Faber-Castell Startlet Girl

Paper Pieced Orange haired girl

Watercolors Wild Hair Girl

Hello My Lovelies!

I am on a blogging roll today! I had been automatically posting new videos here to get me reminded to add some words later, well, I am finally doing it! This is another entry to do with my Color a girl series!

I love the freedom of watercolor, watercolor is the medium I go to when I feel that I am starting to get to controlling or I am getting frustrated with the exactness of pencil or pen.

With watercolor you never know exactly how the color will lay down, sure you can get it to be controlled, but why work so hard at it! I love to lay down color on the paper and see what it wants to do, with the way the pigment decides where it wants to go and usually it is perfectly imperfect.

It makes me change the way I think in my creative process by planning (or trying to plan) my highlights before my shadows because it is near impossible to get back to pure white after adding color.

When I was asked to show how I added color to faces I was excited about the watercolor, I love the unruliness of the pigment and how I can never get the eyes to be exactly even, and hair is never an even shade of color and the mouth is usually a little wonky, but I always love how they turn out.



The video of the Wild hair girl was created for an art swap with a friend and and she evolved into my Organic Crown girl, I even uploaded the final piece to my Society6 store where Tank tops are a favorite of my followers.













I hope you enjoy the process and let me know if you have any questions!!




Big Hugs and Mushy Stuff!

-Shana (a.k.a. wisccheeto)

Acrylics Curlie Hair Girl

Another in my paint a face series was how I use acrylic paints, to create a face, I love acrylic paint! I think it is my favorite of all mediums if I have to pick only 1.

I love how you can fix any mistake with another layer of color or wipe the whole thing out with a coat of gesso.









I also love that there is no wrong way to create with them, I love brush work as this video shows, but I also like to finger paint, I love any reason to get my hands dirty, I actually feel  bit of pride when I can get color off my hands no matter how hard I scrub, that hard to get paint stuck under my fingernails, I love it, but, that will be a different video! Lol.





When I paint using acrylics, unless I am working on a commission piece, I rarely sketch things out, I have found that most of my mistakes have led to my biggest learning experiences. It gives freedom to just apply color, for me painting is almost meditative, I keep all my paint and paint tools at arms reach so I don't have to think about it, I just do it.

I had been seeing all of these intuitive paintings all over and realized that they were what I had been calling "doodle paintings" for years, I never thought they were items people would like to see, I had kept them hidden away in my art journals and not shared them! Gathering strength from others I decided I would share the process and found that these images I created were liked! I kick myself for not having the courage to share before.

Here are 2 videos of my Doodle Paintings that I did on canvases instead of hidden in a private journal

If you would like to buy a print or merchandise with "Believe in Magic" check out my Society6 store

If you would like to buy a print or merchandise with "Ladies Appeared" check out my Society6 store

I learned to never be afraid to share my art, both of these originals sold before I could offer them for sale, I learned my lesson, that I shouldn't try to conform to what I think others will like, I am not the only "weird" person out there!

Big Hugs and Mushy Stuff my Lovelies!

-Shana 

Update about me and a Copics Fairy tutorial

Oh My! My Lovelies!!

It has been a long time since my last post, I dont even want to look when!

I have been up to a great deal in our time separated! I moved across the country from Massachusetts to Arizona, this moved was to help me to try to make a living with my art, not only did we have an "in" on a home that we could afford but it also has a large light filled room that I can have a full scale studio instead of just a corner in the living room!

Also with Phoenix area there are so many art festivals and ways to share and expose myself to more artists. It has been so fun!

I have been working on videos this whole time and trying to get myself going with more internet sales as well. It has been so exciting! I have a store that you can purchase much of my art not only as prints but also as merchandise! my biggest sellers are totebags and coffee mugs, My store is at Society6, the link is to my best selling item, to see more just click my name when you get there!

Ok! Enough self promotion! I have been posting to YouTube quite regularly and recently I received a request on how I color faces, so I started a series that I will continue to add to with every new medium I get, I love a reason to shop, so you guys can see if they are something you could work with.

The 1st medium I used was my Copic markers, I love my Copics! They are so much fun and I can never have enough colors! I need more! and refills! Lol! again another reason to shop! The Juicy markers, and variety of nib and tip sizes is awesome, and they are easy to carry with me, they are one of the few mediums I am not afraid to use in my house outside of my studio, no water to carry and there is a cap! Haha, I am a klutz so I have come to terms with my inability to keep furniture unstained!

All of this being said, take a look at the video I made you for you all!







If you would like to see another video where I used Copics check her out!

Big Hugs and Mushy Stuff!!

Shana (a.k.a wisccheeto)

Art Journal Entry May 18th 2014

On Sunday I decided I would get out my pencils and practice with just pencils, that was the thought anyway! 

I go out my Art journal and decided I would just sketch a pretty girl, 

But look at her! 

Her big eyes and those little lips!

Her eyes NEED to be green 

and 

Her lips WANT to look like little rosebuds

So out come my paints, totally leaving my idea of practicing with pencil in the dust, 

Adding the color in her face and framing it with turquoise hair really made her come to life!

I used a mix of craft paint brands for her face features

and used the Ranger Distress Ink Dabbers for her hair, shirt and background.

For the black, I used a fine tip Montana Acrylic paint pen (I love it).

I did a glaze of white paint over all but her face to soften the colors making her face pop more.

I continue adding shadow and highlight using a combination of Faber-Castell Pitt pens, a white Montana Acrylic pen and more craft paints.

I decided she needed some flowers, so I cut up some pages from a dollar store book and placed them to frame her face, I made them in a contrasting to bring out the turquoise of her hair and face.

I used the Faber-Castell Pitt pens to add rough shadow around them as well!

To finish up the piece I continue to use the same tools to add little whimsy vines with flowers, more highlights and shadows. 

At the very end I add touches of Lumiere Metallic acrylic paint to her eyes, hair and the flowers.

 I hope you enjoyed my little summary of my art Journal entry from May 18th, if you would like to watch the full process here is the link to the video on my YouTube channel!

Big Hugs and Mushy Stuff!

-Shana (aka wisccheeto)

Waste Not, Creating something beautiful from left over materials

This morning I sat at my desk ready and raring to go!

I got out a good pencil, opened up my art journal...... and nothing!

So I pulled down a canvas got out some paint, fresh water and a brush...... and again nothing!

I so wanted to create something but could not find inspiration!

I could not get myself to make a mark on a blank surface, nothing was connecting!

Fortunately (or rather unfortunately) this has happened before and I am prepared!

Whenever I am working on any project I always have a canvas near by,

I will smear left over mediums through stencils, slather leftover paint on it,
scrape paint off my pallet with a card and wipe it on,
I will clean my stamps off by stamping off excess ink, I have even put embossing powders and heated them,

and my favorite thing to do is glue my used paper towels down for an instant background,

I call this mash of mediums on this canvas my 'Waste Canvas'.

This is the result of a waste canvas I have been adding to for a few months, 

You can see all the texture that has been added to this piece, the paper towels added beautiful bumps and rides to the surface.

I had excess molding paste mixed I added the diamond pattern through a stencil,

I added the paints by cleaning out my overloaded brushes and cleaning my pallet.





When I cannot start from a clean slate, I pick up a waste canvas and my mind has a starting point










I look at the random marks and images appear. As soon as I see what is hiding in the mass of colors and textures I have a place to start and my block is gone.







I picked up the canvas and quickly found what wanted to come out, laid down a light layer of acrylic paint to create her form so she could peak out.



I only used one color, its actually a very light lavender, to block her in all the shadows you see are from the background,




If you look at the waste canvas picture above can you see where I got her shape?




I keep building color \until the features of her face and hair emerge, allowing the original shadows to be seen.










Because the background is so bold and full of color I don't worry about making her so bold, I keep her simple and smooth in contrast.

I add more details to her face and pull in the metallic from the background to her hair and eyes. 

I also use my Faber-Castell Pitt Pens to shade around her face and hair, softening the lines by smudging with with my finger. 

The ink sits on the texture from the background adding more interest to the piece.

I finish her by adding my favorite phrase once again using my Faber-Castell Pens.

This is by far my favorite way to get my creative juices flowing and because the whole process starts with random colors and textures I never known what will want to come out of the canvas!

I hope you enjoyed my little walk through!

big hugs and mushy stuff!!

-Shana