Q&A

Some answers to questions from Monday's post.  Keep them coming!

Q: Will the masking tape ever be removed from the inside center spine? Or will it stay there permanently?

A: It will stay there permanently.

Q: Also, what type of pen did you use for the journaling?

A: I use a variety of journaling pens.  My two favorite black pens:

1. nib pen with Black Cat ink
2. Sakura Pigma Micron

Q: What type of glue are you using to adhere your photos?

A: I believe that all the photos shown are either stapled or taped to the page with clear packing tape.

Q: Do your photos stick well above all that paint?

A: Adhering over paint is not usually an issue unless you're using a ton of acrylic paint.  And in that case a wet adhesive will do the job.

Q: Could use some great tips esp about collage!

A: I've got a tutorial coming at  you on Wednesday that has some fun collage in it!  Hopefully that will answering any lingering questions you may have!  And of course, you can buy my DVD (shameless plug) "Collage Fast & Furious" for more in depth collage techniques!

Q: If using water color do you wait for each page to dry before you start another page or start putting other things on the page you are working on – this has me stalled at the start.

A: Yes, you have to wait for things to dry before moving on.  And since I'm not good at waiting I usually use a heat gun to dry the paint so that I can keep going.  I recommend the Ranger Heat It Craft Tool.

Q: I like the reasoning behind the masking tape but do you ever find that the texture gets in the way of what you want to do?

A: I like the texture of the tape!  Sometimes I even add extra tape to create some more interest!

Q: Do you gesso the whole page or just where the masking tape is?

A: When working with watercolor paper I only gesso where the masking tape is.  When working with plain paper I gesso the entire page.

Q: If one is scrapping on the go like on subways, buses or in waiting rooms – what would would you carry in your 'art journal to go kit'

A: To carry in your purse, I'd put a small notebook (there is a watercolor moleskine that is only 5.5×3.5") and a waterproof black pen like the Sakura Pigma Micron.  If you wanted one additional item, I'd bring the portable watercolors from Sakura.  The set contains a waterbrush and you can color on the go!

Here's a picture (scissors and pen are for scale):

The waterbrush comes in two parts.  You fill the part on the right with water and cork it.  When you're ready to use it, you simply screw the brush part on top.

Oh, and put a papertowel or rag in your purse so that if you have to slam the book shut, you can put the papertowel or rag between the two pages to keep things from getting too smeary.

Q: How do you apply gesso?  With a wet brush or a dry brush?  And how do you clean your brush?

A: Apply the gesso with a dry brush.  If your brush is wet simply squeeze it in a rag or papertowel to dry it.  And then I like to leave my brush in a jar of water overnight (like soaking a pan) because it makes cleaning it much easier.

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I'll leave you with a few favorite art journaling pages:

Thanks for stopping by!  Linda's guest post will go up in about three hours!  Yay!