surface treatment workshop -- sample 5

Surface Treatment Workshop -- Sample 5

R: Black paste shoe polish through stencil
C: Black paste shoe polish stamped from stencil.
L:  Black paste shoe polish applied with Q Tip.

Mod Podge Gloss Luster applied with brush through stencil.

L:  Chemtex Coppen Metallic Finish
R: Rust solution w/ vinegar

Orange Twist acrylic paint applied with brush and combed with square notched spreader.

Elmers Glue applied with brush.

Green Tea acrylic paint applied with brush over wet glue.

Cracking of acrylic paint begins.

Cracking continues.

Tape masks removed and acrylic paint layer dried.
Observations: Higher contrast between Green Tea and Orange Twist would provide added interest.
Acrylic paint covered shoe polish, but resist effect when wiped (see squares along right edge)

surface treatment workshop -- sample 4

Surface Treatment Workshop -- sample 4

UL:  Spackling applied with palette through stencil.
UR:  Spackling applied with palette through stencil over brushed spackle.
LL: Spackling w/ black gesso applied with brush through stencil.
LR:  White colored pencil through stencil over red marker.

Craft Smart Acrylic Paint Wine applied with brush.

L: Rust solution w/ vinegar
R: Chemtex Copper Metallic Finishing

Americana Orange Twist dry brush over raised areas.

Selected sample:

Observation:  Rust over acrylic paint, white pencil shows through acrylic paint.  

surface treatment workshop -- sample 3

Surface Treatment Workshop -- sample 3

L: Nylon cord affixed with ventilation tape.  Impressed textures with ball point pen.
R:  Kitchen aluminum foil pressed onto rubber stamp.  Top half affixed with thick glue layer.

Craft Smart Acrylic Paint:  Wine applied with brush, wiped away with dry baby wipe.

Chemtek Copper Metallic Finish applied with Brush (L and bottom).
Rust solution w/ Vinegar applied with brush (R and top).

Americana Acrylic Paint Green Tea applied with brush and wiped with dry baby wipe.

Selected sample selection:

Rust solution over wine paint creates rich color over textured foil.
Obervations: Glue or non glue under embossed  textured foil makes little difference.
Wet paint on dry removes strips away color.  

surface treatment workshop - sample 2

Surface Treatment Workshop -- sample 2

Liquitex Acrylic Texture Gel:  Black Lava applied with palette knife and scraped with wooden clay tool.

Craft Smart Acrylic Paint: Wine applied with brush

L:  Chemtex Copper Metallic Finish
R: Rust solution w/ Vinegar applied with brush

Imitation Gold leaf applied to a wet layer of Mod Podge. 

Gold leaf rubbed with masking tape and surface sealed with Mod Podge.

Mask out tape removed.
Observations:  masking tape effective at removing gold leaf. 

Selected sections of interest:

Rust solution on right.

Gold leaf removed with dry wall tape on tight.

surface treatment workshop - sample 1

Surface Treatment Workshop - sample 1

Liquitex Acrylic Texture Gel: Black Lave applied with brush on periwinkle card stock.

Craft Smart Acrylic Paint: Wine applied with brush.

L: Chemtek Metallic Finish: Copper applied with brush
R:  Rust solution w/ Vinegar applied with brush

Americana Acrylic Paint: Orange Twist applied with brush and wiped with dry terrycloth towel using circular motions.

Americana Acrylic Paint: Green Tea dry brush stroke.

Mask out tape removed.
Observations:  Dry brush effective over more textured areas but was streaky where smooth.
Rust solution bled through last two layers.

Selected section of interest:  lower right.
 Rust bleed through is noticeable and dry brush is effective on high texture.

surface treatment workshop -- materials

Surface Treatment Workshop:  materials

Clockwise UL to LL:  Square notched spreader; Nylon cord; Liquitex Texture Gel Black Lava; Liquitex Black Gesso; Elmer's Glue All; OneTime Lightweight Spackling; Fiberglass Drywall Tape; Ventilation tape; masking tape; rust solution w/ vinegar; Chemtek Copper Metallic Finish; Mod Podge Gloss-Luster; assorted acrylic paints, Sterling black shoe polish; imitation gold leaf; stencils: found item circles, purchased squares, hand cut "Kuba" design; Joss paper, clay tool, palette knife, silicone spatula, silicone basting brush, white colored pencil, paintbrush.

The samples in this series were created with the materials pictured above.  I successfully stuck to my "use stuff you have" parameter.  Note:  The Square notched spreader, Chemtek Copper Metallic Finish, shoe polish, Joss paper and silicone basting brush are NOT items suggested in Surface Treatment Workshop.  However, they jumped into my hands and fit into the spirit of experimentation suggested by the book.  The only disappointing material I used was the Chemtek Copper Metallic Finish.  In all fairness, it is probably a decade past the (non existent) "use by" date.

surface treatment workshop -- beginning

Surface Treatment Workshop: beginning

Parameters:  use stuff you have; try new things

Although a rigid substrate was suggested, card stock was affixed to vinyl place mats with masking tape (use what you have).  This set up allows me to move samples and clear the workspace as needed. Media and tool notations on masking tape can be moved to sample back when complete.

1. Liquitex Acrylic Texture Gel: Black Lava applied with brush.

2. Liquitex Acrylic Texture Gel: Black Lava applied with palette knife, removed with wooden clay tool.

3.  L: Ventilation tape over nylon cord, texture impressed with wooden clay tool.
R: Kitchen aluminum foil pressed onto rubber stamp, lower half filled with Mod Podge Gloss Luster.

4.  UL: Red Devil Onetime Lightweight Spackling applied with palette knife through grid stencil.
UR: Red Devil Onetime Lightweight Spackling applied with palette knife through grid stencil onto layer of speckling.
LL:  Red Devil Onetime Lightweight Spackling, tinted with black black texture gel applied with brush.
LR:  White Spectator pencil applied through stencil (far right: over red permanent marker).

5.  R: Sterling black shoe polish (paste) applied with Q-tip through grid stencil.
C. Grid stencil with smudged Sterling black shoe polish (paste) printed.
L: Sterling black shoe polish (paste)  applied with Q-tip.

6.  Liquitex Black Acrylic Gesso applied with brush through stencil.

7.  L:  Wine Craftsmart acrylic paint (vertical strokes) over wet Elmer's Glue-All.
R:  Wine Craftsmart acrylic paint  (random strokes)  over wet Elmer's white glue.

8.  C: "Silver" and "Gold" Joss paper.
UR:  Mod Podge Gloss Luster applied with brush through grid stencil.
L and LR: Imitation gold leaf over Mod Podge Gloss Luster applied with brush through grid stencil.

surface treatment workshop

Happy New Year!

After the holiday activities and before my responsibilities to Missouri Fiber Artists (MoFA) -- its membership renewal time -- gear up, I've inked in (too close to "due date" for pencil) time on the calendar to research/experiment for the presentation at my study group.  It's not that I really procrastinate.  I just tackle the items at the top of the list and other tasks, even things I've been looking forward to, get demoted  It's a triage tactic, probably developed in college and honed during my years in the classroom.

The Fiber Arts Study group of my local guild has been sharing books this year.  Later this month, I'll present what I have learned from SURFACE TREATMENT WORKSHOP, by Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran Wilson.  I bought the book a couple of years ago with the intention of working through it, technique by technique and adding new "flavors" to my bag of surface design tricks.    I love the juicy photos, simplified process instructions and descriptions of how variations were achieved.

The plan is to photograph the experimentations as they progress, make notes of materials and share them here.