This week the theme over at Tando Creative Blog is one of my most favourites 'RUST' so I just had to find time to share a project.
Having been at the Stitches Trade Show last weekend I thought I'd use a demo tag I had done on the stand. I had been demoing layered backgrounds and finished off with some crackle paste and one of Andy's new stamps.
I used a little of the stampendous chunky metallic EP on the arch window and experimented with some sand texture paste between the crackle.
Next came the fun bit with rusting it. I sealed the arch and brickwork with matte medium so I could wipe off any paints I didn't want on this area and then set about dabbing over raw umber, paynes grey and yellow oxide media acrylics. It looks a bit messy .....
.... but with rust in a bottle aka quinacridone gold I started adding washes and spritzes of water and was quite happy when I got to this point.
But there's always a but isn't there? There wasn't enough contrast for me, so I just spent a little time dabbling small amounts of the colours and spritzing with water again. I introduced a little prussian blue hue and I darkened the edges more. I also ran a little of the colours over the window and through the embossing. Then and only then was I feeling even happier. As I say to my students 'beauty is in the detail'.
To finish I raided a drawer where I keep lots of left over 'rusted' elements and chose some simple pieces to pull it all together.
And there it is looking nothing like it did at the beginning.
If you pop over to the Tando Blog you will see a whole range of rusty projects that have been posted this week from my gorgeous teamies and they are all brilliant. You'll also see a photo of this tag showing the beginning and end of the process.
I hope your weekend is going well and you are managing some creative time for yourself.
Take care.
hugs Brenda xxx