Blackened Canvas - Part II

o.k., this is what the canvas looked like when we left off yesterday....

The next step is to paint the entire canvas black.  I know it sounds scary but it is a blackened canvas :)

I like to use 1 part water to 3 parts acrylic paint so it's a little bit easier to work with.  The thinner paint is much easier to get into all the nooks and crannies created by the gesso, modeling paste, tissue and whatever else you decide to throw on there.

Now it's time to think about some more dimensional items. 

I just get lots of "stuff" out and start playing.  The photo is the one I'm going to add to the piece once it's finished so I put that on there to determine placement.  I used some faces I made from paper clay, a filigree piece and some old bits of jewelry I had.

You can use whatever you have on hand.  There is no right or wrong on this puppy!

After I determined where I wanted everything I went ahead and glued it down using my glue gun.  You could use regular glue but I didn't want to wait.

Once your pieces have been securely glued down, paint all the extras with more black paint.  I like to use a long bristle paint brush for this, it helps get into all the tight places your pieces might have.

And here's how it looks so far....

Once the black paint has dried, it's time to add some metallic color!  You can use paints, metallic rub-ons, Inka Gold, Guilders Paste, etc.  Pretty much anything that has a metallic sheen and can be applied with a brush or your finger goes.    I don't think I'd use metallic mists ~ that would provide more coverage than what we're going for.

This purple metallic paint from Stewart Gill fit the color scheme I was going for (purple, green & copper).  To apply paints (any type) you want to use a dry brush technique.  I painted a swatch of black on my kraft paper to test paints so I used it to brush off most of the paint leaving just a touch on the bristles.

Lightly brush the remaining paint over the canvas. 

You only want to hit the high spots for the most part...this  layer is to make all of that awesome texture from the pattern tissue, facial tissue and cotton ball bits pop.

Next it's time to add highlights to the gesso/modeling paste and the dimensional goodies you added to the canvas.  I used Inka Gold (purple, copper) and metallic rub-ons (green). 

So here are all the goodies highlighted.

Now to finish it off by adding the main image.

And

here it is!

I love how it turned out.
I am calling it Mysterious.

Here is the close up of the cotton ball bits...

And this is the modeling paste face (andy skinner stencil) with the punchenella along the top and side.  This was totally unintentional but I think she looks like a ghost image of the photo.  The punchenella area is like her hair/veil and the flower jewelry piece is like the head piece she is wearing.

Here is what the facial tissue texture looks like.  You can even see the tiny cross hatching from when they pressed the layers of tissue together!

And finally the modeling paste corner piece.

I LOVE this technique and will be making more of these.

How about you?

Care to try your hand???

If you give it a try, be sure to post a link, we'd all love to check it out.