I want to take a minute to wish you and your family a happy holiday season and a better year in 2022 for all of us.

It's been a tough year for many and so I'm happy to close out 2021 with some downtime, doggie walks on the beach, comfort food and traditional Christmas movies.

As creatives, we have an endless source of ideas and the skills to keep us grounded in these challenging times. Let's all keep moving ahead on our creative projects as we enter the new year and together we'll reap the rich rewards that come from deep within each of us.

---

In past newsletters, I've discussed how light and shadows create shape and form, and how you can use this knowledge to create a 3-dimensional look in your portrait.

For this month's Artsy Fabric Collage Tip, I want to share a few ideas for adding some extra oomph to your collage. Try these tips to 'amp it up' when your fabric stash just isn't up to snuff or you're not getting the look you're after.

You might be asking, when and where would I want to 'amp it up'? Here are three scenarios you might be familiar with...

1. My fabric not quite the right colour/value

Maybe the fabric you'd love to use is just a shade too light or it's not the right colour. While you could substitute another fabric, it has just the right texture or print and you really want to use it in the collage.

Try this:

• over-dye a piece of fabric with Tsukineko ink or use Fabrico markers to achieve the correct shade or colour.

Example: in this portrait of Smiley, I over-dyed several light value fabrics to create the variations of orangey-browns I needed for the inner ear and fur on her backside.

2. My fabric is perfect except for the bright areas

Perhaps the fabric you want to use has bright printed areas that detract from the illusion of depth you're trying to create.

Try this:

• darken the light areas with a marker pen to nudge them further into the background.

Example: notice the recess in Smiley's ear and her jaw line? I used a Prismacolour marker to darken those areas, but inks would have worked just as well.

3. I'm good but I can't cut pieces of fabric that small!

There are likely a few reflections in your photo, but what's the best way to add these? Fabric has its limitations and so do we! It can only be cut so small and will fray if it's too small.

Try this:

• with a Gelly Roll pen, Tsukineko ink or acrylic ink, apply white ink to a medium/dark fabric.
• to add a grey hightlight to a dark fabric, hold the Gelly Roll pen at a steep angle and scribble lightly over the fabric; to make a strong white line on a dark fabric, hold the pen vertically to apply the ink then when it's dry, use a black sharpie marker to refine the edges.
• white Tsukineko ink or white acrylic paint are great for making a bright white mark on fabric.

Example: the white accents on Smiley's nose, eyes and lips were all made with a white Gelly Roll pen These white reflections help create dimension and depth.

---

Greyscale markers (e.g. Prismacolor, Copic, Faber-Castell, etc.) and Gelly Roll pens are sold in Art Supply stores (a.k.a. candy stores for creative folks).

Tsukineko inks and Fabrico markers can be ordered from Dharma Trading. The inks are water soluble, permanent, a little goes a long way and they are super simple to use -- just wet the fabric with diluted ink and let it dry, then press with a hot iron.

These inks and markers come through for me when I run out of fabrics and need more variety. Used sparingly, they help when I need some areas to recede and contrast with the adjacent fabric. And, of course, the all important flecks of light on eyes and lips are a tried and true formula for elevating your portrait.

If you haven't tried these aids in your collage, you might want to give them a whirl. It's the little additions like this that can make a big difference and give your portrait that WOW factor that takes your breath away.

---

Each month, I choose a different Fabric Collage topic so stay tuned for the next newsletter and do let me know if there's a topic you'd like to see in a future edition. You can check out the November newsletter for more Pet Portrait fabric collage tips.

If you'd like to give a Pet Portrait class for a Christmas gift, then click the button below to check out the online course offerings. Students can work at their own pace according to their own schedule and I'm available by text or email for support at any time.

Anne's Pet Portrait Classes

Note: the Coursecraft platform is closing in April 2022. Anne's courses will be fully migrated to a great new platform prior to April 2022 so that all registered students receive un-interrupted and unlimited access to the courses through this period.

Thanks for reading and, until next time, be well.

​