Bear on a Tricycle Art Journal Page

This art journal page featuring my handpainted bear on a little red tricycle, was originally created inside a friend's Vintage Circus journal as part of a swap. The original post is here at the Australian Art Swap Group's blog. My recreated page (see below) has a few differences, mainly the placement of the bicycles and it doesn't include the vintage poster.

List of arty treasures used ...

- Watercolour Paper
- Watercolour Paints
- Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks (inkpads, reinkers and sprays)
- Tim Holtz Stamps
... I used Theories and Handwritten Thoughts
- Fine Black Marker (click here for all pens and markers)
- Dylusions Mini Collage Glue Stick
- Acrylic Journal and Stamping Blocks
- Paint Brushes (link is to all paint brushes)
- Tim Holtz Distress Sprayer Bottle
- Ranger Ink Blending Tools
- Ranger's Ink Blending Tool with Mini Round Foams


Shop online at www.shop.artbyjenny.com.au

Instructions ...

To create this page, the first thing I did was scour the internet looking for vintage circus ideas. But while searching through the really old photos, I found myself getting angry and teary at all the abuse and neglect the animals suffered (at the hands of people who should have cared for them). I printed out a few pictures and attempted to start... but the more I was scribbling and drawing, the worse I felt. Its not that I didn't know about it but didn't have it at the forefront of my mind.

It wasn't fair how they were all treated... its now all in the past but it will always be remembered. Thankfully, more and more people and organisations are looking out for animals and their rights. I know you all agree, animals deserve our love and respect. Always.

Scribbling ideas with the bears (above) holding hats and signs saying "Free the Bears" didn't help my mood. I wanted the page to be a happy one, positive and uplifting. So it was put aside for a while...

<3 br="">A few weeks later, with a fresh mind I refound an image I'd seen online and used it as a reference for my own bear on a tricycle. He's drawn freehand on Strathmore Watercolour Paper with pencil then inked with fine black felt tipped pen.

I erased the pencil marks before adding colours with watercolour paint. I used the spots of paint from a sample swatch of Daniel Smith Watercolours (saving for the tubes now!) and my trusty waterbrush. The bike frame was painted red, then the wheels in grey, all while reminding myself constantly, to let areas dry before going further. Watercolours won't layer properly if they're not let to dry, they'll just blend into each other (fantastic for galaxies or background washes).

The photo with my painting is what I found in a Google search. I'm not sure who owns the actual picture as it was shown a few times in various locations with no name. Thank you to whoever it is :)
<3 br="">

Once the bear's basic colours and shading was completely dry (the next day), I used a very fine paintbrush (and the same colour brown) to paint in some fur structure and deeper shading. Just before I cut him out for the page, I added highlights using a white gel pen. 

<3 br="">To make the background for the bear, I stamped images and then blended over the background colours. Doesn't really matter which way round you do these steps as the Archival and Distress inks work well together.
<3 br="">
<3 br="">Using Ranger's Archival Ink in dark brown and black, I stamped images and a quote from Tim Holtz Stamp Sets, Theories and Handwritten Thoughts (always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder). Tim's antique style engravings are perfect for a vintage themed page!
<3 br="">
The backing base colour was made using an Ink Blending Tool (foam blender) with Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Ink Pads.
<3 br="">
<3 br="">Patchy clouds of Antique Linen (cream) and Tea Dye (light warm brown) were blended around the sides of the page, then splattered and splashed with water (I like to use Tim's Sprayer Bottle) before being air-dried with the heat tool. Next, Tumbled Glass (pale blue) was blended over the page using the same process (blend, splatter with water, dry with heat). Lastly, to give it a bit of a border, I added Walnut Stain (very dark brown).
 

The next step was to add some interest into the background (ie, give the people something to stand on). I've used stamps from Tim Holtz's Psychedelic Grunge Stamp Set with Distress Oxide Ink Pads. The faded dots across the base of the page were stamped using Tea Dye first, before stamping the larger circles using both Tea Dye and Tumbled Glass (ink the stamp with both colours at the same time).

 

While the inky background was drying, I cut out my bear with fine sharp scissors and used a craft knife for inside the spokes.
 

The above photo shows my bear placed loosely on the page to see how he'd fit. He seemed happy enough so I continued, adhering him to the page with Ranger's Dylusions Glue Stick.

<3 br="">To finish off the page, I used a couple of stamps from Tim's Tiny Things 2 Stamp Set (mini sheet music and a gramophone) and Theories (bicycles). The sheet music is along the "ground" for the bear to ride along and I've "tied" the gramophone onto the high-wire with a brown fine, felt tipped pen (so it won't fall off of course!). All were stamped using the Distress Oxide Walnut Stain Ink Pad.

The end result is a good one... my bear seems content while peddling along his musical path as the circus world carries on around him.

Thanks for reading! Hope you find time to have a go, its good fun to get ink on your fingers! I'm here to help if you need a hand.
<3 br="">:)
<3 br="">Jenny

There's an Elephant in my Journal

I love elephants. They're incredible, kind, compassionate and strong with such beautiful wise old eyes and big hearts!

I've drawn so many of them often over the years including this one I sketched in pen and wash the other day.

I drew the elephant a tad crooked so decided that he's just scratching his leg on the tree!

My ellie and mouse were drawn with a Derwent Graphic Line Maker in .3 and I used a waterbrush to activate the ink to blend out. 

Its a great technique, turning a line drawing into a greyscale painting. It can be simple doodles, Zentangling or highly detailed illustrations. Whichever side of the line you wet will bleed and blend into grey shadows.

Only the basic supplies are needed too, making it easy on the purse strings!

A waterbrush like the Jasart ones in my photo. These are fantastic! They hold oodles of water, saving you from carrying jars of water wherever you go. A square of kitchen paper will be useful too. I tend to clean my brush or test water amounts on the back of my hand so paper towel will stop your hand turning grey and soggy!

Drawing is done with a waterbased black pen, felt tipped or fine marker (texta) like a Chameleon Detail Pen (pictured) or Derwent Graphik Line Maker. The kids's textas like Crayola or the Faber-Castell ones that join together will work too :) You'll soon find out if your pen is waterbased or not when you use it, because if its not, it won't react to water no matter how many buckets of water you throw at it! The paper will get super soggy though, but that's fine too because it will dry and can be reused :)

My favourite paper to use is Strathmore, either the 400 series (brown cover) or the spiral bound art journal. This high quality watercolour paper withstands quite alot of water and scrubbing without going furry (pilling) or creating holes. Like any porous surface, too much water with friction will damage it eventually so still be gentle!

This rose in a tin pot was just a few squiggles, a few splotches of water and voila, a groovy little picture appeared! And the roses stayed looking like roses too, always a bonus! A couple of soft spots of water in the flower centres gives an impression of a full flower while wetting the tin can's sides makes it appear round.

The next few drawings are with my Chameleon pen (detailer, using .6 end). You can see the different colours that make black inks when you add water to them. The Graphik pen dries in variations of grey while the Chameleon dries with hints of green and yellow in soft grey tones.

They're all different, I had a Stabilo black felt tip pen that dried showing bright blues :) Experiment with what you have and see what other colours appear.

To create a simple watercolour flower using a pen 'n wash technique...

A - draw a spiral with the pen.

B - 'paint' the spiral to activate the ink using the waterbrush.

C - pull out the ink with the brush using a flicking action.

D - pull out more colour to create more or longer petals or even curved petals.

Once your flower is dry, add some loops for petals and add dots and spots for the centre. I also added a few white spots. 

Its amazing the difference a few squiggles and spots can do!

The next picture I've drawn and then used my waterbrush to pull out the ink to give shadows and shape.

The next few closeups will give a better idea...

I like how sometimes things work out! The wash has made the seaweed look really bendy :)

This pic with the crab hiding in the sand  was drawn over the sandy wash. No water has been added to the seaweed or crab.

You can use the pen like regular paint simply by scribbling a small spot then adding water to it. 

I made a spot of paint like this to add extra swirls in the sea and behind the fast swimming fish. Use quickly as it will dry. Not all pens reactivate once dry (after being wet once).

Hope this has shown how simple watercolour can be and are inspired to have a go :) Sing out if you need help or have questions.

Thanks for reading my blog :D

Happy creative day!

:)

Jenny