Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 2 - Nine Silhouette Birds on Blooming Almond Branches Van Gogh Inspired Springtime Mixed Media 4x12 Inch Canvas

Another mouth full with that title, but I like including everything so you know exactly what you are gonna get here. Hi again everyone!  I'm back with my second project for the Tim Holtz Sizzix Chapter 2 release, and it's a 4x12 inch cute little canvas featuring the all nine of the Silhouette Birds Thinlits on blossoming almond branches, inspired by Van Gogh this time. He painted so many Springtime canvases showing blooming trees, and I especially love the Almond Blossom painting. The Silhouette Birds fit perfectly on the branches on this little canvas, set against the paint poured sunset sky. I also used the new Brushstroke Flowers 4 leaves on the branches, but since I didn't use the bloom I didn't mention it in the title. LOL! Enjoy the tutorial, and thank you so much for all the love on my last Sizzix make.

 

 

Take a 4 x 12 x 3/4 inch canvas and apply Distress Crackle Paste all over the top and sides lightly using your finger or a paint brush. Let dry about 15 minutes. 

 

 

Apply Tarnished Brass Distress Paint over the top and sides of the canvas. This is to not only give the canvas a slick surface for the next part, but also adds a hint of metallic under the paint for the next part. Let dry about 15 minutes. 

 

 

NOTE: You need a large space cleared off space for this part, the paint pouring. I used the glass mat. It is going to get messy, so you might want paper underneath or a throw away pan to gather paint, but I just cleaned the glass mat after. Gather the Distress Paints you want to use in the next part and shake them up and have them ready, and think sky colors like in dawn or sunset. I used Speckled Egg, Salty Ocean, Prize Ribbon, Villainous Potion, Picket Fence, Crackling Campfire, Saltwater Taffy, Mustard Seed, and Scattered Straw. Remove the tops of the paint bottles and lightly pour the paints on the canvas in an orderly way in each corner and center, working quickly. When all the colors are on the canvas, mist the canvas liberally with water, and pick up the canvas and start moving it back and forth and circular like until all the colors start moving around. Think about paint pouring and how Artists move the paint until it starts to run off the canvas. Distress Paints are very fluid and so this is much easier than using typical Acrylic Paint that a flow treatment has to be added. There is no oils in this technique so you won't get the cells like in typical paint pouring, but you use the same method, and it's a good way to learn the basics of paint pouring. If you have a throw away foil pan or rack that is good to use so the clean up is easier.

 

 

Keep turning the canvas side to side until you like the look and paint has fallen off the sides. I lost almost all my white so I added a little more Picket Fence and sprayed water again and poured off the paint. Let the paint dry awhile this time. I let mine dry over night, and clean up your space. 

 

 

The paint will dry dull and matte looking but there will be hints of gold metallic underneath that you'll be able to see in some spots. To make the whole canvas shiny and add a bit more texture, cover it with a thin layer of Crackle Accents or another shiny glass like liquid medium. Let dry about 30 minutes. Use a Tarnished Brass Distress Crayon to add a golden sheen to the canvas and to bring out the gold underneath and texture on it as well, by rubbing it on and using your finger with a little water to spread it over the whole canvas pushing it into all the little cracks and lines. Use a lightly water misted rag or paper towel to remove the crayon not pushed in. Your background will be so gorgeous it will be hard to cover it up. Set the canvas aside for now.

 

 

Using Distress Woodgrain Cardstock, die cut two of each of the branches from the Bigz Branches Die from Sizzix. Take the new Brushstroke Flowers 4 Thinlits and use only the two leafy stem portions and die cut several of them using the same cardstock. I die cut seven of each and had enough.

 

   

Using Twisted Citron and Rustic Wilderness Distress Paint, paint over the leaves on the stems with either color or half each. I used the lighter brighter green on the smaller leaves like they are freshly open at Spring time. Paint over the stems and large branches with Frayed Burlap Distress Paint. Let all these dry. 

 

 

Once dry, rub the pad of Frayed Burlap Distress Archival Ink over all the branches and stems to bring out the texture of the paper and add some shadows and highlights from the ink over the paint. Dry with a heat tool. 

 

 

Take the canvas and lay it horizontally, and then arrange the branches across it, layering them at the ends so that you have two long branches going across and hanging off the sides, one branch more towards the top and one towards the bottom. Once you like the look, take a Collage Brush and Matte Collage Medium and start adhering the branches on the canvas, brushing over them and adhering whatever hangs over to the sides of the canvas as well. Trim off the parts that are not touching the sides of the canvas. Let the branches dry a bit. 

 

   

Take the stems with leaves and play with their placement on the branches so you have an even placement of leaves. Cut some in half to fill up more space. Any where a branch ends is a good place to add leaves. Once you like the placement, collage these on using the Collage Medium and brush. Let dry. 

 

  

Take Twisted Citron Distress Paint and paint in the leaves that have the middles cut out, and green dots to the stems that are cut off looking and like there might be buds coming out. Not shown is Walnut Stain Distress Paint that I painted on the lower edges of each branch and the lower parts of the branches coming off the main ones to add a little shadow. Once the paint is dry a few minutes, use a golden or light orange permanent marker to trace under each branch and branches coming off for more shadows. Think of the sun shining from the top right of the canvas, so it's darker underneath the parts not getting sun. Set canvas aside. 

 

 

Using a half sheet of Watercolor Cardstock (big enough to die cut all 9 birds), lightly mist the paper with water. Working quickly, add paintbrush full swipes of Distress Paint randomly to the whole paper. I used Mustard Seed, Crackling Campfire, Saltwater Taffy, Prize Ribbon, and Twisted Citron. I wanted a multi colored Finch look to the birds, so that is why I used so many bright colors. Mist the paper liberally with water when it's all covered with paint and let the paint move and marble. Dry. Die cut all nine of the Silhouette Birds Thinlits with the paper. 

 

   

Decide on a cohesive color pattern for the birds, and paint their heads, back and tail, and wings the same. I went with Prize Ribbon and Mustard Seed for mine. Paint the bellies of each bird with Picket Fence Distress Paint, and add teardrop shaped eye masks to the head. Paint the legs, feet, and beaks with Tarnished Brass Distress Paint. When the eye patches are dry, draw in tiny teardrop shaped eyes with a black permanent pen. Once the birds were dry, I decided to tone them down a bit and I covered them with Vintage Collage Medium. 

 

  

 Collage the birds on the two branches randomly and put some in groups using Matte Collage Medium. When dry, add a rub on sentiment to a blank sky part. Cut off the flower heads from the Bouquet flowers, and adhere them on randomly to the bud areas and anywhere on the small twigs using Matte Collage Medium. If the flowers look a little too bright in spots, add a little Vintage Collage Medium to the petals to tone them down. Let dry. 

 

I included this one to show you how the canvas shines in the sun with the Tarnished Brass Paint and Crayon. It's yummy!

Supplies: 

(Glass Mat, Medium Paint Brush, Water Mister, Heat Tool, Paper Towel, Die Cut Machine, Die Pick, Small Paint Brush, Scissors, Detail Paint Brush) 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crackle Paste 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Paint: Tarnished Brass, Speckled Egg, Salty Ocean, Prize Ribbon, Villainous Potion, Picket Fence, Crackling Campfire, Saltwater Taffy, Mustard Seed, Scattered Straw, Twisted Citron, Rustic Wilderness, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain 

-Ranger Crackle Accents 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Crayon: Tarnished Brass 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Woodgrain Cardstock 

-Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die: Branches

-Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits (Chapter 2 2022): Brushstroke Flowers 4, Silhouette Birds 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Archival Ink: Frayed Burlap 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Paper 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Brush: Small 

-Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Collage Medium: Matte or Crackle, Vintage 

-Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Bouquet, Tiny Text Remnant Rubs 

-Faber-Castell Pitt Pen: Green Gold, Black 

-4x12 Inch Canvas 

 

I'll be back again soon with a series of two (so far) canvases using the new dies again inspired by Van Gogh. Until next time, I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!