A piece of Barcelona

If I were to talk about my journey to Barcelona, I couldn't do it otherwise but in drawings. I love to sketch different moments spent in Catalonia's capital. They all come to life when you draw the pictures into a paper and add some watercolor to it. Just a splash of color, not too much. And what a better way to remember Barcelona if not by flipping an art journal? 

This is just a photo illustrated in my journal from so many others waiting to come alive into my pages. I'm only getting started, so this is not quite perfect, but only by practicing every day will become better and better. I'll let you with this journal page.

See you soon,
Cristina

Whimsical animals

These days I feel I need to try everything when it comes to art: if it's not painting, it is drawing, if it;s not real, it;s whimsical! So here it's my first whimsical dog I ever did. And to tell you the truth, I love it so much!

I just started to sketch this sweet dog without having the final result in my mind. Then I thought it would look good with some splash color all over his face and body. SO I took my acrylic paints and started to add color. And this is the result: I'm loving every bit of it!

I started drawing on a page I no longer liked. In fact, this was a page I didn't liked any more so I added glue and then paper collage. In the end I added color (blue) and on some other day, golden acrylic paint using a gorgeous technique I'm not going to talk about right now. And because of that collage, the page became thiker than the rest of the pages, just perfect to add even more layers of color.
I think perfection comes with practicing. JUST draw something today! Right now!

See you soon,
Cristina

Dreaming of summer days

Inspired by Jane Davenport online class, I drew this beauty into my journal-book. A journal book with hard cover and glossy pages, but perfect to add gesso on them and then color with acrylics.

Here you can see the name of the book on the right page. I just added more color and completely transformed the page, so can no longer read "master chef".

Ink sketching is fabulous!

Even "ugly" faces can become famous!

Ink sketch in my Canson A5 art journal. 

Handmade paper stencils

 The leaves you see on the left page are handmade stencils I made.

This girl you see here was painted on my A4 art journaling, a journal with sketching paper from Derwent, who still takes water very well. 110lbs/ 165grm is more than OK for me, because I gesson my pages most of the time, and even if I don't it's still OK. And when you build layer after layer, even better!

And after using the paper stencils once or twice, you can create collages in your art journal. Imagine this stencil on a complementary color background! Just lovely!

I've also used this stencil to draw with my Inktense pencils. And look how gorgeous it came out!

The Documented |Life - Week 3 - Insert an envelope

For this week, most of the participants to the project have only inserted envelops without painting over them, but I feel the need to get dirty in the name of art, and started to add color and collage over it.

As you can see, I've done this again directly on my agenda, which has very thin pages. I've manage to stick to pages on the right side. In the left, the selfie backside was strong and heavy enough to hold the paint and collage.

After the selfie, this could be my favorite! The leaves you see above are not a stamp, not a stencil. I drew them by hand, just right after I randomly added paint in the shape that was somehow close to a leaf. After letting all set and dry - I've come and added the contour of the leaves with a Black Pitt Pen (Faber Castell). Used a lot of light stamping and the gelatos  from Faber Castell (well, the gel sticks).

I haven't been doing too much of a real journaling, like writing about what was happening, a thing that I shall correct in the future. After all, the documented life it's about every day life, with simple - but so meaningful notes. :)

The documented Life Project - Week 2 - Serfie!

This Selfie received lots of Likes on Facebook, and I thank you for that. It was build on my agenda paper directly, after doing some collage using newspapers cuts. I've started to draw the face and the eyes, without thinking too much of the shape and if they are properly aligned. In fact, I believe the left pupil is bigger than the right one, but I just left it as it is. I do love the lips, though. They look more than perfect to me!

It is true that when you just draw or paint and don't think too much how the result is going to look like, in the end you'll gonna love what you've created. 

This picture has a little Instagram effects applied to it. I just loved the colors ans saturation. 

This was week 2 - I think the most loved prompt until now! Let's see what's next on week 3!

Saying "Hi" to 2014

Good morning or good evening where ever you are, dear creative soul! I know I haven't been writing much on this blog, and it's mostly because I've been doing a lot of writing on another, publishing articles about life and personal development, finding your soul and practicing forgiveness. I'm on a journey, and I only now discovered how much I really enjoy to write.

I haven't been neglected my art journal, though - I have a lot of beautiful and inspiring journaling pages I'm going to post about in here, so bear with me. 

I'm gonna leave you with this art journal page while I get myself back to post about what has been going on in my life and with my art creating process.Until then, stay tuned on your way and keep that smile on your face, shining like nobody else can, but you!

Not perfect, just like me! Oh, but I love her ;) 

Watercolor flowers in my art journal

Just posted some on my latest flower illustrations on Facebook! See below

una publicación de Cristỉña Gàbriella Pärüś.

Journaling my life

It is true that I have been journaling and not posting a thing in here. I did wrote many articles, but not necessary about my art journaling creations. And totally left this place with no interesting posts to read.

Recently I've created this cute face on my A5 Canson Journal I bought from Barcelona this summer. I wanted to create something simple and still beautiful, and as I didn't had too much time to work on her face, I've choose to use watercolors and oil pastels.

I did her face free-hand without worrying about the result. The result came out pretty interesting and I decided to try another girl with the same technique. 

 First I've started with some stamping, one flower stamp that belongs to a 3D stamp set, used all over again changing direction of use. Then I went and filled in some color with the oil pastels. I have covered the whole flower petals, but next time I'm going to leave some petals blank and run with watercolors over it. This was the next step, water-coloring the pages with different colors, with lots of water and sprays. Once you get the desired result, let it dry. Or use a heat gun if you can't wait that long ;)
After applying the background, you'll need to draw the face and hair and also fill in some shadows and highlights for the face and neck.

Et voila! The finish product with some text added and the pages are ready to be loved and appreciated.

Journal girl - Messy face

Haven't been posting about my girls lately, but I've created a lot...and I've been doing some illustrations, too! Here is a girl a little bit different that what I was into until now, just trying different styles and techniques. Love ones more than others, but they are all fun to draw and color!

This face has a messy look 

I've started by adding some background. Painted red over some notebook leftovers I had and then cut them into pieces and created two hearts and some squares that I placed randomly onto the page.

Than started to actually paint the face with acrylics, free-handed and without too much care! Don't let yourself fooled, the acrylic used is not black, but a purple mixed with some leaf green, resulting a dark purple. I don't use black too much, it's too bold to me. 

I have to stop and remember myself to take more photos in the process instead of 'jumping' into the almost finished result. Next time!

A close-up

And the finished result. I should have played more with the background and add more colors, texture, stamps, etc., but for now I'm happy with her!