Using gesso to make texture.

I get asked often how I make my papers or what I used for the background, etc. so this will be a quick example of how I get the feel and texture for my cards.

I am using acrylic gesso for this.  I put down a protective coat of paper and have a container with water in it. Now I am ready.

I will be using mix media paper for this. 

I put gesso in my little bowl and use a flat brush .

I am dry brushing it on here

Once I dry brushed it in I dipped my brush in water and went over it again. Smooths out the strokes.

Now the fun part. This is an old brush that my kiddo got ahold of one day and took outside in the sandbox. I washed it and kept it for this kind of project.

Here is a pile of random objects to use for texture. As I use them I place in water container.  The gesso will wash off.

Lay the stencil down (if you choose to use a stencil).

My preference is to dip brush in water and apply it over the stencil.

I added a bit of ink to the stencil so it is easier to see (it normally is white) you can see the marks that the stencilt extrude makes.

You can do the entire sheet with one stencil or just here and there.

Here I look my brush added some gesso to use other "tools".

Making wave marks with the bottom of a sample lotion tube,

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Any object that makes a texture works great.  

Even a Popsicle stick can be used to add texture.  Your imagination is the limit.

Texture has been made using many different tools.  At this point it needs to dry.

Drying 

The leftover gesso in the container is used to do another light texture with just a brush and a quick dip in the water bucket.  

Both sheets need to dry completely before adding ink, paint, markers, watercolors.