Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Tuesday Tips and Techniques: Go Monochromatic!

Creating monochromatic pages forces you to not only explore color on a different level, but also encourages more detail to design and texture in your artwork.


Color provokes an emotional response as well as associations to objects and memories.  Everyone has their own unique color story that's as individual as a fingerprint.


As you look through your own completed journal pages, you'll note that you gravitate to the same type of color palette; bright hues, grayed hues, and pastels, earth tones, summer colors, etc.


As you look through your collection of imagery torn from magazines, decorative papers and favorite paints and markers, what adjectives come to mind when you look at them?   What does blue remind you of?  How does blue make you feel?


By finding your associations with a particular color, and by attaching descriptive words to the thoughts and feelings each color represents to you, you begin to understand your color choices on a deeper level.


It's no wonder to me now, that pink isn't a color I use very often.  It reminds me of childhood and frilly ruffles - things that I haven't related to for a very long time.


To me, red is bold, dramatic and larger than life.  It's confident and makes a statement.  I'm not surprised at all that I decided to paint our dining room red and still love it!


Exploring individual colors is a good exercise to do whether you're a seasoned creative or a new beginner in the creative arts.  As we change with new experiences and environments, so do our color stories.  Colors you may have had a strong aversion to in the past may now be pleasant and welcome additions to your current lifestyle and personal growth.


I've only just begun the exploration of color and have just begun my pages.  I recommend that you work on this type of exercise over the summer as you continue to art journal in your usual fashion.  I think you'll find a few surprises along the way, and you might even make friends with a new color or two!

Wherever your creativity is taking you during these warm summer (officially!) months, I hope you're living in "the NOW" as you "Celebrate, LOVE, and Create!"  I'll be sure to post my pages as I complete them, and I hope you're inspired to give this a try.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Angelia;
    I so believe that color effects our moods and we tend to sway towards them for different reasons. I love your descriptions and your pages look like they are off to a great start! Discovering color and color choices is a fun summer project. Hugs and blessings
    Kelly

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  2. I love your art and music and your intention to heal.

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  3. Great post and cool idea. I think I'm going to play around with this idea of monochromatic pages. Thanks for the inspiration, as always. =) Have a good holiday coming up.

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me! It's a pleasure sharing the creative world of art journaling with you. I love hearing from you, so comments and questions are always welcome.

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