Here are a couple of backgrounds I painted for this class. I was experimenting with colors. Of course, there will be much more to add when the face is done.





The top image was painted using a titanium white (golden paints) mixed with an adirondack reinker (pink sherbert) with acrylic glazing liquid (golden paints) added in. I painted the outer edges with a touch of Paynes Grey (golden paints) mixed with acrylic glazing liquid. I then softened the edges by using a damp paper towel and feathering the colors out. I then used sequin waste to create the texture using Metallic Olive Green (Lumiere). I tamped a paper towel over the wet met olive green, sprayed it with water and then touched other parts of the color around the canvas.

The other canvas was painted using a mix of titanium white, quinacridone nickel azo gold, and acrylic glazing liquid (all golden products). I then smooshed some cobalt blue onto the background and wiped off with damp paper towel. I then painted some of the quin nickel azo gold onto a handmade stamp and stamped around the canvas. After that I used titanium white painted on another stamp and stamped again over the canvas. I added some texture by adding circular images which were rubbed with a damp paper towel. Finally using Payne's grey I added more texture by patting paint through sequin waste onto the canvas.

Well, I seem to be stuck on the theme of Venice and masks. I wonder what Freud would say about that.



The background is a piece I painted on 140-lb watercolor paper using Golden Fluid Acrylic paints putting on with a brush and then blending using a baby wipe. I also used alcohol wipes sparingly to lighten up the areas of color.

These are images of a before and after of a painting. The first rather plain image with the green splotches on it was done by applying purple craft paint mixed with gesso to 140lb watercolor paper. An old credit card was used to move around the paint. Pieces of ephemera were applied using gel medium to the painted background. Green paint was blotted over the ephemera which was put aside to dry. I then applied a light layer of gesso over the dried painting to mute the colors a little more. I applied glazes of Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide, Transparent Red Iron Oxide, cobalt blue, payne's gray, and quinacridone magenta to the dried painting.

If you are wondering why I have so many backgrounds, I always either scan them in or take snapshots which I then alter and use in other art projects. Here are some more backgrounds that I made. All of these were done on canvas using both Golden, Liquitex, and Sherrill's sorbet paints.

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I am really hung up on doing backgrounds. This particular background is being done on a canvas board. I started out by applying a layer of molding paste. After letting this dry overnight, I applied two layers of gesso over the molding paste. After this dried, I then applied a wash of yellow ochre. I added some texture at this point using a sea sponge with Quin Nickel Azo Gold. Once dried, I added a couple of ephemera using gel medium. I then washed the whole canvase using Quin Nickel Azo Gold. I added touches of Cobalt Teal with a baby wipe (my newest favorite tool) and applied some Burnt Umber around the edges of the canvase using a paintbrush. I stamped a word image using a Adirondack stamp pad (Expresso, I think). I applied some texture by using Titan Buff through sequin waste. I am partially done with this canvas so check back again to see where I go from here.

These are canvases I painted today although the photographs aren't that great....the sun was going down when I took the pictures so I waited too long. I will take new pictures tomorrow.

Background 1 (the bottom image) was done using Golden's Yellow Ochre and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold with a paintbrush. I am not done layering yet so the next layer I will most likely be a cool color such as blue.

Background 2 was done on a canvas board which I had gessoed first. I then applied a glaze of yellow ochre (Golden) and then spot colored using Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold. Then I added with a baby wipe touches of Turquois (Phthalo) and Quinacridone Magenta. I added darker touches of color with a paintbrush which I then patted with a baby wipe. I save all of these baby wipes as they can be incorporated into other artwork.

Background 3 (top image) was done on a stretched canvas. I had used this canvas before but did not like the way it turned out. The texture was achieved with molding paste on which I used dry wall tape. I had also applied some vellum using gel medium which immediately buckled giving another great texture. Before painting, I applied two layers of white gesso. Once the gesso dried, I applied a mix of acrylic glazing liquid and Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide as the base of the painting which I then highlighted with Quin Nickel Azo Gold. I then used a baby wipe to add touches of Cobalt Teal and Dioxazine Purple all over the canvases.

We also did some transfers on our prepped background pages. We applied soft gel medium to the background and placed a double-sided image on top of the gel. On the page with the map, I let the image set for a very short time and then pulled the map off leaving remnants behind. For the other page I used a peeled paint technique with masking tape. The masking tape technique had some really interesting results. The image with the music notes peaking through is the one I used with the masking tape. I am not finished with this page as it was time to pack up bevause the class had ended. I think the colors are too bright but I am not sure what I am going to do as of yet. With one of my other pieces, the colors were a little bright so I covered the page with some gesso then recolored it. I am thinking of using some Titan Buff over this one since the colors run on the cool side.

The next background we created used gel medium applied through a stencil. The background had been prepped from the blotting off the excess from the covers so these next two backgrounds were the same as the cover before paints were applied. I didn't have a before/after picture for these next two images. I used a Dreamweaver stencil with regular gel medium (matte) for these next two images. If you look closely you can see the pattern created by using the stencil.

I took a 3 hour class on Friday with Karen O'Brien. It was really messy and so much fun. The time went by and before we knew it the time in class was over. I really must recommend a class with Karen. The workshop focused on backgrounds and a book to hold them in. These backgrounds could be used for anything but were intended as a reference for different techniques. The first thing we did was to create the covers for the book to hold our backgrounds in. The first thing she had us do was squirt some paint and gesso onto a piece of watercolor paper which we then spread around. If there was too much paint, we used another piece of watercolor paper to blot off the excess. We applied approximately 3 colors of acrylic paint before moving to the next step. Using soft gel (matte) medium, we applied images and words to our painted background. I always like an odd number of items since it is more pleasing to the eye. After the gel dried, we stamped on the background using stamp pads, paints, gesso, whatever was handy. The the real fun started and we began adding paints, glazes, reinkers, etc. to the pages. I have posted a before and after picture of the cover pages. What a difference, huh?