Hi everyone! Jessica here with more Artuta Art Tips.
In the last Art Tip I showed how to create stencils and how to use those stencils to create a collage. I cut out several pieces and had some leftover flower shapes that I did not use in the final collage. Today, I would like to show you two very different artworks that I made using the same flower stencil shape.
Here is my materials list:
Color pencils (mine are a mix from various color pencil sets)
Pencil
Eraser
Gluestick
Various sheets of paper
Cut flower shapes
Flower stencil
I had a vague idea of what I wanted to make, but I knew I had two things I must focus on.
Using the flower stencil
Using the flower stencil with color pencils
My instinct was to play around with the shapes and start drawing and see what happens. I didn’t want the flower stencil to be confined to just being a flower. I felt the shape was very round and soft which reminded me of sheep and clouds, so I started with that thought and started drawing using the stencil as a guide.
As you can see, I continued across the page flipping and turning the stencil from side to side to create different shapes, using the curved edges to create fluffy Cumulus clouds. I traced the stencil in pencil, erased my lines to make them lighter, then redrew the lines in various shades of blue.
The drawing started to look like this after a few days of working on it. I blended different shades of color pencil to fill in the clouds, many have up to 3-5 different colors! It’s one way to create a mood. I wanted the clouds to seem like they were moving and overlapping each other - as if a storm would be happening soon. To create movement (like in the black clouds) I drew lines that contoured the shape of the clouds instead of coloring straight across (like I did in the purple and blue clouds). Shading, patterns, and coloring in different directions all add different textures to drawings. Can you see the stencil shapes in the clouds?
After working on the clouds, I was still unsure about my sheep idea, so I put this drawing to the side and started looking at the flower cut outs. Turning the flower cut out around towards different angles, the flower cut out reminded me of a type of flower called “Black-eyed Susan.”
Here you can see the progression from trying to draw the flower by using color pencils to defining the form, and creating petals. I decided in order to mask the original shape, I’d glue two of the same shapes to each other at different angles. After working shading and detailing with color pencils, I am happy with the outcome.
With the flowers being bright, I wanted something a bit more neutral and calm to offset the bright white paper, so I glued on a piece of khaki colored paper. While arranging the flowers, I did some research on what Black-eye Susans look like while in bloom and what their leaves are like. I drew the leaves with colored pencils and redrew the lines several times with different shades of green, creating an effect of movement. I purposely drew outside of the colored paper, as I wanted the white paper to not only act as a border. Then I glued all the flowers into place! Ta-da! Finished!
With this piece, I used the actual flower cut outs to create a form. For the clouds, I used the same flower shape to create new shapes by using a portion of the stencil and sometimes adding to the drawing. Let's get back to the clouds piece.
I decided to make the sheep. Similar to the clouds, I used the flower stencil as a basic form for the sheep and slowly altered my drawing by adding new lines and erasing the lines I didn’t need. Do you think sheep looks like the flower stencil? Maybe a bit. Once I was happy with my sheep, I decided to give her some grass and color.
What do you think? Will it rain? Is sheep happy?
There are multiple ways to create using a stencil and colored pencils, I hope you experiment and have fun creating! Remember you can always repurpose and re-exam artwork or cut out pieces that don’t get used. Have fun and go beyond!
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Jessica Lee
Hello! My name is Jessica. I am a collage and soft sculpture artist based in New York City. I am originally from East Los Angeles, California. I love making things and believe that art is an extension of yourself. I am always excited to see what Artuta students create!
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