Today I wanted to play with some paint, so joined in with Crusade No. 44 over on Michelle Ward’s blog. This month’s experiment is all about scraping paint for a grungy, textured look. I’ve definitely experimented with this technique before and love the process and results. I use an old plastic card to scrape dots of paint on my surface, but you can also purchased notched paint scrapers or just use any flat-edged tool you have lying around. This method creates really beautiful variations and is super fun to do. You can get messy with paint, thinking only of the colors you are working with.
I’m sure you’ll be surprised at the results and I like to experiment with both the colors of paint as well as the texture of my working surface. You can scrape in one direction, all directions as well as vary the angle of your tool to achieve different results. Because there’s the element of surprise – you never really know how it’ll turn out – it’s a fantastic way to start up a journal page or piece of work. You sort of set the background mood of the piece with the colors chosen and the broad strokes from scraping.
Even when I’m feeling tired or not very inspired, I find it easy to just scrape away and create a bunch of beautiful backgrounds. In the end you are not using up much paint at all, stretching your paint supply and many journalers often do this for any paint left on their palette from previous projects. You’ll never waste paint and have interesting backgrounds to work on top of.
So I hope you’ll consider painting by scraping, instead of painting with a traditional brush. I think it allows you to open up because there isn’t that pressure of precision that sometimes a little brush can evoke…that you have to depict something specific or precise! Try scraping paint sometime and then see if you can find a subject within your grungy texture. Sometimes you’ll suddenly see a scene within your scraped creations and that spark of inspiration will propel you forward. Have fun and ciao ciao for now!
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44 Comments
Just dropping by from Michelle Wards Link. Loved seeing your scraped backgrounds. Wasn’t it a fun challenge? I loved your paint choices!! xo-teri
Thanks for stopping by, Teri! I definitely love scraping paint…soon I’ll have a whole book of just scraped backgrounds
Linda, thanks for coming to play with us! I like your observation that even when you are tired or uninspired that scraping is an easy route to take. And using up excess paint by scraping on a page is a great tip too. Love the colors in that first one!
Hi Michelle! Thanks for setting up the crusades…it’s really fun to experiment and trying new things
Not to mention to see everyone’s posts!
beautiful! I especially love the last one…
Thanks, chel! You should try it sometime…can be relaxing and then you end up with some cool patterns in the end.
This is really fun to see how these pages develop! I always wondered how art journalists get those cool looking backgrounds.
Oh, there are definitely lots of techniques when it comes to creating backgrounds for art journaling. I have to say it’s one of the funnest and most free parts of art journaling. When you start, there are no rules, no boundaries…nothing to work with – so you just go at it!
I haven’t scanned mine up yet. Love your first one especially!
Thanks so much! It’s fun to scrap…will have to check out your blog now…
This sounds like fun, if it involves getting messy I’m in!
Perfect! Maybe they would make interesting backgrounds for your illustrations
Either way it’s messy fun!
I love the idea of scraping paint. It gives such a wonderful variety of textures and backgrounds! These are very nice, indeed! nancy
I agree, thanks for stopping by!
Linda, these are gorgeous and all look so different. It’s also a great idea to do this when one done’t feel able to do anything else. Have to say the last is my favourite – I just love those colours!
Thanks so much, Jackie! Yeah, creativity can just be for fun, not necessary to accomplish xyz
Awesome! The first one is my favorite. This is my first month posting my own results and i’m loving seeing everyone’s interpretations.
Hi Jessica! Thanks for stopping by, it’s definitely been great to see everyone’s scrapes
Your pages looks very nice Linda, how fun that you joined the crusades! I just love them and painting with a plastic card is fun fun fun, it’s my favorite! Are you painting on loose pages or in a journal? See ya around girl!
Thank you! I think it’s super fun and relaxing too…I sometimes do loose pages that I will cut up and use… othertimes I go straight into my journal. I also a have a loose page journal that I will bind later…because sometimes it does get soooo messy!
Thanks for sharing all your ideas – this is a very cool technique that I am going to try as soon as I finish looking at all the wonderful ideas!
Thanks!
Cindi
Thanks for stopping by, Cindi! I hope you have fun with this technique!
Wonderful pieces — the first one reminds me of tie-dye, both in color and effect! Good work
-Kim
Oh, great perspective…I totally see the tie-dye effect now that you mention it!
These are all great but for me the colors in the top one shout “happy!”
Thanks, Cath S. Yep, I think the bright colors really speak to folks!
You did some great scraping. These will make for great backgrounds. I used very similar colors to you in my own play !
Nice job, Crusader !
Very cool! Thanks for stopping by, fellow Crusader
Superfun backgrounds ! I think this Crusade is so inspiring for so many people. It’s an easy technique with surprising results, love it !
Thanks, Brigitte! I agree the Crusade is great for all of us exploring and learning
Excellent backgrounds. I like your idea for using up extra paint, too!!
Thanks Jane! Hope you have fun!
You did some great scraping!!!I loved the colors you chose!
Thanks so much, Gil!
The page look so nice. Like the colors you choose !
Thanks! Sometimes I’m deliberate about the colors, and sometimes it’s just random as you see!
I love the contrasting colors you chose, especially on the first one. Gorgeous!
Thanks so much, Kari!
It is a great technique I think and the page feels a bit like velvet when you scrape really thin. Loved to see your blog.
Oo…great description with the feeling like velvet. I think there are so texture variations you can create with this one technique, very cool! Thanks for stopping by!
Great scraping! You did so many variations… My fave is the deep eggplant/hot pink on white. So bold and beautiful. Happy creations from germany, tj
Thanks so much! I’ve been doing a lot of pink stuff lately, which is so interesting since I never liked pink! Thanks for stopping by.
Love all the pages but especially the last one and especially love those colours together. Thanks for sharing.
thanks so much and thanks for stopping by