by Julie Ann Shahin, Studio Tangie Social Media Team

light·ing [lahy-ting]

noun

1. the act of igniting or illuminating: the lighting of many candles; the annual lighting of the Christmas tree.

2. the arrangement of lights to achieve particular effects: to work out the lighting for one’s living room.

3. an effect achieved by the arrangement of lights: Several critics praised the lighting of the play.

4. the science, theory, or method of achieving particular effects by the use of lights.

5. the way light falls upon a face, object, etc., especially in a picture.

Source: Dictionary.com

The Science of  Light and Color

When I was studying at Michigan State University, I had to take a science class to graduate, so I chose the Science of Light and Color, as being an artsy person I thought this would be most interesting to me. Twenty years later, don’t ask me to re-iterate what I learned in that class. 

Although, working on this blog post, a few tidbits might come back to me.

You might think in Art Journaling that you only need to worry about light and lighting when you are shadowing an object, or creating sun rays, etc. However, just like in my University class, light mixes with color to produce dramatic results. “Although Aristotle and other ancient scientists had already written on the nature of light and color vision, it was not until Newton that light was identified as the source of the color sensation.” (Wikipedia)

“When sunlight shines through a prism, you can see all the colors of the rainbow (or visible spectrum). In fact, daylight is a mix of all colors. All the colors of nature come from light.” (Discover Lighting)

MUST READ:

• Elements of Art: Light – Tutorial

• Discover Lighting: An Introduction to Lighting Basics

 

How do we apply this light theory to our designs?

One of the important design basics is contrast, which can be achieved through lighting. 

“Lighting can be described as being “soft” or “hard”.  Diffused light is soft. It minimizes shadows and provides a more relaxing and less visually compelling atmosphere.  When used alone, however, the effect can be lacking in interest, like an outdoor scene on an overcast day.

The artful use of hard light can provide highlights and shadows that emphasize texture and add beauty to form, as with direct sunlight.  Small unshielded sources such as a bare lamp or a candle flame can add an effect of brilliance or sparkle.”

Tangie has several products in her shoppe for applying light (and shadow) to your pages. Also you will find many of her kits have a lighting element or two as well. I will name some of these as well as give you links to tutorials for lighting effects in Photoshop below.

 

Art Journal Caravan 2011 Provisions {Parcel 33} Apprentice Art Box Edition By Tangie

Art Journal Caravan 2011 Provisions {Parcel 42} Apprentice Art Box Edition By Tangie

Additional Kits that have several lighting elements included:

{Steampunk Laboratory Collab} MEGA BUNDLE by Tangie

Up, Up & Away by Tangie

Luminescence by Tangie

 

Inspiration for Technique Focus: Lighting with Steps

Julie Ann

Here is the final image that I will walk you through the steps in which I applied lighting. I go from this…

to this with the lighting effects applied!

 

Step 1. Open page in Photoshop/ Elements

 

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Step 2. Add wavy highlight with lines from AJC11 Parcel 42 by Tangie Lighting Effects. Go to Layer –> New Adjustment Layer –> Gradient Map. Click ok twice. Go to Layer –> Group with Previous.

Now go back and pick the color of the gradient map. To do so, double click on the “layer thumbnail” of the gradient map. Click on the drop-down menu to open Gradient Color Picker, click on double arrows for more options, click on color harmonies.

Click ok.

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Step 3. Add the solid wavy highlight from AJC11 Parcel 42 by Tangie Lighting Effects. Set the blending mode to Saturation, Opacity 84%. This gives a nice shadow contrast.

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Step 4. Add a wavy shadow lighting effect fromAJC11 Parcel 42 by Tangie Lighting Effects. Change the blending mode to Overlay, Opacity 68%.

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Step 5. Add light element from Up, Up, & Away by Tangie. Position part of the light behind the “o” in “worth.”

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Step 6. Add another light element from Up, Up, & Away by Tangie. This goes in the lower left part of the heart.

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Step 7. Add a glowy light effect. Apply the style Tangie Galaxy Glows from the SUPER HERO BUNDLE by Tangie.

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Step 8. Add the orange light from Up, Up, & Away by Tangie behind “feelings” in the upper right area of the heart for the finishing touch!!! The page is complete.

 

Page by Julie Ann Shahin

Journaling: Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible – the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family. – Virginia Satir

Credits: (all by Tangie Baxter)

Lighting: Up Up Away,AJC11 Parcel 42
Silhouettes: Silhouette Family Tree Collab with Molly Decrow
Paper: Enchanted Art Box Add On with Sherriejd

Fonts: Tangie AJFtweedleDeeALT, Tangie AJFmerryunbirthday, jamaistevie, Janda Apple Cobbler

 

Tutorials for Technique Focus: Lighting

• Adding Rays of Light
  

• Photoshop Elements 8: Add Rays Of Light To A Photo - Learn Photoshop with Photo Effects Tutorials at Photoshop Essentials.com!

• Tutorial: Lighting Effects with Brushes in Photoshop

• Quick and Extremely Easy Glowing Lights Photoshop Brushes

• Add A Sparkle Trail To A Photo With Photoshop – Learn Photoshop with Photo Effects Tutorials at Photoshop Essentials.com!

• Space Lighting Effects in 10 Steps – Photoshop Tutorial

• 30 Brilliant Photoshop Lighting Effects Tutorials

• 40 Dazzling Photoshop Abstract and Lighting Effects Tutorials

 

Now it’s Your Turn!

Link up your page here (copy and paste the url) in the comments section of this post. Join our fun, lots of members are jumping in!

Julie Ann Shahin is a New York-based art journaler, scrapbooker, mixed media craftster who specializes in hybrid and altered art techniques. She will be blogging regularly for tangiebaxter.com on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You may contact Julie Ann directly at julieann dot shahin at gmail dot com

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by Julie Ann Shahin, Studio Tangie Social Media Team

Art Journal 2012 Caravaners are filling up the gallery with paper and hybrid journal pages, and it’s so exciting! It’s time to focus on hybrid here on the Studio Tangie blog, don’t you agree?

HYBRID IS…

Hybrid is pixels plus paper, for the newbies. Any combination of the two. There are many fabulous ways to creatively use your computer and printer, your handwriting and fussy cutting skills, and mix it all up! As I say many many times, and  never get tired of saying, the only limit to it all is your own imagination.

NEW!

Studio Tangie has lots of awesome New Printables in the shoppe, including the oh so FABULOUS Tangible Plans™. I have to tell you that these Tangible Plans are very addicting to make!!!! I love them. You’ll see one of my pages using a Tangible Plan below (right page of art journal below). To check out Tangie’s Tangible Plans and all the new add-ons, just search for “zippyplans” in the shoppe.

BIG SALE!

Tangie also has put up for Sale a whole bunch of PRINTABLES in her CLOSEOUTS section that were previously retired, I believe. Get those now too! They are called ARTist Sheets and Artspiration Boards.

For your pleasure today, we have hybrid art journal pages from the Studio Tangie Creative Team, and I also pulled some hybrid pages from the Art Journal Caravan gallery! Enjoy!

Inspiration: Focus on Hybrid

Tam aka tamhanley

These pages were made from a dismantled cookbook/notebook, using gesso, phone book pages, acrylic and watercolor paints, glimmer mist, gel pens, stamps, light modeling paste, embroidery thread and bracelet chain, and printed artwork by Tangie!

Credits:
AJC 2012 parcel 15
http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Art-Journal-Caravan-2012-Parcel-15.html
AJC 2012 parcel 07
http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Art-Journal-Caravan-2012-Parcel-07.html
Cirque Joyeux
http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Cirque-Joyeux.html
AJC 2010 parcel 40
http://shop.scrapbookgraphics.com/Art-Journal-Caravan-Provisions-Parcel-40.html

Julie Ann

I used two of Tangie’s Studio Box Workshops to create these two pages in a 12 x 12 journal by Fancy Pants. I added fussy cuts from wallpaper, magazines, and collage pieces by Tangie. I had so much fun with these, and you can tell I just love color!

Left Page

This page was created from Studio Box Workshop #1, and I used water-soluble crayons on the edges. I journaled with an American Crafts Slicker Pen, added wallpaper that I fussy cut, and a few collage pieces by Tangie.

Right Page

I also used water-soluble crayons on the edges of the printables to give an artsy look. I outlined a few items with a black pen, and some of the journaling was done with a Zig Memory Marker. It was raining the day that I made this page so I added the girl with the umbrella from a magazine.

Credits:

{Studio Box Workshops No. 1} Buildable Art Journals
by Tangie

Tangible Plans™ {Starter Kit & Workshop}
by Tangie

2010 Collage Sheet Mania! 92 Collage Sheet Grab Bag!
by Tangie

2011 Collage Sheet Mania! 94 Collage Sheet Grab Bag!
by Tangie

Other: Word Art border by CrowAbout StudioB

Inspiration for the Art Journal Caravan 2012 Gallery: Focus on Hybrid

rarou47

Aplomb week 8

Credits:

BG paper is a mixture between Nancie Rowe janitz papers and tangie,
Just jaimee: border, splatter,
Tangie: (up, up away, splatter graffitis, AJC 2012): elements
Nancie Rowe Janitz: sticht,
Marta van ecklette: bird,
maya: snapshot 2012 wordart,
The girl is a painting from Van Dongen

Keywords: art-journal, neo color crayons, hybrid

kayoft

PERMISSION TO PLAY

THE PROMPT: Something I really want to accomplish this year is __________.

Stay the course with my altered book called HAPPY NEW DAY. I want to experiment, explore, and practice new techniques in the hybrid world of art journaling as I document my days. In order to support this dream I have …
• Signed up for workshops & classes (probably way too many LOL) … AND … integrate the inspiration and prompts into my book
• Set up my hybrid art journaling space
• Am re-organizing my digital supplies
*Given myself permission to play in my art journal every day
Supplies used: acrylic paints, pitt pens, gel pens,
NBC Cutie Patootie (face & word art)

ArmyGrl

April

Thought I’d share these here at the AJC…I used Tangie’s Tangibles. The templates are awesome; especially if you don’t have lots of time to create (like me at the moment). After creating the pages digitally, I printed them out. I did not save the digital files…as this will force me to use pen and pencil (or maybe even crayon) to finish the page.

mimisgirl

junque journal pages 2 Dream Awesome

So I also worked on my junque journal gifts I went all out on a few pages and had some fun – I will post my favs to share with you.

This one uses Polka Dot Chicks and Soto Creations Altered Junk Adornments bundle (wings)
Mix-Up 15 (paper for hearts) & 7(white wings)
as well as some acrylic paint, heart punch, and gel pens

SarahBarberDesign

AJCover

This year, I’ll probably have two art journals, a digital one, and a completely handmade one. I’ve started the handmade one already. The cover is done and my first page is done. Actually, the journal I have is a fabulous handmade journal by Tangie Baxter. You can find them in her Etsy shop. Anyway, I wanted to share my new artwork with you all.

2012 Art Journal Cover Art {collage fodder by Tangie Baxter, a Broadway post card, paint pens by Sharpie, label maker, distress ink by Tim Holtz, acrylic paint, PITT Artist pens by Faber-Castell, gloss gel medium by Liquitex, and Preserve It! Matte finish spray by Krylon.

tina0319

Week 06 Page

The background for this page is some wonderful fabric with skulls and glitter on it! I glued it down and then glued on the pieces, I printed one of Tangie’s hearts with the word Listographs on it and glued it on, some bubble wrap gesso, stamped letters and journaling and I think the page is done.
Journaling reads: “Proud to of overcome. 1. Not graduating from High school. Got GED went to college. 2. Being molested. 3. Being raped @S 13. 4. Being in a very abusive relationship. (I left) 5. Depression. My past doesn’t control my present or my future!”

tinkerbell

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my painted collaged bits and after digitizing and playing with them for a while realized I’d never celebrated my morning coffee ritual in my art journal. No earth shattering philosophical messages here, just a bit of fun.

Full size version and credits at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinkerb…n/photostream/

kygirl

One Little Word 2012: Embrace

For far too long, I’ve been a collector of art supplies, rather than a user. With this year’s journal, I’d like to change that, so I’ve delved into my stash. My word is embrace, and I was inspired by this short poem.

Supplies: Affliction and 1942 Report fonts, coffee for staining, watercolor pencils, Tattered Angels glimmer mist, Bo Bunny papers, letters and stickers (Gabrielle and Et Cetera collections)

Nevermore

Bohemian Rhapsody

I haven’t done a hybrid piece since the summer. But my amazing friend Ruth came by for a sleepover and I couldn’t resist. She is doing amazing work with tea bags but rather than follow her delicate example (she empties the bag and flattens it which provides an amazing background frame texture), I just threw on a filled herbal tea bag. Besides Ruth, I need to give a nod to Rabbit whose self challenge appealed to me immensely and thus my first challenge: to do a zeti type piece.

Materials: Acrylics and lots of modifiers (gels, pearlizers), Neo-Colours, Derwent Inktense watercolours, Tombow, masking tape, Sharpie Poster pen, Uniball Signo, Gel pen
Digital: Crowabout Studios Woot2 (head, arms, wings), Tumblefish Studios Fishy (shoes and stockings)

Lyrics: Queen

disneyaddict

a scrapbook/ art journaling hybrid page- I love how this turned out because it is so out of my comfort one

Thanks for looking,
Diane

Artyparrot

After all the colour of my previous pages I fancied doing something with a little less colour. So here is my mixed media page for My life in 3 sentences. I think its one of my favourites so far.

Images -Tangies Dream Spillers
Font – Tropical script BTN Bamboo
Border – Pitt pen black

imsoto2

BOLD

Be BOLD and mighty forces will come to your aid.

I have had a block for months now. I haven’t even made a single Caravan page yet I think. I start a lot of pages but never really finish anything. Yesterday I heard that quote on a TV show (don’t remember which show, sorry) and it just kept repeating in my head. This afternoon I once again sat down with my journal and hoped to make something. I added some of the background paint and it was quite bold and 1 hour later the page was done. YAY.

Supplies: The circles are punched from some of the many backgrounds I have painted lately. The butterflies are from a vintage notecard kit by Maryjo Koch. The fonts are from our very own Tangie Baxter. I used cheapy watercolors and Crayola Slick Stix (love those).

and this one, below, I don’t think is hybrid- but since I’m writing this blog post, I guess I can put anything here! I don’t think you’ll complain! Isn’t it gorgeous?

TANGIE BAXTER

2012 Itinerary #5

Mixed-Media week #5,
I knew my journaling was going somewhere I wasn’t ready to share with everyone so I snapped a picture with my phone before I finished writing!

LOVE LOVE this quote, and it has inspired me to be more BOLD

Now it’s your turn!

I hope this has inspired you to be hands-on and get your hands messy! Be sure to share your hybrid art journal pages with us in the gallery.

Join the conversation! Leave a comment below and tell us what you think about this post.

Julie Ann Shahin is a New York-based art journaler, scrapbooker, mixed media craftster who specializes in hybrid and altered art techniques. She will be blogging regularly for tangiebaxter.com on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You may contact Julie Ann directly at julieann dot shahin at gmail dot com

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