Monday, April 28, 2014

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone!

So a new challenge came out at Mo's Digital Pencil Blog, to create a CAS card... I personally didn't know what CAS meant, and found out it meant 'Clean And Simple'. Usually I struggle and strain and come up with ideas for cards. I LOVE painting and colouring, but I really struggle designing cards, but this one idea just JUMPED out at me!!! and it would be PERFECT for this challenge.

The other day I bought a new set of papers from KMART, and it had a 6x6inch paper with the loveliest wood panel across it. I have a real thing for wood, and just HAD to have it when I saw the paper, plus I had the PERFECT stamp to go with it.

As soon as I got home I went through my stamps and got out the one stamp I had in my mind 'A Little Bird Told Me'  Designed by Mo Manning and can be purchased as a digital HERE or as rubber HERE.  It's such a delightful little girl leaning out a wooden framed window, talking to a bird. How much more perfect could it be for the wooden panel paper I had!!!  The paper could look like the house, with the wooden frames window on it!! Was what I saw in my head! Now just to colour it!

I decided to step out of my comfort zone and colour the image in Copics instead of distressed inks. Now I've had my Copics since the end of February and haven't had a lot of practice, and the stuff I have managed to do, well most of it has been really good flukes!!! So of course when I sit down to ACTUALLY do a project using my Copics, This is when I can't bleepin well use them or get them to work right!! LOL.. but it's all about practice right. :/

I spent the day working with my Copics, trying to get them to work and blend AND be happy with the result... and I came to 3 conclusions by the end of the day...

1. I can throw Copics a very long distance!!! :)

2. This 'Little Bird Told Me' is being painted in distressed inks!!! LOL

3. and my son is now buying me a Skin And Hair class in Copics for my Mothers Day Present!!!

:)

So I thought I'd share with you my disasters!! I mean...works of ART!! :/



Well a second day of painting and crafting and wrestling with my paper trimmer that has decided to not cut straight! and TAAADAAAAAAA

One completed CAS card!!!

I would like to enter this card into the
Challenge #228 -Clean and Simple (w/a Mo image) 
at Mo's Digital Challenge Blog.





So while it's great to step out of our comfort zones, I think we also need to know when to admit defeat!! LOL, or at least admit when we have a limited time period on something and unrealistic goals and go back to what we know best... and leave new skills for things where where we have much more time to practice!! ...... and a few lessons might not be a bad idea either! We can't be naturals at every media. Some things just take LOTS of hard work and PRACTICE PRACTICE and practice!!!...... and practice!!!.... :/ 

..........after I collect all my Copics I've thrown around my lounge in frustrations!! LOL


Thanks For popping by and having a look! 

Happy Painting
Xo


11 comments:

  1. Finished card is beautiful. The paper was perfect. I thought the skin (copics) was pretty good. Hair needs some work but that's what those classes are for! Loved the distress ink work. That would be out of my comfort zone!

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    1. Thanks Gale! The hair I had NO HOPE with!!! LOL... But the skin just wasn't working... I don't know why, but the Copics doing weird things on the paper, even when I follow all of the tutorials I've seen. I get to the last E000 colour over, and the blending goes wrong! like the E000 is causing the colours to seperate in blotches underneath. it's really odd... but yes, I think with some classes I could get the hang of it!
      Distressed Inks are my thing. You can play with them until they are right!!. It's not and all or nothing approach, which is how I find Copics. I guess it might just be paintings easier for me then markers... I'm happy to learn!!!

      Thanks for stopping by and giving your feedback. I appreciate it!! Xo

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    2. Hi Amanda, I know what is happening with the Copics. Your ink is drying, which causes the 'blending' to make blotches. Try doing 1/2 to 1/4 of the part of the image you are working on at a time. Sometimes, with my skin tone alcohol ink markers, I like to color all with the palest tone first, then go back with the darkest through the medium and then blend back with the lightest over the medium and the dark, then put in the cheek accent.

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    3. Hi CalibyCreations!! I'm not sure if that's the issue or not. But it could be. I'm following along with technique i watched Alyce do from Kit and Clowder, She colours E000 all over the skin, then maps out the shaded areas with her E00, then goes over that mapped area but smaller (in the darker area) with E21, and then finally E11... and then she goes back up the colours... E21, followed by E00, and then E000 , blending the layers together as she goes. but it almost seems like I'm getting TOO much blending and TOO much alcohol ink, and that the alcohol of the E000 at the end is causing the blotches, as the alcohol causes the darker colours to seperate underneath. it's odd... So i think I am doing exactly as you have suggested... i lastly put in the cheek accent, and then just blur the edge of the cheeks with E000... So i wonder if Im OVERSOAKING my page in alcohol??!!! I'm going to try and blend it less next time, and see if this blotching occurs again. and use LESS of the darker tones, so i don't have so much to blend in the first place!!! :) but i will give you suggestions a go.. thanks!!! I have printed a whole page of FACES specifically for practicing my skin tones. :) practice makes perfect!!! :)
      Xo

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  2. Your card is gorgeous Amanda! I love that fab wood textured paper! Your colouring on the Mo image at the top of your page inspired me to get the distress markers, and I'm really struggling with them! I guess its what you're used to isnt it? Do you use watercolour paper with your distress inks? If you use the same paper with Copics, it won't work as the paper sucks the ink in, so could be why you're not happy with the results? I colour with Promarkers, but I hope that one day, when I've saved up some pennies to get some Copics as I love the greater variety of colours available. Keep practicing!

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    1. hey Pauline, Thank for popping by!! I actually don't use the distress marker at all.. I use the distress reinkers!!! Sorry if there was some confusion over on Mo's page!! What I use is the bottles of ink that you buy to reink your stamp pads when they become empty. I have a ink pallette that I use, that I place one drop of ink from each colour into, and then i use this to paint with. I'm not even sure how the distress marker work. I have only seen them once or twice in video's, and while they are the same ink, I wouldn't have a clue how i'd use them, they really are an odd concept to me. The way i do it is a lot more like watercolour painting!! just with inks. But keep on practicing!!, the theory should be the same I'm guessing. lay down a line of ink, where you want it to be darkest, and then using a brush with water, drag this colour out into the lighter areas to get your different tones of shading. if the first layers you have done are not dark enough, thats ok! just wait for the paper to completely dry in that area and go over it again, repeating the steps. this will darken the area. Inks is about building layers to get your tones and shading.

      regarding paper, I use watercolour p0aper for my inks, have finally found one I'm happy with, Arches Hot Press Smooth 300gsm and I use Xpress Blend it Card for my Copics. So my papers fine... my technique is just SUCKY!!! LOL... Just needs practice. I was lucky enough to pick up a second hand set of Copics, at around $2.50 a marker, for 75 Ciao and 75 Sketch so while I spent a bit at once, It was well worth the deal I got. So be on the look out. You never know, you may come across someone who just can't be bothered learning how to blend!!! Cause thats how I got mine!!
      thanks for stopping by Pauline. and goodluck with the distressed markers.

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    2. Ive coloured two images now, using the markers. What people do is scribble the marker onto an acrylic block, then paint with the ink, so much the same as you describe your technique. I think my problem is I am trying to use them like I use my pros, so the effect is not the same. I'm hoping to get that light delicate touch with them. Ill keep on practicing though! Xx

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    3. Yes, Pauline, thats one way you can use your distress markers. The other way is direct to paper... Draw a line along where the darkest shading would be and use your damp brush to drag the colour across. A great video to watch if you haven't seen it yet is by Tim Holtz demonstrtaing his markers and how he uses them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hdyW2ikMKA
      But essential.. It's PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!!!!
      It's hard getting used to another medium!!! but I'm sure you'll get there!!
      Xo

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  3. Fabulous card Amanda. Loving that sentiment, its fabulous!! I think your blending on your skin with the markers was really good, but we are always our own worst critics!!

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    1. Thanksl Milly... I thought I was stuffing them up because I could see this weird pattern appearing in the darkest areas, What I described as "blotching"... After I joined up to Kit and Clowders Skin and Hair class, and spoke with Alyce and lengths about it.. I have discovered it's not "blotchy" it's actually how copics look when they blend!!! *slaps forehead*. So my images weren't half as bad as I thought!!! LOL... and I threw out so many!!!! :( Oh well.... I'm doing the class now and learning HEAPS!!
      Xo

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HELLO!!! *waves enthusiastically* Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment!! I really appreciate it, and read each and everyone of them.. It is what gets me out of bed in the mornings!! I swear!!! :0) Feel free to leave me questions if you have any and I will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible!! :) Xo