ArtTRADERresource.arttradermag.com/issues/ArtTrader_Issue22.pdfArtTRADER ATCs, Altered Art, Art Journals, Chunky Books & Creative Inspiration magazine PUTTING THE ART IN TRADE Issue

ArtTRADER

ATCs, Altered Art, Art Journals, Chunky Books & Creative Inspiration

m a g a z i n e

P U T T I N G T H E A R T I N T R A D E Is sue 22 - Sp r i n g 2014

Cover art by Sarah Trumpp

PAPER DOLLSThe gateway to

creative problem solving!

A l t e r i n gyour eye glasses case

Stencils

Trading Artist Inspiration Dolls

MARKERSC o l o r i n g a

M e r m a i d

Anti ArtJournal ing

F R E E B I E S !Downloadable

Templates

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Table of Contents SPRING 2014

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ArtTrader Mag Contributors

Letter from the ArtTrader Team

Design 911: Paper Dolls - The gateway to creative problem solving!

Workshops at EraserQueen Studios

Do It Five Ways: Stencils

Look! Altering Your Glasses CaseArt Journal Prompts & Ideas for 2014

Musings of a Self-Trained Artist: A Laywoman’s Laycolumn

Online Workshop: Creating with Intention

Artist Inspiration Dolls: How-to

Template: Artist Inspiration Dolls

Gallery: Artist Inspiration Dolls

Anti-Art-Journaling: Chronicles Project

Online Workshop: Mixed Media Goth Girls

Walk-Through with Markers: Whimsical Mermaid

Reader’s Gallery: Art Journal Pages

Bunnymonster Art Doll

Template: Bunnymonster

Reader’s Gallery: Owls

Whimsical Houses: Keeping things in perspective

Gallery: Whimsical Houses

Altering a Doll Head with Epoxy Clay and Paint

Advertisements

Submissions: Call for Art & Articles

WRITING & ART TEAM

CONTRIBUTOR

Ann D’AngeloAndrea MelioneSal ScheibeSarah TrumppConnie Powell

ArtTRADER Magazinewww.arttradermag.com

General Inquiries: Sal [email protected]

Submissions [email protected]

Product Reviews: Sal [email protected]

Critique Corner: Andrea [email protected]

OPEN Call for Entries www.arttradermag.com

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Sarah Trumpp (aka themuppet) has never seen the inside of an art school and is making it up as she goes along. She lives in a teeny town in the wilds of New York with her husband, kids, and fish, and dreams of being an evil overlord. She has been an active participant in the Mailart world for the past four years, and she works primarily in acrylics, watercolors, colored pencil, marker, ink, clay, paper mache, yarn, felt, bone, wire, and glass. She obviously needs to reign it in a bit.wonderstrange.com | wonderstrumpet.blogspot.com

ArtTrader Mag ContributorsSal Scheibe works as a freelance illustrator and creative designer. Sal is always working on new art and paintings for her Etsy store as well as a couple of online comics that will be appearing in the Spring of 2014. She also enjoys trading ATCs, working in Decos from around the world and sharing art with others. Sal’s favorite artists and illustrators include Joe Sorren, J.C. Leyendecker, William Bougereau, Norman Rockwell and John Singer Sargent. Her favored mediums are acrylic paint, colored pencils and markers. www.slscheibe.com | SLSlines.etsy.com | redzombies.blogspot.ca

Andrea Melione (aka EraserQueen) has a B.S. in Arts Management and is doggedly pursuing a Masters in Public Administration. She has been involved in Mailart for ten years and is the co-founder of IllustratedATCs.com. She is a contributor to ArtTrader Magazine where she is a graphic designer and author. She mainly works in watercolor, colored pencil, acrylics, markers and gel pens. Her work has been in four exhibits, though two were academic and she isn’t sure if that counts enough to sound cool.eraserqueenstudios.blogspot.com

Ann D’Angelo (right in photo) is having one of those lives with a lot of spontaneous left turns. She started out teaching English at Boston University, and after a lengthy detour through corporate America, she is now making art in Central Indiana, where she lives with her husband, son, and more than her fair share of puppet heads. Most of Ann’s work involves altering found objects with paint and (lately) epoxy clay, but she loves mixed media and is determined to become way more awesome with acrylics. You can find her at www.wonderstrange.com and wonderann.etsy.com.


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Letter from the ArtTrader TeamHappy Spring to our readers! Well.... sort of. It’s almost spring, even though up here in the cold north there is still about three feet of snow on the ground. Thankfully, this looooong winter is almost over and we can tiptoe through the tulips very soon.

This issue is pretty packed with amazing goodness. For Easter, we have bunny monsters! We also have altered doll heads, art journal pages, walk-throughs for markers and perspective drawing. Plus we have a feature on techniques for altering your eye glass cases. Lots of fun. It’s our biggest issue in a long time. We hope you enjoy it!

Remember, we also want to feature your artwork! Send it to us! If we receive enough artwork, we’ll create a Reader’s Gallery and show it all off. Maybe we’ll even feature your artwork in your own spread, like Tami L. Davis and her gorgeous Art Journal pages in this very issue. It can happen to you - but only if you send us your art. Please check out the last page of each issue for submission guidelines as well as our website for details. Upcoming art themes are below.

Themes for next issue:

Summer Fun Art Journal Pages Portraits in all mediums (whimsical, realistic or weird)

Want to write for us? We always welcome guest contributions! We actively seek them in fact! And again, please check out the last page of each issue for submission guidelines as well as our website for details. Or feel free to use our contact form and send off your proposal to us.

Andrea Melione Ann D’Angelo Sal Scheibe Sarah Trumpp

Design 911: Paper Dolls - the gateway to

creative problem solving !

with Andrea Melione AKA Eraserqueen

Even since I discovered my mom’s old Betsy McCall Paper dolls, I’ve been hooked. I was only 9 at the time, but I became obsessed. I would lie on the floor of my bedroom until the unheard of hour of 11 pm, designing dress after dress after dress. I also gave Betsy friends who, like Betsy herself, were more obsessed with clothing than Carrie from Sex and the City. I even made a “mansion” for them by stacking two rather large boxes on their sides, and filled it with “clothes.”

I’m thirty years old now, and I am still hooked on paper dolls. Even though ATCs have taken over my life, I still make them. I use them to express my love of design, color and form, to expand my knowledge of fashion and costume history, and I use them as a teaching tool for creative brainstorming.

Pick a theme: This could be any theme: a color combination that really inspires you; a location such as a beach or the forest; or your favorite childhood candies. I’m going to be healthy here and choose Fruits and Veggies as my theme.

Make a list: Now that you have your theme, write a list of everything you associate with that theme. You can expand to what songs might inspire you, what colors “speak” to you, or any patterns or textures you find appropriate. You could just start doodling your ideas, but I find lists helpful because I can get the ideas down quickly before I forget them. If I doodle first, I have to wait until I’m done drawing to get the next idea down on paper. Here is what my list ended up like:


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Here is what my list ended up like:

Fruits and Vegetables List of Awesome:

● Eggplant● Watermelon (Black seeds!)● Citrus (mix of lemons, limes, & oranges, or just choose one?)● Carrots (incorporate bunnies? YES)● Carmen Miranda/banana hat/Banana Boat song● Cherries EVERYWHERE● Asparagus? ● Listen to Carmen Miranda music…hahaha● Singing Orange with lips● Turnips...or not.


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Brainstorm:

Now that I have my list I want to see what ideas appeal to me most by seeing them on paper. This is my chance to doodle with no expectations, and no pressure. I don’t think about what stuff looks like on this paper. Also, I usually just use cheap copy paper. And a pen - pens can’t be erased, so I don’t get hung up on perfection.

Refine:

Look over your sketches and see what most appeals to you. At that point you can begin drawing your design in I am using my doll “Monique” as the paper doll form.

If you want to make clothes for Monique using the brainstorm process above, or color clothes I’ve made for her, check out my blog at:

http://eraserqueenstudios.blogspot.com

Please show me what you made, I would LOVE to see it!


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“So much has influenced me in my journey as a artist and continues to as I keep evolving. I know my faith and family and my environment that I grew up in influenced me. My family has always been supportive of my natural artistic abilities, and I think growing up in the historically vibrant state of Mississippi has influenced me a lot. Sure, Mississippi has a less than fabulous past, as the media wants to portray it… but who doesn’t? What Mississippi does have is a lot of vibrant, eclectic old soul… it’s true, we may live in a pace as slow as the syrupy-thickness in the way we talk, but we have so much or in most cases so little around us, that it requires us to be creative!!! And that in turn has influenced me, a lot like many other artisans from my home state.

I’m used to working with little to nothing, recycling bits n’ bobs, random ephemera, fabric scraps, etc. I think its why I love mixed media so much. I tend to gravitate towards primary-like vibrant or even weathered distressed colors, inspired by lots of unique folk art, handmade goods and historical or vintage items because it feels so familiar, and I like to translate that into my work when I can…

My schooling has influenced my abilities greatly, of course, as it should have. Not only did I get to learn many techniques, but I had a chance to meet a lot of other artists who I could be influenced by.

See what others have done!

Kimberly Davion


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“I love meeting

other artists and crafters online and to be open to learning about their own styles”

I think the greatest influences are people I’ve met, who have drifted in and out of my life, people that I interact with on a daily basis, and even people I meet online influence what I do. I love meeting other artists and crafters online and to be open to learning about their own styles and sharing in a collaboration of ideas from hundreds of miles away. As far as classic text book influences are concerned, the most obvious is Jackson Pollock, Norman Rockwell and Vincent Van Gogh, just to name a few of a long list. I enjoy learning about all the people I meet, their stories, their livelihoods, and majority of the time it impacts me, and which I translate over into my art.“

What media do you like to work with?

I love to draw and color, so my favorite mediums to use are pencils, pens, and markers. I’ve tried acrylic and wasn’t comfortable with it. I’ve also been known to dabble in watercolor, which I absolutely love, but just don’t have time for.

How did you get involved with Mailart?

I was a member a Ning group in 2009 and that is how I found and joined ATCs for All! in October of 2009. I knew I wanted to do something artsy fartsy and so I started with just layering stuff on an ATC sized piece of paper and found collaging. I didn’t really enjoy collaging and wanted to hone in on my drawing skills, which I knew was someone deep inside. I drew here and there, but didn’t seriously get into drawing until maybe a year later.

I am by no means a great artist and I am in awe of those that can sit down and draw beautiful art. I’ve taken workshops through Art Trader Magazine, which really helped me with drawing “bodies”. I’ve bought tons of books, watched other artists online through Dick Blick, etc. I just keep trying to learn different techniques in hopes that someday it just all clicks into place.

Practice makes perfect and I haven’t done anything in a long time, so when the opportunity came to do something like this costume project I got excited again about doing art.

Now, if I can just get the shadow thingy down! LOL

Tammy L. Sexton


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“I love to draw and color, so my favorite mediums to use are pencils, pens, and

markers.”

Whimsical Mermaid Workshop

Eraserqueen Studios!

Welcome to the underwater world of whimsical mermaids; fat, funky, ethereal and bizarre! Full-color workbooks are filled with inspirational artwork and instructions for creative design and brainstorming, and step by-step images of projects. Videos show techniques in slow, real time to help you draw your designs and learn various rendering techniques to create your own personal mermaid art!

http://EraserqueenStudios.blogspot.comPurchase workshops at:

WorkshopsNow on DVD!

Women of India WorkshopThis workshop is designed to tantalize your creative side through the exploration of female imagery and style of India. You will be taken through the design process and stages of illustration; and guided through the creative process to help you flex you imagination muscles though exercises and resources. In this workshop you’ll journey through the styles of exotic India. Learn what fashions Indian women wear, and how you can creatively design your own ensembles. Full color illustrations, examples, and walk-throughs are included. This is a great class for those who’ve taken the Whimsy workshops and want to expand their skills.


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My 12 x 12 stencil album may be almost full. I’ll never tell.

Stencil tease. Like a striptease but sexier.

Stencils are super versatile and can help you add interest to your backgrounds and pattern to your foregrounds. There are two different types: Stencils and masks. In a stencil, the design is the cutout area, and, in a mask, the design is the solid area. For example, if you cut a circle out of a piece of

Do It Five Ways: Stencils By Sarah Trumpp

Stencils. The very word is enough to send me into paroxysms of joy. Sten. Cils. Steeencilllls. MMM stencils. I could/should probably join a 12-step program for stencil addiction - I may actually have a problem. I DON’T EVEN CARE. They are my most-favorite thing.


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paper, the paper with a hole in it is the stencil, and the circle removed from the paper is a mask. You can find stencils and masks in just about every design that you can imagine, and, using a sharp pair of scissors and a little ingenuity, you can even make them in every design you can imagine.

We’re not going to do that here, though! Here I’m going to use a selection of store-bought stencils and show you five fantastic techniques on the same painting.

Technique 1: Gelli Plate/MonoprintingThe Gelli Plate is my second most-favorite thing. It is a permanent version of the old gelatin printing plate and is used to pull monoprints. You can find more information about the Gelli Plate at http://www.gelliarts.com/, and there are instructions on the internet for making your own out of gelatin if you don’t want to dish out 20 bucks for your own plate.

Gelli Plate with stencil, prior to being pulled

Gelli plates are a fantastic way to get quick layers of color onto your canvas, and stencils really shine when paired with a plate. After using a brayer (paint roller) to quickly spread out a layer of acrylic, lay down a stencil and your canvas or paper face down on top. Apply a bit of pressure and a conscientious massage, and you’ll have the perfect stenciled image in less than a minute. Seriously, the whole process takes about 45 seconds. Magic.


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Technique 2: SpraysSpray paints are another completely versatile medium. They can be cheap spray enamels that you buy at your local dollar store, spray inks and paints made for crafters, or even diluted acrylic in a spray bottle. I have everything from artist-grade spray paint made for graffiti artists to tiny mister bottles full of watered down craft acrylics, and I have to say that a few drops of golden mixed with water is my favorite. In this example I’m using India ink mixed with alcohol – the alcohol dilutes the ink and helps it dry really fast, which is awesome on those days where 30 seconds seems too long to heat up my tea.

Since my canvas panel is larger than my plate, I have some overlap. Operator error. Still awesome.

It’s subtle, but it works.


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Technique 3: Sponge DabbingThis is probably the best-known technique for stencil love, as demonstrated by every home improvement show in the early 90s. Plop down a stencil and dab it with a sponge. Easy! They do make specific stencil brushes for this purpose, but I prefer a cheapo foam brush from the DIY section of the dollar store, or at least I did when I started writing this article in December. Now, however, I have discovered that makeup sponges work even better. Plus they’re cheaper! Bonus!

The whole thing at this point.


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Technique 4: BrushIf you’re careful, you can absolutely use a brush. This works especially well with masks, which is what I’m using here – a pennant bunting mask. Of course, with this technique, you need to be extra careful that your paint doesn’t go underneath – up and down pounces and dabs for the win!

From here, I sketched out a clown and continued with black, leaving the pennants and the clown’s costume uncovered:


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Technique 5: Modeling Paste/Palette KnifeModeling/molding paste is a great way to get some added texture to your work. It is an acrylic medium, like gel medium, that is filled with solid material that does not level out, so it dries raised from the canvas. It is very opaque white, and you can mix it with paint to tint it (though this is probably less desirable if you want anything but a pastel color, since the amount of paint you’d have to mix in would thin it too much) or just paint over it once it has dried. My favorite technique is to dry brush once it is dry, just catching the raised edges. It is easy to apply with a stencil, just scrape it over a stencil with a palette knife or old credit card.

It’s hard to photograph, but the texture is very cool and bumpy.

And here is the final piece!

I hoped this helped toss some more techniques into your toolbox, and I apologize in advance to your bank account.


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By Sal Scheibe

Materials List

* Old eyeglass case* Gel Medium or glue mixture* Torn pieces of paper* Paint (acrylic or watercolor)* Thicker sketch paper or Bristol Board* Markers, colored pencil, ink pens* Varnish, gloss finish (I used Golden brand for artwork)* Felt

Look! Altering Your Glasses CaseI have carried around my tattered, ugly and torn glasses case for the past year, always intending to buy a new one and never getting around to it. Then it occurred to me that it would be a lot more fun to just alter the old one. There was nothing wrong with the case itself, just the cover. Voila! New project time sink!

The first thing I did was pull off the gross old cover and everything on the inside. The one section I did leave intact was the covering on the inside seam (above right) since pulling it off would have probably ruined the case. I figured I could paint over it or disguise it somehow. Plus it was on the inside and I wasn’t too worried about. I scored the top and bottom of my case with a sharp knife (bottom image). I don’t think it’s totally necessary but a little more grip area for my old book pages wouldn’t hurt.


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I used a bunch of old book pages to recover my case but you could use pretty much any thinnish paper product - scrapbooking paper, tissue paper, newspaper, etc. I used book pages since I wanted the text to show through a little.

I tore off strips and very carefully (and very messily) covered my case using gel medium and a brush (and my fingers). You really need to get in there with your fingers and hands and squeeze out all of the air bubbles an ensure that your paper covering lies flat and neatly. You don’t want any air pockets that will eventually lead to rips.

As mentioned, I used gel medium (matte) though you could use a version of gel medium mixed with water and white school glue. It will harden in a clear state and might be a bit sticker.

Once you’ve covered your case, let it dry fully. Don’t touch it while drying since half dried paper tends to stick to fingers and it makes a mess. I won’t say I learned this from bad art experiences.


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While your cover is drying, grab your papers and sketch pencils and start creating the art you want to see on your case. Alternatively, you can of course paint directly onto your case if that’s your preference. I just found the case a little awkward and thought I’d do my art separately.

I used some Bristol Board and markers for my case art and left it out to fully dry before attempting to adhere to the case. Again, letting things fully dry eliminates horrible art accidents like grossly smudged black ink.


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To paint your case, you can use acrylic paint or watercolors. The acrylic sticks better in my opinion but watercolors will do the job eventually too.

I slathered my watered down paint on with a paper towel so that I could rub off any excess and ensure that the text would still show through.

Decorate away!

I affixed my paper art with the same gel medium mix, squeezing out any air bubbles and pockets. I let it all dry and then came back to it to add in more decoration with gel pens and bits of paint and paper.


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Once you have your case decorated to your liking, it needs to be varnished. These cases often get showed into purses and with all sorts of sharp objects and you don’t want to tear up all of your nice artwork. I used Golden’s archival gloss varnish and I did three thick coats. You really need to let things dry between coats but please be prepared. It takes a long time for varnish to dry. It took me 2-3 days to do the three coats and another few days before the case itself wasn’t sticky anymore. Let it sit and dry before you use it or add your material to the inside. And spray it while it’s open so it doesn’t dry closed!

After varnishing:

On the inside of my case, I cut out long oval shapes from my felt and glued them inside with white school glue. I didn’t want to put my glasses inside without some sort of softness. You can add a couple of layers or just one if you have a nice, thick felt.

And voila! Much better than any case I could have bought. And it was a fun project too. I have a sunglasses case that’s up next for altering!

by Ann D’Angelo

Musings of a Self-Trained Artist:

A Laywoman’s Laycolumn


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As a mixed media artist, I love tiny images. I know they can be fussy, especially when it comes time to cut around the sub-microscopic details, but I love building little scenes on ATCs so much that I’m willing to suffer for the cause. One of my favorite places to find tiny images is an old-school illustrated dictionary. I might, in fact, go through periods of being mildly dictionary-obsessed.

We all know that illustrated dictionaries contain cool botanical, zoological, and architectural images. My favorites, however, are the odd little images like this one, which comes from my two-volume Webster’s dictionary, published in the 1940s.

Although I can see what the image is supposed to represent, it looks for all the world like an ancient Greek girl practicing her posture. To me, that’s a great ATC just waiting to be made!

Of course, not all of the images are that complete. Some simply feature torsos, the upper halves of houses, the rear legs of a horse. For me, however, this is part of the challenge and the thrill of making dictionary cards: I have to resolve those issues, as well as issues of relative scale and proportion. Call me a collage dork, but I really enjoy that challenge!


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Let’s take as an example a card that I made during the 2014 Oscars. I started by clipping out some gentlemen from the Renaissance, along with a tree that caught my fancy and the roof of a house I liked. To help establish that the scene would not be completely realistic, I put animal heads on the two male figures, whom I had decided would be guards for a queen figure.

After spending a few minutes testing the locations of things on an ATC blank, I set about turning the roof of a house into a full and complete building by clipping and coloring a section of dictionary text.

To help sell this pairing as a coherent house, I utilized the tree that I liked.


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Following the addition of both land and a queen figure, the house recedes slightly and therefore works a little better.

I chose this placement for the queen, incidentally, because the guards will look best out in front of her - which is to say, along the bottom of the canvas.

This placement addresses the problem of having incomplete bodies and pushes the house farther into the background.

With all of my images glued into place, I focused my attention on unifying the piece. To bring together a whole scene, the best bet is light. Put another way, all of the elements should be lit from the same direction by the same source. Fortunately, the original illustrations of both the ox head and the queen’s dress contained shading on the right side, so I could easily put the light source on the left. I used a combination of markers and watercolor pencils to shade all of the images accordingly.

ONLINEWORKSHOP!

with Ann D’Angelo & Sal Scheibe


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Register Anytime!$35 US per person

Registrationwww.wonderstrange.com

We all know there can be joy in a spontaneous, instinctive artistic process where we are guided from layer to layer by what feels right and what looks good. Yet that same process can turn on us, especially when things start to feel wrong and we don’t know why, when we can’t understand what happened to the piece we were so in love with 20 minutes ago, when the joy is suddenly gone.

To avoid that spiral, this class helps you introduce more intention into your process, making conscious, well-informed decisions about colors, layers, shapes, and the “ripple effects” of every new addition to your work. Through this workshop, you’ll be able to:

* Create stronger focal points packed with visual interest* Develop rich, layered backgrounds that support your focal point – and your theme / prompt* Identify and resolve problems so you can get back to the joy of making art

A fantastic program for beginner and

intermediate artists


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I love to host swaps over at ATCs for All (www.ATCsForAll.com). One day while surfing the internet I came across some nesting dolls and thought what a great shape for an Art Doll! I sketched a similar shape and with a bit of tweaking and resizing, came up with a good size for trading. I wanted to make my swap challenging so players were asked to make dolls inspired by 3 different artists. Hence the name Artist Inspiration Dolls!

Artist Inspiration Dolls were designed to be made “in the style of” artists that you admire. But you can always make them in your own style. Maybe you swoon over Picasso or Klimt, maybe Outsider Art is your thing. Maybe you’re like me and love it all! Either way, creating and swapping these dolls is a great way to improve your skills, expand your techniques and explore using different mediums. Not to mention all the amazing artists you’ll discover in the process!

Artist Inspiration Dolls above by Connie Powell

Artist Inspiration DollsBy Connie Powell


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Constructing the Doll

The doll is roughly 2” wide by 4 3/4” tall. Print the attached template onto card stock (template on page 28). Cut out and trace the doll form onto the paper of your choice. I’ve found that 140lb watercolor paper works well with most mediums. You want the doll form to be firm not floppy.

Technique Tips

My sample doll was inspired by Gustav Klimt. I created the doll in my own style and incorporated Klimt like elements. The two pictures show the doll before and after adding color.

Step 1: Lightly sketch the face, figure and background elements using a mechanical pencil. Then draw over the pencil lines with a fine tipped waterproof pen. I like to use a size 08 brown Micron pen. After the ink is dry erase all the pencil lines with a kneaded eraser.

Step 2: Color and Shade the Face. I like to start coloring the face using Spectrum Noir Pale Hues markers # FS2 for the base and # FS2 for shading. I then add more shading to the face using a Light Umber Prismacolor pencil. Color the cheeks, eyes and lips using the colors of your choice. Add a tiny white dot in the eye to bring the face to life.

Step 3: Color the body and background. For this particular doll I used Prismacolor colored pencils for the body and background. The circles in the background are a mix of gold markers; Pentel Slicci size 08, Sharpie gold metallic and Pitt Gold 1.5 and Pitt black.

Step 4: Finishing Touches Metallic pens are great for finishing touches like circles, swirls, dots and other doodle type marks! I like to use white gel pens and black fine tipped Pitt Artist pens for accents.

For trading opportunities, visit ATCs For All

http://www.atcsforall.com


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Artist Inspiration Doll Template

Cut out and trace the doll form onto the paper of your choice.

Paper recommendations:

* 140lb watercolor paper * Bristol board with backing* Illustration board

Template by Connie Powell

Artist Inspiration DollsArt TRADER m a g a z i n e

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Trish Lavato

Kelly Hankins

Debby Peot

Gallery of Dolls


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Connie Powell

Debby Peot

Susanne Skene

Melissa FetalveraMelissa Fetalvera


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Dolls by Tracy Anderson

Art Journaling With

the Anti-Art-Journaler by Sarah Trumpp

Anti-Art-Journaling: Chronicles Project

In the last issue, I talked about my plan to keep an art journal that is part art journal, part scrapbook, part sketchbook, and part Chihuahua. I am happy to report that it has been a huge success so far, so I figured I’d give our readers an update.

Every week I release a random list of 11 to 12 prompts, including art, journaling, photography, destash, and scrapbook-style. All of those prompts are designed to fit into a two-page spread, and you can do as many or as few as you want. Feel like skipping the photography? Skip it! Writer’s block getting you down? Don’t journal! It’s your project, make it fit your life. You can play along by visiting http://www.wonderstrange.com/tag/chronicles-project/ - we’d love to see you!

Here are some of my pages from the last few weeks:


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An art journaling prompt from Journal52

Pretend Polaroids


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Random things that made me laugh

Art inspired by YouTube

Another Journal52 prompt

A typical page with lots of random writing, pictures, and art all together.

Popups from a Lifebook lesson on a journal page.

If you start your own Chronicles journal, I’d love to feature your art here! Feel free to contact me at [email protected] for more information.

Online Workshop:

Mixed Media Goth Girls with Sal Scheibe

Videos included in this workshop: Gothic Hair & Clothing Drawing Goth Girls Canvas 1: Whimsical Mixed Media Girl Canvas 2: Painted Mixed Media Girl Canvas 3: Collaged Gothic Crones

$35.00 per personRegistration is open so join

in at any time!

For additional information and registration, visit

http://redzombies.blogspot.com


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This online workshop features an in-depth look at creating mixed media goth girls with multiple videos and a 30 page workbook. We’ll look at goth culture and background, explore gothic style clothing and

hair and pretty goth faces.

What’s in the (30 page) workbook:* Goth Culture, Background, Inspiration and Links* Drawing Whimsical Goth Girls (basic to intermediate)* Facial Features: Eyes, Nose and Mouth* Walk-Throughs of Whimsical Goth Girls (drawn and mixed media)* Gothic Style Clothing* Gothic Hair Styles* Gothic Elements* Collaging a Creepy Goth Girl* Mixed Media Walk-Throughs: Backgrounds & Gothic Elements* Planning Your Canvases

Whimsical Mermaid

Start with a clean line drawing (erase all pencil, as the graphite will muddy your marker colors when you add them.

Now you can lay in your base coats. I have used Canary Yellow and Spanish orange. Outline first, then fill in with color.

Now I add mid-tone color. I am using Spanish orange for the canary yellow mid- tone, and Orange as a mid-tone for the Spanish orange.

Now I add the dark tones. Orange goes over Spanish orange mid-tone and Burnt Ochre goes over orange mid-tone

With Andrea Melione aka Eraserqueen

Here I’ve added a Violet background, Light Violet for the wings, and Avocado for the seaweed.

Here I’ve added a cyclone shape in the background for a school of fish, and detail on the wings


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A Walk-Through with Markers

Andrea Melione is a self-proclaimed Whimsical Folk Artist, who loves to teach and share her techniques

with others.

You can view more of her art and purchase her workshops on disc at her blog:

http://eraserqueenstudios.blogspot.com

Select Workshops now available and more coming soon!

To the left is the finished ATC! I Added the school of fish and other highlights with a white gel pen. In addition, I re-inked the drawing with a pen - to make the line work bolder. Finishing touches were made with Stardust Pens (a Sakura product.)

Materials:

Prismacolor Markers:

• Canary Yellow,• Spanish Orange• Orange• Burnt Ochre• Violet• Light Violet• Avacado• True Green

Novelty Pens:

• Green and Purple Stardust pens• White Gelly Roll (med)• Uni-ball Vision Roller Ball Stick Water-Proof Pen (Fine and Extra-Fine weights)

Whimsical Mermaid Workshop now available on Disc!


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Beautiful art journal pages by

Tami L Davis



Tami L Davis


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Tami L Davis


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If you’d like to share some of your art journal pages, please contact us! We love to show off people’s lovely art. Our submission details are on the last page of each issue and on our website:

www.arttradermag.com

Bunnymonster Art DollBy Sarah Trumpp

I love to design weird dolls and other sewing patterns, and I especially love to make them holiday themed. I generally avoid the typical holidays and make patterns dedicated to the little known holidays, like International Caviar Day and Ice Cream Sundae Day, which are conveniently on the same day. To celebrate, I once designed a felt sundae with caviar sprinkles. It was disgusting to even look at. This time, however, Easter is right around the corner, and a bunnymonster is just up my alley.

Happy Easter, careful, he bites. Gigantic marshmallow Peep not included, we bit his ears off.

Materials:MuslinFreezer PaperFabric scrapsBunnymonster Pattern (bunnymonster.pdf available on the ArtTrader website in Freebies! section)

Optional:Stamps/ink padsSpray paints


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Freezer paper comes in a gigantic roll and can be found in the foil/plastic bag section of your local grocery store. It is paper that has a plastic coating on one side and can be ironed onto fabric which will allow it to be FED THROUGH YOUR PRINTER. WHAT?!! Yes. How cool is that? So cool. I have a relatively expensive Epson printer that handles it with ease, but I have also tried it with a cheapo Canon and had no problems.

Cut your freezer paper into 8.5 x 11 inch sheets. Position it on your fabric so that the plasticy waxy side is touching the fabric and iron on the paper side. I use the cotton setting on my iron, no steam. Move the iron constantly for a minute or two, and the paper will stick to the fabric. Cut the fabric the same size as the paper and insert it into the paper feed of your printer. Download the pdf of the pattern and print!

We will be adding fabric scraps to the body to make it more interesting, but the ears and the back of the head might need a little love. I used some foam stamps with Staz-On ink to put designs on his ears and then sprayed randomly with watered-down turquoise paint.


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Once you have them all decorated to your liking, peel the fabric away from the paper. This is my absolute favorite part. SO PEELY.

My favorite part is immediately followed by my least-favorite part: Cutting all of the pieces out. Do that then reward yourself with whatever guilty pleasure gives you the most pleasure.

To give him some clothes, we will be using simple strips of fabric. To make them even, place the body pieces side by side and the leg pieces side by side and then lay the fabric out and pin it down.

Once you have it arranged to your liking, flip it over and make sure your pattern pieces don’t overlap.

And then sew it down! I used a simple zigzag stitch. Totally Old School. Cut off the excess fabric, then sew the legs. I’ve given a very scant seam allowance, less than ¼ inch, so keep it tight! Check all of the seams to make sure you don’t have holes (I always have holes), resew as necessary, and then turn them right-side-out.


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Finally, sew the belly patch to the front of the doll.

Now comes the fun part!! Lay out all of the pieces on your doll and decide where you want them. If you want your ears crooked or your legs off to the side (like I have mine), now is the time to set it up. Add a little bit of stuffing to the legs just to plump up the toes.

Match up the ears, sew, and turn. Fold the bottoms of the ears so that they meet in the middle and tack them down.


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Keeping the pieces in the same position, reverse them so that they are laying face down on the body with the back-side facing up. The raw edges should extend a little bit past the raw edge of the body as shown in the picture below.

Place the body back face-down on top and carefully line everything up and pin. Sew close to the edge, leaving a small opening (about 2 inches) so that you can turn and stuff. When you pin, be sure that none of the pieces will be caught when you sew!


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Download the Bunny Monster template at ArtTrader’s website:http://resource.arttradermag.com/freebies/ArtTraderMag_BunnyMonsterTemplate.pdf

Check your seam to make sure there aren’t any holes, especially around the legs where you’re sewing through about six layers of fabric, and reinforce as necessary. Turn it right-side-out and stuff firmly, then sew the opening closed!


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Reader’s Gallery

“A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard;

Why aren’t we like that wise old bird?”

Elizabeth Boudreau, Soaring the Skies

Rhonda Anderson Rhonda Anderson

Owls


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Please note that ArtTrader Magazine no longer hosts online workshops. This program is presented independently by Sal Scheibe on her blog. If you took this specific program through

ArtTrader, please contact Sal Scheibe on her site for re-registration (free of course!)

Whimsical Houses: Keeping things in perspectiveBy Sal Scheibe

Drawing cute little houses in art journals and on ATCs is a fun thing to do but it can be a little intimidating once you try to make a house in perspective, or from a view other than face on. Hopefully, this little article will teach you a few tricks and make your whimsical house making easier and cooler!

One Point Perspective

Drawing in perspective allows us to draw an object as it is - in three dimensions so the object will look real rather than a flat, 2D representation.

Horizon Line

Vanishing Point

Drawing in perspective requires that we define a couple of terms:

Horizon Line: A continuous “line” typically described as where the sky meets the earth (grass, treeline, etc.). It’s usually the viewer’s eye level, regardless of whether they’re standing or sitting. The horizon line may not be visible so you need to create a line in order to draw in perspective.

Vanishing Point: The point at which objects disappear from view. Think of the vanishing point as a road (see image below). The further off in the distance, the thinner the lines until they eventually disappear (the vanishing point).

One Point Perspective

We’re going to take the standard house shape (figure 1) and create a real, 3D object.

Start by drawing a horizon line on your paper. You can see the horizon line below; it’s the thick red line that runs horizontally in figure 2.

At one end of your horizon line, make a dot. This will be your vanishing point.

Draw some grid lines that extend up and down from the vanishing point. These lines are your grid and will show you where to draw the lines of your 3D house.

Draw the standard house shape of rectangle and triangle within the grid (like figure 1).

As your eye recedes to the vanishing point, so do the sides of the home. They follow the same path as the grid lines.

Draw your home as a 3D object within the grid, exactly like figure 2 below. Note the finished version in figure 3 below.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3


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Two point perspective isn’t much more difficult to master than one point perspective. Instead of one vanishing point, you will now have 2 vanishing points to work with. This allows you to draw objects from an angle (you will see more sides of the object) rather than just face-on as in one point perspective.

The vanishing points should be fairly far apart as it takes some distance for objects to recede. If you put them too close together, your house may look a bit wonky - perhaps ok for whimsical art but not so much for houses in proper perspective!

Again, the grid lines extend outward (can go both up and down though only down is shown here) from the vanishing point. These lines extend from BOTH vanishing points and create a grid for you to draw on.

As you can see in figure 2, a 3D block was created by simply following the grid lines. Easy!

In figure 3, I’ve added whimsical house elements and plants to show a finished piece.

If you’re a new artist, master one point perspective first before moving on to two point perspective. I highly recommend purchasing a book solely on perspective as I’ve only touched on the bare minimum here.

Figure 1

Figure 2


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Two Point Perspective

Figure 3

Whimsical Houses GalleryArt TRADER m a g a z i n e

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Art by Sal Scheibe

Altering a Doll Head with Epoxy Clay and Paintby Ann D’Angelo

Anyone who visits my house must quickly adjust to the sight of doll heads, which appear on shelves, chandeliers, and everywhere in between. Lately, I’ve been thinking that I need to put some of these heads to use, because I’ve been trying to organize my art supplies and finding that I don’t have enough containers for them. Thus was born this project, in which I turned a doll head into a holder for my colored pencils. I know - I have a very small collection of colored pencils. The good news is that this could just as easily hold any small collection: short-handled paintbrushes, Microns, gel pens, or heck, decorative scissors.

This project requires just a few supplies:

• A doll head with an open hole in the top• Epoxy clay• Paint• Gesso• Strips from a book page• Gel medium

To find a doll with an open head, visit a Goodwill or other charity shop. Skip the toy aisle, where the dolls will all be plastic, and go for the “collector” dolls located a few aisles over. These dolls have wigs and dresses on, so it’s impossible to tell on sight which ones have an open head. Instead, apply this highly scientific test: Tap the doll’s face, then tap the top of the doll’s head. If the top of the head sounds different - if it sounds like it might be a plastic pate instead of bisque or ceramic - that is the doll to choose!


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Decapitating a doll feels a bit creepy, but it’s easy enough to do with a pair of scissors and some pluck.

If the head has dried glue on it from the wig, as mine did, soak it in warm soapy water for 15 minutes to soften the glue and then scrub it clean.

Apply 2-3 coats of gesso and set the head aside.


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Now to the clay! My brand of choice in epoxy clay is Apoxie, but obviously, other brands work just fine, too. Epoxy clay comes in two parts, so the first step is to take a small pinch of one and an equal pinch of the other and knead them together until the clay is uniform in color. Streaks are a sign to keep kneading!

To make the doll head functional, flatten the ball of clay into an oval stopper for the doll’s neck. The oval doesn’t have to win a beauty contest; it simply has to cover the opening. Insert it through the top of the head and use a clay tool or even a thin marker to press it against the insides.


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Base coat the head with one or two coats of a flesh tone. When the paint dries, tear short strips from the book page and adhere them to the head around the front and back of the hair with gel medium. The point here is not to have the text or images show through in the finished product, but to have the inevitable folds and creases in the paper lend a bit of texture and variation to the parts of the hair not ultimately covered by clay.

Mix up a bigger batch of clay, then add hair, eyes, teeth, ears, and any other details that strike you. (If it’s helpful, rough in a hairstyle with paint before placing the clay, as I did.)

My project looks, I confess, a bit strange in this picture, but then, my project is a woodland girl with a mixture of human and animal features, so a little strangeness is to be expected.


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Once the clay dries, it’s time for painting!

The finished project looks pretty fantastic on the shelf - so much so that I’m going to turn around and do it again with that poor unsuspecting head on the left. In a day or so, she’ll be holding my clay tools. What a lucky girl.


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SL Scheibe ARTOriginals, Digital Stamps, Collage Sheets, ACEOs

SLSlines.etsy.com


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WonderAnn.etsy.com WonderStrumpet.etsy.com

Eraserqueen Studios!

Purchase workshops at:

http://EraserqueenStudios.blogspot.com

WorkshopsNow on DVD! Whimsy Workshop

This workshop places emphasis on creating art in a whimsical style that you can make your own!

Learn how to deconstruct what you see to stylize it in a way that is unique and meaningful to you. Discussion, examples and exercises on pattern, color, media, and resources guide your artistic journey. This workshop is perfect for beginner and intermediate artists.

Art TRADERwww.arttradermag.com

Advertising, Product Reviews& Partnership [email protected]

SubmissionsSal Scheibe

[email protected]

Critique CornerAndrea Melione

[email protected]

For additional details on our submission and artwork guidelines,

please visit our website:www.arttradermag.com

Article Submissions - write for us!

Thank you for your interest in contributing to ArtTrader Magazine. ArtTrader Magazine is a web-based publication (in PDF format) focused on Mailart for trade such as ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), ACEOs, art journals, chunky books, altered art and altered books.

We are always accepting the following types of materials:

• “How to” or Step-by-Step articles on artistic techniques. • Articles on artistic journeys or experiences. • Showcasing Art. We are interested in showcasing assemblages, mixed media work, creative journaling, chunky books, fat books, inchies, ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), post cards and more.

OPEN Call for Artwork: Readers’ Gallery

We want to have a Readers’ Gallery in every magazine issue to showcase the beautiful art made by the Mailart community. Please send us your Mailart pics! Theme doesn’t matter, as long as it’s Mailart. We’re looking for ATCs, ACEOs, Chunky Pages, Inchies, Twinchies, Skinny Pages, Art Journals, altered art and altered books.

Submissions should be sent to:

[email protected]

Send images in JPG, BMP or TIF format. PDFs are also fine. High quality scans please so at least 100 DPI though 300 DPI is preferred.

Make sure you fill out an Artwork Release Form so that we can show off your art! It’s on our website in the Magazine section. Very important!

Thanks for reading!

The ArtTrader Zine Team

“Red Hot” (markers)ATC by Sal Scheibe


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Documents

ArtTRADERresource.arttradermag.com/issues/ArtTrader_Issue22.pdfArtTRADER ATCs, Altered Art, Art Journals, Chunky Books & Creative Inspiration magazine PUTTING THE ART IN TRADE Issue