#art methods

[monikahmakes]

I love your paper stone landscapes! Would you mind sharing more about the process for constructing the stones or what they look like before you carve into them?

Took me long enough, but I'm finally going to answer this!

I start with a piece of thin cardboard (behold my fine local Microcenter advertisement!) and a big pile of scrap paper torn into small pieces. I mix up my paint- usually acrylic with added white glue or gel medium to get it to stick more firmly, but I've used latex paint, other glues and mediums, or basically whatever's around.

I brush on a thick layer of paint, then lay down a small piece of paper, then brush on more paint, taking care to smooth and adhere it firmly without bubbles. I use my crappiest old paintbrushes, because you really have to mash it down and ruin your bristles. Then I just keep layering, overlapping pieces of paper and changing colors of paint when I feel like it, until I have a rough lump maybe half an inch high at its highest point.

I let the lump dry overnight, then trim the edges and cut the lump into carving-sized pieces with a utility knife while it's still pretty soft inside. I let the pieces dry for another few days, until they aren't palpably squishy any more- the paint needs to be dry all the way through, or it won't carve neatly.

I carve my chunks down using a sharp knife, a little chunk of wood as a platform, and a cutproof glove, because I'm clumsy. I have to sharpen my knife CONSTANTLY because of how badly the dense paper dulls it. Sometimes, if the piece is thick or I hit a spot that isn't fully dry, I'll do a rough carve and let it dry longer before finishing.

I make organic shapes with both curves and angular facets, trying to highlight the best patterns inside it, and I figure I'm done when all the surfaces are smooth and I like the way it looks.

As I'm carving, I produce these beautiful little curls of stripy paper-composite. The nicer pieces that don't fall apart are carefully set aside to make things like this. The messier ones get recycled into paper pulp for sculptural projects.

There should probably be another step- sealing the surface of the carved item to protect it from damage and moisture- but I haven't yet found a sealant that doesn't darken the color and change the finish in ways I really don't like. It's a shame, because I think these would make lovely jewelry, but they're just too delicate to be worn casually. But my experiments are still ongoing, when I get around to them- I'm always trying to do too many things at once.

Thanks for asking!

[no-129]

🎨color study note

[buried-in-stardust]

Making Huizhou inksticks (徽墨), famous for its high quality.

Notes:

The characters OP pressed into the inksticks are 山白, OP's username

The "internal heat" referred to in the video is a term in Traditional Chinese medicine referring to a cause of inflammation, swelling, twitching, etc.

[eng by me]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The Wizard Cowboy War (Wizboys VS Cowards) continues on.

[kylominis]

touchy feely mornings with mr. clingy [♡]

[stargirl230]

ghost of you

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(no reposts; reblogs appreciated)

[tempo-takoyaki]

Listen, I love the "XL helps HC to see how beautiful he is" scenario as much as the next person... But I also see it like this.

[ugly-bug-starscream]

skyfire for my tfone au!! hes researching ways to obtain energon so he visits the mines and is a friend to all the miners

[zubzooks]

bright one

[evidmid]

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[seraphont]

this started out as an angst comic but quickly derailed when I got the mental image of J nobly volunteering as tribute

[plagueislost]

trying new coloring methods. 0/10 do NOT recommend, but hey at least i got something kinda okay out of it

[non-plutonian-druid]

[ID: a Gravity Falls comic.

Mabel: Grunkle Stan, if you guys are identical, then why is Grunkle Ford's hair so much curlier?

Ford, leaning into frame out of nowhere: It's actually not! I just take better care of mine.

Stan, shoving him away: That's a funny way to say you don't shampoo or brush it. End ID.]

new headcanon

Bonus:

[ID: Mabel says "Ohhhh! Like Dad!" End ID.]

Curly hair runs in the Pines family but Grunkle Stan missed this particular memo

[jeyumi]

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[blondeaxolotl-twstocs]

He's the reason you're with me now, even if I didn't want either of you in the first place.