Bday abstract

Inspired by something I saw online recently (that I now cannot find!) I made a b-day insert for the SMC April list!

I started with an abstract watercolor design, then added color pencil on some parts. I then added script lettering (in white) around the border: Happy Birthday in various languages. (feliz cumpleanos, joyeux anniversaire, buon compleanos...)

Then (you can barely see as I used Black Sparkle metallic ink) I lettered happy birthday around that in pp "akim".

Before adding black sparkle.

Below is the first test piece I did with the lettering from the ELO song, "Hold on Tight":

Again, I started with watercolor then added lettering with a pp and watercolor ink (which bled a bit into the watercolor design) -- "hold on tight to your dreams"

After, I used a fountain pen and "akim" lettering and added the lyrics, "accroche-toi a ton reve"

So many possibilities!!!

Hold on Tight... (ELO!)

While playing in my art room the other day, this song came on, SO I decided to letter the French lyrics part on a postcard!

Accroche-toi a ton reve.

(Pilot Parallel pen and teal India ink)

*And, just for fun, found this little tidbit online:

"Hold on Tight" from Time. Also hidden in plain sight are the French lyrics for the third verse in Hold On Tight. The line is basically a direct translation of the first verse from English to French. The original Time album's liner notes credits this as "Accroches-toi a ton rêve, Accroches-toi a ton rêve, Quand tu vois ton bateau partir, Quand tu sents ton cocur se briser, Accroches-toi a ton rêve". At it turns out, Jeff and his family had a home in France at the time, which is where his daughters were living with their mother. At the time, Jeff was in Musicland Studios in Germany recording the song, and apparently called up the girls' nanny in France to get the translation. The French lyrics are not a 100% true translation, although they are very close. Translating the French lyrics back to English, they are: "You hang on to your dream; You hang on to your dream; When you see your ship is parting; When you feel your heart is breaking".

Hello! (pc and insert)

I did a Hello postcard (scroll!) and then an insert similar.

I wanted to do the hello's in various languages, just like I did various letters

script/pp, blkltr/gothic, uncial, neuland

"Aloha, hey, ni hao, ciao, hallo, hi, bonjour, hei, ola"

And my postcard (I love it plain too!)

Italic-ish, blkltr, uncial, neuland

Black sumi ink with gold on top

"hola, ni hao, hey, hallo, ciao, hi, bonjour, hei, aloha"

various markers

finished

Trip-tych ("to create...")

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming! 😄 (i.e. Back to Black)

This layout is a result from another Pinspo.

"To Create is to be Free...

To unleash your own Voice within."

quote is my own; design in Pinspo

Metallic w/c and pp work

Before pics/Process Pics

 

more Joy (postcard)

I have been LOVING lettering on my postcards (Cmas gift!)

However, some inks are feathering (BUT, funny enough, it takes a bit of a literal meaning!😄)

Parallel pen and fountain pen ink with metallic acrylic ink using pp.

I added this strip after my initial design as it seemed too plain. Gel pen with block lettering (masking).

close up of glitter glue.

original

another close up

 

M. Oliver (postcard, color)

ok, after a week of black and white, I'm gonna mix in some color now, then I have more to share from my black journal!

For now, here is a version of the last line of Mary Oliver's poem, The Summer Day.

"What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

I lettered the poem in a mix of styles, making it a bit "bouncy" and connecting the letters. (although I messed up!)  :(

I then added watercolor in between the spaces and then printed the lettering at the bottom.

So many fun ideas for this!

Messy.

I discovered this song a bit late but I'm glad I discovered it at all as I LOVE it!! Such awesome lyrics esp. for those of us who know what it's like to be judged.

And this is my fave line.

and my sketch