Synergy of Forms

With DJ Pettitt

Are you drawn to bold graphics, contemporary colors AND the nostalgia of the traditional and vintage look? Do you struggle with combining seemingly disparate art forms into a cohesive whole, or did you even know that you could? Using fluid acrylics, water-soluble pencils, tissues, and other mediums, I'll teach you how to meld the illustrative, abstract look with the more traditional art forms.

In this new workshop, we’ll explore painting, mark-making, altering photos, and other techniques as we create unique, textural collage pages. I’ll provide lots of one-on-one instruction and guidance to help you transfer your personal vision onto the page. We’ll then bind our works of art into a fabulous book to house all the new techniques you’ve learned.

Supply List

Click here for a printable supply list.

($15 kit fee payable to instructor on day of class)

Gel Medium. 16 ounces. Needs to be regular matte. Any brand.
Liquitex Ultra Matte Gel. 8 ounces. Available here: http://www.dickblick.com/products/liquitex-gel-mediums/
Matte Medium, or fluid matte medium. Small container. Any brand.
Acrylic Paint. A variety of your favorite colors plus a dark brown, and a couple of flesh/neutral tones. I will be using Claudine Hellmuth’s Studio paint as well as Golden Fluid paint, but any brand will work.
Derwent Inktense water-soluble ink pencils. You will only need a few. They are available in sets or open stock. We will be using them to enhance our painted photos, using line and wash techniques.
9 X 12 pad of Stonehenge paper or equivalent, for book pages (needs to be at least 90 pound). We will be folding the Stonehenge in half to create pages for your book. Available here: http://www.dickblick.com/products/stonehenge-drawing-paper-pads/
Paint palette. Flat will work best.
Palette knife. You will need an offset palette knife. My favorite tool to use is an Ateco #1385 cake spatula, but regular offset (trowel shaped) palette knives are fine as long as they aren’t tiny. See one here: http://www.djpettitt.com/ClassSupplies.html
Lace and fabric scraps, trinkets, beads, old jewelry, etc. for collage and embellishing your book.
Small cutting mat to lay signatures on as you punch holes.
Japanese Screw Punch with a 1/16" tip, or a 1/16” punch and hammer.
Scissors for fabric and paper.
Soft rubber brayer.
Tacky glue and a credit card, or other spreader.
Glue stick. I like Elmer’s extra strength.
Water container.
Paint Rag
Paper towels
1/2” flat brush, a #4 or #6 round brush and a 1” inexpensive utility brush. These do not need to be expensive brushes, but they need to be soft and the round brush needs a nice point.
A few images printed on cotton to paint and alter. A variety of sizes up to about 6” X 7”. I use Jacquard ink-jet cotton available here: http://www.dickblick.com/products/jacquard-cotton-and-silk-inkjet-fabric-kit/ Other brands will also work. Some dye based inks will bleed when mediums are applied to the cotton print, so I will be bringing a sealer to prevent any problems. Set your printer on a medium setting (less ink). As an option, I will have cotton prints available for purchase, and there will be two in your kit. Please email with questions.
16 shank buttons, or beads for binding your book. They need to have an opening large enough for 4mm waxed linen to go through (about the size of embroidery thread).

Kit fee includes:

2 Giclee prints on fabric; 300 # watercolor paper for book covers; heavy plastic for painted transfer technique; art tissue paper; gesso; handout with colored step-by-step photos; binding materials including book needle and waxed linen; sealer for dye based ink; muslin for book covers; upholstery fabric for inside covers; variety of lace; other class goodies.