Out of the Journal Challenge, Mermaids?

Last night Mr. C. and I headed out for a night on with friends and co-workers. It was a blast! Have you ever had a tequila shot with cinnamon instead of salt? I experienced it for the first time last night and have to say…I did not really like it… While working on work projects while taking the train for the night out I could not resist drawing a few quick sketches and doodles just for fun.

The quick little sketches inspired me to create the 2nd canvas for week two of the “Out of the Journal Challenge.” For my second art journal page on canvas this week I wanted to create something fun and relaxing. My first thought: Mermaids! Now readers, some of you may be thinking a mermaid is fun and relaxing?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

When I sketch a mermaid I think of being a little girl pretending to be a fish in the bubble-bath. Seeing how long I could hold my breath underwater in swim class (just to see if mermaids were possible) and as an adult floating on my back in the water staring at the sky. When meditating in yoga class and they say to go to your relaxation spot…my first thought is water and sunshine. So when working to create something relaxing mermaids and water are always close by in my head.

{The Completed Canvas}

Instructions

{Picture 1}

First apply a layer of gesso (we are going to be adding lot’s of water!) to your canvas. When dry sketch out your layout with pencil, and adhere paper scraps with gel medium. I used scraps from the paper I used to protect my table when stamping and painting. Wet your brush and apply a wash of blue paint as shown in picture 1.

{Pictures 2&3}

Use misters to apply various shades of color to the wet color wash. I used Mr. Huey’s by Studio Calico in lemonade, blue-grass and calico cream. Blend colors using brush and water adding additional layers as needed.

{Picture 4, close up of completed background}

{Picture 5}

I found it useful at this stage to trace a rough outline of my initial sketch that I could refer back to as I added additional elements as shown in picture 5.

{Picture 6, 7 & 8}

For my mermaids hair I wanted something bright and colorful. The orange crepe place I purchase from a recent shopping trip to Idee was perfect. I tore a strip from the crepe paper roll and crinkled it. I then tore the wrinkled crepe paper into tiny pieces and used gel medium to apply the crepe paper to the hair in the sketch using the traced image for assistance.

{Picture 9}

{Picture 10}

For the mermaid fin I cut a section of canvas (with gesso already applied) and use pink and purple Tattered Angels glimmer mists with a little bit of the Studio Calico lemonade mist to color. The application of the mists can be seen in picture 9. For the mermaid tale I painted it using a paint brushed dipped in the purple glimmer mist as shown in picture 10.

{Pictures 11 & 12}

{Picture 13}

I used peach colored with titanium for the skin, added features and doodling in pencil and then traced over with black ink as shown in pictures 11, 12 & 13. The final step was the addition of lip and eye color and white accents as shown in picture 14.

{Picture 14, the finished product!}

I had so much fun creating this art journal page canvas! You can see my earlier canvas this week here See...Speak...Feel...and my canvas from last week here Art Journal Remix and Out of the Art Journal on a Bad Day! If you have not heard about this challenge yet head over to www.journalgirl.com or  http://dinastamps.typepad.com/ to join in the fun.

Off to find my Puma’s and skinny jeans to head downtown for drinks and sushi (veggie rolls for me haha) with friends. I am really getting into the relaxation theme this weekend!