Technique Spotlight: Color theory

In continuation with yesterday's theme of finding inspiration and tutorials away from the usual places, I give you this lovely little writeup on color by sashas from deviantart.  This one focuses on educating the reader on color theory and how it can e used effectively in our art. (These are also things that can be applied to your art journals as well.):


The Color Tutorial - Part 1 by ~sashas on deviantART


The Color Tutorial - Part 2 by ~sashas on deviantART

Technique Spotlight: Paper dying / staining

Many times we get so hyper focused on the community that surrounds us that people tend to forget that there is a larger art community out there with an amazing wealth of knowledge waiting to be shared. Places like Deviantart can be an encyclopedia of information when it comes to art technique. Most if not all offered up for free.  The next time you are stuck or wish to experiemnt and learn a new medium, check out sites like Deviantart and see if you can search and discover a few nuggest of wisdom that might take your art in a completely different direction.


Our technique spotlight for today comes from Deviantart and features a few technieques for aging and dying paper.  This is a great way to create unique and orignal collage papers for you to use in your art or art journals


How to Dye Paper by `hibbary on deviantART

Technique Spotlight: Mirror Writing

Continuing on from yesterday's theme about incorporating your writing in ways that other people cannot easily decode, I wanted to show something I do on and off to great effect: Mirror Writing.

Mirror writing is formed by writing in the direction that is the reverse of the natural way for a given language, such that the result is the mirror image of normal writing: it appears normal when it is reflected in a mirror. It is sometimes used as an extremely primitive form of cipher. The most common modern usage of mirror writing can be found on the front of ambulances, where the word "AMBULANCE" is often written in very large mirrored text, so that drivers see the word the right way around in their rear-view mirror. (Cited From Wikipedia)

A famous example of this was Leonardo Da Vinci's journals. While no one truly knows why he wrote in this  manner some have suggested it was to hide his ideas from rivals. 

I love the concept of mirror writing and I do it regularly in my visual journals.  Below is a page I did a few months ago.  The mirror writing coupled with gesso gives the text an worn antique text feel..  This is another great way to add journaling to your visual pages when you're not comfortable writing. Tomorrow  I'll discuss another way to add your journaling into an art journal page in a way that isn't obvious.

Technique Monday: Sharpie Ghosting

Well, I'm already off schedule.  Coming back from a long holiday weekend means I walk into work with a lot of things to do.  Anyway, better late than never, right?

I've always been a very private person and never have felt truly comfortable writing my thoughts on paper in fear that someone would  invade my privacy and read them. This steams from my childhood as my husband of many years would never do such a thing. Still, it is something that I still battle with and it is a reason why visual journaling appeals to  me so much.  There are though, ways to hide your journaling and this week I'm going to be highlighting some of those ways.

First, I love this technique.  It makes for an interesting background and it's a great way to journal something out and have it obscured from the general public (including yourself.)

Sharpie Ghosting via Less Herger of http://comfortableshoesstudio.com

Technique Mondays

My first technique video comes from RubyClaireART over at Youtube. I love masking tape and using it frequently in my journals. She creates a layered and interesting looking background with paint and some good old fashion masking tape.  Enjoy.