Floral Deer Silhouette Painting Video Tutorial

This was an especially fun painting. I did it live on YouTube as part of the #PawgustArt (Animal Theme) event that was hosted by the Creative Arts Collaboration group I belong to. This was my first time doing a live stream painting event and it was a lot of fun. I will show links to my full length video and the shorter time lapse one below.

First I found a deer image from the internet and traced it's outline. Notice I did not include the whole neck and I thickened up parts of the antlers and adjusted the ear a little so it was not so close to the antlers.  Then using graphite paper I transferred my outline to my sketch book.

I sketched out the flowers and leaves using the outline of the deer as much as possible. I also incorporated the eye and nose as parts of leaves and flowers. Fit your details inside the outline and fill all the empty spaces if possible without overlapping much.  Then trace out your design leaving out the original outline.  Transfer this to your mat board or other surface with graphite paper (I used white graphite for my dark grey background).

I sealed the Mat Board (just a scrap from a frame shop) with Clear Gesso and lightly sanded it to give it a distressed look. It also protected the background from water and paint drips. I used Golden Fluid Acrylic Titanium White to paint in my details. You could use a white marker or other color paint as well.

Shorter Time Lapse Version

Full length Event Video

Swallowtail Butterfly - Acrylic Painting Tutorial Videos #LoveSummerArt

Ever have one of those days when nothing seems to want to happen easily? Even the simplest tasks seem like the universe has conspired to complicate?  Welcome to my world!!  OK, granted, I could have saved some of the frustration I am about to spill if I had planned ahead a little bit. But in my defense, I had been finishing the remodel of my studio and I had not had time to film and edit my newest video until the last minute.  It was perfect storm of procrastination and frustration.

It really is a miracle the videos were released on time. I just barely finished my studio renovation the week before the July 17th-20th deadline for the #LoveSummerArt event and I purchased a new computer to make the editing go faster. Yeah right, faster, well my fancy, new, super-speedy computer did not come with Wifi, or an SD card reader, or the CD drive plugged in, or the proper monitor cords, or speakers, you get the idea! It was a lesson in patience for sure.  Thank the Lord I have 3 computer savvy men at my disposal or I might have had a meltdown.  So needless to say, it took almost all week just to get the proper computer parts ordered and functioning.

So, as it turned out, my editing had to be done the day before the release.  Oh, and did I mention I decided to do a first ever fine art tutorial?? No? Well, instead of a regular 30 min. or hour long tutorial, I had 5 hours of recorded video to edit.  5 bleeping hours!  Oh, and did I also mention that my camcorder decided to go on super hi-def mode and filled my 2G SD card every 30 min. or so? So that I had to stop recording and upload it (to my old laptop because, of course, my new SD card reader was not in yet, which meant that once I was ready to edit I had to transfer all 10 sections of video over to my new computer). Are you exhausted just reading this. I am! Ok, I am done griping. I won't even mention the editing because, well, just don't get me started.

So here you go. I hope it meets muster. And if the butterfly drawing video has my left hand on the right side, well, sorry but we will just have to deal with it. Try watching it in the mirror. ;)

And the Speed Version. If only I could paint this fast!

Easy Birch Tree Painting Tutorial - Free Acrylic Painting Lesson

This is one of my most popular class projects so I thought I would share the how-to in a video.  It is perfect for kids or beginners.  Please subscribe and "like" if you enjoyed this video! Thanks for watching!

Supplies used:
10"x20" Canvas
Masking or Painters Tape (3/4", 1", 1.5", 2" widths)
Acrylic Paints (various colors, including metallic and black)
Sponge Brush
Plastic Gift Card
Circular objects in various sizes for stamping

Here is the link to the original post:  Kids Art Class Birch Trees

Kid's Art Class - Floral Arrangement

The girls made floral arrangements today.   They painted their clay pots with acrylics and then filled them with floral foam and flowers.  Fun!

 

After School Art Class - Mixed Media Project

This week the girls in my after school art class did a mixed media project.

Materials used: 

• 9"x12" canvas panels
• 1/4" thick chipboard letter
• scrapbook papers with coordinating colors
• acrylic paint
• bubble wrap
• foam brush
• tacky glue
• scrapbook glue sticks
• ribbon
• scrapbook silk flowers
• rhinestone stickers
• buttons
• colored pens and pencils
• Stickles glitter glue

I had them start by picking 4 scrapbook papers to use as their inspiration.  

Then they chose a color for the background of the canvas and painted the sides of the letters to match.  

Bubble wrap was then painted with accent colors and pressed onto the panel to give the canvas an interesting texture.  

They traced the letters onto scrapbook paper and cut out hearts, stars and flowers out of coordinating papers.   

All that was left to do was glue and embellish with rhinestones, flowers, glitter pens and buttons!

The girls had a lot of fun with this one.  I love projects like this that can be personalized.  I think it is important for students to be given room for creative expression.  This was the perfect project for that!

 (Two students opted for peace signs instead of letters.  Unfortunately, I didn't get photos of both.  We used a tool to cut a circle out of paper.  The circle was then cut in a fork design to be used for the center part of the peace sign.  Then the outer edge of the remnant paper was cut about an inch from the edge of the opening to make the outer ring of the peace sign.  Ideally I would have liked to find a chipboard or wood peace sign to cover like we did with the letters, but this worked out well instead.)

After School Art Class - Peacock Feather Painting

I started my after school art class today.  We did a painting of a peacock feather.  I almost changed the project because I was afraid it would be too difficult (with all those lines and shading), but I think they did an amazing job!  

After School Art Lessons

I will be starting a new after school art class for ages 8 to 18 on September 20th.  Classes will be held every Tuesday from 4:15 - 5:45 pm at Hobby Lobby of Russellville, AR. Cost will be $20 per class or $200 for 12.