Welcome to the September Hybrid Happenings! Back in June, Art Journal and Collage was the 2nd most popular topic for hybrid projects. So, guess what? Art Journal and Collage is the focus of September’s Hybrid Happenings! I have a question for you. What does hybrid mean to you? I’d love to read your responses in the comments below. When I think hybrid, my first thought is printing out digital elements, papers, or journal cards, then using those items to make something. But, I think there is a different approach to “hybrid” too! And this month, I think our art journalists and mixed media artists will appreciate a “reverse hybrid” approach. What? Reverse hybrid? Yes. Reverse hybrid. I am coining this term – ha, ha! Reverse hybrid is when you make a unique, organic, analog piece of art from scratch, with or without digital elements. You take a picture or scan in your work of art…then use digital kits/collections in your photo-editing software to make a digital piece. So, yes, it is kind of like playing designer and making your own background paper or base. If you like to draw or doodle, imagine extracting your original artwork and using that as an element. For September’s hybrid happenings, I decided to make my own backgrounds using digital elements and journal cards printed onto tissue paper and regular computer paper. These items were cut out and glued onto cardstock with Mod Podge. Then I used a gesso wash all over the collages. In some areas, I used thicker gesso then stamped into the gesso to create a textured image. Inspiration for this project came from Rachel Jefferies. Rachel has a video in which she printed onto deli paper. Then, she used that deli paper in her collage. I used tissue paper which worked very well. I tacked down the tissue paper with washi tape onto regular computer paper. Here are the results: Here are the final backgrounds, with gesso added. When pieces were thoroughly dried, I scanned them in. In Photoshop, I cropped the backgrounds to my liking. I ended up with 10 pieces I liked a lot. Here is a sampling: Kits I used to make the backgrounds were: Rachel Jefferies - Those Wings and Carefully Curated: This is Me Allison Pennington – Rearview Lynn Grieveson – Textual Layered Transfers 1 So, I started with a “hybrid” project. Then I turned it into a “reverse hybrid” project. If you’d like to play along this month, you can skip the hybrid part and jump right into reverse hybrid. Go ahead and use your original, organic, analog works of art to make digital art! All you have to do is photograph your artwork…then import it into your photo-editing software and use like a background paper. Or, as suggested earlier, you can extract your original doodle or drawing. I do hope you are inspired to play along this month. I’d love to see how you use your unique collage pieces, a page from your art journal, or an original painting transformed into digital art combined with TLP designer kits! Here is my Reverse Hybrid piece: As a reminder – photos with no digital product are welcome in the forums! Projects with at least 50% TLP product are welcome in the galleries + forums. And don't forget, there is a gallery for Hybrid! Happy creating!
I do see hybrid as printing digital elements. I also consider adding my own paper stash in there part of the process. I love printing on tissue paper and doing image transfers….. my printer is acting funny right now…… so no printing for me.
I still don't have a printer so I'm going to have to pass this one up. Your example is gorgeous too!!!!!
Great minds think alike! I've used that technique, and term as well, especially in my earlier digi days when I didn't have as many kits but did have a wonderful flat-bed scanner. Tim Holtz inks on clear plastic, then scanned, make amazing digital backgrounds. Backing it with white is the most basic, then the look can be changed by backing it with metallic paper, Zentangle (a specific type of line art), stamped images, or multiple layers stacked on top of each other. I'll see if I can find some of them. (I'll do a completely new project with new materials and new photo and TLP product for the challenge. I just got really excited when you mentioned reverse hybrid I had to run and find some of my existing stuff)
Here are a couple. Another fun way to work with them was to layer strips of white torn paper behind instead of plain white paper. Extra texture. and very fun to work with.
Hopefully my replacement print will arrive in time. Epson informed me they are shipping me a new one.
I am greatly intrigued by this! I bought some alcohol inks...but have not had much success in using them. Truthfully, I messed up a few mixed media pieces by trying to apply alcohol inks on top of acrylic. So, I could really use some ideas and techniques on what I can do with liquid inks. I am so happy "reverse hybrid" is exciting to you...it is to me too!!! The act of creating is such a great joy...and blending original art with digital kits is quite fun. I look forward to what you make next!!
Much love for your creativity Lisa! I'm just a beginner with art journaling, trying to learn the basics without being to critical at myself.
I have been playing with reverse hybrid as well......... this is a layout I created recently. The background paper is one I have created from a scanned copy of a page in my art journal. I had lots of fun creating several papers from various parts of the scanned page. And then I created a layout using various products from @Rachel Jefferies: Patina Collection, Pocket Art: Signature Kit 6, Every Last Minute - Collage Bits & Bobs, Oh Yes You Can: Mixed Media Kit, Birds of a Feather Elements (with Sahin Designs, Off The Grid: Bundle
Susie, take a photo of an art journal page then bring the jpg into Photoshop and cut out a piece or two that you like, copy into a new psd file then PLAY, use different blend modes, combine the pieces, enlarge them...... use some freebie internet textures on them....... just have some fun.