The Bonecracker Suite

Happy Halloween Everyone!!! Susan here and I am so excited to be posting on Halloween. Today I am sharing the "Black Magic" technique using two Viva Las Vegas Stamps: Skeleton Flashing #1041 and Ballerina Dancer #1555. 

 

The Black Magic technique creates a dramatic look by stamping on dark cardstock with light ink and coloring it with colored pencils, then adding high contrast with a white gel pen. 

I stamped both images to create a scene using Colorbox white pigment ink onto black cardstock then heatset.

Using Berol Prismacolor pencils, I gradually build up layers of color from light to dark over the images. Berol pencils are great for this technique and blend well. Except for a handful of basic colors, I haven't used these much since art school, and I miss my old friends.

A dramatic effect is created with the lighter edges toward the outside blending to darker in the center of the objects. As I layer colors, the Ballerina begins to pop off the page. The dimension in the curtains really have a velvety feel. I continued to add more layers of color to increase contrast and achieve more depth.

At this point, the skelton has become lost in the image, and was reversed in the image when stamped in white. So to repair this, I am stamped him again with Black Onyx Versafine on white coated cardstock.

I heat set, greyed him a bit with Weathered Wood and Pumice Stone distress ink and cut his hands out to place in front of the curtains. I cut the curtains to fit him into the image then add a little more colored pencil to blend in with background seamlessly. I added back some details with a black pigment ink marker and pops of white and gold with gel pens. I added some pale pink gem accents to finish her off. Here are details of each:

HERE IS THE FINISHED MASTERPIECE!

To complete this, I made a shadow box housing. I mounted this into an old Frango Chocolate box from Marshall Fields in Chicago that was housing some old cabinet hardware a friend gave to me from updating her cabinets. I painted the box with gesso, then lime green, black and grey acrylic paint. I also painted hardware to mount on outside of box to make it a little ornate and vintage looking. I finished this shadow box off with some fabric scraps folded into curtains and some fancy gold trim at the bottom of the stage.

Today is the last day to enter thee VLVS Theme Challenge for October. Submit your "Halloween" theme creations using Viva Las Vegastamps for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate at the VLVS online store. CLICK HERE for info on submissions. Also check out the Viva Las Vegastamps store - and the Bargain Basement Blowout going on through today!

Thanks for visiting & if you would like to see more of my creations please visit my blog, sbartist : painting in the dark HERE.