Tuesday, 13 March 2018

DO YOU FEAR THE UNKNOWN?

Greetings everyone!

It's Candy with another wild and crazy project using some of Andy's new Illusionary Artists stamp sets teamed with Andy's line of DecoArt Media products. 


This time, I was experimenting with some new stamps and playing with colors and textures.   This 6'x6" canvas is packed full of images creating a creepy sort of ghoulish scene with an already familiar gargoyle-ish figure I affectionately refer to as "Gary the Gargoyle".  He was actually the inspiration for this canvas!


I began by first washing a piece of watercolor paper with a combination of DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Medium Grey Value 6, Dark Grey Value 3 and water.  (I also used this combination around the sides of the canvas).  Then I brayered DecoArt's Media Black Gesso over this lovely new 6" x 6" Stampendous background stamp.  After it was dry, I tore around the edges and glued it onto the canvas using DecoArt Media Matte Medium.  Using Permanent Black Ink, I stamped the skulls from Andy's new Spook Illusionary Stamp Set around all of the sides of the canvas and feathered the edges with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black and touches of Metallic Gold.


Gary the Gargoyle is such a cute little guy ... if gargoyles can be cute. I first brushed DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Green Gold onto a piece of stamping paper.  When dry, I used Permanent Black Ink to stamp Gary in place.  I then heat set him, added the shading using DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Viridian and painted his pitchfork Metallic Silver. I backed him with study cardstock and cut him out.  He was later glued onto the canvas with Adhesive Pop Dots as were several other pieces to give this canvas a lot of dimension.


I have never been a fan of Ouija Boards.  But I have to say that I love this stamp from Andy's Illusionary Artists Spook Stamp Set.  I washed a piece of stamping paper with DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Raw Sienna followed by Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide and touches of Quinacridone Gold; creating an almost woodgrain effect. The image is stamped with Black Permanent Ink.  After heat setting it, I cut it out and rounded the corners with a 1/4" corner punch. Next I added Carbon Black paint to the edges using my finger. I love the way this turned out!  I actually looks like a miniature Ouija Board!


Time to experiment with textures and doing what Andy does so well ... making things look REAL that are not!

I washed a couple of pieces of dictionary paper with DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Metallic Silver and Gold mixed with water.  Then I stamped the crosses from Andy's Illusionary Artists Gothic Stamp Set onto the paper using Embossing Ink and a granular embossing powder; a dark brown on the gold and a black on the silver.  Once heat set, they already had a gritty, pitted feeling. I loved that!


To mimic that very eerie mossy look on old tombstones, I mixed DecoArt Media Texture Sand Paste with a touch of DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Green Gold.  I used a very small brush to randomly add the "moss" to the crosses.  Next I sparingly sprinkled bits of a gritty embossing powder in a mossy green color.  I heat set all of this and the results are very cool and won't flake off.


Then I started gluing everything in place on the canvas with Adhesive Pop Dots.  Here you have a more closeup look at the moss.  I love the color, the texture and the depth it adds to this piece.


As a finishing touch, I added some tree trash from a river birch tree in my yard, I painted the twigs white using DecoArt Fluid Acrylics Titanium White and added little torn strips of vintage netting among the "trees" gracing either side of the graveyard canvas.


"Fear THE UNKNOWN" conveniently sits side by side on Andy's new Illusiionary Artists Word Up Stamp Set and it worked perfectly for this canvas! I stamped the words onto a piece of paper using Black Permanent Ink and matted it on black chipboard then glued it in place.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you got some inspiration from this piece or from the techniques I have shared today. 


  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Medium Grey Value 6
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Dark Grey Value 3
  • Decoart Media Fluid Acrylics Raw Sienna
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Quinacridone Gold 
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Carbon Black
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Green Gold
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Viridian
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Metallic Silver
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Metallic Gold
  • DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Titanium White
  • DecoArt Media Black Gesso
  • DecoArt Media Matte Medium
  • DecoArt Media Texture Sand Paste


  • Mixed Mesh 6" x 6" Background Stamp
MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES
  • 6" x 6" Stretch Canvas
  • Paint Brushes
  • Watercolor Paper
  • Brayer
  • Dictionary Paper
  • Stamping Paper
  • Scissors
  • Tree Twigs
  • Vintage Netting
  • Adhesive Pop Dots
  • Hot Glue
  • Heat Tool


About the Artist: Candy Colwell



Posted by at
Labels: , , , ,

1 comment:

  1. Redanne13 March 2018 at 15:36

    What a wonderfully spooky scene you have created Candy! The Ouija board looks amazing (realistic, as you say) and Gary the Gargoyle looks so wonderfully creepy - the green reminds me of the moss you see in ancient graveyards... Love this! xx

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are always read and very much appreciated.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)