The ocean - art journal page

Hello everyone,

Today's art journal page features some landscape stamping which is not my usual style, but nevertheless I enjoyed the process of making it. So here we go with a little tutorial and some technical tips about how to arrange a landscape composition.

When I started my page, I had a rough image in my mind how this page should look like. I already knew my focal image - this man with his dog - and so stamping and cutting this was the first thing I did. Also, I inked up the edges with a black marker which would help the image blending easily into the scene later. At this stage I wasn't sure if I wanted the image to be colored or not, so I left that decision for later.

Next, I chose some stamps for my background scenery: a rower and a pier. And here's my little tip about arranging your composition: When you are not sure where to place your images, first stamp them on some transparency. I always use a slow drying ink such as Versafine as this can be wiped away from the foil afterwards. You can then move the foil or foil pieces to get a good idea how it looks in different positions. In my case I wasn't sure about how high I wanted to have my horizon line. This technique helped me to figure out where to place the stamps.

Ater I added the two stamped images to my page, I added some texture to the sky. Therefore I used the new plus sign stamp (not only as a whole but also just parts of the stamp) and heatembossed that.

Finally it was time to add color. I diluted some Dylusions ink sprays with water and added them to my previously wetted page. I left a lot of white space on the page which I really liked in the end.

Once I was done with my background, I needed something for my focal characters to sit on. I grabbed a piece of tissue and tore it into pieces and strips. Then I crumpled these up and glued several layers down to the bottom of the page with matte medium, making sure to retain the crinkled texture. After it had dried, I added a few more Dylusions inks with a brush and ended up with the perfect ledge for the man and his dog. I also added a few lighthanded lines to the horizon.

That was the point where I decided that they need a little color and grabbed my watercolors. Then I glued them down with foam tape, added a matching quote sticker and called this project done. Here are some close-up shots of the finished page.

 

 

Stamps used:
Man And Dog Sitting (18968)
Plus Sign Background (20571)
Pier or Dock Silhouette (19716)
Man In Row Boat Silhouette (19712)
Recommendation for creating landscapes: Plate 1460

Other material:
- Art journal (Hahnemuehle DIN A4 watercolor book)
- Versafine ink (nocturne)
- Versamark ink
- Dylusions ink sprays (calypso teal, vibrant turquoise, periwinkle blue, chopped pesto, slate grey, melted chocolate)
- watercolor
- embossing powder (Ranger - frosted crystal)
- tissue paper
- matte medium
- Studio Light Sticker (Jenine's mindful art collection)
- black brush marker and fine tip marker

See you soon!