Starry Bear

I did a little sketch of a bear then wondered what to do with it. I could finish it as a drawing or painting but instead decided to use it in an art journal spread. It was less likely to get lost that way. So I sprayed it with fixative then glued it onto a page in my art journal, using my favorite fixative, Krylon Workable Fixatif.

OK for step one. But then I didn’t know what to do for step two. After some pondering, I decided to a “Starry Night” knock-off behind her (with deepest apologies to Vincent). I still didn’t know where I was going, but at least I knew the next step.

Here’s where I stopped working on it until next week:

"Starry Bear" art journal spread in progress

I used a supply I use regularly, but always until now, just small spots. This time, I used my Neocolor II water soluble crayons by Caran D’Ache for the whole background.

I’ve always had trouble with watercolor pencils because the way the pencils look when they first go on the paper can look so different from how they look when water is added. The same is true for Neocolor II.

Here’s what the spread looked like with the crayons as they went onto the paper—in other words, not yet activated.

By the way, I avoided putting any crayon over the little circles which will end up being the stars in Starry Bear. They’re the constellations Ursus Major and Ursus Minor (Big Bear and Little Bear).

just the unactivated Neocolor II caryons

And here’s the same page with nothing different other than activating the crayons.

The ‘Starry’ in Starry Bear is Under Way

the Neocolor II crayons are now activated

Although the crayons are “water soluble,” they’re actually soluble in anything water based. I used Liquitex Matt Gel Medium because once the medium is dry they can’t be re-activated. In other words, they won’t dissolve again if you add something else water based over the top. On the other hand, if you activate them with plain water, they can be activated again if covered with anything water based. Activating them with the acrylic medium essentially turns them into acrylic paints rather than watercolors.

Activating the Crayons

Activating them was a fun and exciting process. When you go over them with your ‘wet’ brush, the crayons dissolve into fluid (more or less fluid depending on the consistency of what you choose to activate them with) paint and settle into all the texture in the paper that the crayons skipped over. I ended up with something very saturated.

The colors blend more or less depending on how you move your activating brush over them. I was using a large round brush and followed in the direction of the swirls. I wanted to keep the swirls and the background of the sky separated.

Adding to the Scene

I decided to darken the top of the sky with a wash of acrylic. I also drew in the pine trees with crayon but didn’t activate them yet.

with a few trees in the distance

Here, the trees are activated.

now the trees are activated

And here, I added the yellow at the bottom, but I’m not sure I like it.

with yellow at the horizon line - sunset or sunrise

Actually, I think I don’t like it. I’ll have to figure out how to get rid of it. But, more importantly, I’ll have to figure out where I want to go next and what I want this spread to convey. Hmmm.

I’m glad I decided to work with the Neocolor II crayons this way. They gave me problems, but they also present opportunities. More to think about.

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