Finger Painting Art

I am not a good painter. I have no artistic technique or skill with a brush.  This limits me in the type of art/pictures I can create.

I make collages, sometimes they look good and other times I create a mass of ugly.

Using a pattern I am pretty good with fabric painting. I can use chalk and a template and make something pretty good looking. I will cover this in another blog when I work on this type of project.  I have some very cool templates to share.

Now saying I am not a good painter is true. But I am very good with my hands or my fingers if you will.  I can create some beautiful items with my fingers. 

This weekend I had an idea and tried a new project.  Through trial and error I learned what to do, what not to do and I am finally pleased with my technique.

Now I need to get some black gesso and make some more.  Here is what I did, using my fingers and metallic powder, mica powders and a workable fixative.

I used one of my favorite brand of templates.  I didn't get the best photograph of this work. While it isn't perfect, I finally perfected the technique.

 

 Here is my first effort and I learned several things. 

• Using workable fixative improves the results, the large pear created the effect I wanted.
• If you don't use great care the metallic and mica powder will color the page where it is unwanted, lower left.
• I experimented on the grapes trying to find the best way to work with the powder and the template.  On this template making a hard line with the grapes did not look good.  A blurring on lines worked better as you can see with the grapes on the left side of this picture.   I experimented with more than one color and shading and learned, what not to do - don't use different colors. Shade brighter from one angle.
• The grapes are too round on this template and I won't be using them in the future.  The pears and leaves turn out lovely.

Below is a Christmas Cone tree I made from one of my pieces of art. The art actually turned out pretty well but was on construction paper.  I decided to glue the paper to a paper cone I created.

 

 

When I get a black canvas and make another 'piece of finger art' I will share with you. I will also try to take pictures of both the steps and my fingers.

 

 

Part of crafting is practicing and learning what works and what doesn't.  I consider my efforts successful.