Guest Author - Vivienne Oestergaard
Backgrounds are the base for many altered art projects. In this case, we are working on an altered art book. There are many techniques you can use for stunning backgrounds. Most of it involves paint, acrylic paints and watercolour paints. Select your colors with the idea that you will layer your designs. You will want to be able to paint, pencil, ink over the backgrounds. Another suggestion is that you adhere several pages of your book together to form a stronger page. Acrylic paint is heavy and your book pages may be to thin and your paint will seep thru to the back.
The easiest way is take your paint, put a dallop onto a paper plate or a discard plastic lid. Use your brush of choice and brush over the page in the book. If you use a coarse brush, you will get texture. Go to your local hardware store to find inexpensive brushes to use. The larger the better. Utilize the text and incorporate it into your design. Use the paint sparingly to let the text show thru. Maybe find words you want to leave out. Use white paint on one page and dallops of color for a soft look. Combine your colors (don’t mix it) so that you get interesting separated color combinations. Try using different colors while the paint is wet instead of drying in between layers.
One technique I found uses an old credit card. Squirt out your paint across the top of the page. Grip the credit card with the long edge into the paint and scrape it downwards on the page. Keep moving across the page in this manner. Let your page dry and do it again with another color and use paint sparingly. Try a comb in this same manner for some texture.
Crackling involves two coats of paint and a crackling medium, such as Ranger’s Distress Crackle Paint. Paint the first coat with your acrylic, dry, apply the crackle paint, dry, apply your second paint coat and watch your paint crackle!
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Use glue and other sheets of paper for your background in a collage. Take more old pages with text, tear it up, and adhere it to your pages. You can keep it as is or paint again with acrylics or even watercolour for a more washed out, see thru look.
Spraypaint can be used in so many ways. The whole page can be spraypainted in your choice of color. Or, you can paint your base and then spraypaint blotches. Or, you can paint a dark background to the base and spraypaint a metallic silver or gold on top of the dark paint for a really elegant look. Talking about splotches, you can also use a corresponding acrylic paint color and, using a brush, flick splotches of color onto your surface.
Another fun method is using another page with an illustration on it and adhering it to your base. This will make it look more like a collage piece. Stencils and stamps also add in some creativity. Use them with the paints. Make sure to clean your stamps and stencils before the paint drys.
Stamping can be more than using stamps. Try using crumpled up tissue paper or bubble wrap. They have an interesting texture which will make your art unique. Pat your tissue paper or bubble wrap in paint then tap onto your surface. Try different types of tissue or papers. Try fabric or textiles.
Altered art is not rocket science. Rather, it’s about experimentation. Try out a new technique. Test out your ideas. You can learn a lot about each method for future pieces. Most of all, enjoy the process.
