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Back to "What is Altered Art?" - Page 2
materials you can use. What common art materials can you use, and
what can you do with them?
Some common art materials and their effects in altered art:
Acrylic paint: Any color or degree of transparency can be used over
parts or the whole of the finished piece, or spattered, like a Jackson
Pollack. Borders, details, text, doodles, etc. can be added with paint to
the finished object. Or you can pre-treat different elements of your work
before assembly with acrylics to color, distress, spatter, create a border,
etc.
Acrylic glazes: These are simply acrylic paint mixed with a thinning (and
usually glossy) extender, and give a depth and transparency to its base.
Glazes can be layered with wonderful results. They can be bought pre-
made as a glaze (Golden is an excellent brand) and there are products
that you can use as the extender with any of your acrylics. Since the
effect is more subtle and transparent, they are usually used as washes
over the base, finished piece, or elements.
Ink: Comes in a variety of types, usually for a specific purpose or effect.
It can be used in all the same ways as acrylics, either for regular rubber
stamping, or direct to paper methods with the ink pad, to age materials,
accent, or emphasis. Bottled liquid inks have come onto the market,
frequently in spray bottles. These are great to distress a piece. Walnut
ink comes in liquid, powder and spray forms which add an aged, grubby,
look. Pigment ink dries slowly and can be used with embossing powder
for dimension and color, but unless you have a week or two to let it dry,
you’ll need a heat gun, sort of a super hair-dryer emitting a blistering
blast of hot air. Dye ink is less permanent, but dries quickly on its own.
Alcohol-based colorants and solvent inks are best for metal surfaces.
They should be used in a well-ventilated area. There is even special
paint for glass, if you wanted to add color or design to a microscope
slide, for example.
Chalk: its use is self-explanatory. I like to dab it on with Q-Tips or
disposable sponge make-up applicators to emphasize words in text or
to shade borders when an effect more subtle than ink is desired.
Other color: Application of color can be achieved with any usual
coloring material: crayons, watercolor (although it degrades more
quickly than the above methods), color pencil or felt tip pen, and so on.
Faux finishes: There are products that reproduce or create texture or an
effect of rust or patina, to name a few. They can be found in large craft or
art stores. Most are a two-step process. You can apply faux finishes
before or after assembling the mixed media items, depending on the
effect desired.
Paper: Although I prefer to use actual letters, pages from books, etc.,
sometimes I will scan them, if I want to resize them or otherwise
manipulate them in Photoshop for my purpose. Plain and solid colored
paper is easy to find in art and craft stores. Do not skimp on the quality
of your paper. Cheap children's construction paper looks exactly like
what it is. For patterned paper, inexpensive decorative scrapbooking
papers are available to use as backgrounds, cutouts, and other
applications. Origami papers are fairly inexpensive and come in pretty,
detailed patterns, but they are somewhat fragile to work with. The
simplest papers can come alive with a layer or two of acrylic glaze or
stamping. Burnt umber creates a nice sepia effect.
Adhesives: Many people swear that gel medium is the most versatile and
least toxic adhesive product for altered art projects, however it is not the
most heavy duty or suitable adhesive for all purposes. If you are making
an object that will NOT receive much handling, it is quite effective. Heavy
bodied, matte gel medium can be used in such applications to attach
smaller dimensional objects heavier than paper to your base with
objects such as metal objects like coins, or wood objects like Scrabble
letters.
Personally, I have a great variety of adhesives, and each is well suited to
different purposes. Glue dots are handy and mess-free for small, lighter
articles. For adhering book paper, such as in altered book projects, the
best product is PH neutral PVA, a white glue that dries clear. For
adhering semi-opaque items or thin paper, especially in larger
applications such as book covers or end papers, a Xyron machine is
worth the expense if you really get into altered books. Diamond Glaze is
a clear, dimensional adhesive great for embedding elements in recessed
places like bottle caps, giving a resin or glass-like effect. Work in layers
and be sure to pop any bubbles.
To stick large and/or bulky pieces or metal on a piece that will
be handled, E-6000 is a very heavy-duty adhesive. Just clean off any
excess that seeps out right away with a toothpick. I’ve even used Super
Glue, but as a last resort – I can’t work well when my fingers are
permanently bonded to one another!
A Final Sparkle: After all of the above, you can apply metallic materials.
These are fragile, and should go on last before sealant: glitter, mica
flakes, embossing powders, and metallic leaf.
Sealants: Always give your final piece a coat or two of some kind of
sealant. Some swear by Mod Podge or gel medium, but I find that this is
a poor choice where elements meant to move rest on one another, such
as altered book pages. The surface becomes slightly tacky and the
elements stick. I usually use a matte finish spray sealant available at any
art supply store. If you prefer a satin or glossy surface, those are
available as well.
Have fun!
Further Sources For Altered Art:
ZNE -- an altered art group – http://www.zneart.com
Altered Art: Techniques for Creating Altered Books, Boxes, Cards &
More (Hardcover) by Terry Taylor
Online altered art group -- http://groups.msn.com/alteredart
A good Amazon.com “So You’d Like To" list and discussion of altered
art books
WHAT IS ALTERED ART - PAGE 2 - BACK
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