Music Enchants Your Soul - #WOIW

Hello Friends,

As some of you know, I belong to a great G+ Community called Kraafters Kommunity where each Wednesday there is a new word to inspire and challenge our creativity. This week the word was 'enchanting'. I just kept thinking about something my music teacher used to say... "Play sweetly, for music enchants the soul".  I decided I would make something relating to music. It happens that I have a family member who enjoys my art and has a Birthday coming soon... And..he loves playing the Ukulele. Yay! I could get two things done at once! AND...to make things even better...I was able to attend the All Day Kraaft Day (a once a month google hang out with Kraafters Kommunity) today and finish up this project while chatting, laughing and watching others create at the same time. Today just could not have turned out better!


When I began this 7" X 14" canvas, all I knew I wanted to do was make a Ukulele on it. I 'could' draw a free form Ukulele, but I really just wanted an easy way to make the proportions right in one step, so I printed off a picture  on a legal size sheet of paper and cut it out. I used this to trace on the image to the canvas. Then I used it as a mask as well to spray some Dylusions sprays onto the canvas. In the Kraaft All Day hang out today we were discussing how a lot of videos on the Internet are edited so that you don't see the mistakes. Well this may not be a video..but here it is folks..spraying ink onto a gesso covered canvas is a mistake! LOL


When looking for a picture of a Ukulele online I had seen several painted ones. Since I have been playing a lot with painting faces lately, I decided to paint a face onto mine (the painting not an actual instrument) I again used my cut out piece to sketch the size onto a piece of scratch paper for proportions. Then I sketched it onto my canvas. Finally I painted my face and instrument using acrylic paints.


Now what I had was a canvas with a face painted Ukulele in the middle... Had I been PLANNING instead of winging it...I would have prepared the background FIRST and then put on the central image...but NO! So, I fixed up my background using a collage of different papers and textures. Everything from scrapbook papers, to napkins, to leftover messy paper towels and baby wipes.


Then I brayered a milky layer of white gesso over the background to balance everything out. You don't see it in the photo, but I used my cut out picture AGAIN as a mask to keep the gesso off my already painted part.


Next I sketched some lines and circles over the gesso.


Then using water soluble crayons activated with a brush and water, I color blocked in areas in the negative spaces of the sketch. I really wanted to add a nice bright pink..but this is for a guy!


After everything was dry, I used a sharpie water based poster paint pen to draw over the pencil lines. Then I went in with a wet brush and acrylic paint and blended over the color blocked areas. This picture is mostly blended..can you tell the area that isn't ? (this is where the painting was when I joined up with the group in Kraaft All Day...so photos became less frequent after that LOL)


Once I was done blending the negative space. I added acrylic paints inside the circles and lines to give them more pop. 


To finish up...I used white and black fine tip Posca paint pens to doodle and add embellishments. 
I also used a copper colored Sharpie fine line paint marker to add the strings.


I hope you enjoyed my mixed media canvas :) Post a comment if you did!
<3 Shel


Comments

  1. This is just amazing Shel! I really like your process photos, which show exactly how you built up the page! Very useful!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Zsuzsa :) You should come to the KIT thing sometime..it is interesting to watch what people are doing while they are doing it as well.

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  2. I love this very colorful canvas of a unique, artistic ukelele, Michele! I am sure your 'birthday guy' is going to love it, too! I always enjoy reading your 'lead' comments followed by your process photos and explanations. Thanks for sharing! Hugs!

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  3. Shel! What a wonderfully delightful page! Your colors are gorgeous and your process is so creative! Well done! xo

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