Sunday, January 16, 2011

Neocolor II Portraits......Suzy & Baby Goat


I am enjoying incorporating two of my passions:

Photography & Quilted Art


I continue to alter images in Photoshop and print them on fabric for the purpose of adding color with
Neocolor II crayons

My son's Jack Russell, Suzy
has become a common subject in my quilts.
I think because I have so many photographs of her.


Here is Suzy snuggled into a quilt.
This has been printed on 13 x 19 Fabric in Black & White






I normally start with the lightest color first, which was Suzy.
However, I was unsure of how to color her, so I started with the quilt.

Sometimes all you need to do is just start coloring...
You get comfortable with the colors...
You work intuitively...




Portions of this have been painted with the water solution and are vibrant.





This piece is now ready to be basted with batting and backing fabric.
I am anxious to get it to the sewing machine...




Last Spring I spent time down at the Goat Barn.

I took a lawn chair and my camera.

The bouncing baby goats kept me entertained for hours!



These big close up images work best for this Neocolor Technique.
This image has been altered in Photoshop, then printed on fabric.





Here is Baby Goat
Ready for Quilting...

CLICK HERE to view Baby Goat Quilted

CLICK HERE to view Photoshop Elements Tutorial

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view one of Suzy's Quilts

CLICK HERE to view Gunnr's Quilt

CLICK HERE to view A Day at the Goat Barn

CLICK HERE to view Cowboy Flavor


May Your Bobbin Always Be Full......of Portraits,
LuAnn

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Neocolor II Iris Portrait....In Progress


I continue to work with the
Neocolor II Water Soluble Crayons

This is a photo I took last summer of our Iris bed.
The Pink Iris are a perfect subject for this type of portrait.
One big focal point works best

Let's see where the day takes us...


Black & White image of the iris is printed on 13 x 19 inch Fabric on the inkjet wide path printer





I begin with the lightest colors first.

Yes, this is like coloring in a child's color book.....and it is fun!

Yes, I will be offering this as a class later this year...

Yes, I will post the class offering so you can sign up.





Continue to color in each petal of the flower, shading & highlighting as you go.






You can see on the left side of the flower, I have taken a darker crayon and traced around the edges of the petals to define them.






At this point, the entire flower is colored in with Neocolor II Crayons.
I will not color in the background until later...



This is where the fun begins:


With a solution of water and textile medium...
the flower is wet with a small paintbrush.





I love that vibrant color !





One last petal and then the inner flower portion and the Iris is done...





The entire flower has been painted with the water solution.
After it dries, I will begin the background areas.






The Iris photograph has an out-of-focus background of green leaves.
I could simply color it all in green, and that would look great.
I could color it all in blue, to represent the sky, and that would work.
But, I love the iris leaves, so have drawn them out freehand in the background.





At this point the background is colored in with the crayons...






Time to wet it down...





The colors remain this vibrant even after the piece is dry.

It is now ready to be basted with batting and backing and go under the needle!

CLICK HERE to view the Iris...Quilted.

CLICK HERE to view Photoshop Elements Tutorial

CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view Gunnr's Neocolor II Portrait

CLICK HERE to view Neocolor II Class

CLICK HERE to view Rust Dyeing


May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn

Monday, January 10, 2011

Kindred Spirits...


Share this with your Kindred Spirits






CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts

CLICK HERE to view my Art Quilts

CLICK HERE to view my Tutorials

CLICK HERE to view Art Cloth


May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn

Friday, December 31, 2010

New Printer & Neocolor II Portraits


This new wide path printer will allow me to print images
13 x 19 inches

I am interested in printing onto fabric



Epson WorkForce 1100





My interest in this printer is the DuraBrite Inks
They are water resistant and fade resistant.

Which means, I can print directly on my own fabric.
I no longer need the commercial treated fabric sheets.

I can cut fabric to the size I need, and am not limited to the 8x11 fabric sheets.
This means freedom to print and create on fabric.





time to unpack it, set it up,
and let her stretch her legs...



I ironed 13 x 19 white fabric onto freezer paper
and made my first print:


This is our dog, Gunnr, printed on Fabric

He has a face that is just perfect for portrait work

I am making a 12 x 12 inch portrait





Neocolor II Water Soluble Crayons
are perfect for this technique.

I start with the lighter colors, then work my way to the darkest.
This is like coloring in a child's coloring book.

After all of the coloring is done, I use a brush to apply water to the fabric.
This brings out the vibrant pigments in the Neocolor II Crayons.



A hair dryer speeds up the drying process, and also helps inhibit too much color blending.




Gunnr 12 x 12 Portrait

This is now ready to be basted with batting and backing fabric.
Can't wait to get this under the needle...



I couldn't resist printing out a couple more images with the new printer:


Baby Goat





Suzy

The fabric sheets feed easily through this new printer.
I think it is a keeper.


CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts


CLICK HERE to view a Neocolor Tutorial


To print your image like a coloring page:
Import the image into Photo shop.
Using your filters: double click photocopy.
This will remove all of the color.
You now have a coloring page image to print out on fabric.

CLICK HERE to view Photoshop Elements Tutorial


May Your Bobbin Always Be Full,
LuAnn

Sunday, December 26, 2010

She likes it.....


Valerie likes her Stormy quilt...




She opened it yesterday after Christmas dinner.


CLICK HERE:  to see My Quilts


CLICK HERE to view Stormy Slideshow

CLICK HERE for a laugh watch the Chicken Slideshow

CLICK HERE to view Shaving Cream Printing


May Your Bobbin Always be Full,
LuAnn