The last 2011 post!

2011 is ending! Since 4 months I'm writing and showing a bit of my works on painted and decorated papers! Again I would thank all my readers and followers for your support and encouragement through your comments and appreciations! This adventure was one of the most important decisions I've taken regarding to my work knowledge and I'm very pleased for it! 

As my last 2011 work, I want to show some composed papers I've made, thanks to my friend Rodolfo who has shown me this extraordinary application of tissue - foil - tissue paper, combined with abstract collage. Each piece of paper is about 4cm x 4cm, and with it, is possible to create some interesting and beautiful accessories!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!!

THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON!!

Christmas is coming!!

Christmas is coming, and to celebrate it I show you a beautiful Christmas tree originally published by Francesco Guarnieri (a famous Italian origami artist). If you want to fold his model, the diagrams can be found here. I have folded it using some painted papers with two tones of green and for the base I used a tone of brown. I got the lighter green tone by mixing yellow with black, and the brown tone ​​by mixing orange with black. Some people have told me that seems made ​​of silk, but not! It is painted paper!

Fantasy Patterns - Part III

Imagination - Tiles - Patterns - Inks... This is the path to follow. We are already in November, 2011 is reaching to its end... This blog is reaching its 3th month! Its still so young, still a baby! but with a lot of energy, colors, ideas and creativity. It is growing day after day thanks to your contribution, visiting it, commenting the posts... 53 countries all around the world knowing about this art, painted paper art... What about the future?!. Well, very promising! with lots of ideas! With a big load of energy!... Thank you to all!... 

Fantasy Patterns - Part II

Painting papers with geometrical motifs is really a wonderful idea! You can paint whatever you think in a wide range of patterns and colors! You only need a relax moment and make your imagination to go!. This is a part of my work this week. The background for these papers were made with paste painting technique, and the motifs were done with natural inks! So two different techniques into one piece of paper!.

Fantasy Patterns - Natural Inks.

Today I show my latest work in the last two days. In this opportunity I've made fantasy patterns, as water lilly leaves, and spirals. The next week it will be the last working week, because I'll be preparing my schedule and materials for the 29th ITALIAN ORIGAMI CONVENTION (CDO) that will be held at Tabiano Bagni, from 8th-11th december. I will bring my painted papers to this Convention.

Painted Tiles with Natural Inks - Part II

Here there is a classical tile pattern of alternated crossed lines. As the last works, this is painted with natural inks freehand. Time ago I've done this patterns also with pastepainting technique. Each one has their own peauty. This one made with fine brushes gives to the papers some delicate appeal.

Painted Tiles with natural inks - Part I.

I love geometrical forms, and when I think on it, the first that comes to my mind are TILES... Their sequence, their repetitions, many kinds of forms and arrangements. There is inside them a strange mistery of art, different interpretations, all inside the forms, the way you can see them... Here I show the first part of my painted papers with a particular tile pattern that I've called CROSSED SIGNALS. Hope you all like them. 

NOTHING of these patterns was done with rules, all is done freehand, the grids, the tiles, all...

I want to ask to you (all my blog readers and visitors) to tell me and show me if you have any particular tile you want to be painted into paper. I will be pleased to try your suggestions!

"Movement" collection I

In this month of  November I continue to create painted papers using natural inks! They offer high versatility and allows me to get so many patterns, combining the different color tones in a harmonious way.

In this opportunity I am presenting a small part of the collection which I called "Movement". It is composed of several patterns that give a dynamic sense, sometimes gently, others with chaos.

These two examples invite us to think to the wind in its wavy feelling, moving hair in a breeze, or the waves on the water caressed by the wind.

Tartan Patterns - Painting with natural inks.

I was always attracted by Scottish patterns, specially by TARTAN. When I obtained my natural inks, in my mind I've planned something like tartan patterns. Today I show some of my results.

More flowered patterns.

Here I present two variations of flower patterned painted papers. Really, this kind of work made with natural inks, gives to the paper a special feeling. I like them!!

Flower patterned handpainted papers.

Here I show two of my flower patterned papers I've painted. There are more combinations and patterns. They are painted with natural inks obtained from flowers and vegetables. A wonderful work!.

The power of natural inks.

Yesterday was the first of typical autumn days here... Cloudly, a bit of rain, and cold... My work day begun with my cup of coffee, listening soft music, and preparing my day work in my studio. I've read some info days ago about natural inks, obtained from natural products as flowers and vegetables. I worked a bit on the matter, and obtained some colored liquids and decided to use them for paint papers.

The result was these gorgeous patterns. Nature is a wonderful reservoir of life, colors, intruments and ideas. You only need to use them with love, with magic, ever remembering that we came from the same nature. In this way you can transmit positive energies to you work and your mind will relax and explode of beautiful ideas.

First Experience with Natural Inks.

Today I want to show an experiment I've done this weekend. It's about experimenting with natural inks obtained from some vgetables and flowers, as parsley, carrots, pumpkin, cabbage, eggplant, then mixed with water into glass pots. I added water to dilute the mixture and shaked the content very well until obtain an homogeneous mix.

I took my wash brush and put over the bristles an amount of the mix ink using a dropper. Then I brushed on the paper randomly until I see all the surface covered with the ink and the "waterous" color was completely absorbed by the paper. Then I laid the papers to dry slowly and naturally.

The result was a wonderful collection of 44 painted papers plenty of colors, like pastels!.

Black Beauty.

Talking with a friend about potencial of black color in paper decoration, I decided to experiment the effects of contrasting black - white. Then, I prepared a black paste and went to paint my white papers. Finally with some combs I removed the paint to evidence the whiteness under. The effect is really amazing, it's like the paint moves while you see it with attention. This is the classical effect of optical visions. Here are some of the papers I've done.

Mono color & Mono stroke - Part II

Here are more examples of the application of one color tone and one type of brush stroke in making paste papers. For all colors I used black to get darkness.

Mono color & Mono stroke - Part I

Although these papers were painted with one color tone, can you determine which colors were used for each one? I give you a hint: in every one I used black.

As you can see, for paste papers a single brush movement can give very special effects. Soon I will show other examples.

How mix primary and secondary paint colors.

Today I want to tell some notes about the use of primary and secondary colors of the color wheel. See at the following simple color wheel:

 

The primary colors azul (blue) - rojo (red) - amarillo (yellow) are placed in the center as a triangle. If you mix EQUAL parts or proportions of each color pair on each side of the triangle, you can obtain the corresponding secondary color (orange - green - violet). Then, for example, you don't need to buy these secondary colors, and only focuse on the three primary ones. It means:

1 part yellow + 1 part red = orange (naranja)

1 part yellow + 1 part blue = green (verde)

1 part blue + 1 part red = violet (violeta)

Continuing with the mixing, if you mix equal parts of primary and secondary colors, you can obtain the tertiary ones. It means:
 

1 part orange + 1 part yellow = yellow-orange (amarillo-nararja)

1 part yellow + 1 part green = yellow-green (amarillo-verde)

1 part freen + 1 part blue = blue-green (azul-verde)

1 part blue + 1 part violet = blue-violet (azul-violeta)

1 part violet + 1 part red = red-violet (rojo-violeta)

1 part red + 1 part orange = red-orange (rojo-naranja)

The tertiary colors are mostly present in nature, and them are mostly used in art works. Varying the proportions of the colors you can obtain different hues, and if you add white you can obtain soft or clearer colors. You can use also more primary or secondary colors to obtain more intensity in your mix result. Some people uses black color to obtain more darkness. My recomendation is to not use the black to obtain intensity because it not funtions well; the black usually dirty the color.

When you mix, take in acoount that is more easy to make a color darker than clearer. For this reason I recomend to begin the mix putting the clearer colors at first and then add slowly the dark colors and mix very well during the addition to see the resulting color you are obtaining, and then stop adding when you reach your desired result. For example if you want to obtain orange color put first the yellow (clearer) and then add slowly the red (darker), but not the entirely part of it, only a small quantity at once and mixing to homogenize the mix.

The hint is to practice, and experiment with color mixing to create your own color palette, indicating the amount of paint used for it, and the order in which you added the colors. An important thing is to consider the color of paper where you will paint, because it intracts with visual effect of the final color paint.

Hope these few explanations can help all of you in your work. Good painting to all!

Paint Mixing Tool.

When you need to select colors for a paint work, and don't have much experience, you go through the internet seeking for a good tool thats help you in your trouble. Then you see that there are lots and lots of pages, articles, color palettes pics, and many other things. Then the first big doubt is about what is the best choice?... Try to search and you will be in agree with me!.

Reading a bit into the field of color theory, you can learn that one thing are the mixing color palettes for LIGHT COLORS, and another thing are the mixing palettes for PAINT COLORS... Then, if you don't be careful you can make a mistake using one palette with other purpose!.

Mixing color world is bigger than you can imagine! For example, consider the fact that, if you are talking about mixing oil paints or acrylic paints or watercolors, inks, dyes, crayons, etc, each one of them brings different results even you are using the same colors!! This is due the medium used to make each kind of paint and also it depends on the pigments, because them are very different for each type of paint!.

Another variable that you need to consider is the support for the paint (in this case the paper). There are white papers and also colored! Then, the original color of the paper interacts with the final color you want to obtain!.

As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider ni the moment you are preparing colors for your art work. Then be patient!. Make experiments, take notes and go!

Searching on the internet I've found a javascript tool which I consider is very powerful, because it refers to PAINT MIXTURES!. I've added it in a page of my blog. You can find it clicking here: "Paint Mixing Tool". You can see that is very easy to use and is a very very close approach to real colors that can be obtained with real paints. Please read the brief explanations to undestand the use of this tool. Experiment with it, and of course, comment!

The CREDITS for this tool are of:

Stephen Chapman, About.com's Javascript Guide.

Markov on the Moon.

If you ever look carefully at the moon, you will see that there are bright lines that run from pole to pole. On this particular, there is a short story that I want to share with you:

When my mother and my father were children (and this happened long time ago in the earliest 1930 - 1940) it was said that there was a man named Markov. He went on the moon and he stole some straw ... While he escaped carrying the straw on his shoulders, some of it was dropped on the way. The rays of sun lit up this straw and made it bright as gold and could be seen from all sides of the Earth... From there came the story of the signs on the moon ...

Remembering this story, today I want to share with you an origami model of the moon by Atuko Kawai and folded by me, which I wanted to paint in shades of gold, recalling that straw ... and the face of the moon, remembering the Markov's face ...

*****************************************************

Si alguna vez miran a la luna con detalle, veran que hay lineas brillantes que la recorren de polo a polo. Sobre este particular, hay una pequeña historia que quiero comartirles: 

Cuando mi madre y mi padre eran niños (y de esto ya hace mucho tiempo a principios de 1930 - 1940) se decia que habia un hombre llamado Markov. El fue a la luna y robo algo de paja... Mientras escapaba llevando sobre sus espaldas la paja, algo de ella cayo por el camino. Los rayos de sol iluminaban la paja y la hicieron brillar como oro y podia ser vista desde cualquier lado de la Tierra... Desde alli, viene la historia de los signos sobre la luna...

Recordando esta historia, hoy quiero compartir con ustedes un modelo en origami de la luna de Atuko Kawai y plegado por mi, que he querido pintar con difuminaciones de oro, recordando la paja... Y la cara de la luna, recordando la cara de Markov... 

Turbulent Feelings.

 No words... only feelings!

Grid Patterns.

Some grid patterns made with temperas and wash technique on the background of the paper. In the center there is a compositon made with a background representing turbulent water, and in white ink a fishing grid.

Stamping on Stone Textured Papers.

Here I present three stone textured papers, with stamping motifs. The first is stamped with Chinese Dragons and the other two where stamped with Sorrento Lemon Tree leaves, which is a variety of lemon native of the zone where I live. Those lemons are very famous in all Italy. They are big, brillant yellow, and can be eaten in slides covered with sugar. A famous alcoholic drink prepared with them is called LIMONCELLO. The leaves of this lemon tree are bigger than standard lemons.

Paper Stack.

This is my contribution to the collaborative project of Stackoholics Anonymous, promoted by Seth Apter in his blog: The Altered Page. I used about five hundred (500) sheets of painted papers with different techniques, to make the stack.

For me the first picture means that, starting from the mind and imagination of artists, represented by the big and old books, and through tools such as brushes of different types, you can create art, and then make it tangible to other, as a sign of perpetuity.

 

Painted Paper with Writing.

In this opportunity I show a paper I've made combining a fantasy writing with china ink, then wash technique to give to the paper an old appearence with very light tones of red and blue, and finally a spattering with black paint. I think the result is beautiful. Maybe later I will post other papers like this.

Stone.

One of the most tricky painted papers are the stone patterns, like granite. It needs to be applied many techniques one on another, allowing a wonderful result. Texture resemble the original stone, and it will be painted in many kind of fantasy colors. By the way, I prefer to paint them in natural colors. The fisrt goal is to obtain the right background colors, mixing primary and secondary colors. Then, you need first prepare the paper base with a resist additive, let it dry, and then procede to paint background, and finally you can spatter to get the final look. Here you are four samples of stone papers I've made today.

Pasting in Green.

Green is life. 

Abundant in nature, green signifies growth, renewal, health, and environment. 

On the flip side, green is jealousy or envy (green-eyed monster) and inexperience.
Green is a restful color with some of the same calming attributes of blue.
Like blue, time moves faster in a green room.
Green is strongly associated with Ireland, the Irish, and St. Patrick's Day.
Green also has close associations with Islam.
Because of all the green in nature the color is reminiscent of Spring.
It's also the color for "go" on a traffic light.
Grow and Go with Green.
Outside of traffic lights, coupled with red it's a Christmas color. 
With both a warming and cooling effect, the color green denotes balance, harmony, and stability.  
Use several shades of green for a fresh, Springtime feel.  
Olive green, also called olive drab, is a not so drab summery green that may have military overtones for some people. 

 

 

Autumn is coming.

Autumn is coming, and with him also will start new projects and drawings. On this occasion I present you painted papers using dark tones of green, purple and orange, that were obtained mixing primary and secondary colors. Then, I used the technique of  watercolor washes, to give the effect of aging to the paper.

Washes - Inks - Spattering

Dear friends, yesterday I tried new patterns on painting papers. Techniques I used were washes and inks and as final step the spattering. What can I say? I like it! The combination is versatile, and the paper acquires a texture that will please you and your effort! It isn't hard to do, but it needs care and adecuate drying at intermediate steps, this together with good weather conditions, makes your result wonderful.

Marbled Curl Flowers

Hello again! These days I was a bit disconnected preparing new materials, and buying some new paints and mediums. Soon I'll work on new painted papers projects, and maybe I'll prepare some new tutorials for my readers... But waiting for the new results, today I want to share with you an application of marbled snail pattern. I called it as Marbled Curl Flowers, because the base of the pattern is a curl, and finally the drawing of four petal flowers on each curl done. The result is very interesting as abstract motif, and you can play with a lot of color combinations! I like a lot the effect of curl on the petals of flowers... Colors I used were acrylics and tempera. Here you are some of my results.