DigitalCorner: Paperworn Art Styles

I rarely find anything when it comes to digital art journaling that I suggest for others or see as "must haves", except when it comes to Tangie Baxter's Paperworn Art Style. These styles for PS and PSE are truly essential to doing fantastic art journal pages digitally.
I would never tell you that you had to spend money on anything you don't want. But I am 100% certain that this is an investment you would not regret. Some of you probably already have this style set.



If you look at the black and white texts at the bottom of this image you can see that it looks like the text is applied on top of the painted background. This is just not realistic looking. If you then apply the style, you can see that the text blends with the painted background similar to what it would do in real life.

The style set comes with 7 styles and 1 action. I use PSE6 so can only tell you how well the styles work with my software. The action only works in PhotoShop, not PhotoShop Elements. The 7 different styles work differently depending on your background and the color of the layer you want to apply the style to. It is really just a question of trying out each one. Some times it doesn't work at all if the background doesn't have the right texture or color, but most times you will get some very nice effects. And it is not just for text. You can use it for any kind of element you want to add to your art journal pages. Of course to make it look realistic it works best for painted elements and background.

These styles come both as commercial use and personal use. If you purchase the commercial use set you can sell your derivative works. For example if you ever decide to make cards, or maybe sell your pages. If you purchase the personal use set you may not sell derivative works. Honestly I suggest the commercial use version. With the commercial use version you are always safe to use it. Both for selling your works and should you ever want to publish your pages.

Tangie Baxter's Paperworn Art Styles - Commercial Use version.
Tangie Baxter's Paperworn Art Styles - Personal Use version.

Without style:


With style:


Without style:


With style:

Glue, glue, oh wonderful glue...

Glue is probably one of the most important ingredients in art journaling, altered art, well most crafts really. And yes you can use the cheap stuff here too. I have a couple of favorites, and I will tell you about them and you can try them out too.

Mod Podge vs. Gel Mediums.
I use Mod Podge for most of my glue needs. I use both matte and gloss, but for collaging I always use the matte variety. When you use Mod Podge you might want to move quickly cause it is water based and will dry quickly when you only apply a thin layer. Also I feel that the quicker I move the less bubbles wrinkles I will get. When I apply collage pieces to my art using Mod Podge I always use a plastic card to smooth the piece to lessen the chance of bubbles and wrinkles. Usually you can get 16 oz of Matte Mod Podge for around $6. No matter where you go. Walmart is usually a little cheaper than other places.
There are also several places online where you can get it at a discounted price such as Dick Blick or Create for Less.

I have been told by so many people that the only adhesive to use for art journaling (collaging) is Golden Gel Mediums. I recently decided that I should try it. So I spent $10.61 (+shipping) for 8 oz of Golden Soft Gel (matte).
Honestly I was not impressed. I don't feel it does anything that Mod Podge can't do. I actually got a little annoyed with it. You have to use so much more of it to make it really stick. And even after it is smoothed out with a plastic card it still leaves bubbles. It appears that the bubbles actually come from where there is no glue. So you have to be extra careful that you cover your area 100% with the glue.
If you must try it out, please just buy a small jar. 8 oz is the smallest I think. Compare the quality and quantity to how much you pay. I am sure Mod Podge will be OK for your projects.

Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue - I actually really like this glue, just not for collaging. It it permanent and sticks really great. It just stays tacky for so long. You will want to use this for adhering heavy items. For example if you add small pieces of hardware, silk flowers, etc. Just don't use it where the glue might be "showing", as in collaging, cause it will stay tacky for quite some time.
It has two applicators. One pen tip and one broad tip. I really like to use the pen tip to add just a dap of glue.
This product does contain Natural Rubber Latex, so not good if you have latex/rubber allergies.

UHU Stic - This is again one of those glue sticks that was recommended for art journaling and again I was not impressed. I also paid a lot more as I bought mine at Michael's. I honestly do not think it is worth the money. It tends to get "stringy", and then becomes a mess to work with.

Scotch Wrinkle-Free Glue Stick - This glue is worthless. Yes it is true that it is wrinkle free, but applying it is like trying to use hot string cheese.
I will not recommend this one.

Inkssentials Collage Glue Stick - I have just started trying this one out and I am actually quite impressed with this one. It has wonderful stickiness, and so far I have not had issues with it getting stringy. And it is priced perfectly at just $1.65 at Scrapbooking Warehouse.

So in the end I will recommend Plaid Mod Podge (Matte) and Inkssentials Collage Glue Stick. Both are reasonably priced and both gets the job done.
Of course I will suggest that you use up all the adhesive you have in the house before you go buy more, but keep these two in mind when the time comes.

I haven't tried out all the adhesives available, and I am sure there are many more out there that will work wonderfully. If you have a favorite glue, I would love to hear about it so I too can try it out.

Glitter is a must...

I love to add glitter to my pages. It just adds that final touch to any page. And you can add a little or you can add a lot. There are a lot of different products that you can buy to add your sparkle. You can of course buy the little vials with glitter. Add glue to your page and then sprinkle your glitter onto your glue, or add the glitter to wet paint. However, that can become such a mess. Glitter everywhere for years to come. This is probably a reason why some people stay away from glitter.

I personally use two different types of glitter.

1: FolkArt Extreme Glitter from Plaid.
These are sold most anywhere in the US. Walmart carry most of the colors. And they are priced around $2 for 2 oz.
You can apply them just as you would any acrylic paint. Use a small brush, use your fingers, or apply any other way you prefer. The "paint" goes on as a milky white paint, but will dry clear so only the glitter shows.
You can get these at HofCraft for less than $2

2: Glitter Glue.
You can get these from various manufacturers. Crayola, Elmer's, and Cra-Z-Art, are just a few that I have used. Martha Stewart also sell glitter glue.
Prices on glitter glue varies a great deal. Here is a small list that I have compiled.
Martha Stewart: 4ct for $9.99 at Scrapbook.com The packs come in various sizes, colors, and prices.
Crayola: 5ct for $5.06 at Walmart.com Come in different colors as well.
Elmer's: 10ct for $4.88 at Walmart.com
Cra-Z-Art: 10ct for $2 at Family Dollar

I really suggest you check your local dollar store, dime store, or other discount store you might have. And get the cheapest you can find, and try it out.

Several of these glitter glue pens say they will dry raised or as 3D, but if you dont care for that, you can "smear" the glue with a finger to make it more flat when you apply it.

Coloring Pencils

There are SO many different brands out there that it would be impossible for me to try them all out, but I have tried a couple. I believe what people like are the pencils that are softer, because they give more pigment when you use them. So it is entirely a preference thing. And what you choose is entirely up to you.

The one that the "real artists" will tell you to buy is Prismacolor. They are actually pretty good, but they also cost anywhere from $.89 to $1.29 per pencil. That can become quite expensive if you use more than a few colors.

You can also get one that is slightly cheaper called Scholar Prismacolor. They are a bit less expensive. About $8 for 12 at Walmart. (I actually paid only $.10 for a pack of 12 due to a mark down error). Honestly I can not tell the difference between the two types. I tried using the color "Bleu Copenhagen" from both sets and even though there was a slight different in the actual color, the intensity was so close that I personally couldn’t tell the difference.

I use Crayola a lot and you can get a pack of 12 for about $3, depending on where you buy them. Sure they are not as 'soft' or color intense as Prismacolors, but for my purpose they work just fine.

Walmart also carries a line of products from Daler-Rowney called Simply Artist. A pack of 12 pencils will run about $7. Only issue with these are when they need sharpening. I have tossed a couple because they constantly break when you try to sharpen them.

I think when it comes to coloring pencils it is really all about how much you are willing to pay. And how much you use them. I use them a lot so I definitely prefer to pay as little as possible. I really don’t use them to make large pieces of art, I am using them more to add a few lines of color, some detail, etc. If coloring pencils are your preferred art supply and you plan on focusing on art made using coloring pencils then you will probably want to pay for the better quality rather than quantity.