Art Techniques – Activity Two

Bray-er Painting & Envelope Art

The blue Fool’s card is created with fabric pieces on heavy white card-stock. The elements or symbols are various papers, ink jet printed images and rubber stamps.

The fabric background is painted with a brayer that is old and textured from various glues and acrylic paints. I have found it to be a wonderful replacement for the paintbrush. After years of use it becomes lumpy and full of bumps which adds loads of texture to whatever canvas it is applied to. I use a glaze medium so each layer of paint can be seen.

- choose three to four colors of paint. I used various shades of blue for one card and green shades for the other card. It also works with other colors.

- use more glaze than paint and mix. The perfect palette container for this is an old china dish – it provides rolling room and easy clean up.

- Just Roll  … don’t worry about direction. Perhaps start with the darkest shade of paint and work up to the lightest.

- allow each shade of paint to dry thoroughly. If you don’t the appearance can become muddy in color. When you have accomplished all your color choices the allowed drying time should be over night.

The green Fool’s card is done with the same brayer technique. All the images are paper. The card itself is a white mailing envelope – 6×9 in size. I worked on what would be the back of the envelope.I tuck my notes and other things pertaining to the card inside the envelope. This could also be made into book.

Envelopes provide a wonderful canvas to work upon. They are affordable, come in various colors and have that secret space to keep your writing in. Just remember when painting to place a folded piece of wax paper inside to keep the envelope from sticking together.