I'm In (The Big Draw, Part Two)!

I guess I'm in for The Big Draw. 

I got Kelly Rae Robert's book, Taking Flight, yesterday and I read it from-cover-to-cover. I've read parts of it twice -- already! I wanted to try my hand at some of her techniques, so I dug out a piece of wood that a friend gave to me and my scrapbook papers. I made a collage background on the wooden substrate and then I brayered a couple of paint colors over it. I rubber stamped over this when the paint dried with a nice, subtle Sepia color. I sprayed Glimmer Mist over the top of it all and let it dry. 

All well and good, but this is still not drawing!

In order to paint the girl on the background, I had to drawn her on there first! I was moved to paint -- which almost never happens to me! -- so I sat there looking at the collaged background for several minutes, trying to figure out how to get the paint on the wood. I obviously needed some kind of outline of what I wanted to paint. This would probably be obvious to the average bear, but for me, it was practically rocket science!

Finally, I just dug a mechanical pencil out of my purse and started drawing. I even cut myself some slack by copying one of Robert's designs in one of the how-tos. No imagination necessary! LOL! Actually, the act of drawing was stress enough -- I didn't need the stress of trying to figure out what to draw along with it! And you know what -- It was easier than I expected it to be. My Grandpa used to say that "the dreadin' is worse than the doin'." How right he was!

I'm afraid to do her face, as I'm pretty happy with the rest of her, and want to stay that way! I drew the outline, and then painted in the skirt and top with colors I mixed myself; the belt is straight out of the bottle of Golden's fluid acrylics. Literally! I didn't even pour the paint onto a palette, but rather, I just mopped up the mess I had created on the lid. I did some more flourish stamping in coordinating colors on the dress. I'm a little behind in the art scene -- I love my flourishes and use them everywhere I can.

I wish the patterns of the background papers showed through more, but overall, I'm pretty happy with it. Live and learn for next time!

And there will be a next time!