11/09/2013

The Biggest Mistake Made With Pressed Flower Art

By Katrina Wheeler


Pressing flowers is a unique way make cards, gifts and wall hangings. The secret behind successful pressed flower art is choosing the right paper, or fabric, for the base layer. Choosing the wrong type of paper is the biggest mistakes craft artists make. Flowers add a unique design element to paintings and crafts, and how petals are mounted makes a difference. The secret behind elegant flower art is in the choice of paper or fabric, used for the base layer.

Using petals, leaves and blossoms has become a huge trend in the art world. Flower art work can benefit from the use of watercolor paper. When touched, watercolor paper feels rough. The roughness is important when bonding flowers to paper. Medium grade and cold-pressed watercolor paper are the most fitting type for projects involving flowers. The canvas can be painted or tinted with charcoal in advance.

When store-bought paper does not match the image in an artist's head, then making paper by hand is often the next best choice. Handmade paper is fitting and appropriate for art work involving pressed blossoms, petals or leaves. Paper made by hand can be made to be semi-transparent, and is a good paper to use for protective top layers.

Ingres paper, also known as laid paper, is a lesser known paper used to make dazzling artwork. Ingres paper, discovered by a French painter, is woven. The special way Ingress is woven leaves it with a raised texture. Flowers firmly attach to Ingres paper. Not all flowers are vibrant after being dried. The dark rich color of Ingres paper tends to be most appropriate when using vibrant flowers.

Craft gurus who finish a large amount of projects often look for a variety of paper. Japanese paper is able to offer a large selection. Some types of Japanese paper are smooth and should be avoided. A wiser choice is a thicker, pulp based, Japanese paper. Craft stores are the best place to find the rough type of Japanese paper needed for flower artwork.

Occasionally artists must use paper available at the time. In this case, it is important to find a way to give the paper some type of texture. Marbling is a technique used to give regular paper design and texture. Marbling does take more work to create the desired effect, but it is a good choice when there is no other appropriate paper on hand.

Velvet and silk are difficult to work with, but create truly unique finished products. Flower art projects that are embedded into silk and velvet do not last as long. The trade off is how well the piece turns out. Silk and velvet pieces are impressive, and are always received well.

Cheaper fabrics can be used for art projects. The best are cotton and linen. Cotton and linen last longer than silk and velvet, but are still seen as unique and interesting. Success is inevitable when enough thought is put into deciding upon the most fitting kind of paper. Each pressed flower art project is different, and each may require a different paper to get the stunning result that is desired.




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