NBK DesignTechnique Challenge 14 Oct -27 Oct :using gesso

Discussion in 'Designer Challenges' started by Margje, Oct 14, 2019.

  1. Margje

    Margje Well-Known Member

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    Welcome to this month's Technique Challenge! We are going to work with gesso! Nicole has some fantastic gesso pieces and also fantastic gesso styles in her Collections. I challenge you to combine an artsy phototreatment of your choice with a large amount of gesso! It is fun to blend things together with gesso and you can do that by placing the gesso under and over the photo! A great way to weave the gesso into your layers is the Blend If function in photoshop. You can find it at the bottom under your layers panel it is the FX tab! You can use it together or without a Blend mode. I will show you some of my layers with some screenshots.


    I started with my phototreatment and made some layers with my Sketch and Chalk& Charcoal filters. I made a composition with some Artsybits and Pieces and merged them together! This was my base for the Layout. I then added a background paper. From there the gesso fun began! I started layering some gesso in and worked with the Blend If function.

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    You can see the Blend If slider bars:


    There's two Blend If slider bars, and if you're not familiar with them, you're probably thinking they look identical, and you'd be right. They both have a gradient inside them running from black on the left to white on the right, and they both have little black and white sliders on either end. But while they both look the same, they do slightly different things.

    If you look closely, you'll see "This Layer" written above the top slider bar, and "Underlying Layer" written above the bottom one. The bar on top affects the layer you currently have selected in the Layers palette. The bottom bar is a bit misleading though because while it says "Underlying Layer", it really affects every layer below the currently selected layer.

    Start playing with those sliders. I used the bottom slider to weave my gesso through the layers beneath. At some point you have to Smooth Out The Blending By Splitting The Slider Bars In Two! Hold down Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) to split the sliders in half and create smooth transitions in the blending! Watch your screen you can see the magic happen!

    I did this for all of my gesso layers! It made it look so much more natural!
    You can also use the gesso layerstyles ofcourse!
    Here is my final page:

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    I used:
    artCrush No 20
    Opposites Attract

    And here is a page from our CT member Trish:

    [​IMG]

    And one from our CT member Marie_Claire:

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    RULES
    Create a layout with a lot of gesso in it combined with a phototreatment of your choice!
    This challenge runs from Oct 14 to Oct 27
    One lucky scrapper will be randomly chosen to win a $5 coupon to the NBK Design store.
    You must use 100% of NBK Design Products.
    You may use a template from a designer at The Lily Pad.
    Post your layout in the NBK Design Gallery and in this forum, and link your layout to the gallery.
    Have fun!!!
    **********************************************************************
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2019
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  2. Oldenmeade

    Oldenmeade Well-Known Member

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    This looks like such an amazing challenge, Marianne! And the results you and the other ladies got are spectacular!!!
     
  3. Angela Toucan

    Angela Toucan I keep looking for THAT wardrobe

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    beautiful examples @Margje . I have a quick question. Would using a Gesso background paper count? Or do I need to shop for some Gesso pieces? I can't use styles etc.
     
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  4. Margje

    Margje Well-Known Member

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    Angela you may for sure work with the papers too! A quick tip: you can use them as clippingmasks! :)
     
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  5. Angela Toucan

    Angela Toucan I keep looking for THAT wardrobe

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    Thank you @Margje Here's my go at this.
    [​IMG]
     
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  6. Margje

    Margje Well-Known Member

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    Fantastic page Angela! Great take on the challenge! love the beautiful blends!
     
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  7. Cherylndesigns

    Cherylndesigns All glasses should be bigger than 1.5 oz

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    WOW! I can't wait to play! What fantastic inspiration pages!!
     
  8. KarenW

    KarenW Send in the Clowns

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    I do love playing with Gesso! I used mostly the gesso action from the Garden of Eden Painter Tool box
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  9. Cherylndesigns

    Cherylndesigns All glasses should be bigger than 1.5 oz

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    Thanks for the great challenge. I had a lot of fun blending and texturizing on my page.

    [​IMG]
     
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  10. Margje

    Margje Well-Known Member

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    Fantastic take on the challenge Karen! Love the perspective and added color.
     
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  11. Margje

    Margje Well-Known Member

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    Love that colorful silhouette of the dancer against the gesso Cheryl!
     
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  12. Hildy

    Hildy Member

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  13. janedee

    janedee Is a craft project ever really finished?

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    Great challenge Marianne! I used the Autumn Whisper collection for my page. It has some great gesso styles included in it.
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  14. Janisn

    Janisn Well-Known Member

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    I have not worked with digital gesso much so this was a new experience. I had to do some work arounds with blending as I have PSE. Posterized and masked my photo. Added a magic lights for some color.
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  15. Electra

    Electra Shutterbug

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    Thanks for this challenge, I loved it!
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  16. wvsandy

    wvsandy Grinning Granny

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    [​IMG]
    This was a great technique to work with a less than perfect photo. Thanks for the challenge!
     
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  17. mcurtt

    mcurtt give me all the paleo brownies

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    Here is my attempt at a pencil sketch. I used three "pieces" of gesso, one on top of the photo (right side), the other two behind the photo & peeking out.

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  18. Margje

    Margje Well-Known Member

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  19. Margje

    Margje Well-Known Member

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    Beautiful design and colors Jane! Love the autumn feel on this!
     
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  20. Margje

    Margje Well-Known Member

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    Beautiful effect! Welldone on the work with the gesso Janisn! Love the magic light effect too!
     
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