Hello! It’s time for this month’s Project Art post! I’ve had so much fun playing with the wonderful Silks! Silks are shimmering paints suitable for most surfaces. The paint is an acrylic glaze, meaning that it’s translucent, but it’s still thick and creamy. You can mix the different colours if you wish, or you can apply them in layers, letting the layers dry before adding the next colour.

The Project Art kit contains 4 jars of Silks in the colours Golden Monarch, Fire Opal, Bolivian Blue and Moss Green. The kit also includes wood veneer frames, book pages, journaling cards and a 6×6 stencil that I LOVE.

Since I have been practicing drawing portraits in an online class with Misty Mawn, I couldn’t resist playing with drawn portraits also in my journal. My first page started out with a pencil drawing. I’ve been using a photo of one of my daughters as a reference for several drawings lately, but the goal in this case wasn’t to achieve perfect likeness. On the contrary, I used the photo as a starting point, but then stopped looking at the photo and let the drawing take it’s own direction.

I then started experimenting with adding the Silks. You can dilute them with water to create thin washes and I started out a bit carefully with Moss Green diluted with water.

I then added more of the green and also Bolivian Blue. I used Fire Opal for the lips. At this stage I thought she was looking a little too freaky.

I added more paint and I also went in with my pencil again to add some definition.

I added some white gesso to bring forward the lightest part of the face. I used Fire Opal around the edges of my page and I added some of the fantastic gold glitter from the main kit, using matte medium. I also used the chipboard letters from the main kit and the wooden star from the DITL kit.

Trying to capture the look of the glitter…

For my next page I started out using the gold glitter again. I used the stencil from the Project Art kit and applied matte medium to my page. I added the glitter and then brushed some more matte medium on top, to seal the glitter. The glitter spread some during this second application of medium, but I don’t really mind.

I then tore a piece of one of the book pages that came with the Project Art kit. I just adore the pink flower. I glued down my paper, not adding glue all the way to the edges, and I then splattered some of the Bolivian Blue (diluted with some water) on top of it all.

I used the stencil to trace “leaves” onto a piece of patterned paper from the patterned paper add on. I cut the leaves out and then used my sewing machine to attach them to another piece of one of the book pages.

To finish my page I added one of the cute wooden frames, painted with Silks and backed with a small piece of patterned paper.

My third page started out with some stamping, using an older Cocoa Daisy stamp, and I then covered the entire page with the Moss Green Silks paint. I used the April printables and cut out the arrows with numbers.

I then added some paint splatters onto the page, diluting the paint on my craft sheet and using a pipette.

Some of the paint was added with a brush and I then added splatters on top.

I did this with three of the colours, Bolivian Blue, Moss Green and Golden Monarch.

I then used some cut out vellum leaves (using the stencil as a template) and stapeled three of them together.

I also cut out a cute cloud from one of the patterned papers and I added white thread and some journaling. I painted the frame and the wooden dots with Silks.

My final page this month is another face. I started out using the same photo as a reference. On top of my pencil drawing I added some shapes, using the stencil.

I then coloured the shapes using a brush. A brush with an angle is perfect for this. I could have applied the paint directly through the stencil, but I wanted to be a bit more controlled this time.

I then added some pink to the background, using an Inktense pencil. This is where I discovered that it’s true that the Silks aren’t fully cured until after 48 hours. Even if the paint felt dry, the water I used to dissolve the Inktense pigment also dissolved some of the Silks. I stopped and waited and tried again a couple of days later and this time the Silks were completely dry and permanent.

On top of the Inktense, I added diluted Bolivian Blue. I also used a pen to outline the shapes.

I added some black mist by unscrewing the bottle and applying the mist using the tube. I also did some scribbling with the tube.

To finish my page, I glued down some sequins and added the chipboard letters. It’s really difficult to capture the fabulous shimmer of the paints in a photo. You need to see it in person!

Thank you so much for joining me! I hope you enjoy playing with the Silks and please let me know if you have any questions!

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AnnaB