Watercolor mosaic technique from Maggie Maggio

XaI was delighted when Maggie Maggio  enthusiastically authorized us to publish a tutorial on her famous watercolor mosaic technique which polymer clay artist enjoy so much.

Firts, Maggie gave me her basic technique.

It is just the thinnest possible color washed over white. the black is added to give depth to the collage.

Basic technique for a solid color wash:

1/sheet a small amount of clay at the thinnest manageable setting of your pasta machine.

2/ Sheet some white at the thickest setting on your PM

3/ Put the color on top of the white. Sheet at the middle setting.

4/ Sheet black at the midde setting and add it under the white. Sheet at thinnest manageable setting.

On the second piture below, the original color is the blue clay on the left. The left sheet has been done at 6 on my PM, the middle one at 7 and the right one at 8. Be careful to keep control of your sheet while using the thinnest setting of your PM (which I obviously didn't at 7 and 8 !!!)

5/ tear small pieces and collage.

Note: If you want to sand the surface of the finished piece, add a very thin layer of translucent clay on top of the color at the same time you add the black under the white.

This will make it hard to see the color underneath until after you bake it and it usually "yellows" the color a little so I don't like to do it. Better not to sand! Wearing gloves is a good idea.

You can vary the appearance of the top sheet clay by using whatever technique you like.

Below, I have used a skinner blend top sheet, from dark to light blue.

On the left below, beads with the skinner blend top sheet. On the right, the top sheet is a solid color (the watercolor effect is even more noticeable).

But you can use any technique for your top sheet like marbleizing colors together, using inclusions, using scraps of canes or by getting creative with the whatever echnique you like.

Basically, play with it and have fun.

You can enjoy Maggie's magnificent work on her site : http://www.maggiemaggio.com/color/

      

   

Maggie will be teaching in France from August 6 to August 10 in a renovated farm near Verneuil sur Abre in Normandy.

Il will be a smashing color workshop for both polymer and fiber artists.

It will include the watercolor mosaic technique as part of the class as well as exploring ways to create a personal palette and make gorgeous color combinations.

For more information, you can contact "Bel esprit creative".

Many many thanks to Maggie for sharing her technique with us.

Florence Jakarta

Comments

[celinenad]

Merci pour ce tuto depuis le temps que je le cherche, je vais commencer dès maintenant.