ACRYLIC POURING: THE FINER SIDE OF CRAZY!!!

Greetings my CRAZIES!!!  It's the last post of April and a couple days past my birthday!  Getting older is always bittersweet, but lately, it's been inspiring me to try new things: New foods, new books, new clothes and, more importantly, new art forms!  Last Christmas, I tried my hand at acrylic paint pouring while making Christmas ornaments for my nephews and nieces.  It was a lot of fun and created some very striking marbling patterns.

As cool as the ornaments turned out, there was one downer: LOTS of paint got wasted!  It's a fairly inexpensive technique to try, but it does add up after awhile, especially considering how many ornaments I made!  When I recently tried paint pouring on some masks for potential sale, I placed them on top of some canvases, thus creating TWO works of art, with vary minimal paint waisted!  These are the final results of the canvases.  I'll share the masks at a later date.  Enjoy...

First two efforts used a mix of canary yellow, emerald green and imperial violet.  There are a million tutorials on how to do acrylic pouring (With Mixed Media Girl on YouTube being VERY highly recommended), but the Cliff Notes version is layer different colored paints in a cup and slowly pour on a blank canvas or object.

More of my mix of canary yellow, emerald green and imperial violet.  Although I liked how these came out, they just weren't very striking visually.

For this piece, I switched out canary yellow with gold and was VERY happy with the results!  You may have noticed I was on a bit of a Mardi Gras kick when I was making these!

This piece was largely inspired by the color scheme of Mike from Mike & Mindy, though I didn't get color of his shorts in.  Still, it does have an awesome ocean vibe to it.  Almost looks like a wave crashing!

Lastly, we do a Mike piece without a piece inspired by Mindy's color scheme as well!  This one I wasn't too thrilled with as the Lavender color overwhelmed everything.  I guess one thing I learned during these attempts is that you wanna be sparing with the darker colors, though I can see the flip side of things too.  Just remember while trying ANY art form really: It's all trial and error until you find your flow!

And that's a wrap on the month of April!  It's been a long hiatus, but the blog art returns next week, so be sure to come back and see what I've cleaned up for proper viewing!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

SEED STARTING... CRAZY STYLE!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!!!  Yeah, WonderCon's over and done with and while it his sad, that just means even more cool stuff is on the way and back to full strength no less!  But before we can do any of that, we gotta take care of some stuff at home, like our gardens!  What's that?  You have trouble getting seeds sprouted?  Well kind reader you just happen to be in luck, for I know a good method of starting seeds, especially in climates and seasons when it would be more difficult to do so?  Wanna learn how?  Scroll down and see!  Enjoy...

STEP 1: Get a CLEAR plastic, lidded cup.  As you can see, this particular cup came from McDonalds and yes, it had a Shamrock Shake in it.  What can I say?  They're freakin' delicious!  It's important that the cup be clear because it helps create the greenhouse affect that keeps the soil moist.  Any fast food joint that sells milkshakes will likely have clear cups though Taco Bell uses them too.  What makes the cups at McDonalds and Jack In The Box Particularly appealing is that they are domed and already have a large hole in the top which, once again, helps create the greenhouse affect.  It's also helpful for any watering that might need to happen, so if the lid doesn't have a hole in it, cut one in about the size of a quarter.

STEP 2: Drill about 4-5 holes in the bottom of the cup.  Some folks drill holes in the sides too, which is perfectly fine, but keep in mind these are fast food cups and thus don't have much flex to them.  It also goes without saying that Steps 1 & 2 should be done WITH parental supervision if the youngsters are the ones giving this a try.

STEP 3: Take some potting soil or seed starter and wet it to the point where it's moist, but NOT soaked.  It should be formable in the hand, like clay but still crumbly.  This is kind of a winging deal, but any left over soil can simply be dried out and used for other plants.

STEP 4: Place soil in the cup and gently compact it.  You'll want between 2in-3in.

STEP 5: Next, place the seed in!  For this particular cup, I'm sprouting a pumpkin!  Be sure to cover the seed with soil/seed starter and lightly compact.  You don't need a lot on top, maybe about 1/4in of soil tops.

STEP 6: Lightly water the seed and lid the cup!  As you can see, the inside is already fogging up as the water evaporates, and these pics were taken in the evening time, so this method works quick!

STEP 7: Lastly, place the cup in a sunny spot and wait for nature to take its course!  As you can see, the sun ups the evaporation, which causes more condensation, keeping the soil moist and thus helping the seeds sprout!  You shouldn't need to water much, but the top of the soil can dry out, so lightly water as needed.  The above pic has the seeds of watermelons, cantaloupes, zucchini and two different types of pumpkins sprouting!

In a few days, sometimes just over a week, you should see some results!  Once they outgrow the cup, plant in the ground or a larger container!

Results will obviously vary, but I've had a lot of success getting seeds sprouted using these mini greenhouses!  And best of all, this method not only helps plants, but it also finds new uses for old plastic cups, thus keeping them out of landfills!  We are all about conservation here at the CRAZYVERSE!  I hope this tutorial has been helpful and that y'all will feel inspired to give a mini greenhouse a try!  Good luck and share any results you might have with me on Twitter at my handle @JonsCrazyTweets!

And that's all for this week, but never fear!  I promise we'll end April on a very colorful note!  So be sure to come back and see what I'll be pouring out!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

THEY LIVE! ON MY FACE!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!!!  Last week, I promised to show y'all how I made the alien mask from They Live!, and I intend to deliver!  Before we start, let it be known that I got the idea from Make: Magazine, which is a must read for anyone down to do some DIY projects!  The Make article wasn't quite as clear on certain steps though, so I'll try and be as thorough as I can.  Also, I'll be listing supplies as I go, so be sure to make a list.  Anyway, enjoy...

STEP 1: MAKING THE BASE

First step is the easiest: Buy Supplies!  To start, you'll need a simple craft mask and some instant papier-mache which you can find at any craft store.  I would recommend Michael's since they constantly have coupons.

The next part is to mix up the papier-mache and put it on the mask, except over the mouth and nose.  You will only need roughly a quarter of the papier-mache mix, if even that, so eyeball it closely.  Something the magazine article didn't point out is that after it dries, the papier-mache CAN come off, so you might wanna get some spray glue as well.

STEP 2: ADDING THE JAW

Another piece of the puzzle you will need is a skull mask, more specifically, the jawline of it.  Most Halloween and party stores carry them at this time of year, so finding one shouldn't be too difficult.  Cutting it out however, was a chore!  Scissors aren't very good on thick plastic.  I'd highly recommend a scroll saw or dremel.  You also have to cut out the mouth of the white mask, which scissors were effective on oddly enough.  This is another part the magazine article wasn't very clear on.

With everything cut out, glue the skull jaw on to the white mask.  This part is a little tricky as the jaw will NOT just fit on (Yet another thing the article neglected to say!).  And there WILL be a gap in between  the two masks.  I used hot glue to set it on there and Gorilla Glue to reinforce it as the hot glue didn't want to stick very well.  Also be aware of where the jaw lines up.  Mine was noticeably off, BUT, it actually kinda worked as the aliens in the film are quite grotesque!

STEP 3: MOLDING THE CLAY

The next phase of making this mask is the best part!  Shaping it!  You'll need modeling clay and a little patience with this step.  First, add clay around the jawline to A) Cover up the gaps between the two masks and B) Elongate the jaw to make it look more natural.  Be sure to keep a bowl of water around too as you'll need to wet your fingers so you can smooth the clay down.  Add more clay around the eyes, nose and cheek bones to form ridges.  You'll wanna add ridges to the forehead too.  The goal is to make it look like it's holding back rotting flesh, which is what the papier-mache simulates!

STEP 4: PAINT

And now we enter the home stretch!  The first part of step 4 may well be the easiest thing you will do on this project: Priming the mask!  Because you'll be using light colors, you'll wanna use a non-glossy white primer paint.  No real primer preference here.  It's a mask not a wall!

Once your primer dries, you can REALLY go to work!  First up, paint the nose and eye sockets black.  Then using red paint, make the fleshy parts red.  This includes the gums between the teeth and ALL the exposed papier-mache.  Because of the white primer, it may take a few coats, especially with the red as the papier-mache isn't a smooth surface and will have hard-to-fill grooves and cracks.  You also wanna use acrylic paints for this step, preferably with a matte finish.  Once again, I have no preference.  Whatever is cheapest works just fine.

 

Now it's time to paint the bone ridges blue!  You'll paint everything BUT the teeth and lower jaw a medium shade of blue, once again with acrylic paint.  I used turquoise since it's the perfect shade of blue!  With a VERY small brush, also take some black paint and get the lines in between the teeth and gums.  This will really make those chompers standout, especially after the glossing step.  It'd also be wise to pick up some white acrylic paint too, as the brush is going to smear while doing the lines.

STEP 5: TOUCH UPS, EYES AND GLOSS

This next step requires a bit more skill than most as you'll be adding highlights to make the mask really stand out!  First, take some brown acrylic paint and lightly sponge it on to the red parts.  It doesn't have to be heavy, but should be somewhat covering of the red paint.  Basically, make sure the red paint is still visible.  Next, add some water to the brown paint and lightly brush it on to the teeth and lower jaw, then wipe it off quick with a paper towel.  This will age the teeth and make it look more sinister.  You can leave the teeth and jaw white though.  Totally your call!

And now we reach the last part!  With some pink acrylic paint, faintly sponge it on to the brown and red fleshy areas of the mask.  Next, use light blue acrylic paint and faintly sponge it on to the blue parts of the mask.  These are merely highlights, so no heavy coat needed.  To make the eyes, cut a ping pong ball in half, spray paint it silver and then cut a star pattern into the eyes.  This is another one you'll need a dremel for as the curved surface make it impossible to use a knife or scissors.  Once done, hot glue the eyes into the eye sockets of the mask.  Once all the paint and glue is dry, take a glossing medium and lightly brush it on.  The magazine recommended a medium gloss varnish which I did find very satisfying.  Once again, this one is really more personal preference than anything else.  A higher gloss may stand up to the elements better depending on the weather.

And there's your mask!  The white craft mask will have straps already attached, but you may wanna replace them with elastic as the included straps only tie around and likely won't support the added weight.  Anyhoo, that's my tutorial!  I hope y'all liked it and didn't doze off while reading!  I hope y'all will also be inspired to try even crazier variants!  I know I am!

And that's all for today.  I'll be back next time with some Halloween fun just in time for the spookiest night of the year!  Well, save for Ozzy Osborne's birthday party!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

MIKE AND MINDY IN THE FELT!!!

Remember that something special I promised last week?  Well here it is!  Felt crafter Michelle Miller of Run Red Run Needle Felted Collectibles recently made these awesome felt dolls of everybody's favorite terrible twosome, Mike and Mindy!  I gotta say, she really nailed their look in 3D and here I am, a month later and STIIL speechless at their awesomeness!  Perhaps it's best to let the pictures do the talking for now...

These two have always been rivals, let the stare-down commence! 

Love conquers all, and the pair decided to take a nice stroll instead! 

Tucked away and ready for shipping! 

As an added bonus, they even got to have a play date with everyone's favorite Sasquatch, Bigfoot!  

I'll tell ya, getting these dolls was a thrill enough, but then having them chill with Vince Dorse and his beloved Bigfoot and Scout was an even bigger thrill!  And then came another surprise: Vince made this mock comic book cover with all these pals having an adventure together!  Vince, you really made my day when I saw this, thanks so much and thanks for making web comics proud!  You're a credit to our branch!  To see more of Vince's awesome Ruben Award-winning work, click here!

Folks, in the world of crafting, Michelle Miller is without question a bright star!  Her magic hands have crafted wonders not only for me and Vince, but many others as well.  From Sesame Street's Grover to Rich Clabaugh's Graveyard Gang, she's dazzled many with her needle felted figurines.  When we first started on this last summer, it was a tough process.  I rarely drew M&M from the front or sides and there was legit concerns Mike's spiky hair may not work!  But Michelle's skill won out and now I have two masterpieces sitting on my mantle!  Thanks again Michelle!  Thank you for helping my "Kids" get real!  If any of you want your own needle felted dolls, click here!  Get yours made by the best!

And lastly, I got one other bit of news.  Remember last month when I announced I'd put my Luchadore Masks on display at the San Diego County Fair?  Well...

I WON A RIBBON!!!  Yup!  My collection got second place in the Home and Hobby Collections!  Not bad for a first effort, eh?  First would've been nice, but you know?  Winning ain't everything.  I'm happy to have placed and hope to take part again next year!  Thanks to all who came to the fair to see my display!

Well, that's all for July!  We'll kick off August on the right foot with a HUGE update from Comic Con 2015!  I know I promised these pics a while ago, so I promise to make them worth it!  We'll also have some new art and new memories so be sure to come back.  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!