Be the Light Art Journal Spread

This is an art journal spread that I wanted to share today. It is truly a mixed media piece. I started with a page that I already had painted with Deco Art Media Gesso and let dry for a while. (A couple of days at least, I like to work in steps and will add Deco Art Media Gesso or base paint to the pages and let them dry for a while and them come back to them later). I then picked three colors of Aqua Marker that complemented each other and just added color to the page and than some water to let the run and bleed into each other. 

After I let that layer dry for a while I went back and removed even more of the Aqua Marker color from the page so that I would just have a hint of the colors on the page. I took some Deco Art Media Fluid Acrylic Paint in colors that Complement the original colors and painted circles  on one side of the spread and a border of triangles on the other side.

I then sketched in the words "Be The Light" with a pencil and went over it with the Aqua Marker and they were really too light for the job so I used Prismacolor Colored Pencils to darken the letters and widen some of the strokes. 

To finish it off I added a few highlights with a PITT Artist Pen - White Large Bullet Nib .

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Tuesday Tips: Recycled Canvas

Today I want to tell you about my recycled canvases. 

The supplies you will need are: 

Cardboard box (cut down to the size you prefer, I use 7x9)

Thin Cotton Fabric

DecoArt Decou-page in matte

Decoart Acrylic Gesso 

1. Cut your fabric about 1 inch on all sides bigger than your board,
2. Cover the board with Decou-Page and press the fabric on the board.
3. Wrap the overlap fabric to the back and adhere with the Decou-Page.
4. Let dry for about 10 min
5. Add a layer of Gesso that is thick enough to hold a texture. 

I added scrap pieces of fabric to this board while the Gesso was wet, just by pressing it into the wet Gesso. Once the board is dry, about 4 hours (or you can use a heat gun and dry it a little faster) this board is ready to use like any other canvas. 

On this canvas I used the New DecoArt Media Paints. I really love the transparency of these paints. 

Happy 4th of July