Coloring Books - More ways to “art”

Art, like everything, is all about practice, practice, practice (Marsha, Marsha, MARSHA!). Replacing mental filter now...

I am not the kind of artist who loves one medium to the exclusion of everything else. If I was forced to label myself, I guess I’d be a mixed media artist. But I don’t love any single art supply, paper or medium to the exclusion of others. My only rule so far is that everything should be non-toxic, since I usually wind up with art supplies in my hair, on my arms and even in my mouth. Don’t ask.

So when I see YT-ers promoting low-cost and low-risk ways to experiment and practice using different materials, I’m usually all in. One of my earliest discoveries on YT was DeDe Willingham, who streams a live chat show on Monday and Wednesdays. She has been an artist and/or had artistic jobs her whole life and I appreciate her casual and chatty approach. I also admire her ability to multi-task live for 3 hours while simultaneously doing a whole variety of art. I have learned a whole lot from her…so, Thanks Dede!

While there are many coloring book artists out there on YT, I basically use DeDe’s approach, using Kerby Rosanes’ coloring books, which I buy from discount online bookstores and the thrift store. The books are so fantastical and fun and a treat for the eyes. Essentially, Dede’s technique is to use washes of matte paint as an initial layer, shade with colored pencils, then highlight with paint pens. You can browse her videos to hear her explain everything in greater detail and watch her actually do it. She provides all kinds of tips, suggestions and recommendations.

If you’ve never tried coloring with colored pencils, the main issue is that wax builds up quickly, making it harder to shade. But using a paint wash serves as a middle “tone” or color, so you can use fewer colored pencils, specifically for shading and highlighting.

My shading skills definitely need improvement (I should probably find a class for that somewhere) but I really appreciate how easy this is for a beginner to try. I’ve only completed a handful of pages - they do take some time. But you can always put them aside and come back to them later; they don’t have to be finished in one sitting.

I’ll admit, I think this process makes me feel like I’m a sophisticated artist.

Quote books using upcycled children’s board books

This will be my first in a series for this category – over time, I’ve discovered children’s board books can be used in a variety of ways. 

In case you’re unfamiliar with a board book, I’m referring to those first books for toddlers where the “pages” are composed of thick cardboard. 

I buy mine from the thrift store – a bag of the smallest size books usually costs about $2 and larger books may be individually priced with the normal children’s books. You can probably find more from other local sources (or in your own house) but I find the thrift store the most convenient. 

Using board books can take a few extra supplies and some planning. You will need: 

• Fine sandpaper

• Crafting primer (i.e., gesso)

First: Unless the books are VERY well used, it’s best to lightly remove the shiny top layer of each page and the covers with a piece of sandpaper. The goal is not to remove the entire background design, just rough the page up a little. 

Next: Lightly cover each page in a crafting primer, usually called gesso. Gesso is typically white but can be found in other colors, including red, gray and black. Don’t worry too much about getting into the spine/crack of the book. Let dry. 

Board book after sanding and gesso

Your book is now ready to take just about any craft supply you can think to use. Since the pages are primed, you can try out markers, watercolors, paint, colored pencil, wax crayon, etc. You can use rub-ons, stickers, stencils, and stamped images. You can also glue paper, photos and other images onto the pages, but be aware your book may not “close” all the way, which is completely fine. 

In this first version, I kept the images on the left and lines from the first stanza of an e e cummings poem on the right. I used markers for the images and the text. 

(I’m pretty proud of this Bob Ross-inspired page – I did it while watching one of his TV shows, following his directions to create the “perspective”. I did it to prove that it’s NOT easy…and I was wrong. It just takes courage to try.) 

In the second version, I experimented with a variety of art supplies – I tried to list them as a reference for each photo. 

Your quote book can reference a favorite poem, family member, famous personality, musical lyric or a line from a book. 

Handmade Stencils

Living in the DC metro area, I try to take advantage of the museums, classes and other art-related stuff near me.  During a mixed media class, the teacher invited us to use some of her handmade stencils, cut from overhead transparency pages.

Handmade stencil traced onto overhead transparency.

Cool idea, right? But….overhead transparencies? Where on earth would I get those?

Lo and behold, I found not one, but two full boxes of overhead transparency sheets at local thrift stores. Who says making sacrifices to the Thrift Gods is a waste of time?!

Using magazines as a source and a permanent marker, I traced a variety of images - from buildings to birds - then decided to try cutting out the simplest one with a craft knife. Harder. Than. It. Looks.

If you decide to try this and are not an expert with a craft knife or tiny scissors, definitely start with a large, basic image without a lot of small details.  (I have yet to find the courage to start cutting out the feathered bird….)

Cursing over, I had to decide what to actually do with it.

I decided to flip through my mixed-media notebooks. Since I dislike wasting any art materials, I usually have some pages where I’ve smeared leftover paint or other media for just this kind of project. I “auditioned” the template against several different pages before picking one.  In this case, I traced the image, then flipped it over and traced it again, trying to create a “corner” of the building and some dimension.

After a lot more auditioning of papers and random material on my desk, I added gelli-printed papers to emphasize the sight lines – have I mentioned that creating depth is a challenge for me?

Then I used colored pencils to try and add more depth (self-taught artist, here) by giving the arches shadows, creating a roof, “cracks” in the walls, etc. With moderate success, I’d say. Obviously, that corner nearest the viewer is hardly structurally sound, but whatever.

As an experiment, it was fun. And a way to use up paper scraps. It will never be “finished,” but I’m just happy I figured out a way to re-purpose these leftover-paint-pages and gelli-prints, plus keep hundreds of transparency sheets out of the landfill for a while longer.

Mixed media collage using handmade stencil twice - once forward and again in reverse.