle (art museum) again – and oh I so love it!

Amazing part of a painting by Max Ernst “Grätenblumen” (1929) – love the texture! Overpainted the painting underneath and then used the texture as an inspiration for his new piece.

Talking about how artists used other art to make new art. Like Andy Warhol or Horst Janssen using postcards with art work to create new art.

Then our little group went to the workshop room and we had a huge amount of art postcards for selection.

And the fun began ;) Just picking some cards and then start looking what you could do with them. Here is what I picked first :

Combining Albrecht Dürer and Andy Warhol together to this

Or looking at a Pablo Picasso “Woman in red armchair” (1939)

and turning her into the Red Haired Girls’ Scout- LOL ;) (she is big on eye shadow I think ;) )

We had so much fun- I can’t tell you how much this group of mostly older women and a couple younger ones were giggling and laughing throughout the day. We had a wall going where we were just pinning our cards – and it was the best just looking at them in between….turning into more giggles.

I did quite a pile of cards but I show you only one more  – a combination of Albrecht Dürer, Lewis Carroll aka Charles Dodgson Photography and a Lyonel Feininger

What I learned  from this day…actually something about me. “Wow- Nat- impressive, you learned something about yourself on your Me-Day!” ;)

I learned that what I do in my art work is totally ok ….I am ok, my work is ok and I love what I do, that is ALL that counts :) There are other people who get the stuff I am doing and I do not have to feel like an outsider – what will be will be!

I went home filled with lot’s of inspiration and being content about my work. (let me embrace that and stop thinking I sound arrogant- LOL …it might be over tomorrow when the little voice is nagging again- LOL) What a better end than that for a Me-Day :)

I wish you a gorgeous day!!!!

Hugs

Nat

 

Comments (11)

  • marjiekemper

    |

    What a fabulous day! Thanks for sharing. And I will always still chuckle when I see that disclaimer about nudity. (Yes, I am 12.)

    Reply

    • nathalie-kalbach

      |

      Theehehe- you know there is people that get a heart attack then seeing art with nudity ;)

      Reply

  • Lisa Flaherty

    |

    What a fun workshop! Love all the creativity on that wall! Your composites are so cool!

    Reply

  • Bev W.

    |

    Looks like you had a wonderful me-day Nat!!! Love your pieces!
    ♥Bev

    Reply

  • Marsha.

    |

    That class looks like so much fun!!

    Reply

  • Patricia Huber

    |

    I am glad you went with older women, too. We all have so much in common and older women can be such a source of comfort and support when you need it!

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

    |

    What a fun day. I especially like INNOCENT. The bird/human mix always catches my attention. Thanks for sharing your pics.

    Reply

  • Milagros

    |

    Sure it’s great you passed, and that would come out many different ideas for every human being is different and irepetibles and have our dark side and our different way of looking at art. Thanks for sharing. a hug

    Reply

  • Nydia Dominguez

    |

    I don’t care what others think of my work. I usually paint pretty flowers, birds etc…but I do have a dark side. I create what I feel and if I am sad, it is sometimes depicted in my work. Or sometimes if something strikes me hard such as youth committing suicide, in order to counsel myself, I work on paper or canvas with my burden. I was chastised once over something I had done four years ago a few months ago….and I was removed as a friend on facebook…oh well! It was an ACEO that I sold with a poem on the back that was counseling young adults to talk it over(suicide is final) that tomorrow was another day… You can’t please everyone…so please yourself with your artwork!

    Excellent pieces! Bravo!

    Reply

  • jerseytjej

    |

    Those are really good, Nat! I would love to see the wall a bit closer. See how others may have used the same images. I would not have thought of the bird on the head…that one really makes me laugh! :)

    Reply

  • Louise

    |

    WTG YOU!!!!!!! :) X

    Reply

Leave a comment

Thank YOU!…or…wow my blog turns six today

It is hard to believe- six years ago on June 3rd, 2006,  I started blogging about my hobby and then it turned into my profession…

Besides that I love writing – in my limited english way – what do I know?- like 400 words or so, LOL – I enjoy doing this because I love with how many people all over the world I connected through blogging!

In other ways: YOU! are the reason why I love writing my blog and do so continuously. Your comments make my day, the conversations with YOU! inspire me and I love to get to know YOU! wherever YOU! are !

My Blogaversary is actually a celebration of YOU! Thank you for reading, thank you for coming by, thank you for subscribing and thank you for commenting or emailing me sometimes!

To celebrate YOU! I have two give aways!

I give away two class seats in my Über*Media Gesso Class!

The 1st seat: I picked the receiver already! Don’t call this unfair…I actually checked on my blog stats who in all this years commented the most on my blog and I think this person deserves my thank you and first give away :)

SUE CLARKE! Thank you so much for your wonderful comments, you make me very happy and I love to read your comments and I so hope one day I will see you in person over the pond and get to hug you and thank you in person. :) Please email me and I send you the access to the class!

And the 2nd ?

Let me know which topics on the n*Studio Blog YOU! would like me to write about.

If you also subscribe to my blog in a reader or via email (sidebar) you double your chances – let me know and I will put your name into the drawing two times :) You have time till June 7th, 2012 midnight CET.  I will have a winner for the gesso class randomly picked. ( If you already took the Gesso class as a student let me know and we can work out a different class ;))

Again- Thank YOU! and have an amazing day

Hugs

Nat

Comments (44)

  • Lisa Flaherty

    |

    Oops! Forgot to mention that I subscribe to your blog via email! Definitely want my name to be entered twice for your lovely giveaway! I really don’t like gesso (trying not to be judgmental!) and I know it is because I do not know how to use it, so I KNOW I would greatly benefit from your class! Thanks again for the chance!

    Reply

  • Sue W

    |

    congratulations! I am fairly new to your blog and enjoy it immensely. I subscribe through RSS so I don’t miss anything. Choosing your most dedicated reader is a great idea!
    I would like to learn more about colour.

    Reply

  • Natalie Hall

    |

    Congratulations Nathalie!! I love your heart!!!

    Reply

  • Rhonda Zamora

    |

    Since Creative Jump Start, I have visited your blog every afternoon. Thanks for all of your instruction and inspiration! I would love to win a spot in your class. I would like to learn more about Gel Medium and Gesso etc..

    Reply

  • Anne-Mette

    |

    Congratulations Nathalie…. I just recently discovered your blog (you had a fast forward post on Julies blog) and I’ve been by almost daily ever since :-) Right now I’m taking your acrylic class and I’m having so much fun learning all theese new tecniques and incoorporating them in my paintings. learning new stuff and putting your own spin at it is GREAT :-) If I had to choose a topic other than the ones you’re allready doing it would be composition. Looking forward to coming back….

    Reply

    • Anne-Mette

      |

      oops… didn’t think my comment had been posted. sorry for the duplicate :-)

      Reply

  • Anne-Mette

    |

    Congratulations Nathalie. I’m a fairly new reader of your blog, but have been coming steady since I discovered you (since you had a fast forward-post on Julies blog :-) ) I’m know taking your acrylic class and I’m enjoing it so much and have been incoorporating different techniques in my paintings. always great to learn new stuff and put you own spin at it. If i had to choose a topic other than the things you’re allready doing, it could be composition…. I would love to hear your words on that :-)
    thank you for the opporunity to win a spot on the gesso-class. (also a medium a just discovered recently….)

    Reply

  • Angelika Westermann

    |

    Hi Natalie,
    I only recently dicovered your blog – Julie Fei-Balzer pointed me to you some weeks ago and I immediately subscribed to it. What I really loved so far was your discourse on colors. This leads me to the interesting question if you could also give some informal lessons on the integral parts of design – line, space, contrast etc. This is a topic which always seems to be thought of as “has to be known”, however, having no artistic education whatever it often leaves me confused.
    Oh, and by the way: Congratulation to your anniversary and thank you very much for that giveaway. Would love to win it.
    Angelika

    Reply

  • Maria Schmidt

    |

    Wow, du altes Eisen! ;-) So lang bist du schon dabei und so lang les ich schon deinen Blog! Wahnsinn! Ich finds super das du Schritt in die Selbständigkeit gewagt hast und so erfolgreich bist! Jaja, auch ich gehöre zu den Leuten, die meistens nur lesen, aber leider keinen Kommentar hinterlass – schäm!
    Ich gelobe Besserung! Ich trink dann heut Abend ein Gläschen an dich und wünsch dir weiterhin viel Erfolg und viele glückliche kreative Ergüsse!
    xoxoxoxoxo Maria

    Reply

  • Lynne N

    |

    Congrates. That shows dedication on your part. I love your blog.

    Reply

  • Lisa crofts

    |

    Congrats on 6 years natalie. I love all the posts i have read this year. I might have to go back and check out vintage stuff.

    Reply

  • Nancy C

    |

    Congratulations to Sue! How sweet, Nathalie, to recognize her so! And congratulations to you with your 6 year blogoversary!
    As to topics? Hmmm…I’d love to learn more from you about texture, gesso, acrylic paints … ok, anything! (lol)

    Reply

  • Sue Clarke

    |

    SIX years is a long time to be giving out free information to the crafty world.
    I am so pleased that you are able to make it your career!
    One day we will meet and I can not tell you how honored I am that you have picked me to receive the free class Nat!
    {BIG HUGS}…your biggest fan:-)

    Reply

  • jjsobeyj

    |

    COngrats on 6 years! I’ve been subscribed for a quite a while through google reader. I’m one of those ones who lurks a lot but forgets to comment. I enjoy your tips & tricks kind of posts, but I have to say… my favorite type are the ones when you show something you weren’t satisfied with and then change it to make it something you love. Thanks for all the great posts!

    Reply

  • Marjie Kemper

    |

    How fabulous, Nat! Congrats on six years of this… bet you had no idea with that first post where you would be, how much in your life would change, and how influential you would be to so many artists and would-be-artists around the world. I am delighted to have met you in person as well as connecting this way on a regular basis! As someone who has taken your class in person as well as online I think my suggestion would be… any thing YOU want to teach, girlfriend!

    Reply

  • Liz Thayne

    |

    Ni Nat, Happy Blog-aversary! I only discovered your blog a few months ago but I now eagerly await the Email with a new post. I have learned so much from your tutorials and find your post amusing and inspirational. Heres to the next 6 years and more. I must say your English is a million times better than my German! Keep up the good work.

    Reply

  • Patricia Huber

    |

    Natalie!

    I ALWAYS read your blog and often get a big chuckle from them. You have such a nice sense of humor! I’ve especially enjoyed the “color” stories this past week or so. It was good to get a little theory mixed in with your usual comments (not that I don’t like your usual comments ha ha).

    I wish I could take one of your classes in person but unless you come to the east coast of the United States, that might be difficult. Keep up the good work with your blog!

    Reply

  • ___Caroline___

    |

    Congratulations Nathalie,
    We love reading your post, they are always very inspirational. Thank you for sharing so much…

    Reply

  • christy comstock

    |

    I have been loving your posts! The color tutorials have been awesome!!

    Reply

Leave a comment

New home for Korki or…Neighbors don't call the police, please!

Despite the fact that I do not possess a green thumb, there are plants on our roof garden that seem to like us…or maybe they just developed unbelievable survival tactics.

There are two of those plants…I think the number says it all- LOL.  We gave them names. There is PJ- our maple tree, named after PJ’s pancake house in Princeton, NJ where my hubs took me on a date once ;) and Korki in German a “Korkspindel” and in English…a new word for me “Winged Spindle or Burning Bush”.

Last winter Korki’s home broke…and I can assure you, carrying up huge flower pots that cost gazillion of Euros and lot’s of dirt is not our most favorite task every spring. But apparently carrying down huge stone plates from an old torn down chimney on our roof wasn’t a favorite task of the craftsmen working on our roof last year either. They secretly pushed five of those super heavy stone plates underneath our terrace…..

So my husband had the idea of using those plates and create a new home for Korki…and then he asked me to spray paint it. Which I was first a bit hesitant- but then on a nice sunny hot afternoon, I got my evil graffiti-spray outfit on ;)

wearing my army pants and a tank top, took out my Golden Montanas and my Stencils- including the awesome Crafter’s Workshop Stencils by Julie Fei Fan Balzer and started the fun

Funny thing is, as soon as you start shaking those spray paint bottles, people start showing up at windows and balconies around looking at you…one of these days the old couple across the street might call the police- I think they don’t know what they should make out of me- LOL.

It was lot’s of fun although a bit intimidating since I wasn’t sure if that was what my husband had in mind when he asked me.

Well- he liked it very much – it brings some fun colors into our roof garden and he even said we should do more of those. Can you believe that I am the conservative person here, saying…mmhhh- have to think about it? LOL

I so love the texture and how the colors glow…and Korki…Korki really seems to enjoy its new home…

What do you think, should I add more crazy color to our roof garden or is one crazy pot enough?

Have a gorgeous day

Nat

Comments (16)

Leave a comment

Colors Are Your Friends or let’s talk a bit of “my” Color Theory IV

I have listed the first 3 posts in this series the bottom of this post in case you are joining a tad later :)

OK- so in the last thread we talked about the color wheel and you might think, great…so what am I supposed to do with this round thing of colors? Well well…don’t forget, I am a Kraut…so this is an organized series- LOL. First things first.

Now…sometimes when you have a paint media – things get a bit confusing – like when you buy PanPastels:

OK- so Phthalo Green – and then the same color in a tint and a shade- but what the dillio- what does it mean?

Here is a simple explanation:  A tint is any mixture of a bright “pure” color with white. A shade is any mixture of a “pure” color (also referred to as a hue) with black. A tone is a mixture of gray (white + black) and the “pure” color. (source Wikipedia)

So that actually means if you would just buy PanPastels in the colors Phthalo Green, White and Black- you could actually mix four other colors with those colors:

And because I am a lazy girl- I buy sometimes often the Shades and the Tints too. But if you are totally into mixing or you are on a budget….this is quite good to know, isn’t it?

So now…if you take into account the last post on Colors Are You Friends:

When my students for the PanPastel Class ask me, which colors they should buy for the class – what do you think my answer might be?

Exactly – I tell them to get for the beginning five colors: Yellow, Blue, Red, White and Black. Because…they cannot only mix all the Secondary Colors and the Tertiary Colors with those colors- no no….they can also mix all the Shades and Tints and Tones with those colors. That leaves them with how many possibilities?

Exactly- LOL- I have no clue- but it is a lot ;)

BTW – if you are interested in my Über*Media PanPastel Online Class- you can find it here.

Now that we have talked about the attitudes of our friends, their relationship on the color wheel and their tones and shades behind us- we can really turn our mind to more fun things – and try to answer the question:

But hey- this post today and yesterday was a lot to take in, wasn’t it? Tell you what, I give you a little break and come back next week, singing for you ;)

Have an amazing day with lot’s of tints and shades :)

Nat

RELATED ARTICLES

Comments (8)

Leave a comment

Colors Are Your Friends or let’s talk a bit of “my” Color Theory III

Now we have talked about our friends in the last two parts…they are quite a handful, aren’t they? I also got introduced to your friends…Loved what I was reading:

Sue ClarkePurple…so royal and yet playful!…

Dottie: Loved your posts on color! Made me think that black and white are sort of like the adults. All the other color children are running around on the canvas displaying all their glory and exuberence in their own personality and style, The adults come in to offer a little containment and accent…

Caroline: you could do white, even if it is a bit the same as black some people say it’s not a color. But there are a lot of other voices that are saying that white is the color that means pure, hope, innocence, clean, …Then there is pink that is totally “think pink” Red the color off passion and warmth…

So now that we have thought a bit about their personality we might wanna study our friends a bit more. Kind of like the CSI of colors ;)

Remember the Color Wheel?

Good old color wheel – that is how I started years ago exploring colors. I made one for you…actually the plan was that you could download it…but you know…smarty-pants forgot that her scanner is not THAT big – so the color wheel is bigger than the size of my scanner…and …oh well…

BUT- you can definitely make your own …*snigger* or you just google color wheel if you are lazy and you will find thousands and can just download one of them.

So let’s start with some basics here and we talk about pigment colors…because color theory is so much more complicated (just open your printer and look which colors are in there to be mixed- different world!)…we keep it easy, ok?  – for most of you it is a refresher I’m pretty sure- but it is never bad to get some refreshing, right?

Primary Colors:

Your friends Red, Blue and Yellow carry the last name Primary. Those guys cannot be created by mixing any of the other colors out there. But- they have super powers ….they can be mixed to create all kinds of other colors on the color wheel.

Check out where they are located on the color wheel.

So what does that mean for you if you love to play with Paint Media?

Well…I would recommend to really have those three colors, because you simply will never be able to create them on their own with other colors. I know, sounds like obvious….but sometimes the obvious is hidden ;)

Secondary Colors:

Now these guy’s last name is ….Secondary…Ding Ding Ding Ding ;)

Not the coolest name right? Always the second…never the first….LOL. That doesn’t make them less attractive or nice though. In fact I love the Secondary Guys :) mmmh- why my friends are all of a sudden guys, no idea..let’s roll with it.

So they are Secondary because they come out when you mix the Primary Guys.

Yellow and Red = Orange

Blue and Yellow = Green

Blue and Red = Purple

So check out where they are on the color wheel ? EXACTLY :)

And because you see it- you know already who is missing on the color wheel and you might assume right why they are called:

Tertiary Colors:

So Tertiary are those colors that are the result of mixing a primary and a secondary color. Those friends are Yellow-Orange or Blue-Green and so on. That is why they are located in between the Primary Colors and the Secondary Colors. Pretty nifty those friends- just as in real life- sometimes your friends fall in Love with each other and produce a new little one ;) LOL- sorry- couldn’t resist.

 

Now off to you:

If you take one paint media you own – say all your acrylic paints colors or waterbased spray paints or one company for example, which of the colors on the color wheels do you have covered and which would you be able to mix if you take in account what we already said about mixing?

Now if you think about this way- you might realize that you have way more options then you thought you would have – or you just figured that you definitely need some more colors to cover your possibilities. What you think do you need more or are you good to go?

 

Next time we talk about how we make colors sing :)

Have a gorgeous colorful day!

Nat

 

 

Comments (4)

Leave a comment

Go out and start creating or…Life is short

I loved the messages in this video

[vimeo 34414313 w=400 h=300]

What is your inspiring dream?

Have a gorgeous sunny sunday :)

Nat

Comments (7)

Leave a comment

Hello Sunshine or Take a look at the Cocoa Daisy June Kit

Here is a little sneak at the Hello Sunshine Kit by Cocoa Daisy coming this June :)

The name says it all this month. Happy colors of reds and yellows, sprinkled with blues and greens will greet you when you open your June kit, Hello Sunshine. Exclusive Ormulu Flappers and Cocoa Daisy stamps meet up with paper and embellishments from Jillibean Soup, a just-released, brand new Simple Stories line, Lilybee, and Basic Grey, to name just a few of the many manufacturers represented in this kit. You’re going to want to sit back and soak it all up come June, it’s time to say hello to creativity!

 

And even though Hello Sunshine is packed to the brim full of scrappy goodness, once you see the FOUR add ons this month, you’ll want to get a couple of those too.

Check out the patterned paper add on, Shades:

Then there’s Wide Brim, because you might need more of the new Summer Fresh from Simple Stories, frames from American Crafts, and bits and pieces from Jillibean Soup and Lilybee.

All this sunshine leads to Freckles, but not the sunkissed variety, instead the add on has lots of Pink Paislee and a dash of Basic Grey and American Crafts.
Finally, there’s the Embellishment Pack featuring more Basic Grey, some Echo Park and, well, we’ll let you try to figure out the rest. We promise it’s fabulous!
And a little peek at the June Stamps:
Can’t wait to dig into the kit and start playing :)
Have a wonderful day and see you Monday for a new episode of “Colors Are Your Friends”

Nat

Comments (1)

Leave a comment

Sgraffito or Make Your Mark Video

Sgraffito is an art term describing a technique used e.g in plaster, pottery, glass or paint. Basically one or several layers of the medium are revealed by scratching into the top surface. The term comes from the Italian word sgraffiare and means to scratch. Not sure if that will help me with my next Italian vacation but hey… you never know ;)

Now why is that something that might interest me? It is cool because you can create TEXTURE- yum yum! Do you need to have more reasons?

You actually saw some stuff already where I used the sgraffito technique- like on this piece from a post here playing with the Derwent Artbars. I used a tool that Derwent especially made for this, called the scraper.

But there is more…Scratching into still wet acrylic paint – Texture heaven. You can use all kinds of tools for it – like a plastic fork, the end of your brush, palette knifes…ah there are many many possibilities.

It is fun to add some sgraffito marks to your backgrounds or art journal pages – Let’s do a quick background video – I have a list of all supplies used below :) :

I love to use Liquitex Heavy Body Paint with the Sgraffito techniques, because they are – as the name might give it away ;) – heavy bodied paint.

I already have something in mind where I will use this background as a foundation – you will see it soon.

And if you want to learn more about acrylic paint techniques and a LOT of background techniques with them…

well….;) I can recommend my Über*Media Acrylic Paint Workshop. You don’t have to have Heavy Body Acrylic Paints….but I will show you how you can overcome that problem of having none anyway so you can still do sgraffito. But hey- Sgraffito is only one of more than a 100 techniques in that workshop :)

I just love Acrylic Paint :)

nSupplies

Hope you enjoyed the little video :)

Nat

Comments (24)

Leave a comment