More Pan Pastel Journal backgrounds

I LOVE using PanPastels for my journal backgrounds - sometimes it is great not to have to wait for paint to dry. I especially love the soft subtle blending that can be achieved, and the wonderful tactile feel of the pages. I have been using them in my gratitude journal, and thought I would share some pre-prepared background pages -


The page bottom left (above) was created by applying Phthalo Blue and Hansa Yellow Shade and blending them where they meet. The flowers were created by stamping with Versamark, and then dusting very lightly over the stamping with Chromium Oxide Green for the stems/leaves and Red Iron Oxide shade for the flowers.

The page top right was created by blending Yellow Ochre and Permanent Red and then erasing the swirls with a pencil eraser (Pan Pastels erase very easily). The page bottom right was created by laying down a base coat of Yellow Ochre, and then dusting Red Iron Oxide shade over a Tim Holtz mask.

For most pages, simply rubbing well with a paper towel after applying the Pastel is enough to 'fix' the pages, however when applying over a mask or through a stencil, it may be necessary to use a fixative spray, although I haven't done that yet with this page and it is holding up pretty well.

I also find that PanPastel can be easily used on smooth paper - usually soft pastel requires a paper with some 'tooth', but it is easy to get smooth 'washes' of colour on very smooth paper with this product as it is so low in dust and has an almost creamy consistency.

Calendar-Feb10

I did well with my January calendar for Kate Crane's Monthly Art Calendar Challenge , only a few blank squares.

Here are my pages prepped and ready for February. The squares were masked off then I buffed on Permanent Red PanPastel with Phthalo blue around the edges. I just love PanPastels for journal pages they give the page such a lovely smooth tactile surface. I then stamped around the edges with a flourish and a heart stamp.

Gratitude Journal 19th Jan

Here is another spread from my Gratitude journal, again with a PanPastel background, this was using the colours Yellow Ochre and Red Iron Oxide Shade blended together, the pattern was drawn with an eraser.

Birthday Gift

Well, I have been busy these last few weeks making gifts for friends, some I can't yet show as they haven't been handed to the recipient yet, but this one is now in the hands of it's new owner... My friend celebrated her 50th birthday this week and I made this little book for her, inspired by Martha Lever. I have always loved collecting quotes, so I picked some of my favourites to share.

The images were painted in watercolour on watercolour paper, some have the addition of PanPastel in the background, and a little stencilling added, others also have some rubber stamping. I then made a little booklet out of dark green paper, and stitched it together, then pasted the watercolour paper on each page. Finally I made two covers using fine brass mesh, which were attached with thread sewn through the eyelets and attached to the sewn binding of the book, and then added some fibres as a finishing touch.

XmasDecorations

This spread was in response to a challenge on the 'Love This Journal' Yahoo group - to draw your favourite christmas ornaments. I decided to do a page on two of the decorations made by the children a few years ago, and still carefully preserved.

Drawn with Pitt Pen in Moleskine Sketchbook with watercolour pencils, and PanPastel for the border.

The Road

The Road
Originally uploaded by JournalEYES

“Just finished reading Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Road’ and felt inspired to do a journal page. I wanted to try out a new material - Safmat, a transparent film, from Letraset that you can print onto.

I edited a couple of photos of winter trees in photoshop and printed them onto the Safmat. I then peeled off the backing and stuck the transparent film with the printed image into my Moleskine sketchbook. I had used a grey PanPastel on the page first, deliberately patchy, to create the dusty landscape depicted in the book.

Quite pleased with the Safmat, it is very thin and ‘almost’ invisible, so a good way of getting photos into your journal without creating too much bulk.”