Art Tutorials
Art tutorials that provide step by step directions on how to do an art technique or project. These are to help build a foundation of creative techniques that can be used as a mental wellness and self-care exercise. These include techniques such as drawing, gelli printing, embossing, art journal projects, card projects, watercolor painting, acrylic painting, mixed media work and collage work.
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Loosen Up with Contour Drawing and Painterly Effects
Do you ever struggle with drawing and getting overwhelmed by the details? Contour drawing is a great way to loosen up your drawing practice. Today I will share with you how to create a contour drawing and how to create painterly effects using watercolor paints. What is Contour Drawing? Contour drawing is the practice of drawing an outline of the subject using one continuous line. When contour drawing you do not take your pen off the page as you draw. The benefit of contour drawing is that it defines the basic shape by creating a line drawing. If you tend to get stuck in the details when drawing, this technique…
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Mixed Media Art Journal Collage: Finding Intention at Christmas
An art journal technique I love to use in my pages is mixed media art journal collage. I love mixing a variety of paper types and designs to create a unique look to my art journal pages. Today I am sharing a Christmas art journal page using collage, watercolor, and acrylic paints. This page is about finding intention during the Christmas season. Finding Intention at Christmas I believe that every art journal page needs to start with an intention. That intention may be trying out a product or a technique. It may be based on an idea or a quote that you want to explore. This week’s art journal…
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Fun and Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Ornaments
One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to stretch my creativity. This year my new creative challenge is to create alcohol ink Christmas ornaments using clear plastic and glass bulbs. Over the last week I’ve been playing around with this technique with a variety of results. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. Learning New Techniques I love learning new techniques or different ways to use products that I already own, like alcohol inks. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to make it work and I…
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Deco Foil Christmas Card “Merry and Bright”
One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is making beautiful Christmas cards. The technique that I am sharing today is how to make a Deco Foil Christmas card that uses patterned paper, Deco Foil transfer sheets and the Deco Foil adhesive pen. Mastering Deco Foil I love Deco Foil. This is a fun medium that you can get beautiful results with. But I find so many of the videos and projects I see only show the perfect results. Deco Foil is fairly easy to use, but there are times when I don’t always get a perfect foil transfer. Mastering Deco Foil takes practice and a bit of patience.…
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How to Create a Mixed Media Shaker Card
With Christmas just around the corner I wanted to show you how to create an easy mixed media shaker card. I love making cards around Christmastime. It is one of my favorite Christmas traditions! The process of coming up with unique designs, writing messages to my friends and family and sending them through the mail brings me great joy. I remember as a child my parents getting dozens and dozens of Christmas cards with family updates and kind messages inside. The practice of giving and receiving cards is not as popular as it used to be. But I believe it makes giving or receiving a handmade card so much more…
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How to Use Black Paper Backgrounds with Inks and Pens
Have you ever used black paper backgrounds in your journal or creative projects? Adding color to black paper by drawing and stamping is easy, but there are a few things to consider when applying color. Not all mediums are suitable for using on black paper, so today I will share some of my favorite mediums and techniques with you. Inks for Black Paper When using inks on black paper backgrounds, you need to consider the properties of your ink. The main consideration is whether your ink is translucent or opaque. Not all inks are the same so only certain ones will work well on black paper. Inks that I use…
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The Search for the Best Permanent Pen
Have you discovered the best permanent pen for your creative practice? If you haven’t, then you are not alone. It can be overwhelming. There are so many choices for permanent pens! When choosing the best permanent pen for you, it is a very personal decision. Today I will be sharing some of my favorites and what I consider when purchasing a pen. Permanent or Water-Soluble? For today, I will be focusing on permanent pens and will leave water-soluble pens out of the discussion. What you look for in a permanent pen versus a water-soluble pen is vastly different. If you would be interested in my thoughts on water-soluble pens, let…
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Doodling with Stencils: Using Stencils to Improve your Drawing Skills
Have you ever mixed doodling with stencils into your art journal or creative projects? Stencils can be very helpful when practicing improving drawing skills. Starting with a defined shape can be helpful and inspire creativity. Why Use Stencils? Why use stencils to improve your drawing skills? Stencils have defined shapes that can be traced onto a project. From there you can add your own drawing and doodling to add texture and dimension to an image. It’s an easy place to discover your own style and creativity. When we start learning to draw, many of us end up staring at a blank piece of paper. That’s a hard place to be.…
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Using Leaf Rubbings and Ink for Drawing Practice
Do you ever feel like learning to draw is a struggle? Using leaf rubbings and ink for drawing practice can be a fun way to gain confidence with your drawing skills. Finding Inspiration from Nature I have found so much inspiration from nature this fall. My walks in the city have been full of beautiful colors as the leave change as it gets colder. I started the habit of collecting interesting leaves on my walks and was able to even find leaves from trees that are less common in our area, like oaks and maples. Enjoying these beautiful leaves and being inspired by Inktober, I wanted to focus on the…
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Mixed Media Fall Greeting Card
As fall is upon us, I am having so much fun playing with mixed media fall greeting cards. The fall colors are incredible! Beautiful leaves, textures and colors as the trees turn and the weather gets colder. It was the perfect inspiration for this mixed media fall greeting card! Card Inspiration The inspiration for this greeting card is not only the beautiful trees and gorgeous fall weather. This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada and I love making fall greeting cards during this season. Thanksgiving is a great time to remember the things I am grateful for. I try to have a habit of gratitude throughout the year, but Thanksgiving is…
