As promised to many of you have emailed me heres the next theme in the Art Quest Challenge!

For this challenge we are going to work the the Faux Chip Board Technique!

I dont know about you guys but I love the look of chipboard! Theres something about it I cant put my finger on, its so easy to paint and embellish and distress! My only gripe about it is that it can become quite heavy if you use a lot of it, especially if you want to spell out words on altered book pages!

If you have Bernie Berlins Artist Trading Card Workshop you’ve probably already come across this technique because thats where I first saw it and fell in love with it. Its a very simple yet ingenius technique which anyone can do!

All you need is some shaped fun foam stickers – if you dont have stickers you can use the craft sheets and cut your own shapes using a die cutting machine or craft punches. Foam stickers come in all shapes and sizes – theres variety packs featuring alphabets, animals, celestial, hearts even festive shapes and flowers too! They are pretty fun and usually in very bright day glow colours!

In addition to the foam stickers you need some of that good old trusty artists friend otherwise known as GESSO! You need the coloured variety of gesso not the clear – white, black or grey would all be perfect.

Next your going to need acrylic paints – the colours you pick are entirely up to YOU!

Got your basics? Got your book ready? Lets go…

1. Get your foam shapes and stick them down onto your altered book or sketchbook page – arrange them across to make a pattern or use alphabets to spell out words – its up to you (as always!)

2. Apply a generous coat of gesso over the entire book pages and also across the foam shapes. Let the gesso dry. If the colour of the foam shapes are still visable (the colours are pretty strong) you may need 2 coats of gesso.

Once the gesso is dry you’ll probably notice that the foam shapes are now almost solid and also resemble chip board – now you see why its called ‘Faux Chip Board’ huh

3. Once the gesso is dry, paint over the entire book pages and gesso-ed shapes with one colour of acrylic paint. Let dry.

4. Next dry brush some paint over the top of the actual foam shapes in a contrasting colour of acrylic paint – ie if youve painted your entire book pages in deep maroon; dry brush over the top in a light pink to create a contrast between the background and the foam shapes. Let dry.

Once dry you can leave your foam shapes as they are or you can actually use your rubber stamps to stamp over just the foam shapes!!

Decorate your page how you wish to finish this challenge and share your artwork by leaving me a link to your artwork!

Heres some links to atcs I made using this technique last year so you can see what this technique looks like:

http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1424071076/in/set-72157603503430788/

http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1423187877/in/set-72157603503430788/

http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1424070710/in/set-72157603503430788/ 

http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1424070514/in/set-72157603503430788/ 

http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1424070366/in/set-72157603503430788/ 

http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1424070232/in/set-72157603503430788/

http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1423187019/in/set-72157603503430788/ 

http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1423184405/in/set-72157603503430788/ 

http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1423184983/in/set-72157603503430788/ 

 http://flickr.com/photos/trishbeedesign/1423183617/in/set-72157603503430788/

Enjoy!