Arty Auntie: Dimensional Tip-In

This week at Fauxbonichi Journalers, we were given the challenge to create a "tangled" dimensional tip in for our journals or planners. I thought this was a fun and different challenge, so I tackled it with some late-night gusto (as usual).

A butterfly was given as an example, and who doesn't like butterflies, so I just went with it. I started with a 9x12" piece of 140# watercolor paper, then scored it directly in the middle. I then roughly sketched the body, and the right wing and antenna, doing my best to center it. I folded it in half, and fussy cut the whole thing out. I wanted it to be equidistant in size, so all I had to do was draw one side and then cut... I'm not very good freehanding that kind of thing and have both sides come out the same.

I didn't really have a plan, but now with the rough shape, I dragged out some Spectrum Noir markers and started coloring here and there with some basic shapes, just to split up the color.

Following that, using a medium tipped Faber Castell Pitt pen, I outlined the body and began doing my limited tangles in the center portion of the wings and elsewhere. Switched off to a white Uniball Signo UM-153 pen in white and added the rest. I painted the head, body and antennae with black heavy body acrylics. As you can see, my doodles are just kind of random doodly marks. I just was going for the basic idea here, not creating a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination.

And, oddly enough, I see I didn't finish off the left wing checkerboard. Guess I will finish that up in a bit with a fresh cup of coffee! hehe

When I got all finished (or so I thought), I flipped the thing over, applied some gesso and used Golden heavy body Ultramarine blue and titanium white to cover the reverse, painting only with my fingers, not caring too much of the design, but having fun playing and blending the paint and covering up the bleed-through from the alcohol markers.

Here's the finished example just layed into my planner. I haven't decided the best method to affix to my planner yet, but I think 1/8" ScorTape is going to be the answer, right down the center of the fold on the body.

As you can see, I got a bit of gesso on the tangled side, but we're embracing imperfection, right?

I hope you like this idea. I may make another one for my art journal and take a little more time with it. It was fun and as always with doing tangles and doodling, very relaxing.