I am continuing the theme of the week to celebrate yellow. Here are step-by-step instructions for a striking patterned paper where yellow and orange are combined with dark colors. You can make variations on the pattern by choosing different colors, adding you own details and picking the materials that you prefer.
1) Fill the Paper with Big and Small Ovals
Fill the paper with intersecting ovals using freely cut templates. Cut plastic templates for a big and a small oval. To achieve an organic form, handcut the shapes freely. I used transparent plastic from a plastic sleeve meant for name tags. Also transpacency sheets for overhead projectors or any easy to cut plastic will do.
Starting with the bigger template, draw ovals on the paper so that they intersect slightly. Change the orientation of the template now and them. That way the pattern will look more lively. After filling the paper with bigger ovals, draw smaller ovals inside the bigger ones. Each smaller oval should cross one or two lines of the bigger ovals. Change the orientation and placement of the smaller ovals as you did with the bigger ones.
2) Paint the Centers of Small Ovals
Add acrylic paint to the centers of the smaller ovals. Paint the centre of the smaller template and press one center at a time. Mix yellows and reds to get orange hues on the template. Each center can be a bit different from another.
3) Add Watercolor to the Smaller Ovals
After the acrylic paint has dried, paint the smaller ovals with watercolors. Use yellows mixed with blues and reds. Color each part of the oval with different color. This way you will get an appealing look of ovals that have many hues.
4) Add Watercolor to the Bigger Ovals
After the smaller ovals have dried, paint the bigger ovals with watercolors. Use mixes of browns, blues and blacks. Color each part of the oval with different color.
5) Fill The Background
Using black marker, color pencil or watercolor, fill the small white background areas with black.
6) Add Details with Colored Pencils
Draw white lines around smaller ovals. Add black outline for smaller ovals. Color the edges of smaller ovals with red and green depending on the hue of the oval.
7) Final Touch: Thin Lines and Dots
Finally pick a thin black marker or drawing pen. Add radial lines to the smaller ovals and decorate the lines with dots.
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I just want to thanks you so much Paivi for your posts! Your work really stands out for me and has really inspired me quite a bit. I am new to mixed media and to doodling. I don’t feel comfortable drawing, but I have started doodling and then I found you. I love to make repetitive patterns like you!! I understand that. Anyway, I am so, glad that I found you one night when I was searching for ways to use my new India inks. Thanks so much!!
Thanks, Juliana! Your comment really made my day! Combining repeatable patterns and using bold colors is my passion and it’s so great to have followers who like them too! It would be lovely to see your work at Peony and Parakeet’s Flickr group!
Thanks Paivi – will have a go at this today and add it to Flickr! 🙂
Thanks, Lisa! Look forward seeing your version! Have fun with colors!
Lovely, lovely paper. It would look great on a canvas too.
Thank you, Jane! Yes, by making small changes to the rhythm of the elements it would look interesting on canvas too!
Thanks Paivi for responding. I am not on Flicker. I will make a point to join this week. And I will look for you there. Thanks so much! I’m just a beginner and I hope that eventually, I can develop my own style. Thanks again so much!! You really have inspired me… and I bought some watercolor pans (I always hated watercolors), pencils and some gel pens. I have been using Posca pens instead of Pitt Pens and I really love them. Have you tried them?
Juliana, would be great to see your work at Flickr! Hopefully I can help you fall in love with watercolors, one of my favorite medium! Posca pens – never heard of them before but they look really interesting (browsed http://www.posca.com), thanks for referring to them! Will try them once I buy pens next time!
Hi Paivi,
I have some questions about your tissue paper collages. I really love them and I love working with tissue papers. I noticed that there is no space to make a comment on that page. http://www.peonyandparakeet.com/how-to-create-tissue-paper-collage/
Where can I post a question regarding the tissue paper collage process? Thanks, Juliana
I had to close the comments in old posts as they get spammed so much. But if you or anyone have questions regarding to older posts, feel free to post them to the newest blog post or in the Flickr group (https://www.flickr.com/groups/peonyandparakeet/) and refer to the original post. The blog post about tissue paper collage is among the most popular ones so I gladly answer questions about that one in particular!