5 Background Techniques with… Pebeo DYNA Paints Volume 1

What are dyna paints and why their own set of techniques in addition to regular acrylic paints?  Good question!  Pebeo’s dyna paints are part of the high viscosity acrylic paints that they do but are extra special – each one is made of a shiny pigment colour and a different interference colour, so when it catches the light they are effectively two-tone.  Even more magical is their ability to appear different depending on the colour of the background (i.e. white card vs. black card).  Until cameras and monitors become sophisticated enough to capture the shine I hope you will see some of the effect in the video, but believe me when I say that the effect is wonderful!  As with other acrylic paints feel free to pop on over to my acrylic paint background techniques as those will work with these paints too.  Click here for a full list of my technique pages.

Techniques covered in this issue are:

1. Simple blend
2. Stamping (on black surface)
3. Watercolour resist
4. Sponging (same two colours shown on black and white)
5. Gel medium tinting

1. These paints blend on surfaces very well and can take a lot of water to help with a smooth blend, not only do you end up with a blend of the base pigment but also the interference pigments too.

2. I have sponged two colours onto a background stamp before stamping onto black card to give this fabulous result.  Just remember to wash or at least soak your stamp as soon as possible.

3. I have stamped my background by sponging onto the stamp as before, but this could easily be any free hand paint on the background.  Acrylic will resist watercolours so I have washed over the top with aquatints.  You will still retain all the shine of the paints.  My personal favourite is stamping in a lighter colour and washing with a darker colour.

4. I’ve picked this technique to also demonstrate the difference between painting onto a black surface vs. a white surface by painting half the card with Pebeo’s black gesso.  Now you can see that the gold is actually green and the blue is actually pink in my example. 

5.  I wanted to test the effect out when mixed with gel medium.  This gives a different effect as now the colours seem almost pearly.  I’ve used a gloss medium for a high shine finished and both applied directly with a spatula and through a stencil.

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5 Background Techniques with… ACRYLIC PAINTS V.1

Welcome to a new collection of background techniques – this time with Acrylic Paints!  For a full list of techniques head over to this page and keep an eye out for future releases.  I am using Pebeo High Viscosity paints.

This time we cover the following techniques:

1. Baby Wipe Blending
2. Stencil Lift (from Gesso’d Surface)
3. Streaks with Titanium White and Buff Titanium
4. Printing with any objects or textures
5. Scraping on

1. This is simple to do and blendability is dependant on the surface you’re using and the paints.  Make sure you rotate the area of the baby wipe to keep the colours clear.

2. Working on a gesso surface means that the paint lifts off much better but isn’t necessary.  I love this effect, even though the image is completely flat the depth of pigment in this paint gives it a 3D effect.

3.  You can take any colour and paint it on with hardly any blending by adding Titanium White and Buff Titanium (pale cream colour).  This will work with any colour for a background that looks impressive yet subtle.

4. There’s no need to buy anything to apply your paint just use whatever objects and textures that are in reach.  The top picture shows the objects dipped into two colours of paint at a time whereas the bottom picture shows each object printing in separate colours.

5. I’ve left a couple of sides of an old card straight and cut into the other couple of sides with different sized notched.  You can try different ways to scrape the paint across your surface.  It also adds texture.

5 Background Techniques With… Aqua Pens / Spectrum Sparkle / Etc Volume 1

I’ve used a mixture of Spectrum Noir’s Aqua pens and Spectrum Sparkle pens but these techniques will work with your other water based pens including Distress Markers by Tim Holtz.  Also I have used a mixture of watercolour card and Sheena stamping card which both work well.

Techniques in this part include:

1. Scribble onto mat, spritz and pat
2. Scribble onto acrylic block, spritz and drag
3. Air brush – with and without stencils
4. Salt Technique
5. Cling Film Technique

Scroll past the video for photos…

1. Scribble your colours onto a non-porous surface (such as you craft mat, or a piece of acetate), spritz with water and then use your card to mop it up.  I dried the first layer of colour and went back for a second round.

2. Scribble onto an acrylic block.  Spritz water onto the block and onto the card and then drag the colour through.

3. Using an air brush spray your colours down (I just have the hand held one by Tim Holtz).  I then laid a stencil and air brushed a sparkle pen on top.  BONUS: The second image is then spritzing water onto the stencil and rubbing it off onto a another background.

4. Colours were scribbled on randomly and plenty of water applied to get the colours moving.  I helped them along with a paintbrush to get them blending.  Then I chucked on some sea salt and left to dry naturally.  Once dry rub off the salt and you’re left with this beautiful organic look.

5. Like the last background, scribble on your colours, get plenty wet and use a paintbrush the push the colours up to each other.  Crumple up a piece of cling film so there’s plenty of creases and squash it onto your card.  You should see darker lines forming in the seams.  Leave it to dry that way.

5 Background Techniques with AquaTints Volume 1

Following on from my previous post 5 Background Techniques with Distress Inks, I am pleased to demonstrate another medium for you – Spectrum Noir’s AquaTints.  You’ve probably seen me using these here and there in my art journal videos but in case you are unsure these are a liquid watercolour ink in a variety of colours!  They are super pigmented and also include a silver and gold mica paint.

Techniques featured in this volume:

1. Washed Watercolour Blend
2. Mica Spray
3. Chalk Paints
4. Faux Bleaching
5. Mica Resist

1. To create a good washed background use a wide flat brush, a watercolour cardstock and spritz the card with water first.  This is called wet-into-wet.

2. Using a small spritzer bottle add colour and a little water.  To create a mica spray take a pinch of either the gold or silver mica paint.

3. Create any sort of background and then use water to create a faux bleached effect.  In this example I lifted up a large circle which could be a moon and I splattered water drops from my fingers.  You water from a paint brush gently so as not to damage the paper’s surface and use a watercolour card to ensure that it will let go of the pigment. 

4. You can mix AquaTints with white gesso to create a chalk paint.  Just remember that the colour will be paler than when neat.

5. Stamp with the mica paints and allow to dry fully.  Wash over with your colours and they will resits the mica.  In my attempt I don’t think I let it dry enough as there is some smudging when I brushed over with my brush.   I used two colours to create a streaky finish.

5 Background Techniques with Distress Inks Volume 1

Welcome to my new series which I have released over at YouTube focusing on a variety of background techniques for you to use.  This video starts you off with distress inks but keep an eye out for many other mediums.  As well as a video please scroll down for close up photos…

In this volume the techniques covered are:

1. Foam Blending + Spritz with Water
2. Faux Beaching + Splatters
3. Stamping
4. Gesso Resist Stamping
5. Embossing Folder Press

1. This is probably the first sort of background people play with when they get distress inks.  Using a foam applicator or piece of cut and dry foam lay down randomly your colours and overlap them.  Give it a spritz of water from a misting bottle and mop up excess with dry paper towel.

2. Apply the colours as before (this time I’ve gone for more of a night sky look).  You can faux bleach with water and a brush for a moon shape and to create splatters you can flick water from your fingers.  Mop up the water with dry paper towel and this will lift your colour off.

3. You can also stamp with distress inks.  For this background I have taken an assortment of my texture stamps from Crafter’s Companion and Sheena Douglass.  To finish I have distressed the edges to create a veneer. 

4. Apply white gesso to your stamp (I’m using tissue to get a thin layer) and then stamp onto your card.  Make sure you clean your stamp well afterwards and make sure the card is completely dry.  Finish off with distress inks like in background 1.  For a subtle effect you can stop here or take a damp cloth or wet wipe and go over the gesso lightly.  You can lift a lot more ink off the gesso areas creating a contrast.

5. Apply the ink pad directly to either side of your embossing folder depending on which way round you want it.  It will always be the debossed areas which will be inked.  Run it through your embossing machine as normal.  You will only get ink where the folder pressed into the card.