Not typically my style, but there’s a lot to be said for keeping it simple. Well not too simple…I did cave in and throw glitter on these. But you all saw that coming, right?

xoxo|z

]]> http://www.zainahlicio.us/2012/02/01/collaged-iphone-cases/feed/ 0 http://www.zainahlicio.us/2012/01/07/grounded/ http://www.zainahlicio.us/2012/01/07/grounded/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:11:19 +0000 admin http://www.zainahlicio.us/?p=1376 Science xoxo|z]]> It’s Illustration Friday! Today’s word is “grounded,” so I decided to defy the laws of gravity. With watercolors.

Art > Science

xoxo|z

1. You have to peel like 100 crayons. By hand.

Crayons are something like 90% wax with some food coloring [not a real fact] so the paper that surrounds them likes to stick. Luckily, I found that cutting along the paper with an exacto knife speeds up the process….but still, you are left picking off stubborn bits of paper from a pile of crayons. If you haven’t given up and/or cried by this point, I think it’s safe to see this project through to the end.

2. Glue guns are evil.

After all the crayons were peeled, I arranged them in rainbowetic [scientific term] on my canvas. Then I had to glue them down, one at a time. This would be fine, except glue guns leave strings…everywhere. And it’s best to pick them off if you don’t want them getting tangled in your artwork.
You’ve been warned.

3. “I’m melting….melting….” [the Wizard of Oz witch voice really helps at this point]

Time to start melting! I propped up my canvas and aimed a hair dryer at mid-crayon level.
Mind you, I have a cheapo hair dryer since I don’t use one on my hair much, so I had little
control of the air and like, which direction it went and stuff. Fortunately, it created some cool criss-cross action where the colors overlapped. It also got some splattered crayon on the wall, so if you ever try this consider doing it outside or tacking up paper. [Side note: dried waxy crayon comes off of most things easily, yay]

All done!

 
Okay, I admit…I kind of love this. Though I’m not sure I’ll be doing it again anytime soon…unless maybe you paid me. *wink

xoxo|z

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Last time I posted, it was in the beginning stages of launching my etsy shop. I’m really happy and thankful for how quickly it has picked up on the web! Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed trying to make orders, since I have to do it at night after work, etc. but the bottom line is, I really, really wanted to do this—I’ve always talked about starting an online business, and wondered why I haven’t been using my passion for art in a positive way; not necessarily to make money, but to share it with others. I’ve fiddled with a few networking and portfolio sites over the years – they were great for displaying professional work, or even getting feedback on works-in-progress. Above all, it was great connecting with other artists and feeling inspired. But I didn’t really take that inspiration anywhere…and I stopped creating art as much as I used to. I got a few opportunities here and there to do some graphic design work and do group shows, but really, it wasn’t what it was cracked up to be in theory. I never imagined myself sitting in a ritzy gallery with my paintings plastered to the wall. Nor did I enjoy working under strict guidelines, timetables, and requirements for designs. So when my friends encouraged me to sell useful objects I would make for myself (like the cases and whatnot) it sounded so much more personal and direct – plus I had complete freedom to do things my own way with my own designs. That kind of freedom is extremely limited in the corporate art world. [I use "corporate" here not to denote an actual corporation, but to signify any work that you must do for others, according to their standards, and by their timeline, etc. Even commissioned paintings get standard.]

Outside of trying to get this art/business thing figured out as I go, I’ve been working full time, teaching/tutoring on the side, volunteering, and trying to channel my inner college student who knew how to get by with minimal sleep and questionable caffeinated beverages. I think she’s moved on to the spirit of another person more in need of the energy. Oh well.

As the purpose of this blog is (and will continue to be) primarily art-focused, I want to take a minute to mention a few things I (swear!) will be coming up soon that I’m excited about.

1. The Sketchbook Project 2012 – I did this a few years ago and I absolutely loved making my sketchbook! This year I’m starting with a book themed “Heros & Villains.” Yay!

2. Illustration Friday – I really dropped the ball on this one thanks to grad school and work. Every week I save the word and the week passes by without a drawing produced. This week they picked one of my word suggestions, “scattered,” and I’m pretty sure it’s a sign I need to get on it

3. Society6 – I originally found this as an iPhone app with cool wallpapers. Turns out to be a pretty cool collaborative project with art prints transformed into different items. They also follow work from some of my favorite sites, like designmilk and flavorpill/flavorwire. Anyway, I signed up and I can’t wait to sift through some of this awesome work and contribute my own!

One day I will post about digital publishing & writing sites too…provided I ever get time to sit and write more than a blog post!

Aim for the stars, right?

xoxo|z

xoxo/z

They started out looking okay……..but the coating began chipping off at the edges:

so I scraped the rest off by hand, and with sandpaper, until I had a nice clean surface to work with:

I coated the case with Mod Podge and covered it with tissue paper, then went back over the tissue paper with another coat of Mod Podge. For this case, I used a Matte formula, which dries clear and not shiny.

The holes on the side were a little tricky. I tried to poke through the tissue too quickly, before the Mod Podge had set, so I got some fray-age.

I guess patience is a virtue! Anyway, once it was dry, I applied some sequins and type from an old book (also applied with Mod Podge.) I brushed a little extra over the top and added some Dimensional Magic to secure the sequins. [Side note: Remember Mod Podge dries fast, but you have to let DImensional Magic sit for the night.]

Voila! And when I get sick of it (which I probably will), I can scrape it all off and start over

xoxo|z

xoxo|z

xoxo|z

I started by painting the somewhat shiny black surface (the legs are tan) with white acrylic as a primer.

The circle shape really made me want to paint one of my favorites…Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Above is the underpainting…

…and this is the finished product!! I coated it with acrylic sealer spray to protect the surface. I’m pretty happy with it and don’t mind having it around now

xoxo|z

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