Tag: Graphik

Flashback Friday: Dec 25th 2014 #art #mixedmedia #dnartcorner

Flashback Friday, Journal

“It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!… Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!” ~Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

ArtJournal034

Merry Christmas to everyone who has every supported me in my life. You mean more to me than you’ll ever know. May you and yours find something a little bit more this Christmas than just packages and bows. All my best- Denielle

Materials used: Derwent Colorsoft Pencils, Derwent Graphik Line Painter

The process: As I typically do, I start with a very light pencil sketch to layout the design. For this one, I used a photo reference of a real poinsettia. I began filling in the background with a bright but soft yellow. Next I worked on the poinsettia blooms, starting with the lightest red shade and working in layers I applied pressure to create the richer red shaded areas. I used the same technique for the green leaves and the vines. Along the vines I journaled my feelings of the season with a recorded date. As a final touch, I used my red line painter to say “Merry Christmas” which made the wording pop from the page. I don’t often work with colored pencils, but working on this entry made me appreciate this flexible and fun art medium.

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Flashback Friday: Dec 14th 2014 #art #ink #mixedmedia #dnartcorner

Draw, Flashback Friday, Journal, Updates

Here we are with only 7 days until Christmas and not a snowflake in sight – at least here in the Midwest. While I do not treasure shoveling snow like most folks, I do enjoy the beauty and wonder those crystalline flakes add to the season. They especially look most wondrous against the ‘twinkling of lights and a thousand other delights’ that only take place around the holidays. (quote is inspired from John Denver Muppet Christmas song…)

While we are practically devoid of snow so far this December, this was NOT the case last year (or the year before for that matter). On December 14th 2014 I experienced our time-honored tradition of driving to-and-fro looking at all the glorious Christmas light displays that happened last year. My husband is quite dedicated to finding all the best the Chicago suburbs have to offer in their lighted holiday displays. We saw many jaw-dropping sights as we cruised the suburbs that night. To document our journey I tried to capture the essence of the evening in my journal. Here is the results:

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Materials used:  Tim Holtz Mini Distress Inks, Derwent Graphik Line Painters, Derwent Inktense Pencil, Sakura Gelly Roll White Pen, Niji Waterbrush

The process: I had the most fun working on this entry. I loved the way the inks blended together that made up the night sky. To start, I lightly sketched out what I wanted this page to look like. Next, using my Distress inks, starting with the lightest colors I began blending them together one layer at a time (first with yellow, then light blue, working my way to the deeper shades like purple and black). With my Derwent Graphik Line Painters, I started outlining the penciled details and ornaments. For a final touch, I used my Derwent Inktense pencils to color in the houses and added blue shadows under the snowbanks; I used a Niji waterbrush to activate the pencil colors.

Flashback Friday: Dec. 2, 2014 #art # ink #mixed media #dnartcorner

Draw, Flashback Friday, Journal, Updates

Hello readers,

I can’t believe it is already December! My how time flies! Amongst the Christmas craziness and commercialism that surrounds the holidays, I take great solace in drawing in my journal. There is something special about putting pen to paper creating lines, words and adding a splash of color. It’s very meditative and calming. Just what the doctor ordered!

Last year was no expectation in my need to escape the holiday rush. This entry highlights the day I spent with my husband Chris who surprised me with concert tickets to attend a St. Vincent concert. St. Vincent is one of my absolute favorite bands and Annie Clark, their lead singer is simply sensational.

Annie Clark is a wonderful music artist in her own right who writes inspiring music. One of my favorite songs is “Digital Witnesses” which is the theme I choose when drawing this journal page. I love how the song exposes our over obsessive behavior with digital technology as we walk through life. I wanted to visually encapsulate the song with explosive bursts of color and splashes of ink. Throwing ink around a page can be very cathartic- let me tell you!

I think I captured the mood of the song and my own personal feelings about our society’s mind-numbing compulsive behavior about our digital oppressors.

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Materials used: Derwent Graphik Line Painter, Sakura Micron Pens

The process: I began with a light pencil sketch with the main drawing of the eye and adding song lyrics leading from the center and circling around the eye. I pix-elate the center of the eye using Derwent’s Graphik Line Painters. I moved to the words next by outlining them with my Micron pen, making lines thicker as I moved over each word. Next, using the line painters again, I began dropping paint around the page and blowing areas to spread the ink and turn the journal page in different directions to get paint drips down the eye like tear drops. As a final step, with my line painters once again, I sketched in geometric style lines to unify the colors. This was the first time I used Derwent’s Graphik Line painters. While they were totally messy, I had an absolute blast using them. They definitely allowed me to let go and have fun with creating this entry.