Sunday, March 27, 2011

Mixed Media Art -- Bailey

This weekend I worked on a mixed media piece using some collage techniques, transfer techniques, acrylic paints, water color crayons,  and texture medium.  First I took a picture I had of Bailey and manipulated it in Photoshop.  I took away the background and then added a filter to make the image look like a drawing.  I printed it on photo paper and then took the 8 1/2 x 11 image to Office Max and blew it up to fit an 11 X 17 sheet.

Next I worked on the canvas.  This is actually a 10 X 10 canvas.  I took some bright orange and bright pink scrapbook paper and randomly cut pieces.  I applied it to the canvas with a gel medium (you can also use Mod Podge).

I wanted to add some different layers of texture so I cut out a heart from a piece of Cosmo Cricket paper I had. Then, I took some modeling paste and added some Tim Holtz cranberry color wash to it. I smeared it on the bottom of the canvas (the modeling paste is white and the color wash turned out a nice pinkish color).  I then took an old prescription pill bottle and randomly applied the circles in the texture medium.   Next, I applied a variety of black rub-ons across the canvas.  Some were words and some were design elements like half circles.  The key here was random.  Last, I used a product that I received in a "kit" that I didn't think I would ever use but I love it!  It is the black and cream button "gaffer" tape on the left of the picture.  It is fabric but sticky and although you can't see it, I have applied this tape to the side edges of the canvas which really finishes it off and makes it so you don't have to frame the piece.

Now for the photo transfer...remember those copies I made from the photoshopped photos?  I took the blown up copy of Bailey and cut out the image.  Next, I applied gel medium to the photo copy and then positioned it onto the canvas where I wanted it.  To make sure I got full transfer, I used a brayer to make sure I didn't have any air bubbles.  I let this dry fully -- about an hour.

The last step is to spritz the paper with water and rub.  This rubs off the copy paper and leaves the image transfer on the canvas.  It is a little messy and takes a while but I think worth it in the end result!

Andy thought it looked very Warhol-esque!  What do you think?

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