Faber Castell: Design Memory Craft

One-of-a-Kind Art with Gelatos

 

  It's Technique Tuesday again here at Design Memory Craft and I'm here to share a technique using the Gelatos.  This is such a fun way to create artwork!  I am an elementary art teacher as well as an artist.  Many of my techniques are inspired by things we are doing in the classroom. One of my favorite projects are those with printmaking supplies!  I love the idea of making copies of artwork that are unique and magical.  There is little that is as magical as printmaking.  It's just amazing to kids and adults alike.  This technique is one that makes "one of a kind" work! Monoprinting (mono= one) is one of those techniques that has magical qualities!  You create an artwork on a slick surface and pull a print or two of the artwork.  Each print is unique and cannot be reproduced the exact same way again!  I love using Gelatos to create these unique art prints. 

I start with a clear piece of plexiglass (you can use glass, acetate, or thick plastic too). 

 
 Draw directly on the glass using Gelatos to create shapes, images, and textures. I also like to use templates, stamps, and found materials to create interesting textures/ design.  For this project, I drew freely on the plate and then stamped with bubblewrap, corregated cardboard and toilet paper rolls.  I wanted an abstract design. 

 
 Once, I created my base design, I could take a Q-tip and draw into it for some negative space.  The beauty of this kind of monoprinting is that the Gelatos give you unlimited work time!  No worries about ink drying too fast!  You can work on this for days if you want.  They are water-soluable so they will work no matter how long they sit! 

 
 Finally, I spritz a sheet of heavy watercolor paper and lay it over the design careful not to over saturate the paper.  It should be damp with no puddles.  Puddles or too wet paper will create a blurred image.  Slightly damp paper will allow you to capture details more clearly.  I use a wooden spoon or a printmaking baren to rub over the back of the paper to transfer the design.

 
 Peel the paper back by the corner carefully.  You can then pull a "ghost" print with the remaining color or add more details prior to pulling another print for another unique artwork! 

 
 
Kids love this technique and even my 2 year old can do this!  It's super exciting to see what we get when we reveal the artwork!  Try doing this over newspaper or other printed papers.  I'd love to see what you try!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technique Tuesday: More with Gelato Sprays

Jennifer Matott here again to bring you another technique!

Last week (here) we created mists with water and Gelatos! I showed you a few masks and recycled materials you could use to create shapes. 

This week, I have a few more fun things to use to create artsy looking backgrounds for cards, layouts, journals, or whatever you desire! 

I love circles! Therefore, I LOVE anything dotted. So, here are a few items that I found around the house to use to create circles or dots on my papers.

COINS

Take a handful of coins from your pocket, purse, under the chair cushions and lay them onto your paper.  Spray over and either use a heat gun to dry or allow to air dry. Remove and you have a random dotted pattern.

Here is a page that I created with this technique:

DRYWALL TAPE or SEQUIN WASTE

This gem of a find at a local Lowe's Hardware store is my favorite way to make dots!  You can also use Sequin waste or an empty Pop Dots package. There are many types of drywall tape, but this is the dotted paper kind.  Hard to find but when you do grab up several rolls!  Here's how to use it with the sprays:

Cut or rip a section and lay over the area that you want sprayed. You can also use punches or cut it into a variety of shapes. Now spray over it! When lifted, you will see the dots and outline of the shape. Be careful not to flood it with color though. Too much spraying and it will bleed into a puddle.

Here's where I overlapped sprayed strips!  Messy and fun!  These were done with the mists I made with Gelatos.

Because I don't like to waste anything, I often turn the tape over and stamp it for a reverse effect.  You can also use the sprayed tape on your page directly because it has a self-adhesive backing!

BUBBLEWRAP

One of my very favorite items to use is bubblewrap!  All shapes and sizes will produce fun dots! Here you can stamp with them by spraying directly on the bubble surface.

Flip it over and stamp onto an area of your page for instant grundgy dots! This is so fun you will find yourself scavaging any bubblewrap packaging you can find!!

You can also spray onto an art mat and stamp the bubblewrap into the puddle to create interesting effects.

Here is the final result of stamping with bubblewrap:

Just a few more ideas to add to your spray/ mist repetoire!  Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and come back next Tuesday when I make some paints with Gelatos...

Monochromatic ATC's!

Hi!  Alyssa McGrew here, and I am delighted to tell you about the fun I had creating these ATC's.  When I first started contemplating this trio, I know I wanted them to be textural and full of layers.  Here's what I came up with:

To create these ATC's, I used a variety of Design Memory Craft Products, from Gelato Sticks to Watercolor Pencils, and my favorite Design Memory Craft product, PITT Pens. The Mixed Media Sampler Kits offer a variety of mediums close enough in color to provide the monochromatic look, yet varied enough to offer a little variety in shade.

I encourage you to get your hands on some Mixed Media Sampler Kits, then break out your gesso and molding paste, and create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. It was a new kind of fun for me, and an experience I plan to repeat soon!

Thanks for coming by!

~Alyssa~