Textured Journal/Sketchbook Pages

I posted yesterday about adding texture to cheap canvas fabric to jazz it up a bit.

Today I'd like to address paper as a different substrate to use with your molding paste.

I almost always use the Exact Vellum Bristol paper (67 pound) paper from Wausau. I also use a 110 pound paper from the same company. I am constantly amazed at just how much abuse the 67 weight paper can take! I wet it, emboss it (thank you Nancy!), texturize it, paint it, write on it, sew on it and just generally love the heck out of it - and it still holds up!

Today this is what I have done so far.

I added a layer of light molding paste, using my fingertips and palate knife to add texture to it.

Let this dry completely.

I noticed that, on a couple of areas of the page I had added more molding paste than others areas, causing the page to become wavy. This doesn't always bother me in my sketchbooks/journals but this day it did.

So I grabbed another page of the same paper and stitched them together. I also stitched around each indiviual section of the folded page to add more interest. This would later prove to be a great design bonus.

I used my Golden Fluid Acrylic Paints to make a wash. I applied the first color in a very random manner. It really doesn't matter with the color combo that I used which one goes on first, as I went over the entire page a couple of times. In this example, I used Phthalo Blue(Green Shade) and Phthalo Green(Blue Shade). There are a couple of areas that you may be able to see a shimmery sheen on the front of the page. These areas have a little bit of a pearlescent liquid acrylic ink. The color is "waterfall green". Like I said, I like to use whatever is within reach on my studio table...

You can see the machine stitching on the page as well. I use the stitch as a drawing tool. It's not necessarily about the actual sewing process but the texture that the stitch provides for me.

Here is where the bonus of adding the stitch BEFORE painting comes in -

Look at how the paint has seeped through the holes made by the needle and thread! Isn't that a great look for the back of that page?!  I like it. 

I hope that I can remember this in the future and use it in a more conscious manner instead of accidently benefiting from it...

Although that is nice too!

Texture on Fabric

There are a lot of different ways to obtain texture on fabric. I've been experimenting (again) with different mediums.

Below are several photos of the results.

I started out with a medium weight canvas fabric. Cheap canvas. No need to experiment with the expensive stuff, huh?

I applied a thin to medium coat (apx.1/16" to 1/8") of molding paste and used different "tools" (i.e. fingers, baby wipes, crunched up paper) to obtain the texture on the wet paste.

Let this dry.

I used various Golden fluid acrylic paints to add washes of color.

Click on the pictures to see the detail.

It's just awesome to see how much texture you can get and how the paint really catches on the hills and valleys of the molding paste. I used "light" molding paste so I could sew through it later.

And yes, your machine can handle it ...  as long as it not TOO thick... and it would probably sew through a lot more than what you think anyway. (My hubby  just has to clean the machine a little more frequently)

You can see the frayed edges of the canvas material in this photo.

Here's a close-up of one section of the piece. I just love the colors!

This next photo is of a piece of paper that I used.  I actually started out covering paper and switched to fabric. The results will be just about the same with either one. I use paper and fabric interchangeably in my work anyway.

This is the same narrow piece of fabric from above.

My favorite area is in the center of it . The texture is just amazing,

as well as the flexibility of the entire piece of fabric!

I hope this will encourage you to experiment with different ways to approach your art making.

You just have to be willing to ask yourself this question

"Gee, I wonder what would happen if I did this?"