all in an inch

Zentangle style Twinchie Squares

 

We are completely in love with the whole Zentangle^R phenomena created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. If you are not familiar with this style of drawing it has to do with purposeful pattern and line placement. (Visit their website at http://www.zentangle.com/ for more information!)  

Twinchie Squares of any color provide the perfect surface for this type of detailed pen work and it is especially fun to tinker with different types of pens as you experiment with this drawing technique. Our local craft store (Ben Franklin Crafts & Frames Redmond) is having a promotion about this style of drawing and so we created a sample board for them to illustrate the variety that can be created using different types of pens on black and white Twinchie Squares.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now you know why we took photos of each square....even though the poster is about 16" wide it's pretty hard to get a sense of it in a photo - suffice it to say it looks MUCH better in real life!!

First Valentine

crisp and contemporary

Using the pen and coloring technique from the last posting we thought it would be fun to try a valentine by using appropriate colors and 'drawing in' a tiny heart. This technique is highly addictive, but relaxing at the same time...we can't stop making them!!!!

 

 

Since we knew it was going to be a valentine we picked the colors before we even started the pen work. If you are using multiple colors in a project it's often helpful to create a tiny palette made of the same material as your project (in this case a white Twinchie Square). Not only can you use it to test and select which colors to use, but once you decide on colors it is a handy reference to remember which marker is which color as you work on the project. Be sure and use the pointed tip end of the Copic markers when coloring small spaces like these and color on the 'top' side (the side with the more textured surface and rounded edges) of the squares for the best results. 

(for more information about coloring on the 'top' side refer to a posting called Frequently Asked Questions from June 2010)  

 

 

The key to this technique is drawing one continuous line that connects back to the original starting point. The fun is coloring, because you really have no idea how it's going to turn out until you fill the spaces your pen has created! The pen work goes so fast it's easy to make several white Twinchie (2") Squares at a time.

 

 

After coloring, give the heart a little extra emphasis by applying Glossy Accents by Inkssentials. It's a clear liquid that dries leaving a hard, shiny 3D finish. It's tempting to check to see if it's dry, but resist the urge to touch it until completely clear and hard.

(An easy way to check for dryness is to take a piece of scratch paper and apply a drop about the same size as on your work - you can check this for dryness instead of touching your finished piece)

 

 
with a feminine touch

Creating these 'art' twinchies also gives you an opportunity to experiment with the card components. For each of the four finished pieces we created 4 completely different cards.

 

 
clean and simple

 

 
a bit more masculine

Looking at the calendar I guess Valentines Day is only a little more than 3 weeks away!!

(Mix and match valentine sentiments...Love, be my valentine and Queen of Hearts from the Lockhart Stamp Company and valentine wishes from Savvy Stamps)

Miro or Kandinsky? Art inspired twinchie's and inchie's

 

I am horrible at New Year's resolutions but just might change my mind due to a certain book I received for Christmas. It's called, "The Daily Book of Art - 365 readings that teach, inspire and entertain." At odds for exactly how to explain this absolutely wonderful book here are a couple of paragraphs from the back cover....     

"What do the Mona Lisa, the Parthenon, and a pinecone have in common? Why did van Gogh purposely sever his ear? When did coffee evolve from a morning beverage to an artistic medium? What colors should you wear while dieting? And who was Caravaggio?"

"Learn the answers to these questions and more with the engaging readings contained in The Daily Book of Art, a yearlong journey through lively and thought-provoking discussions. Inside, ten rotating categories paint a picture of the compelling world of art in broad brushstrokes." (fyi...the book is available at amazon.com)

As I embark on this journey of 365 readings from The Daily Book of Art, I find my mind wandering to teachings, ideas and projects from long ago. My personal career origins are art based and I have morphed through a few different directions over the years. No matter what tangent I seem to be exploring I find myself coming back to art basics; whether they be technique, creative exploration, history or personal imagination - art is the center.

I remembered a project we used to teach in Art Docent Training. It provided an excuse to do a little art history lesson about a style of art and artists, and also proved a wonderful exercise to get the adults to 'loosen' up and not be so afraid of putting pen to paper!

Inspired by the Expressionist and Abstract styles of Wassily Kandinsky and Joan Miro you apply a continuous line to paper and through random directional changes and overlapping, create shapes that are then colored. 

And what a fabulous project to try with Twinchie and Inchie Squares!!  

 
The supplies for this project are pretty basic...a handful of brightly colored Copic markers, white Twinchie and Inchie Squares and a .05 Sakura waterproof Micron pen. 

(a hint...your pen work will be the most crisp if you do your drawing on the 'top' side of the squares. You can learn more about which is the top side by looking up a post we wrote on June 10, 2010 called Frequently Asked Questions) 

 

 
Begin with the larger 2" white Twinchie Squares to get comfortable with putting pen to paper before trying the much smaller Inchie Squares.

Ready....set....draw!

 
The trick is to draw one continuous line...weaving, bending, looping, overlapping and finally connecting back to your starting point. 

 

 
Then, taking your time, color in the enclosed spaces that you have created...using one color at a time to fill in selected spaces. 

 

 
It's always a surprise to see how each one turns out!

 

 
Then try a few more lines, creating a few more spaces to color.

 

 
Or one colored with just 3 'cool' colors...

 

 
or 3 'warm' colors!

 

 
Now that you have gotten comfortable with the 2" size, go ahead and switch to the 1" Inchie Squares. Put four together to create a larger square puzzle design or lay out 5 squares horizontally for a long continuous design. Remember, it's all about letting loose with the pen...but eventually coming back and connecting to your starting point.

It's recommended that you anchor the squares with a removable adhesive so you are free to move the pen across the multiple squares without having to worry about them moving.

(Our favorite is the TOMBO Mono Removable Adhesive roller) 

 

 
You just never know how your squiggles will turn out until you start coloring in the shapes.

 

 
Since the Inchie Squares are solid core white you are able to color the edges...don't forget!

 

 
Never would have guessed that this one would have yielded so much white space!

 

 
How can you resist creating such fun...and random...designs?!

 

 
And finally a single Inchie Square...

(well, actually it's stacked on top of black 1 1/2" Inchie + Square!)    

These cards wouldn't have been nearly as successful if it weren't for the wonderful set of greetings from Hero Arts. This Poly Clear set contains all the greetings used, plus more, and is called Essential Messages.

Inchie, twinchie and plus....oh my....

Inchie Square

Inchie + Square

Twinchie Square

We are frequently asked to compare...or illustrate...how you might use our three different size products in the same manner. And...to share ideas for what to do with the black or dark gray squares. 

You know we like to doodle, and if you have ever taken one of our classes you have probably joyfully - or not(!) - participated in a doodling excercise. 

If you want to take your inchie doodling to a whole new level it's all about the Zentangle. With a bit of research we discovered that there is an entire genre of art dedicated to this random, but purposeful art form. Fluid...yet geometric...graceful...yet arresting. We are quite the novices at Zentangling, but with our Metallic Silver and Gold Sakura Gelly Roll pens in hand it is pretty dang addiciting to let your pen just go!

(you can click on any image to enlarge it...you can see the metallic quality of the inks a bit better)

The size and material is perfect for this art medium. From left to right is our 1" Inchie Square, 1-1/2" Inchie + Square and the 2" Twinchie Square. We refer to our black board as a super black. Did you know that it is actually made of cotton...not trees. And the reason it is so opaque black is because it is not colored by dye, but rather, powdered ebony - it's the real deal! The slight amount of 'tooth' of the surface makes it perfect for gel pens, just enough texture to 'grab' the ink, but really smooth for that finished quality.

 

And when you put them all together with some fun papers

(check out the corrugated silver metallic paper from Creative Imaginations!)

they make a neat set of notecards

 

four black Inchie Squares

 

 1 black Inchie + Square

 

 
1 black Twinchie Square

 If you want to learn more about Zentangles there are many, many resources to be found by searching on the web. A good place to start might be be Zentangle.com!

Layering with black and white squares

When I am out and about teaching I am often asked if I ever create cards that use one of every size square. This is a great example....a white Twinchie Square on the bottom...then a black Inchie + Square...and topped off with a white Inchie Square. 

I love interesting but simple designs and find that I collect stamps that have these sorts of images. They are fun to combine with hand drawn art too. This cube stamp from JudiKins is called Africa Cube #1 and comes with four different designs all on one stamp!

A really simple and easy card...all you need are the 3 different size Inchie Arts squares...black ink (our favorite is the Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo black) and an Inkssentials opaque white pen. 

You want to center the image on the Inchie Square and it is easiest to do this by bringing the square to the stamp vs the other way round. I have to laugh because I couldn't find the 'blue' tape to make a little tape handle so I just put a bit of adhesive directly on the back of the Inchie Square and used my finger as the handle!

No issues pulling it back away from the stamp!

  

Using the white pen on the black Inchie + Square draw 'squiggly rays' outwards and off the edges. Take an extra minute and draw the rays onto the edges as well - the thickness and solid core black of the squares makes it easy to add this finishing touch.

A purple Inchie Note card from the Wild Sherbet collection becomes the base. Glue all the compents together...one on top of another. A 1 1/8" square was cut from another note card to add to the layering stack.  

Another quick card to make uses a black Inchie + Square, a 1 7/16" square of pattern paper, and a black Inchie Square. Let your white pen dictate what happens and doodle a simple design!  

Patriotic doodles

 Happy 4th of July!! 

I poked around through all of our stamps and couldn't find anything that was just right...so out came the .005 pen!! (who says you have to be able to draw perfect stars!)

I was tempted by images of sun and fun...and food...but summer hasn't quite come to the Pacific Northwest....yet!!   

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

 

More doodles...and..."the dot".

This...is...the most inspirational art book...ever! And if you haven't read it, you absolutely must!

For several years when my kids were younger I was an Art Docent at their elementary school. I have the fondest memories of those experiences and working with young people as they discovered that they could create "art". I found that often the most challenging projects were ones where the kids received little direction and were forced to experiment or just 'play'. Holy cow, you would have thought I was asking them to eat brussel sprouts from some of their reactions.

It was just about that time that I stumbled upon a book called, "the dot" by Peter H. Reyonlds. This book proved to be a lifesaver as it tells the story of Vashti who was frozen in fear to put anything on her paper. Her very clever art teacher convinced her that even a 'dot' was 'art' and had her sign her work. The moral of the story, and the words of Vashti's teacher were, "Just make a mark and see where it takes you."

Of all the classes and inchie projects that I have taught the one that initially draws the most resistance is doodles. I frequently hear, "oh I can't draw" or "there is nooooo way". I think in many cases adults are more afraid than youngsters when it comes to creating original art. However, I am pleased to say that after a bit of encouragement and doing more than one doodle inchie there are many smiles around the table as everyone discovers the satisfaction, and surprise, at the ease of creating something unique and their own.

When you look around the internet and at all the papercrafting classes available there are many intricate and complicated projects. It can be intimidating! Here at Inchie Arts we consider everyone an 'artist' and want to encourage you to have fun with the art you create - no matter how simple...or complex. There are no rules and it doesn't have to be perfect! Get out your inchie squares, a black pen and some colors and "make a mark and see where it takes you..."  

 

 Three white Inchie Squares, black .005 Micron pen, 3 shades of blue Copic markers, black Twinchie Square; mounted on an aqua Inchie Note card from the Wild Sherbet assortment.

 

 Three white Inchie Squares, .005 Micron pen, 4 shades of green Copic markers, black Twinchie Square, accent paper; mounted on a concrete color Inchie Note from the Neutral assortment.

 

3 white Inchie Squares, .005 Micron pen, 5 shades of pink and orange Copic markers, black Twinchie Square, accent paper; mounted on a concrete colored Inchie Note card from the Neutral assortment. 

If you would like more information about the incredible story of "the dot" click on this link:

 http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780763619619

to art...fun...and creative inspiration!

 

Please welcome a new designer to our team!

We are very excited to welcome a new designer to the Inchie Arts team. Her name is Kimmie Andersen and you are going to LOVE her creativity! Having admired her work for some time on her blog, Art in Red Wagons, you can imagine our surprise when we found out she is also a 'webfoot'! (a fond acronym for those of us living in the northwest - lol!) 

It's only fitting that you know what drives her creative spirit and why we feel she is a perfect compliment to the Inchie Arts design team, so we put her on the spot to describe herself...

I live in the Pacific Northwest and am hugely inspired by the natural beauty here as well as the environmental ethic. My work is "mixed media," which basically means that I use a lot of found objects, I recycle or re-use as much as I can, and I stay away from harsh chemicals in my art (my krylon pen being a huge exception - lol). Also, being a busy mom of younger kids and a crowded house (translate: no real studio) I enjoy working on a small scale - inchies, twinchies, atc's and shrines. I also like explaining how I made something and my hope, as an artist, is to create things that make people stop and say, "I could do that" or "I want to try that too."

You will just have to visit Art In Red Wagons to learn how Kimmie transformed a white Twinchie Square into an elegant piece of art with oil pastels and beeswax! 

Please join us in welcoming Kimmie to Inchie Arts...we truly look forward to her inspiration!!  

Doodles...otherwise known as 'artful inchies'

Are you stuck in transition...between holidays...between seasons? You all know the feeling. Are you patiently waiting for all the new stamps; hearts and flourishes...flowers...and images hinting of springtime. Me too!

Horror of horrors...I found myself doodling yesterday...and trust me, I am not an idle person. Boy did that bring back memories as I examined the piece of paper in front of me. I am convinced that every person has an inherant 'doodle'. A pencil or pen concotion that magically appears without so much as a thought - so automatic that years later you find yourself staring at the same images you drew in junior high!

What can I say? My doodle is this weird, irregular shape, teardrop thing. It flows out of my pencil onto any surface without effort or thought. Years ago I could spend hours filling an entire piece of paper with these shapelets. Hmm, wonder if I can do something 'grown up' with it? 

So let the experimentation begin!! I started with a white Inchie + Square (1-1/2" square) and filled it with pencil 'doodles'. To keep it manageable the plan is to color with 3 different Copic markers, all in a similar color family, but light to darker in color. Use the pointed end to carefully color in the pencil shapes.

Add the next darker color, only bit, and then blend by going back over it with the first marker.

 

Finish with just a dot of the third, darkest color.

 

  Don't forget to color the solid core white edges.

 

Keep it simple. Let the colors and shapes speak for themselves by mounting the finished white Inchie + Square to a black Twinchie Square and then onto the front of a dark gray Inchie Note (card from the neutral set). 

 

It's hard to resist playing around with color options - this one is in rose tones.

 

Got brave with this one and drew with a .005 Sakura Micron pen instead of pencil!

Anyway, the whole point of this is to demonstrate that creating inchie art should not be a painstaking or intimidating challenge. It should be as simple as recreating a doodle or pattern onto an Inchie Square (any of the 3 sizes!), coloring it and plunking it onto a card. It's all about having fun and making art. And forgive me, because now that I have released my inner doodle I suspect I will be making tons of 'artful inchies' in all colors and sizes!!

So give it a try and use this transition time to turn your favorite doodle into inchie art!!