January 30th: Groundhog Day! What does "Shadow" mean to you?

January 30:  Groundhog Day is coming, so this week's prompt/challenge is about Shadows.  Whatever that means to you. I focused on our "shadow side"; the dark within us that, if given any chance, will raise its ugly head up.  :(

I started with three colors and instead of spreading them around, I dabbed them around.  (I'm going to call it a "paper-towel", but what I really used was my dried-up "lens wipe" for my glasses.  :) )

            

So, I dabbed the paint around until it looked like this.  No spreading.... only quick, up and down movements with the paper-towel.

I'm going to keep this one more simple, overall.  Next, I used the Dylusions Vibrant Turquoise paint and that sweet TCW stencil, by Rebekah Meier and added a bit to one corner.  Be sure to use a make-up sponge or paper-towel and dab the excess off, first, before putting paint over your stencil.  If you have too much paint on whatever you're using, it'll end up seeping underneath and just look messy.  Also, dab with one hand and hold the stencil down firmly with the other!  You don't want your stencil moving around on you.

Then, I started sketching.  I used a brown Prismacolor colored pencil, so it'd be darker and could move more easily over the acrylic paints than a regular pencil would.  I wanted to make my person look androgynous - neither male nor female - and very angry, because we all have the ability to let our Shadow side take over!!  I think it ended up looking more female, though.  :(   I painted in the shadow, first, with some Dark Violet (Golden's permanent) and Ceramcoat's Burnt Umber.  I'd never painted a shadow like this before, so that was interesting!  ;)  

Then, I started using acrylics to paint him/her.  (I used Americana "Tangerine", the Golden Dark Violet, and Dylusions Vibrant Turquoise for the clothing/shoes)  Wanted the hair to look wild and crazy.  After that, I decided that all the negative thoughts of our Shadow-side should be down below.... "love" is at the top.  So, I wrote in all the negative aspects that I could think of, with a black Pitt pen, "S"   I outlined with the Pitt pen, adding lines for creases, etc...  I used Folk Art's "Brilliant Blue" for the eyes and Americana's "Tomato Red" for the lips.  Used my finger to brush on a tiny bit of the Tomato Red, to make him/her look more angry.  Then, I used a Sakura Pigma Sensei with a .06 point to add the main text.  (I can only find them in sets, online, but I'm pretty sure I bought mine individually, either at Staples or Craft Warehouse.)  I added the "love" with my White water-based Sharpie Paint-Pen, extra-fine point.  Waited for it to dry, then outlined it with a Tombow Magenta (#685), with the finer-pointed end.  Added some outlines (but not entirely) on the main text with the Tombow Magenta.  Went over the "all", to emphasize it, with the Paint-Pen. Lost some of the black, so filled that in with the Pigma Sensei again.  And, here it is, finished!  Remember, click on photos to make them larger!  AND, all bloggers love to get comments, so, please, leave me a comment!!  (Just click on the comment button - it's easy!)

Have a wonderful week!  Happy Creating!!

             ~  Teri