Blending Practice

[mpizzazz]

After seeing all the pan pastel hearts done at Donna's, I decided to practice with some of the mediums I have. My underused Shiva Paintstiks were first for the 3 small heart canvases. I really like the way the "veins" in the tissue paper look like a real heart. I found that tissue really varies. On the largest one, I had to start over because the tissue was so brittle and hard that it tore and didn't take the color as well as the plain old gift wrap tissue that has one dull and one slightly shiny side. I have no idea which side I glued down but it was much better to work on.

Hearts small.jpg (198.21 KiB) Viewed 542 times

Next I tried my oil pastels. I thought I didn't like the paintstiks but they are a lot nicer to work with than the oil pastels. You can keep layering them forever while the oil pastels seem to reach saturation quickly. It didn't help that the calendar page underneath had shiny paper and also circular areas of gesso. But I still don't like working with them.

Tulip small.jpg (159.58 KiB) Viewed 542 times

Now I will finally try the pan pastels.

[clamscrapper]

I really like the last one of the tulip. I love the variation in color.

[ScrappinJen]

Gorgeous. Really love these hearts. The crinkly tissue looks great.

[pamcook]

They're very nice, Marianne.

I remember using oil pastels in art class - maybe 6th or 7th grade? I have a box of them in the stash Cara left behind. I should pull them out and play with them some - don't remember anything I learned about them. Maybe it'll all come back to me when I smell them

[mpizzazz]

I really like the last one of the tulip. I love the variation in color.

Yeah, the thing that saves this one is that background which adds interest to the whole thing. Without that it would be really blah!

[mpizzazz]

They're very nice, Marianne.

I remember using oil pastels in art class - maybe 6th or 7th grade? I have a box of them in the stash Cara left behind. I should pull them out and play with them some - don't remember anything I learned about them. Maybe it'll all come back to me when I smell them

They are water soluble and that might be the secret to them but I'm not convinced. I could also use them with the paintstiks.

[jmp1022]

[Debbie J]

Great fun, the background on the tulip is cool but looks a little dark, still nice.

[Paula]

Wow-they all look really great!! But I love the last one the most! Great job

[azemigh]

what they all said! really beautiful!

[pbp908]

Aha! So someone else could tell the difference in the two sides of the tissue paper. Donna thought I was crazy when I told her there was a difference. I'm doing a happy dance!

I love the tulip. I think it's my favorite of all of them.

[ChristyB]

I'm liking the tulip too.

[pamcook]

I always knew there was a difference to the tissue paper sides and I fully intended to play with the pan pastels to see how each side took the pigment - never got around to it...

[Monica]

Beautiful!!

[mpizzazz]

Thanks for all the comments.
The tulip background looks even darker in person. I'll have to remove more of the blue.

I didn't notice a difference in which side of the tissue I put down but I did notice the difference with another piece I grabbed that was dull on both sides and very dry feeling. That would be interesting to experiment on each side of the tissue. Let's do it and see what we think. .