Metallic Canvas Craft Tutorials + $50 Jerry’s Artarama Gift Card GIVEAWAY

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I don’t always know where a creative idea will take me. Admittedly I often have grand ideas of what a project will look like when it’s complete and it rarely ever looks that way. This is especially true when working with a preschooler. A few weeks ago when I set out to make a tree design. I don’t know where the idea came from really. I had these beautiful Real Art Supplies provided by Jerry’s Artarama and the metallic acrylic paint was screaming “leaves” to me.

So I walked outside, gathered some dry twigs, used this really cool texture paste to adhere the twigs and let my 4-year old go to work. The result was far from my dream for this project. It was, however, all her own creation. I might have set the tools in front of her but she made it her own and that’s what counts when it comes to creative time whether it be for yourself or your children. You don’t have to skimp on the cheap stuff. There are some great art supplies out there and they can yield spectacular results if you give them a try.

So what do you do when that spectacular idea looks more like bird droppings on your canvas? Hang it on the wall with pride. “Those are MY girls’ creative marks.” Cover the canvas with a new creation and let that texture shine through something beautiful. Or scrap it and start something new. I did just that.

I’ve seen this mask tape and canvas technique done a few times and have wanted to try this out since the good ol’ days of Trading Spaces (back when I had cable TV and nothing better to do). I got out those beautiful acrylics and a fresh canvas and this time provided a bit more direction.

Don’t get me wrong. Creative freedom can be wonderful but sometimes kids can surprise you within a few boundaries too. My 4-year placed every piece of tape where she wanted to, picked every paint color and its location, and did all of the painting without any direction from me. I did however limit her to using one color at a time and after she filled in the shapes with paint I took the brush and smoothed out the paint strokes all into one direction. There’s certainly a time and place for creative brush strokes as well but she loved that fact that we worked together on this one. My mind is sort of spinning thinking of all the ways I could do variations of this technique!

Be sure to enter for a chance to win $50 E-gift card from Jerry’s Artarama online where you could buy a  First Impressions Complete Art Studio Set For Kids.

Tips: Be sure to tape and paint the edges of your canvas so it’s ready to hang when complete. Use the metallic paints in a well-ventillated area as they tend to be a little stinky.

Take a peak at this video for a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this beautiful metallic canvas project.

Supplies

• Canvas or canvas paper
• Brush (any cheap brush should work)
• Masking tape
• Acryllic paint

DIRECTIONS

1. Apply masking tape to your canvas being sure to cover the sides as well. Smooth it down well. (If you want a different color to show through your lines, paint that color first and allow to dry before taping.)
2. Paint over the entire canvas with your background color – in my case white. I only painted over the tape edges and you can see that behind the metallic paint. It’s a cool effect but not what I was expecting. Such is the creative experience! This ensures that any paint that seeps under the tape (and it will) is the color you want in those lines. (Yes, I learned this trick from Trading Spaces.)
3. Fill your shapes with whatever colors you’d like and let dry.
4. Consider applying a fun texture or pattern over the entire canvas for interest. Splatter, spray, swirl.
5. Slowly remove tape from the canvas and admire your handy work.

BUY IT!

Buy your own Real Art Supplies metallic paint at Jerry’s Artarama. I was so impressed with their supply of fine art supplies.

WIN IT!

WIN a $50 E-gift card for Jerry’s Artarama!

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Disclosure: I received a sample for the purpose of this review however all thoughts remain my own.