2020 #12 It's My Life with Hot Picks {by Lynn Good}

2020 Topic 12: Typography

Art is an absorbing process and Lynn shows us how to keep persevering with a page until you get it just right. Adding layers upon layers gives amazing detail.  Her painted stencilled tissue paper looks particularly effective and all the lovely doodling creates real expression for the stamped face.
~ Keren.

Hi everyone, it's Lynn Good (Memories on the page) with you today and I'd like to share with you an art journal page that I have created for this week's theme "Typography".

I began this page as a single page and it took over and became a double page ! Let's see how I created this.

I did start with an idea -  I knew the stamp set I wanted to use (well two).  They are HP1504EZ and HP1802EZ

I wanted to created a background using the stamps and tissue paper so I started randomly stamping.  The tissue paper I used is nothing fancy - actually tissue that came with a pair of shoes that I brought!

I liked the page so much that I decided to adhere it in my journal page just as it is.  I have used a Decoupage glue for this.

I then added some crackle texture paste through Stencil PS166 - once this was semi dry (as I don't have a lot of patience!) I applied Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints - Coral and Red Lipstick.  I sprayed them with water and then used the stencil to dab and blot onto the next page.

   

I then added some Zesty Zing for highlights.

Now to push it all to the background a little! For this I have used Stencil PS187 and Snowflake Paint with a makeup sponge.

Of course, then Murphy's Law!!!  The background stamps were lost more than I would have liked so out with the stamp ink and put some more on!!  The fun part of Art Journalling is layer, layer and layer!

I then decided I needed a focal point and that focal point needed a background - so I used the same colours through stencil PS137 on tissue.

While I was waiting for this to dry, I was looking at the opposite page where I had put the excess paint from the first stencil and thought - maybe I could incorporate that page so they blended together.

So I added the extra paint I had left over onto the page

I decided to use the Stencil PS187 that I had used on the previous page with Snowflake paint, but this time I used it with the crackle paste. (not sure where that photo ended up but the photo below does show this step!)

I then needed to add some more of the stamps, so back to the tissue stamping and adding images.  I got so involved in this stage that I forgot to take photos!  You will see behind the head that I have added the tissue with the paint through the stencil I did previously as well as some line working with black paint pen on the left of the page.  I also added some black paint around the edges of the page.

But it still did not feel complete so I decided to sleep on it for the night.

I decided that it needed more work, some of the "flowers" buds coloured in and some random marks here and there with colour and black.  I needed to scribble around the head in both black and white, and highlight the eyes.  Once this was done I was happy with the result.  

Here are some close ups:

I hope that you have enjoyed this process - sorry it was lengthy!  But sometimes the pages need to take on their own journey and so what started out as a single page focusing on stamped images tissue morphed into a double page!

Lynn xx

Blog :  http://memoriesonthepage.blogspot.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lynn.good.3

2020 #12 Topic Introduction: Typography

 2020 Topic 12: Typography

Hi everyone, Keren here, looking at our new topic : Typography.

Typography can elicit an emotional response, build a brand, structure a page or piece of art and communicates words in a different way. We've seen a turning to dislike certain fonts such as Comic Sans (remember that one?!) and this also is a good example of how certain typography is fashion led. It's been quoted that the first real example of typography is the Guternberg Bible that was the catalyst for typography in the West and that font used is in use even today (although, text and design can be dated back from 11th Century East Asia.) Typography changed more rapidly when things turned digital. We now have access to a myriad of fonts and typefaces. As an aside, a typeface and font are different. The typeface refers to a family of fonts and the font is the collection of sizings, weights and style of the letters. Whatever your preference; the scripty curly alphabets currently in vogue or more simple plainer text like American Typewriter, combining these and playing around with their size, position, colours and negative space is the art of typography.

There are lots of examples on the PaperArtsy blog. I had a tough time just choosing three.
Firstly, is this bold bunch of letters decorated using Hot Picks stamps by Lotte Christianson.

 PaperArtsy Blog

Next is this beautiful page by Claire Snowdon incorporating a tonne of different fonts including book pages. It makes your eyes dance between the words.

 PaperArtsy Blog

This next textured beauty from Sandra Reynolds has a real mix of words, letters and numbers, yet there's plenty of 'space' to rest your eyes upon.

PaperArtsy Blog 

For those of you that are interested in the technical side- here's a quick infographic (which ironically depend on good typography for clarity.)

Shillington Education

I think lots of us when thinking of typography will have similar images to this in our heads; wooden blocks used in printers trays many years ago. With a resurgence in popularity of Letterpress, these are now pretty collectable. This example shows just how a juxtaposition of different fonts, upper and lower case can look so beautiful.

Career Foundry

Typographical designs get clever when they're arranged to denote a familiar image but using the words to describe phrases linked with it. The linked article is a fascinating look at how typography can be a visual influencer.

Hanlon Creative

Words are everywhere, and so is typography. What we rarely consider is that there is a psychology behind the fonts and colour that we see and how this affects us. This link explores more on this topic.

 Medium

Typography can be seen artistically in fashion and also in art quilts. This is a quilt that uses texture, words and negative space to achieve a calming, gentle piece of fabric art.

Jette Clover 

Typography isn't limited just to the digital. Whilst this example may have been created digitally it's a good starting point to consider how doodling, designing and being artistic in creating your own fonts and typographical art could be incorporated into your journalling or artistic endeavours.

 Content Ninja

For years, scrapbookers have utilised typography, picking the perfect font to match the emotions or events described in their memory recording. Using different papers to decorate die cut letters is a useful technique. This idea would look fabulous using stamped papers.

 Scrapbook Nerd

Typography doesn't have to just use paper, I added this example for fun. I'm not sure the art would last long but it's a great example!

Becca Clason

The way that letters or words are arranged is another aspect of typography. Letters don't need to be plain, but when simply rearranged, give a new energy to a word.

Pink Fresh Studio

Sometimes using the alphabet in its correct order as a bold graphic background can be a strong design statement. This journal cover has a wonderful almost ombre textured look.

Anna-Karin

Talking about negative space earlier, I thought I'd add to the discussion with this beautiful  quilled example of how the space is forming the letter. It's another inspired idea to add to your techniques 'arsenal'.

Anna Chiara Valentini 

We also mentioned at the beginning how typography could elicit emotion. This font, and the arrangement of it seems to perfectly fit with the style of the drawn images and the sentiment.

Jane Davenport 

Another aspect of artistic typography is using words and phrases, cleverly arranged to form portraits. This is a really striking example carefully following the contours of the face.

Cris Wicks

One of the more recognisable modern art structures fits into our topic perfectly. Robert Indiana created this which is an iconic piece and the design even made its way onto a postage stamp too!

 Robert Indiana

How about using a single letter and adding a design onto it? Whilst not strictly typography, it fits our theme well and is rather beautiful in its natural simplicity.

Do Good Decor

This next example hasn't been chosen for its literalness, but because it uses a technique you might like to emulate. Using the same main word and exact font, they've folded back certain parts so when put back together it completes the whole. You'll notice the lower words are in fact the definition too!

Leandro Ales

Lastly I've included this rather dreamy set of artist blocks that use typography in a simple but impactful way. Using book pages as the background and 2 other fonts, they've been sparing enough with the words that it doesn't clash nor look overdone. Just gorgeous.

Shelly Hickox

I hope this typographical collection has spurred you to look around you. Typography is absolutely everywhere, from the TV titles of our favourite programmes, the food we eat and what we see on the internet. There are so many wonderful ways of using this in our art.

If you want to create along with us, please share on our social feeds so we can see what you get up to. The best places are Instagram @paperartsy or post in PaperArtsy People Group on Facebook. Make sure you tag us in your contributions, we love to see what you get up to in your creative world!