The Majestic One by Suman Pandit

Hello All, today we have an extremely talented blogger & crafter on our blog, Suman Pandit.

Suman absolutely self taught artist, inspires artists & crafters through her detailed tutorials. Hope you enjoy reading :-) Over to Suman.

I am really thrilled to be here on the Ity Bitsy blog as I love all the products that Itsy Bitsy carries, I also love their commitment to social causes and making substantial contribution to generate rural employment and education.

I love to learn new techniques and to share my latest experiments in art. My style is always growing/evolving. I believe art is for everybody. It gives out a purpose and satisfaction to life, a sense of fulfillment.  Mixed media gives me freedom to explore and realize my creative potential. I love to use a variety of mediums like paints, texture pastes, inks and pens and love to experiment in my work as well as in using various supplies. Most of all, I am happy learning and experimenting on the go.

Today, I have worked on the Paper-mache masks, Mont Marte Black Gesso,Itsy bitsy Pearlised Metallic paints in Gold, Silver, Brick Red and Teal Blast, Little Birdie Color Splash sprays in Grape Crush and Lime Splash and Glitter Glue in Gold metallic…….all these were sent to me along with many other wonderful supplies from Itsy Bitsy Store.

Here's a look at my creation first:

I was sent these supplies

I started with the white Mask and gave two coats of Black Gesso using a sponge so happy with the smooth coverage by the Mont Mode Black gesso, just the right consistency and it gives a smooth matte surface.

I added a lot of die cuts, drywall tape,  glass beads and embellishments with Silicon Glue by Itsy Bitsy. The silicon glue is fast drying and the bond is strong, moreover, as it is a rubber adhesive any extra glue can be easily removed by rubbing with an eraser even from paper.

Added some micro beads, you can use all mixed beads and embellishments of any color as everything gets covered with a coat of Black gesso in the next step.

Now it time to dry brush with metallic paints in various colors till one is happy with the result. There are few tips and tricks you should keep in mind when you use this technique

Some tips for Dry Brushing Technique :

1. Dry brushing technique involves using a paint brush that has a minimum amount of paint on it and using it to highlight textures and edges.

2. It is best to use a flat brush for this technique.

3. Keep your brush at a 90 degree angle and lightly brush edges or raised areas. Start with a light touch and gradually build color/layers.

4. The secret to this technique is not to apply too much paint on your brush, it is a good idea to keep a spare paper on which you wipe your brush after taking paint on it before starting on your textured surface.

The Pearlized metallic paints are opaque in nature so it is important to build the color in layers with very light strokes of a dry brush otherwise you will miss the contrast with the Black Gesso. In case you feel that your color layers are too thick, simply cover again with a coat of Black Gesso and start again.

To create more contrast, I sprayed the mask with Little Birdie Color Splash Inks in Grape crush and Lime splash. The liquid sprays settle within the highly textured surface, the inks need to be heat set on non-porous surfaces like the gesso-ed surface of the mask.

I have used the beautiful silk yarn bought during the Itsy Bitsy sale to use as ties.

The beautiful Turquoise Rhinestone is from a set of 6 Jem Jewel Magnets bought for Rs Six (from the recent Itsy Bitsy sale).

Beautiful feathers from Itsy bitsy and silicon glue make a wonderful handmade embellishment…….

Glass beads from Itsy Bitsy…

I decided to mount the eye mask onto another Full face mask 

Have dry brushed edges with Teal Blast Pearl Metallic paint and added little Glitter Glue in Gold metallic on the full mask around the eyes and lips.

I really enjoyed creating “The Majestic One” for Itsy Bitsy……hope you get some tips and inspiration from today’s post. I would answer any queries you may have regarding this project. Many thanks to Rashmi Harish and team Itsy bitsy for having me here today.

Thanks
Suman Pandit