This week's workshop was about embossing. I tried out Liquitex gloss gel, Golden molding paste and my favourite Daler texture paste. It's always interesting to see how the products perform and compare.
I will share the Liquitex gloss gel first. This is the product I used to make the "skins" a couple of weeks ago (it's a white gel medium that dries clear). I spread it over two background pieces and left for about ten minutes each until the gel had just started to thicken and skin over.
On the first piece I pressed a piece of scrim into the gel to leave a pattern and then left it to dry again properly. Once dry, acrylic paints and mica powders painted on top enhance the pattern.
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Below, the same again but with a finer mesh pressed into the gel and then painted with paynes grey, black, shimmery silver and mink mica powders.
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This was a really good product for embossing texture. It worked so well that it was almost like I had applied a real scrim to the texture and embossing is most definitely the very next best thing.
The other really good property of Liquitex gloss gel is that, as it dries clear, layers beneath clearly show through. I put this to the test on top of one of my prints from week 18. I had originally monoprinted and then over printed with roller and bands. So, on top of that I applied the gel and left for ten minutes to set, then pressed a piece of Carn pottery into the gel. Lifted off the pottery piece, let the collage dry. I didn't paint over the top because I liked the textured pattern with the collage showing through.
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This is Golden molding paste. Same as the gel above, it has to be applied and then left to almost set before textures can be pressed into the paste.
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I pressed some pottery patterns into the paste and also etched some lines then heated with a heat gun before painting with pale blue and gold mica powders. It made some lovely texture.
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One more piece with the molding paste ... embossed, etched and then heated with a heat gun.
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This one below is Daler texture paste embossed with lace and is probably my favourite. On the left I used some soft cotton with a small patterned broderie anglaise edge and on the right some gold metallic lace with a larger lace patterned area.
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Lots of potential with this technique for working on canvas, paper or fabric. The next prompt is "glazes and final finishes" and I'm eagerly awaiting Evelyn's update for weeks 18 and 19. Her ideas are always interesting.
Meanwhile, I will be continuing with my new passion of eco dyeing, particularly on paper. I had a go yesterday with moderate success, so will press on with experiments. So far, I am getting strong blues and purples, some greens and browns. I would really like to see some natural yellow, orange or pink coming through.
Also, working hard on my Cornwall themed textiles which I'm not quite ready to share yet but I will be updating the website and facebook page generally for St. Ives Textiles very shortly.
Thank you for dropping by today x
I will share the Liquitex gloss gel first. This is the product I used to make the "skins" a couple of weeks ago (it's a white gel medium that dries clear). I spread it over two background pieces and left for about ten minutes each until the gel had just started to thicken and skin over.
On the first piece I pressed a piece of scrim into the gel to leave a pattern and then left it to dry again properly. Once dry, acrylic paints and mica powders painted on top enhance the pattern.
Below, the same again but with a finer mesh pressed into the gel and then painted with paynes grey, black, shimmery silver and mink mica powders.
This was a really good product for embossing texture. It worked so well that it was almost like I had applied a real scrim to the texture and embossing is most definitely the very next best thing.
The other really good property of Liquitex gloss gel is that, as it dries clear, layers beneath clearly show through. I put this to the test on top of one of my prints from week 18. I had originally monoprinted and then over printed with roller and bands. So, on top of that I applied the gel and left for ten minutes to set, then pressed a piece of Carn pottery into the gel. Lifted off the pottery piece, let the collage dry. I didn't paint over the top because I liked the textured pattern with the collage showing through.
This is Golden molding paste. Same as the gel above, it has to be applied and then left to almost set before textures can be pressed into the paste.
I pressed some pottery patterns into the paste and also etched some lines then heated with a heat gun before painting with pale blue and gold mica powders. It made some lovely texture.
One more piece with the molding paste ... embossed, etched and then heated with a heat gun.
This one below is Daler texture paste embossed with lace and is probably my favourite. On the left I used some soft cotton with a small patterned broderie anglaise edge and on the right some gold metallic lace with a larger lace patterned area.
Lots of potential with this technique for working on canvas, paper or fabric. The next prompt is "glazes and final finishes" and I'm eagerly awaiting Evelyn's update for weeks 18 and 19. Her ideas are always interesting.
Meanwhile, I will be continuing with my new passion of eco dyeing, particularly on paper. I had a go yesterday with moderate success, so will press on with experiments. So far, I am getting strong blues and purples, some greens and browns. I would really like to see some natural yellow, orange or pink coming through.
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| my first eco print on paper |
Also, working hard on my Cornwall themed textiles which I'm not quite ready to share yet but I will be updating the website and facebook page generally for St. Ives Textiles very shortly.
Thank you for dropping by today x