Hey Carole, 

Last week, I shared a few essential education resources I frequently use. While they are necessary to learn from, it's mainly through trial and error that we accelerate and become better artists.

I live for moments when I can be in my art space and free to play. These are when accidents of joy happen the most, and last week was no exception. 

I'm not like others. I don't hide or keep secret ideas to myself. I always want to pass on knowledge.

Of course, I like to save a lot of the good stuff for my courses. These are for people who want to learn new things and take their art to the next level. 

However, because you're a valued part of this newsletter, I thought I'd share one of them with you today - an unexpected crackle accident!

I was discussing a product in my membership group a few days ago. And colours that could be added showing some variations. 

Upon drying, I noticed the gold I used began cracking. 

As you can imagine, I was very excited.

I tried numerous other combinations before realizing only ONE gold product worked to create this particular effect. 

So, let's dive into this process!

First, the magical ingredients needed to achieve this look are Liquitex Glass Medium and Pebeo COLOREX gold.

Mixing them causes the same effects as an actual crackle product. Altering your ratios and thickness levels will change the results, too, like any other product. 

Stir up the COLOREX well before adding it to the medium. A little bit goes a long way. Then, pour the mixture on some paper of choice and spread it around to allow it to dry. 

As I mentioned earlier, results will vary depending on the thickness. Different papers will also impact the outcome, so you need to experiment.

The images below show the differences between a thin and a thick layer. Once dried, you can bend and crack the thicker layer, removing pieces for added interest.

You can continue to add colour or glazes to enhance your paper textures. Here's an example of adding a patina to the thicker one.

I often use crackle in my collage work, so working on paper makes sense.

However, doing so can sometimes create challenges.

Knowing when and what to prep your papers with is important, but that's an entirely new conversation for another day. 

For now, I'll leave you with a couple of images of inspiration in which I incorporated crackle into areas of my collage art, which is finished with resin.

That's it for this week's issue. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

And as always, thanks for being a subscriber. 

Chat soon,

Jane.

P.S. I have a BIG announcement next week, so stay tuned to your inbox.

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