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Friday, March 8, 2019

Staying Neutral in a High Contrast World

I promised you I'd come back today with a video on how I created yesterday's card.

I never break my promises, so here I am.

I set out with this month's Gel Press video to create highly detailed, but neutral backgrounds because when I have a big bold flower image or a critter that will be brightly colored, I don't always just want a white background. Sometimes I want a background that is equally interesting, but not competing with my focal point.

So I decided to keep color to a minimum with these prints, and focus mostly on white and black.

First, I'll show you just the prints, because they are so cool. They are all so textured that they look like asphalt, almost.

On this first print, I layered stencils and colors - using this fun stencil on top, and very subtly in the background, this very ornate stencil. I used the following paints - white, black, this matte finish peach and brown from this skin tones set. I applied those with this brush just in a few spots. The turquoise paint is this one. I'm using the same set of paints to create most of the layers on the four prints I create in the video.
 This one again features this ornate stencil, but also this amazing mask. The pink you see is just something that came off my brayer - it wasn't a paint I added. Another great reason never to clean anything.
 This one uses the links mask again, and the geometric stencil from the first print.
 This one REALLY shows off the beautiful ornate stencil, and for the bottom layer I used black paint and this dreamy silver paint that I love. The top layer is white and turquoise.
Aren't those fabulously interesting? And with minimal color. So unlike me. Which is why I did it. Because my colorful foreground here deserved an interesting, but neutral background. The contrast between the two is so freaking fun.

Here's the card again with this gorgeous stamp set just to show you how those things work together - this is from the second to last print. And next week I'll have two more fun cards from these prints.
So here's the video, with supplies listed below - enjoy! I love filming my Gel Press projects because I never remember what the heck I've done. Loveyameanitbye.



Simon Says Stamps And Dies BLOSSOMING...
[ SSS ]
Links - A Colorful Life Designs
[ CLD ]
Gothic Swirl - A Colorful Life Designs
[ CLD ]
Diagonal Weave - A Colorful Life Designs
[ CLD ]
01611-9330 - Pebeo High Viscosity...
[ BLIC ]
01637-2050 - Blick Studio Acrylics -...
[ BLIC ]
01637-1022 - Blick Studio Acrylics -...
[ BLIC ]
Dina Wakley Ranger TURQUOISE 1OZ...
[ SSS ]
Dina Wakley Ranger NIGHT 1OZ Media...
[ SSS ]
Making Faces Matchmaker Set – Jane...
[ JND ]
10144-1000 - Fabriano Artistico Extra...
[ BLIC ]
Arteza Water Brush Pens, Set of 6
[ ARTZ ]
Gouache Paints - 60 Colors (60 x...
[ ARTZ ]
Art Anthology BIG CRAFT MAT 24x36 311473
[ SSS ]
Gel Press 5 x 7 REUSABLE GEL PRINTING...
[ SSS | BLIC ]
Amazon.com : Hammermill 102467 Copy...
[ AMZUS ]
Heavy Base Weight Card Stock- White
[ GNK ]
MISTI Stamping Tool
[ MSP | HA | SSS | ELH | MFT | UNT ]
Rotatrim Professional Series Cutter -...
[ BLIC ]
We R Memory Keepers QUICKSTIK...
[ SSS ]
LightView 2in1 LED Magnifier for...
[ BRG ]
Mudder 10 Pack White Buffer Sanding...
[ AMZUS ]
Xyron ADHESIVE ERASER 23675
[ SSS | ART | AMZUS ]
Teflon Bone Folder - Ellen Hutson LLC
[ ELH | SSS ]
Crafter's Companion GEMINI...
[ SSS ]
Essentials by Ellen Storage...
[ ELH ]
Die Storage - Clear Storage Pockets...
[ CHC ]
XL Stamp Storage Pockets
[ ELH ]
Lawn Fawn STAMP SHAMMY Cleaner LF1045
[ SSS | CST ]
Inovart Pro-Roller Brayer
[ BLIC | BLIC ]
Absorber - Synthetic Cleaning Cloth
[ AMZUS ]
Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer...
[ AMZUS ]
VersaFine Clair Ink Pad, Nocturne -...
[ ELH | SSS ]
Tombow MONO MULTI Liquid Glue Two...
[ SSS | MFT ]


8 comments:

  1. I just adore your neutral backgrounds. They are so rich in texture and all the different tones popping through. Combined with the beautiful images, and these cards are amazing.

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  2. The prints match the gray rainy weather we’ve been having in California. They are beautiful! Wish I can stay home and make gel prints now instead of having to go adulting;)

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  3. Great backgrounds. I love the combination neutral colors with subtle details.

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  4. These are amazing! I hope I have time to play this weekend

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  5. Super cool prints and perfect for an interesting but subtle background. Gorgeous card!

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  6. Gorgeous backdrops! Such artistry in your work. ♥

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  7. What gorgeous backgrounds Lydia! Love your beautiful card!

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  8. Thank you for real time videos. You are so right about being frustrated while trying new techniques and feeling like you can't do it. These are beautiful!

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