Tag Archives: #digitalcollage

Looking Back On 30 Days Of Painting

Day 29, 30-Day Creative Gathering 2-2024. 8 x 8 Watercolor, digital collage. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Day 29, 30-Day Creative Gathering 2-2024. 8 x 8 Watercolor, digital collage. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.

My usual M.O. is to make a plan, and have a few themes in mind at the beginning of the gathering. The journey usually presents a different path, and I follow where it leads.

Not the abstracts I had in mind. But still a good month. Filled with learning, some mild frustration (part of learning), and meditative moments.

I made use of scrap paper. A couple of extra wide bookmarks. Some smaller, simple florals. I worked in several sizes. 4 x 4, 8 x 8, a couple 10×10’s. I worked with watercolor, acrylics, mixed media & digital collage.

Below I share each piece, including larger views of a few of my favorites. You will see my 30 day collage, and my favorites collage.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Enjoy!

Days 1 - 10,  30-Day C.G.  2-2024. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Days 1 – 10, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Days 11 - 20, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Days 11 – 20, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Days 21 - 30, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Days 21 – 30, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Day 3, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. 8 x 8. Watercolor, digital collage. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Day 3, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. 8 x 8. Watercolor, digital collage. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Day 13, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. 10 x 10 Watercolor, digital collage. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Day 13, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. 10 x 10 Watercolor, digital collage. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.

Do you remember the overhead projectors in school? And how the teacher would sometimes layer the acetate sheets to show a change of angles or size. Well that is a simple way to think about digital collage. It’s all about layers.

For the landscape above, I started with a painting. Plain colors & shapes.

  • In the foreground I added a bit of digital painting for texture and an extra layer of color for the darker areas.
  • On the front range, I added a layer of an old letter. I tilted it, and changed the color.
  • On Mingus, I added a layer of pattern. A mixture of dots, lines and triangles.
  • The moon is piece of copyright free clip art. I softened the color, and added a glow effect. I exaggerated that so that it would reflect on the mountain.
  • To the sky I digitally painted some texture, but most of that is from the original painting. I added digital splatter, and deepened the color to more of a twilight feel.

Of course for each layer, there is experimentation. Different patterns, different colors. Different effects. Some pieces can have up to 30 layers of bits and bobs.

Day 20, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. 8 x 8 Watercolor, acrylic, digital collage. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.
Day 20, 30-Day C.G. 2-2024. 8 x 8 Watercolor, acrylic, digital collage. © 2024 Sheila Delgado.

To see these in more detail, visit @sheilazart.

Thanks so much for taking a look. I always love hearing which ones you like best, and why. I am actually happy with all of them. There are only two I would make changes on. That is amazing to me, considering it took me two weeks to feel in the groove. I did make changes to a few pieces, following suggestions by friends in the group. Thanks so much for your help!

Happy creating to you!

30-Day Creative Gathering Collage, September 2023

30-Day Creative Gathering Collage, September 2023. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.
30-Day Creative Gathering Collage, September 2023. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

My path this month was a winding one. I started loose and organic. Sketchy. Day four found me heavy into digital patterns and textures. That one was a lot of work. I managed to regain a looser feel at times. But often I was much more stylized than I had planned to be.

I struggled with abstracts. I refused to give up though. I did ten. Triple that if I count all the failures. Of those, there are only two I consider very good. Days 9 & 22. Even though it is slightly goofy, I also like day 17, the Kachina. I didn’t know what I was gonna do with that mess of a blob. 😆

Having considered my favorites for the month, I am having a hard time selecting two for the group board. Many of my favorites were chosen as much for what I learned, as for how they look. And I have to laugh, that my go to yellow was only prominent in 6 paintings. I know Val is thrilled. 😆 Shades of pink and warm white ruled this month.

30-Day Creative Gathering Favorites Collage, September 2023. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.
30-Day Creative Gathering Favorites Collage, September 2023. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

September was a challenging month. Sometimes frustrating. I learned something new each day, with each piece. Learning is always awesome, in my book. Score! 😆

If you would like to see them in full detail, visit my Instagram profile.

As always, the connections, and conversations with friends made the month JOYFUL! Seeing their work each day is so inspiring! Stay tuned! The group gallery will be ready soon!

Wishing you JOY!
And inspired creating!

The September 2023 30-Day Creative Gathering 2nd Half

Day 21, watercolor and digital collage. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.
Day 21, watercolor and digital collage. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

This month I worked in watercolor, and used digital collage to add patterns & texture details to each piece. I concentrated on florals and experimented with abstracts.

I used the Angora Opaque Watercolor, Skin Tone set. Some are opaque (gouache), some are transparent watercolor. They are highly pigmented, with rich hues and easy workability. They are non toxic, with an excellent lightfast rating. Crafted in Germany.

To be honest, my goal was to use up the set, so I could justify buying a new one. 😂

Angora Palette, Skin Tones.
Angora Palette, Skin Tones.

It’s easy to see what colors I use, and which ones I haven’t.

Anglora Watercolor Skin Tone Swatches.
Anglora Watercolor Skin Tone Swatches.

Looking through my blog gallery for these images, I see that I purchased this in May of last year, so they’ve lasted a long time. Worth the investment. Good to know!

Talens Angora Opaque Watercolor Pan Set, Inclusive Skin Tones
Talens Angora Opaque Watercolor Pan Set, Inclusive Skin Tones
Days 14-30, September 2023 Creative Gathering. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.
Days 14-30, September 2023 Creative Gathering. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

I really struggled with abstracts this month. I found videos by Denise Love. Some of her shorts, and I really like her intuitive style. I posted ten abstracts. But for each of those, I painted three to five others before I had something I could work with. I will keep trying though. 😂

Below are a few close-ups to see more details.
You can see them all in more detail on my Instagram profile.

Close up details, September 2023 Creative Gathering. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.
Close up details, September 2023 Creative Gathering. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

I apologize for falling behind on posting here on the blog. I fell behind early in the month, and it took awhile to get back in the flow. I really appreciate having you follow along, and sharing your insights and ideas. Thank you!

Tomorrow I will share the collage of all the art created this month, as well as my favorites. And soon after, the group art gallery.

Happy creating to you!