I have been doing parts of the online course "21 Secrets", although I admit to not being entirely thrilled by the workshops I've done so far. Anyway this particular one "Me and My Shadow" attracted me because it got you to think about your public face and your private darkness. So for the first time I set out to make a double spread in my journal on that theme. I began by doing some stamping on the page - one side flowing and lovely and the other sort of spiky and difficult! You can see where I was coming from ....
Then I added some colour using Distress Inks as a wash, then a bit more stamping and some doodling as the fancy took me. The next stage was to produce two images to represent me ... which I found a bit of a challenge! My approach was to draw two heads side by side on watercolour paper, and then to make subtle changes between the two ... not sure how successful I've been, but gave it my best shot! I used my Promarkers for this part and haven't quite got the hang of shading with these - must try and find a tutorial on this, because my methods are distinctly hit and miss (these are actually the second attempt)!
At this point I left the pages for a day or two, before I began writing, but eventually it flowed. The funny thing is that what I've produced doesn't
quite feel like me - doing them as part of a workshop and "to order" has meant that they're mine but .....
Darn it I'm not sure what I mean really - but I don't think left to myself that these pages are really my style, they feel a bit forced rather than natural. Hey ho, you live and learn.
I have been doing parts of the online course "21 Secrets", although I admit to not being entirely thrilled by the workshops I've done so far. Anyway this particular one "Me and My Shadow" attracted me because it got you to think about your public face and your private darkness. So for the first time I set out to make a double spread in my journal on that theme. I began by doing some stamping on the page - one side flowing and lovely and the other sort of spiky and difficult! You can see where I was coming from ....
Then I added some colour using Distress Inks as a wash, then a bit more stamping and some doodling as the fancy took me. The next stage was to produce two images to represent me ... which I found a bit of a challenge! My approach was to draw two heads side by side on watercolour paper, and then to make subtle changes between the two ... not sure how successful I've been, but gave it my best shot! I used my Promarkers for this part and haven't quite got the hang of shading with these - must try and find a tutorial on this, because my methods are distinctly hit and miss (these are actually the second attempt)!
At this point I left the pages for a day or two, before I began writing, but eventually it flowed. The funny thing is that what I've produced doesn't quite feel like me - doing them as part of a workshop and "to order" has meant that they're mine but .....
Darn it I'm not sure what I mean really - but I don't think left to myself that these pages are really my style, they feel a bit forced rather than natural. Hey ho, you live and learn.
4 comments:
Mmm, I guess if we are asked to produce something to order, then it might not feel as organic and rooted, as it might if it had emerged out of our experiencing ... But I am full of admiration for your faces: even the writing echoes the line of the mouth. And brave to share with us a glimpse into two sides of you - and you might have even more. of course... :)
Rosie – these pages have turned out brilliantly – and to me they do look very “Rosie” – but I know exactly what you mean, about following the ‘formula’ given in a class or some sort of challenge vs doing completely your own thing. I don’t do classes (I’m really not great at being told what to do, I think I have listened to too much Rage Against The Machine :) ) but I find that I very rarely like the pages that I have specifically made to fulfill a challenge or prompt as much as I like the ones that I’ve done completely freestyle.
The only exceptions are the pages I was already planning to make that I can “nudge” into the challenge criteria without compromising what I was going to do anyway…
I guess the knack to these classes is to do the exercises and learn which bits of them you like and which not so much, and keep the bits you like on file in your brain until you can find a way to use them in a way that’s totally “you”
I like what you've done here, I think the only way to view these kind of pages are that you are learning the techniques & the next time you do your 'own' page you might find that you incorporate some of these techniques but in your own style. Always love your pages anyhow :D x
Rosie, I think these pages look great, but I know what you mean about not wholly "owning" the page, this year I have been scrapbooking our year using a double LO sketch each month. I've never worked with a sketch before, and so far I don't like any of the pages using the sketches...although I've chosen the papers and moved things around a bit, they still don't feel like my own creation. Hmmm!
You wanted a tutorial on copics....I fell out with them after they bled straight through onto a previous page!! but this is a link which gives lots of links to tutorials for you..
http://www.ukscrappers.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?p=5998264#post5998264
Enjoy!
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