Monday, April 13, 2015

"The Birthday Girls." (A Step-by-Step Tutorial).

"The Birthday Girls"
4 x 4 & 6 x 6 canvas collages

So I recently had a birthday. And when I say recently, I mean like over six weeks ago. But, in the vein of my last post in which I shared my all-consuming schedule lately, I'm only just now getting to some of my formal thank yous. In particular, I wanted to do something special for a group of my girlfriends who hosted a slumber party for the occasion. SO, instead of the traditional thank you cards, I'm sending the following collages - "The Birthday Girls" - off instead.

Wanna see the process? Oh good. 'Cause I took pictures along the way just in case. Ready? Here we go:

Step 1: Gather supplies including a group of original drawings and tiny blank canvases 

Step 2: make color photo copies of some of your favorite images or sketches

Step 3: apply Gesso to canvases with a flexible palette knife

Step 4: find some of your favorite spray inks. 

Step 5: ink away and dry throughly. 

Step 6: apply heavy-bodied acrylics or acrylic Gouache to bits of your canvases. 

Step 7: adhere some of your favorite collage materials to the canvases. 
(Included here are decorative napkins, tissue paper and candy wrappers).

Step 8: spray / splatter some acrylic paints to the surface of your collages

Step 9: carefully cut out your colored copies and then fortify the lines with a black ink pen.

Step 10: glue your images to your collaged canvases

Step 11: add final touches including confetti stars, liquid shimmer (acrylic ink) and Stickles glitter.

(Close Up) 

Step 12: add color to the edges of your canvases with oil pastels smudged with your finger.



And there we have it: 5 little thank yous all lined up in a row. It was fun, fast and guess what? Actually complete. Yay, Me! 

Wanna try it? If you do, please let me know: I'd love to see what you come up with!

To Love, Art & Getting Things Done,
Kristin xo

11 comments:

Craftychris said...

Awesome, awesome, awesome! Amazing backgrounds for the fabulous image - I love them! xxx

Christine said...

Thanks for the tutorial! And happy belated birthday!

Linda Kunsman said...

these are utterly fantastic Kristin!! Thanks for sharing the process-what lucky friends to get one of these:) And a very happy belated birthday to you!

martinealison said...

Bonjour,

Mes félicitations ! Un grand merci pour le partage de l'évolution de votre travail.

Avec un peu de retard, je vous souhaite un joyeux anniversaire.

❀ ✺ Gros bisous ✺ ❀

Valerie-Jael said...

Beautiful work, they all look so fun! Hugs, Valerie

TwinkleToes2day said...

What a clear and concise tutorial, I even think that I may be able to do one, so I have book marked it for 'one day'. I have two canvases that I have had about a year now, but no nerves to use them yet, haha. Maybe this will be the one? Who knows. It sounds like you had a birthday to remember and what a fabulous way to spend it, a sleepover with your besties! Belated Happy Birthday wishes to you Kristin {Hugs} xo

scrapwordsmom said...

Absolutely ADORABLE! I am going to try these:) And that bubble gum wrapper...genius!

Mary Ann Potter said...

Oooooh, color and spray inks and cool drawings!

Birthday girls? Nifty. I will be one of those tomorrow. I will be seventy. Seventy? Seventy. It's a pretty big number, but then it's ONLY a number!

Terri Corona said...

Lucky friends receiving these, they're darling!

massofhair said...

Loving your hand drawn girl with her hair up, she is adorable Kristin!!! So glad you shared your perfect pressies for your Friends, i think you might have started a trend :-) xxx

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hello greetings and good wishes.

Simple easy to understand step by step tutorial. The outcome is amazing.

Best wishes