Hamsa Project: More Layers and a bit of Patience

Adding some color with Pastel Dye Sticks

 Got behind in posting yesterday...not to say that I wasn't in the studio. Did some more work on the Hamsa pieces.

I decided to add some additional color to the hands using Pentel Pastel Dye Sticks. What's great about these pastels is that you can set them with an iron just like the transparent fabric paint.

 

I then ironed on a freezer paper mask so that I could paint the eye with blue glue gel. This will preserve the original color as I continue to add layers. I threw a little bit of table salt on the blue glue for texture.

When the glue/salt mixture dried, I removed the freezer paper mask. I used a brush to paint lines from the eye to the fingertips. This will also preserve the first layer of color. Once the glue dried, I added another layer of color to each hamsa hand.

One thing about working with resists is the need to be patient. In order to get more interesting results, the layers have to be added one at a time...with drying time in between. Sometimes trying to work out the layers can be a bit of a mind twister. Working from the lightest color and hoping that the additional color layers work can make one's brain feel like it's going to explode! Fortunately, there is always opaque paint that can be tossed into the mix at the appropriate time to "lighten" things up...but that will have to be another post.