#acrylic markers on yellow copy-paper

[bennizone]

❤️ ECOSYSTEM ❤️ ...now kiss !!

[bitchfitch]

Stained glass tutorial bc the birds are good for it.

The tldr with more resources and a few video tutorial links is here (link)

this is our target and this is our pattern:

if you're wondering why I'm just handing out the pattern to a piece i plan on selling, the answer is because all stained glass pieces are their own pattern. By posting the image of the piece i already gave you the pattern to it.

What you need:

1 sheet of printer paper,

scissors,

glue stick or a washable marker that works on glass,

grozier pliers,

curved jaw pliers,

glass cutter,

flux and something to apply it with,

60/40 acid free solder,

copper tape,

gloves,

eye protection,

soldering iron with stand and rheostat,

water proof sand paper or waterproof nail file,

black patina or black acrylic paint,

some kind of heat proof surface to work on. I use asphalt coated compressed fiber board because it was cheap and easy to get at the hardware store

a well ventilated area to work in. or a table set up outside, which is the most well ventilated area you probably can access without a key card to a chemistry lab.

finally: 1+ panes of translucent/cathedral glass.

if something is not pictured in the below image it's because getting it meant fighting my cord management or standing up to go get it. The white waffle grid thing is not necessary. It just makes clean up easier so I'm using it and also i was too lazy to move it. a box of nails is pictured, they are also helpful but also not necessary. especially if you are not using something you can easily push them into as a work surface

I'm just using my normal glasses for eye protection, you don't need anything super fancy but you do need something to stop any flying shards.

Anyways. Soldering and finishing is in a reblog of this. i needed more pictures than you can put in a single Tumblr post

Step 1 Pattern Prep

print your pattern out. once if you are just going to use a marker to copy it onto your glass, twice if you are going to glue it down to use that way.

you may notice my pattern is backwards. That's because i printed it out wrong and can't be fucked to go fix it. Anyways.

Number your pieces in the same order on both copies if you are using the glue method, for such a simple pattern it's not uber necessary but it's a good habit to get into. Larger and more complicated pieces rapidly become broken glass jigsaw puzzles if you don't.

Step 2 putting the pattern on the glass

the way you make the glass the right shape is by using a glass cutter, that bronzy thing with all the tape around the barrel to make it easier for me to grip. the way it works is it holds a very thin metal disk that you press into the glass to introduce a fault line the glass will hopefully want to break along. I said hopefully for a reason.

All cuts have to go from one edge of the glass to the other because that's what the crack will do when you break it. Keep that in mind while you lay down your pieces. I've used a marker to show how i plan to cut this pane but unless you're doing a tricky cut order you don't really have to do that

I'm using what i have on hand so how you lay your pieces out will probably be different if you've bought whole panes to work with. This is a much more wasteful way of doing it than i normally would, but the goal with this one was to produce a piece that doesn't require a glass grinder as those are an expensive thing to get when you're just starting out.

Also plan to cut on the Less textured side of the glass, the texture can get in the way. if you would like the texture to be on the front of your finished piece simply glue your pieces upside down onto the smoother side. also know that less textures glass is easier to use

I didn't have any more of that darker grey blue so I'm using a light bluish lavender piece instead. it looks brown because of the the yellow underneath it

step 3 cut the glass

take a piece of preferably translucent glass and practice this step a few times before doing it on your project.

Press the wheel at the end of the stylus firmly against the glass at one edge, the keep pressure as you push or pull your line. you will know if you're using enough force because clear glass makes a very specific noise when it's being scored. I can't describe it but you'll know it when you hear it. you'll also be able to see the score line from some angles, it should look like a very fine crack in the glass. I've also heard it described as "like a white hair has been set on top of the glass". do not stop, lift your cutter, or go backwards over the scorline you have already made. The crack is a Lot more likely to go off course and destroy your piece if you do.

do only one line at a time before using the grozier pliers to break the glass.

there should be a line on the silicone protector things on the edge of you pliers, hold them so that that mark lines up with your score line and apply pressure , start light and slowly increase until it begins to crack. If the crack immediately runs the whole length of the pane then your done, if it doesn't, rotate the pane and do the same thing on the other edge of the glass until it starts cracking from there too. if it Still doesn't meet in the middle help it along by tapping along the uncracked part of the score line with the tip of your pliers handle until the crack finishes the job. If it's a very long straight one you can also use the edge of a table to encourage the crack to form in the right place.

if the crack decides to go off your scorline just finish breaking that score line and then peel off your pattern piece and reposition it to try again. if you used something like an Elmer's glue stick you can reactivate the glue with a Small amount of water dabbed over the pattern piece with your finger.

Once you have most of the glass broken off use your curved jaw pliers to very carefully nip away at any extra bumps. like half a millimeter at a time, don't just bite into a big chunk, itll shatter the piece. The flat side of the jaws is used to leverage the piece against to break it that way. it's helpful to pick an orientation for your pliers and just commit to always holding them like that. with the flat jaw either up or down. It'll help you build the muscle memory and learn to use them faster.

enjoy your pile of broken glass and dream about the grinder that wouldve made this easier.

Step 4 grinding deburing.

use your water proof file or sand paper to to knock any little bits of broken glass off. it is Vitally important that you do this with the file Wet. glass dust likes to float on any little draft and it's Super not good for your eyes lungs throat or nose.

You can also take the time now to refine the shapes and sand off any little nubbins that are in the way.

once you're done use a little dish soap to remove the pattern and any grease or glue left on the piece. if you need to re number the pieces.

Step 5 Foil

foil comes in a handful of sizes, and in silver, black, and copper backed. The sizes determine how thick your leading will be, thinner foil, thinner lines. With art glass or very textured glass you may need to go up a few sizes to make it fit. The color on the back will be visible through clear glass so you might want to pick one that vibes with your colors. I'm using what i had, so i don't actually know the thickness. It is copper backed tho.

take your piece and your roll of foil and place the edge of the piece in the center of the tape so that there's an equal amount of hangover on either side. then carefully roll your piece to wrap the edges in tape. being sure to keep it centered the entire way around. when you get back to where you started let the tape overlap itself by at least a quarter of a centimeter or like 1/8th of an inch. then cut the foil.

use your fingers to smooth the foil down over either side of the glass. and then the handle of your scissors or any hard plastic object to firmly press out any creases in the foil. The smoother you can get it the better. because that will make the solder sit flatter.

use the second/primary copy of your pattern for reference and lay out your pieces on top of it. If you're using nails and and a softer work surface you can press them into it around the edges of your pattern to keep the pieces from shifting. for a piece as simple as this it's not necessary but it still might help.

Soldering is next up but I'm posting from mobile and have an image limit to keep in mind. so that will be posted as a reblog in a bit.

[fiachrastudios]

Art Supplies I'm Using Right Now (Sept. 24, 2023)

I like posting exact materials on here to help me keep track of how I make a particular piece, so I'm making this as a masterlist of everything I use right now so I can just copy and paste in the future.

I'm not planning on cataloging every single supply I have right now, so I'll update it as I post more - the date in the title will be the most recent update. As of right now, none of these are affiliate links and are just here for people's convenience. I will try to link directly to the manufacturer as much as possible to make it easier to access more detailed information about the product. Any links to retailers should be house brands.

Supplies below the cut.

Paper/Sketchbooks

New York Central Art Supply 100% Cotton Block, 5"x7", 140 lb., Cold Pressed

Strathmore Mixed Media Journal 200 Series, 5.5"x8.5"

Brushes

Mimik Squirrel Round Watercolor Brushes Size 4 & 8

Watercolor Paint

MaimeriBlu Quinacridone Magenta (PR202)

Daniel Smith Hansa Yellow Deep (PY65)

Daniel Smith Hansa Yellow Light (PY3)

Daniel Smith Cobalt Teal (PG60)

MaimeriBlu Faience Blue (PB60)

Daniel Smith Payne's Grey (PB29, PBk9)

Daniel Smith Quinacridone Purple (PV55)

Gouache Paint

TBA

Alcohol Markers

Copic Alcohol Markers

Ohuhu Alcohol Markers (2018)

Ohuhu Pastel Marker Set (2021)*

Acrylic Paints

TBA

Fineliners/Brush Pens

TBA

Acrylic Pens

TBA

Other Inks

TBA

Misc. Supplies

New York Central Art Supply 12 Half Pan Watercolor Tin

*may not be the exact date but I /think/ that's when I ordered them

[mysticsparklewings]

Powder Glass‪

Hu boy it's been busy around here lately, trying to get everything done by this or that deadline :P Even so, some of you may remember the Status Update I posted at the end of January showing off my prize pack from the Sketchiest Sketchbook contest I entered last year. It took a little bit, but I finally got around to playing with the Powder Pack and bio-degradable glitter, and this was pretty fun.   The main focus was, of course, the powders: Pinkest Pink, Loveliest Blue, Greenest Green, and Yellowest Yellow. Which are more or less CultureHustle's claim to fame. Per the (very simple) instructions on the packaging, you can mix the powers with your choice of water, an acrylic base, or linseed oil depending on if you want to use them as watercolors, acrylic paints, or oil paints. (I'm also assuming for watercolors that if you wanted to you could also mix them with some gum arabic, glycerin or honey, and add a white base/pigment if you wanted to try making gouache.) I've actually been wanting to make my own paint in some capacity for a while, but the steps involved in making proper watercolor paints (requiring mixing up bases and milling on a glass surface, among other things) is a little too intimidating and expensive to start for me, so being able to just mix some powder with water sounded like a much more convenient way to get a similar experience. And it was actually as simple as it sounds. I just scooped out a little of each powder onto a palette, added a few drops of water, then mixed the two using a brush. Once I had the four pure colors mixed up, I got a little wild and decided to use a little of the pink and yellow powder to mix up an orange, and a little of the pink and blue to mix up a purple. Then, of course, I swatched each of them out to see what they actually look like on paper. For the most part, they live up to their titles. The main thing of note is that a large part of their titles come from them being bright, neon/fluorescent colors. Likewise, they will never scan or photograph as quite the same colors that you see in person. Technology just hasn't managed to make screens that can display those colors properly yet. But let me assure you that, in-person, the yellow, orange, and pink are so intense they almost hurt to look at.   The green isn't as intense, but there's a chance I got a little more water in it than the others and that's part of why. The blue is nice, but it doesn't have the same wow-factor as the others. And, if I'm being totally honest, it's not really what I picture when I think of the "loveliest blue." I think of more of a deep, saturated sapphire color. This is more of a cyan or electric blue. I do have to say I absolutely love the purple the blue and the pink make together, though. It's a pretty unique shade that you don't really see in watercolors (and to a certain extent, art supplies as a whole) very often. And honestly, I'm kinda surprised that CultureHustle doesn't sell a pre-mixed purple powder for it. Unless I just missed a special edition one at some point. (I know they did a special edition orange one for Halloween, hence why I'm not saying the same thing about the orange.) They also make really, really pretty pastels when you water them down. They have almost a glowing quality to them, especially the yellow. And I did specifically use some neon/fluorescent watercolors I have on hand in my Master's Touch set, just to compare and make sure they were indeed unique and you can't get identical results from just any neon paints. To be fair, the results were similar, but these powder paints do have just a little bit more brightness and intensity to them. They're just more vibrant, somehow. That said, I don't think it's enough of a difference to be massively disappointed if you can't get your hands on the powders. At least as far as watercolors go. I don't have specific plans for more testing just yet, but I would like to play with these some more and see what else they can be used for or might be capable of. But as for this artwork, once I was done with my swatching and a couple blending tests, I went to work on a sketch so I could just play with the colorings and blending. This ended up being, as you can see, an hourglass. It's fairly simple and I thought it would be fairly nice to just kind of let the paints flow to color the sand inside. And it also kind works out since the paints are originally in the form of a powder, similar to sand. (Hence where the lame title came from ) Once that was done, I inked the sketch with my navy Gelly Roll, since they're waterproof and I was hoping for a blue-purple look, similar to a blacklight. I knew I had a Mermaid Marker that was the exact color I wanted, but I couldn't use it for the lines because 1. The ink is basically watercolor and would definitely not stay in place if I got close to my lines and 2. They bristle brush tips. I have a hard time doing clean/consistent lines with a fiber brush nib as it is, forget an actual brush. So I did the initial lines with the gel pen and then after I had the sand painted and dried, I filled in the hourglass rims to my liking, using a paintbrush and water to blend it out to look shaded, and then went back in with a fountain pen I put some of the mermaid marker ink into to thicker the lines in certain places. Then topped it off with some white gel pen for shine. For the powder paints, I did do a couple of test runs on a couple of copies of the lines I made while trying to make sure my inking muscles were warmed up before diving right into the final version. (A habit I'm trying to get myself more in to instead of just diving right in and then getting frustrated when I can't seem to ink anything to save my life.) So when I moved on to the final I had a pretty good idea of where I wanted certain colors to be and I could focus more on just getting them down and letting them flow and blend nicely. I also added in a couple of butterflies for ambiance and treated them the same way I did the hourglass Then I went in with the glitter, which I had somehow forgotten about until I was finishing up the hourglass. Since it is little tiny silver star shapes, I didn't want to treat it like normal glitter or my memories of how we did glitter in elementary school: Put glue down, dump glitter on glue, shake off excess. I carefully would pull out a few pieces of glitter at a time, let them fall somewhere inside the hourglass shape, and then once I had what seemed like enough glitter placed how I wanted it, I very carefully picked up each piece and dabbed the teeniest, tiniest bit of glue on the back of each and then placed them back down roughly where I had picked them up from. It was not a fast process, but it worked. Then, just to top it all off because I couldn't resist, I added a touch of blue pastel around the hourglass. Oh, and it really doesn't show up on the scan at all, but there is some white shine on the hourglass that was done with a white gel pen. It shows up more in-person since the watercolor paper is off-white. It's not the most elaborate or detailed artwork I've ever done, but I genuinely had fun with it and I do think it made for a fun experiment for the paints. And that's all I really wanted anyway. On to the next project! :D ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[letmehearyousayyeahh]

I’m really bored and need a new fic to read. Any new recommendations? I’m already caught up with song of mine

Sure!

(The next line is just vile self-advertising, feel free to skip it =D)

Mine! Here and here

(Ok, here is the real thing, sorry xDD)

Here are my recommendations on the matter, and at the end I’ll put the link for this things on my Drive library, because there are stories that were deleted. 

But most of them are on FF.net or Ao3, so, please, PLEASE: go read them and leave a nice review. Just a thank you is enough. But some feedback, please. We are writers, we live from them xDD

COMPLETED

Canon

(It’s) All Chair Parts, by novel_concept26

The whole point of the performance is to look hot as hell, and Santana is doing an awesome job. Too awesome.

Addicted, by SwingingCloud

“It always feels like years- and not just a few, short days- to Santana, whenever Brittany goes away.” Brittana. Marathon!sex. TWO-SHOT! SUMOSMU #9

Barter System, by crammit

Santana accepts a different kind of payment for helping Brittany out of a jam. (Rated M for language and smut)

Breathless!verse, by Swinging Cloud.

Breathless:

Fill for the GKM. “Long, pale fingers wrap tightly around her left wrist, guiding her hand up to push more firmly on Brittany’s throat- telling her that she’s ready- and Santana shivers as her palm presses just below Brittany’s jaw.” Brittana. Breath!play. Obvious smut.

Hypoxia:

Sequel to Breathless. “Brittany’s floored that Santana has come so far- far enough to trust her completely with not just her body, but with her very breath, with her life, and she concentrates hard on what she’s doing as she tightens her arm around Santana’s neck.” Brittana. Breath!play. Obvious smut. SUMOSMU #1

Bluish, by SwingingCloud

“Santana’s had about as much red, white, and blue as she can stand, but this blue- the blue of Brittany’s eyes- she will never have enough of.” Brittana. Sweet!smut. SUMOSMU HOLIDAY SPECIAL.

Dreams!verse, by everdreaming3:

Santana and Brittany’s story from meeting freshman year through their wedding and beyond (cute and fluffy, and filler for all the gaps that Glee left on the start of this story).

Dreams: from Santana’s POV

Dreamcatcher: from Brittany’s POV.

Dreaming in the Future: future one-shot

How to Win Even When You’ve Lost, by crammit

It was only ever you, by LoneGambit.

Brittany and Santana have been dating for a couple years now and have never tried using a strap-on. One night Santana asks Brittany if she misses being with a guy, her answer leaves Santana thinking.

Just a hug between friends, by furryewokazon: (this is actually deleted, but I have a copy if you are interested):

Santana smiled into the hand on her face… Written before ‘Sexy’ based on vague spoilers for that episode.

Keeping things interesting, by your-street-serenade:

How would Santana react if Brittany walked into the room with the new HeMo’s purple hair?

Let Me Take Care of You, by absedarian.

Santana walked through the quiet hallway of McKinley High School. It was late and the school was empty, as empty as she’d ever seen it. They had finished the mash-up several hours ago, but Santana could still feel the tingling in her fingers where she had slapped Finn.

Loved with Inspiration, by jellymankelly:

“A tiny part of her mind marvels at how effortlessly Brittany can reduce her to a stuttering idiot with little more than a look. The rest of her is busy trying to remember how to breathe. And failing.” M for coarse language and sexual themes. Two-shot.

Making the video!verse, by emmanuelles: those were actually deleted, but I can send them to you if someone is interested.

Making the video:

Catching Santana doing something private puts an idea into Brittany’s head. She secretly works out a brilliant three-step plan and manages to execute it. The story of Santana and Brittany making their own private video.

Ain’t no limit for what love allows:

A story about how Santana and Brittany explore their boundaries in bed, how they want to find out more about themselves and each other. Will it not be enough or will they go too far? Will they cross the line?

Mama Lopez!verse, by jerzeyredhead:

Mama Lopez’ rules:

One-Shot. Mama Lopez comes home early and finds Santana and Brittany in a compromising position. Now she has to give them the house rules of dating. T for some course language and sexual situations.

Conversations with Mama Lopez:

This continues “Mama Lopez’ Rules” – the week Santana is grounded and her mother is working from home. Rated T for mature-ish content and some bad language. Post 3x09. A little bit of Brittany, but mostly Santana and her Mama. This is a happy story!

Mama Lopez’ Valentine’s Day Rules:

Santana is planning her first Valentine’s Day date with Brittany. Mama Lopez tries to help and enforce some rules. Continues the adventures from Conversations with Mama Lopez and Mama Lopez’ Rules. Mostly T, but M for later sexy times. This is happy!

Graduating with Mama Lopez:

Santana and Quinn help Brittany with summer school, so Santana and Brittany can go to New York together. Mama Lopez is, as always, there to help. Mostly T, for swearing, but rated M for sweet lady loving in later chapters. Set after 3x22.

Mediterranean Dreams, by Scarlett’s Tara

“A persistent tickling near her ear nudged her into consciousness. When ignoring it failed, Santana twitched the muscles in one side of her face, reluctant to move her heavily relaxed limbs. The motion created a poorly muffled stream of giggles coming from somewhere above her head”.

Mine, by vontramp:

Canon Brittana one-shot based loosely around the lyrics to “Mine,” by Taylor Swift, thanks to Ryan Murphy’s Twitter leaks (beautiful, painful and so real. This is gold).

Missing You, by StraightShark

“And fuck…just thinking about it makes you horny. You miss her so much it’s driving you crazy. You used to be able to have sex with her whenever you wanted- even during school- to satisfy your sexual desire for HER…but now that you’re separated by what seemed like millions of miles it feels like you can barely control yourself”.

Moments, by ifshepromisedyouheaven

“I helped you paint your face, one half red, one yellow. I kissed you quickly, right on the apple of your cheek. You scrunched your nose, that cute smile that says don’t ever stop kissing me. The hard acrylic paint cracked and left ragged lines down your face. Still as beautiful as ever, years after high school, years after college, months after the birth of our son”.

My girlfriends’ sister’s keeper, by bodybroke:

This will basically just be random cute moments of Brittana/Brittany’s little sister Ashley, because I had a lot of fun writing them in that one, and there isn’t enough Brittany’s sister in fics.

No matter where in the sky, by LeighKelly:

“I used to wish on every shooting star for a future with you, and now that future is here, and I know it’s forever.” Following their first argument after moving in together, Brittany and Santana take a trip outside of the city to look at the stars, and remember just how important they’ll always be to one another. Post Season 5. One Shot.

One in a million paradaise, by LeighKelly:

In the middle of their weeklong vacation at the beach, Brittany is surprised by what Santana has planned for their Fourth of July together. One-shot.

Picking up the pieces, by Ebony-Jayne

Brittany is there for Santana after the disastrous coming out to her Abuela and some of Brittany’s own insecurities pop up in the process…Brittana.

Pizza in Louisville, by Scarlett’s Tara

Cheer practice hardly caused her to break a sweat anymore. Perhaps it was years under the wrath of Sue Sylvester. Or maybe that she had always been one of the top three members of the team and given the most complicated parts of their routines. Or likely the fact that the presence of a certain someone made her more inclined to show off.

Taking the long way!verse, by lingeringlilies.

Taking the long way:

Santana’s journey toward self-acceptance through love, loss, friends, career and family. Contains Glee history through “Original Song.” Rated M for sex.

Me and You and Daisies:

“Maybe ‘happily ever afters’ don’t exist. Maybe they’re fragmented and sprinkled throughout our lives to remind us to keep moving forward. Maybe, if we look from the right angle and maneuver the pieces just so, they become a masterpiece we keep adding to until the day we die.” Future fic, Brittana as mothers. Sequel to “Taking the Long Way,” but can stand independently.

Me and You and Daisies: The DVD Extras

One-shots related to the Lopez-Pierce Family as depicted in “Me and You and Daisies”

Through the Dark

Why would Brittany ever leave Santana after eight solid, happy years together?

Ruby Tuesday

“You gaze down at her as though your heart were growing bigger with every snuffle and jerk of her tiny body. For the first time in a long time, you start to sing.” Oneshot, Me and You and Daisies 'verse.

Nesting

Easter for the Lopez-Pierce family when Caleb is two. MaYaD 'verse.

Yours&Mine

“Mine!” Ruby chirped, reaching her pudgy fist up to grab at the cup of markers on the dining room table”.

The (Second) First Time, by thefooliam: It’s the same way that makes Santana think they’ll be doing stuff like this forever. Spoilers for 3x05 “The First Time”.

The PreBowery!verse, by crammit:

Study Break

Unable to concentrate on the paper she has to write, Brittany decides to see if Santana is up for a study break. – Rated M for smut and language

Meet in the Middle

Taking a break from the diner and from school, Santana and Brittany decide to meet up for a weekend away to reconnect. - Rated M for smut and language

Appetite

Another weekend away finds Brittany’s plans to help Santana with the dishes derailed as Santana comes up with another way for Brittany to thank her for dinner. – Rated M for smut and language

The Shed, by crammit.

“Come on, San. This will be fun. You said you weren’t scared, right?” “Right.” - Rated M for smut and brief bad language

Things we’re all too young to know, by the fooliam: Brittany holds her like she’s a balloon, like she’s a hope that might float away. 5x13 fic.

So close that you eyes close as I fall asleep, by thefooliam: Brittany struggles to get Santana to sleep after Will’s party. Spoilers for 6x06 “What the World Needs Now”. Title from Pablo Neruda’s Love Sonnet XVII.

XO, by crammit: Alone for the night in the loft, Santana’s brooding thoughts manifest themselves in a way she never expected. Rated M for sex and super brief language.

AU

2859!verse, by halfrobotchicken

2859

Santana Lopez is a publicist in New York trying to rein in the biggest ego the city’s ever seen. Brittany Pierce is attempting to create the next big thing in Seattle. They’re 2859 miles apart, but one wrong number just might change everything.

2859: The Merry Miles Edition

Santana and Brittany do Christmas with their families. Three-Shot.

2859: Triple Threat

Brittany and Santana are welcoming a new addition, but Santana isn’t so welcoming of the additional company that comes with it. Five-shot.

A Morning Dedication, titanium22

Santana and Brittany haven’t seen each other in five years. They haven’t even heard each other’s voice. Or that’s what Santana thinks. And one day she makes the wrong, or right, decision to talk about their past on her radio show.

A Second Life!verse, by everdreaming3

A Second Life

There are some people who go through life just existing and not really living. Brittany Pierce was one of those people. She goes through the day to day motions of her life without much hope for the future. That is until she meets a woman that breaks her out of her dull existence and gives her an opportunity for a second life. Brittana AU

I Remember When

A really long one-shot from Santana’s POV reminiscing about her relationship with Brittany. This is related to my story A Second Life, so if you haven’t read that already, I strongly recommend it otherwise this won’t make much sense!

A Second Life-Beautiful

One-shot- takes place after the last chapter of A Second Life, so if you haven’t read that you really should before checking this one out! Brittany and Santana are adjusting to their new roles as mothers, and they share a special night together and with their babies.

A Second Life-Christmas Cheer

One-shot from A Second Life universe. The holidays are approaching, and Brittany and Santana take the twins on a last minute shopping excursion. Only they run into the last person they ever expected to find. A view into the life of the Lopez family.

A Second Life-Terrible Twos

Brittana. One-shot from A Second Life 'verse. Brittany and Santana deal with raising toddlers and managing the stresses in life.

A Second Life-Wedding Bells

Brittana one-shot from A Second Life 'verse. Brittany and Santana celebrate a wedding in their own unique way.

A Second Life-Leaving Lady

Brittana one-shot from A Second Life 'verse. The Lopez family deals with a loss. (I am sorry, don’t be mad at me!)

A Second Life-Elementary Blues

Brittana one-shot from A Second Life universe. The Lopez family negotiates life with two eight-year-olds, and handle a difficult day with the kids.

A Second Life-Troublesome Teens

Brittana one-shot from A Second Life 'verse. The kids are now teenagers and proving to be more than a handful for Brittany and Santana.

A Second Life-Graduation Day

Brittana one-shot from A Second Life universe. Santana and Brittany try to come to terms with their kids becoming adults and growing up so quickly.

As Lovers Go, by ohhheyitsnic

You knew what you were getting yourself into before you even started. But you couldn’t stop yourself, something about those electric eyes, with one look you were a goner. College AU Brittana.

Beautiful Scars, by GleekForHemo

Brittany is a shy 24 year old waitress. A serious accident left part of her body covered in burn scars. She hasn’t been with anyone ever since, what happens when she meets a beautiful brunette at work? AU.

Beginning of Something Amazing, by aeval

In an alternate world, how Brittany and Santana’s relationship progressed.

Best Laid Plans!verse, by crammit

Best Laid Plans

Sometimes missing your dinner reservation isn’t a bad thing. (Rated M for language, smut and the earnest use of an online purchase).

Game Plan

The second round is on Brittany. Literally. (Rated M for language, smut and the earnest use of an online purchase).

Backup Plan

Feeling inspired, Santana wakes Brittany with a proposition she can’t refuse. (Rated M for language, smut and the earnest use of an online purchase).

Blue Eyes, by BrittanaForeverX (WARNING: G!p)

“Oh, calm down, Santana. It’s not going to kill you. We have to move. Your father is being transferred. Now go upstairs and start packing.”

“But – …”

“Go!” My mom shouts back at me.

I run back upstairs, to my room and slam my door. 'God why?!’ I think to myself. 'Everything is going to change again…’

Brittany’ Seduction, by J.Angela (WARNING: G!p)

I was watching embrace of the vampire with Alyssa Milano because I love her and the lesbian photography scene just had me like…. YES! So I typed a Brittana version of it for all of you to enjoy. :D

Clockwork, by gorshenin

“No one believed that she was actually apart of the IT team, hell, she lead the IT Department, but the general consensus was that it was just for show. They thought she was just fed lines to read off to cameras at conventions, but she knew it all by heart. She could do it in her sleep, but all people saw was a pretty face.

Sometimes she believed it too”.

Dirty Dishes, by everdreaming3

Brittana one-shot. Who knew doing the dishes could get so dirty? SMUT! Be forewarned, there is no plot. Rated M for obvious sex and dirty language, and a little bit of domination.

Farm!verse, by LeighKelly&Nic1031

If You Wanna Live the Good Life (You Better Stay Away From the Limelight)

After Santana inherits a rundown farm from her estranged late grandmother, she needs to place to run from a scandal in New York City. When she arrives, it’s most definitely not what she expected. Though she’s not sure whether she’ll stay or go, she hires landscape architect Brittany Pierce to make the land habitable, and finds love in the process.

Forever Can Never Be Long Enough For Me (To Feel Like I’ve Had Long Enough With You)

One year after their first kiss in the rain, Brittany and Santana celebrate the Fourth of July. Little does Santana know, Brittany has a suspense up her sleeve.

Although It’s Been Said Many Times, Many Ways (Merry Christmas To You)

Brittany and Santana celebrate their second Christmas as wives on the farm and learn that their Christmas is going to be a little more special this year.

You Wear White (And I’ll Wear Out the Words “I Love You”)

“Hearing the weather alert, Santana laughs, reaching across the counter, where Brittany stands, eyes fixed on the television in the other room, “Well, Britt, we did want a winter wedding.”

“Not quite what I had in mind…”

You’re Beautiful (Every Little Piece Love)

In the midst of adjusting to married life, Santana helps Brittany confront some personal demons.

It’s Just So Easy (When the Whole World Fits Inside of Your Arms)

On her first major book tour, a pregnant Santana feels the struggle of being away from her wife.

You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me (Baby)

After a long pregnancy, Santana finally gives birth to her first child with Brittany.

I Would Hold You For a Million Years (To Make You Feel My Love)

A little over a year after Jonas is born, Santana and Brittany cope with some personal obstacles, and manage to find some time alone together.

Finding the way back!verse, by LeighKelly

Finding the way back (This. THIS. THIS, OMG, THIS IS FUCKING GOLD!)

Six years have passed since Santana came to New York. Dealing with the aftermath of a terrible event, she is spiraling down a dark road. When Brittany encounters her own tragedy in Lima and finds herself with nowhere else to go, she ends up in New York. Can these two damaged hearts find their way back together? And how much can love overcome? Canon until Guilty Pleasures.

Glee - Rated: M - English – Romance/Drama.

There’s Something about Christmastime

After a long hard year, Santana realizes that as cliche as it sounds, that there’s just something magical about Christmastime, especially when she has her wife and daughter by her side. One-shot set between Finding the Way Back and Beautiful Life.

For One so Small, You Seem so Strong

While her wife sleeps after giving birth to their second child, Brittany holds their newborn and reflects on motherhood, family, and her love for Santana. One shot companion piece to Beautiful Life, Brittany’s Point of View.

She Puts the Color Inside of My World

As Brittany and Santana celebrate their first real Mother’s Day with little Annie and their own mothers, they consider the past, the present and the future of their lives. Annie-verse, takes place during Finding the Way Back.

Little Unexpected Love

“I already love you a lot, and I can’t imagine how much more I’ll love you after you’re born. I told your mom that I really wanted you to be mine, and honestly, I don’t know what that means, but I’ll try, more than anything, to be the best for you.” While Brittany sleeps, Santana talks to the baby growing inside of her. Annie-verse, takes place during Finding the Way Back. One-shot

This Much I Know Is True

Before Brittany can ask Santana the most important question of their lives, there are two very important things she needs to do. Annie-verse one shot, set during Finding the Way Back. Brittany’s POV.

Love Runs Through My Veins

When seven day old Annie needs her first blood transfusion, Santana volunteers to be her donor. In the process, she and Brittany continue to realize the immense strength of the bonds that tie together their brand new family. Annie-verse.

New Beginnings

While so many things begin to fall into place in their lives, Brittany and Santana celebrate Easter with nearly four-year old Annie and their family. One-Shot, Santana’s POV, set just before Beautiful Life.

Give me your hand and I’ll hold it, by my-other-ride-is-your-mum: Brittany really wants to talk to the new girl in her class…but there’s a reason why Santana Lopez can’t hear her talking to her in the hall. AU high school Brittana…deaf Santana…only a little bit angsty and mostly fluffy cuteness. One-shot.

Going to the movies, by kp83

When Santana woke up that morning, she had no idea that she was only a few hours away from meeting the girl of her dreams. Her day started out as most days did.

Ghost Saver, by Lingering Lilies

“Brittany had always seen ghosts. But she’d never met a ghost quite like this girl.” Fluffy Brittana ghost story for Halloween.

I Learned A Little Bit About The Good Stuff, by heyho

“Santana is a chemistry professor and Brittany goes to visit her girlfriend at work, they start to make out and things get a bit heavy. Brittany is already with her shirt off when there’s a knock on the door and Brittany hides under Santana’s desk right before a group of 4 to 6 students enter the lab”.

Imagining Tigers, by titanium22

“All I could think about was Brittany. Her blonde hair, held tight in a high ponytail, her blue eyes, mesmerizing and alluring, her perfect body and long legs, her piercings and her tattoos, wondering what they meant, why she was so guarded and what was her story”.

Innocent!verse, by jellymankelly:

Innocent:

"The first time you meet her, you’re not exactly at your best. In fact, this particular moment in time probably ranks somewhere in your top three worst days ever. Like, ever ever.” M for coarse language and sexual themes. Three-shot.

Innocent: Incident Response Protocol:

“It’d be funny to you how quickly Santana launches herself from the couch and nearly trips over her own feet as she positively sprints for the bathroom, if you weren’t so distracted by how unbelievably turned on you are.” Companion piece to Innocent. M for coarse language and sexual themes. One-shot.

Innocent: Protective Custody:

“You push your joined hands higher until they’re knotted against her lower stomach, grounding her in place even as you work to send her higher and higher. You have her, and you’re not letting go.” Companion piece to Innocent. M for coarse language and sexual themes. One-shot.

Innocent: Means, Motive, and Opportunity:

“Her right tangles in your hair, yanking your head lightly to the side. She starts sucking and nipping at your pulse point furiously, and the thought of her marking you so passionately makes you tighten around her as she fills you” Companion piece to Innocent. M for coarse language and sexual themes. One-shot.

Innocent: Diversionary Tactics:

“'Santana,’ you murmur teasingly. 'If I’m going to have a Super Bowl snack, it should be while I’m learning about the Super Bowl itself, right’” Companion piece to Innocent. M for coarse language and sexual themes. One-shot.

Innocent: Character Witness:

“You let a tiny feeling of self-satisfaction color your love for her. Sure she’s grumpy and stubborn and steals the covers at night, but she’s yours. It’s pretty freakin’ awesome.” Companion piece to Innocent. M for coarse language and sexual themes. Two-shot.

Innocent: Method of Entry:

Her eyes are dark but soft and shining, half covered by her thick, thick lashes. They stare almost as if they can see right through you, and it sends a shiver dancing straight up your spine. The way she’s looking at you right now…it’s very likely the sexiest thing you’ve ever seen in your life. Companion piece to Innocent. M for coarse language and sexual themes. One-shot.

It’s a Gleeful Life, by LoneGambit

“…Like the fact that it’s close to Christmas and instead of spending it in Lima with Brittany like I always have, like I really want to, I’ve blown half the money my mami gave me, to follow my dreams, on clothes and gifts and high tailed it to New York City to avoid all previously partaken Christmas traditions at all costs.

After all, what’s left of traditions if I don’t have the one girl in the world that I’m meant to partake in them with?”

It Was Us Way Before Them, by Mistiec

Santana Lopez is an LA power lesbian, with the world in her hands. She’s so much more than the small town girl who escaped from Lima and told herself she would never look back.

Hanging by a Moment, by Normal-Is-For-The-Boring

Santana was packing her bags hurriedly as she rushed out the door to get to the airport. Since she only had lectures left for the rest of the week she decided to skip out on them and just listen to them online. Her flight was booked a few days earlier than anticipated since she wanted to beat the rush that was bound to happen at the airport, it was Thanksgiving holiday after all. Plus, she also wanted to see Brittany as soon as she could.

Happy New Year, by SecretLifeofWords

AU-ish: Santana travels back to Brittany’s dorm at MIT to celebrate New Year’s Eve with her at a Broadway themed party. It’s a companion piece to “Shining Star” but can stand alone. References to Hummelpezberry friendship and Broadway characters/songs. Part of #HOLYSMU. Enjoy :)

High Frequency Romance, by kp83

Brittany is corporate pilot for Motta Industries and she has developed a crush on an air traffic controller that she talks to on the radio. The only problem with their 'relationship’ is that they have never met in person, but fate might step in and lay a hand in changing that. AU Brittana. Rated M.

Kissing You, by tatyana82

AU- You see, in Santana’s mind, to try and recover from her kind of obsession, the hardest simple thing to do is to stay away from what’s addictive; right now, a kiss from her wife, Brittany, was her hardest simple thing…

Life Changer, by kp83

“She had received a call this morning from her manager saying that she was needed the next day for a final audition for a new mini-series, and if it hadn’t been for a show that she absolutely wanted to be in, she wouldn’t have bothered with the last minute mad-dash to get to New York from Los Angeles”.

Living with Santana Lopez, by Justified12

Brittana are step-sisters. So yeah… just a heads up because that’s a bit risque.

Meant to be, by Lyleerose (WARNING: G!p)

“Brittany is sitting in the hospital bed with sweat dripping from her forehead, pushing as hard as she can. We are awaiting the arrival of our first child”.

Nailed It, by terriblemuriel

“The lights go out and the music ceases and for a moment you are deaf and blind, void of sensation save for the feel of her hand in yours. You’ve screamed yourself hoarse tonight singing along to Come to My Window, and your throat is sore, but when she leans in to place a tender kiss against your neck, the brush of her soft lips soothes you”.

Offense: The Best Defense, by StraightShark

Head cheerleader!Santana and Badass!Brittany have never gotten along, but when Santana’s pride and reputation are on the line she gets a little desperate…and Brittany just happens to be there to help her out. Everything has its consequences though.

Paperwoman, by LoveInTechnicolor

What would you do if you found the girl of your dreams on the way to work one morning only to have her leave before you could even ask for her name? What if you found out that very same girl works in the building across the street and her office is located just a couple of stories below yours?

Part of you, Part of Me!verse, by tatyana82 (WARNING: G!p)

Part of You, Part of Me

AU- Cool water was drying on her frame as she stared at herself in the mirror, naked; her brain searching for answers she knew could only be one. But it couldn’t be possible, could it? Surely, there were more than enough times…- G!p. Adult life.

Saying I love you (properly)

Prompt for the 'Part of You, Part of Me’ G!p AU- The first one was a two time thing, the second one, well, was no exception.

More Than You Know

Prompt for the 'Part of You, Part of Me’ G!p AU- A not so accidental night out at a strip club wasn’t a big deal… for Brittany.

It’s time to begin, isn’t it?

Prompt for the 'Part of You, Part of Me’ G!p AU- And just like that, it dawned on Brittany and Santana that time keeps on ticking and he is just growing up.

Payback is a, by everdreaming3

Brittana one-shot. What follows after the events of 'Dirty Dishes’. There is no plot, just smut! Rated M for sexy times and language, and also some dominance play!

Private Tutoring, by iamabicorn (WARNING: G!p)

“I heard murmurs of farewells to me and the other clients as they rolled up their mats and made their way towards the foyer of the studio to leave. I grabbed my iPod from its dock and slipped it into the small pocket of my gym bag. There was only fifteen minutes until my first private lesson of the day, so I grabbed the bag and headed towards the employees’ locker room to change”.

Recipe for Disaster, by FloatYourBoat21

“Her voice is so raspy and also so familiar. I have no idea what she’s even saying because I’m so enthralled by this seemingly complete stranger. Whatever she’s saying though… I like it”.

Rent my Pussy, by soulpicnic

Lonely? Call 1-800-BSPUSSY.

Santana’s Elf!verse, by kp83

Santana’s Elf

Santana vowed against the Elf on the Shelf. She thought it was a ridiculous concept that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with; but when she is given one against her will, and reluctantly roped into the Christmas tradition, she soon finds that her elf is more than she expected. Christmas Brittana AU. Rated T.

A Very Merry Vacation

Santana and Brittany go on vacation for Christmas. Sequel to Santana’s Elf.

Christmas in July

Unique and unexpected circumstances lead to an impromptu Christmas in July celebration for Brittany and Santana. Brittana one-shot in the Santana’s Elf universe. Sequel to A Very Merry Vacation. Rated T.

Faith, Truth and Christmas Magic

When Brittany and Santana’s daughter comes home from school upset, but is unwilling to tell them why, it is up to them to find out what is bothering her and try to fix it before it threatens to ruin not only Christmas, but also their happy little family. Part of the 'Santana’s Elf’ universe. Sequel to 'Christmas in July’. Rated T.

Service, by Swinging Cloud (WARNING: G!p)

“When she receives her draft letter in the mail, Brittany Pierce thinks her life can’t get worse- until she meets Drill Commander Lopez.” EXTRA-smutty fill for the GKM. Brittana. AU. G!p. FINAL SUMOSMU! D:

Shining Star, by SecretLifeofWords

Santana flies in from NY to spend Christmas with Brittany and her family. Adorableness and other things ensue. Popcorn is spilled. Memories are made. Epic love story prevails. Just the right amount of sweet and spicy to kick off your Holiday Season. #HOLYSMU contribution, Enjoy! :) (Two-shot)

Sirens!verse, by cactusgirl329

Lord Tubbington, Private Eye

Brittany starts a private investigating business with the help of her girlfriend, Santana, and a very reluctant cat. Adventure, mayhem, romance, and hilarity ensue. Brittana. Glee. M.

Sirens

Four years after a horrific string of unsolved murders mysteriously stopped, a new body has been discovered. The police call on the same team of private investigators who almost solved the case last time, but four years can change everything. Brittana. M. Glee. Crime/Mystery/Romance/Action/More!

On The Fifth Day of Christmas

Follows the events of Sirens. Features all main characters from Sirens. Brittany and Santana host a Christmas dinner at their apartment. Major life event for Brittana. Fluff (super fluff). sMut. Brittana. Sirens Verse.

A Sirens Halloween

Sirens!Verse Halloween special featuring major characters from Sirens. It takes place after the events of Sirens. M.

St Patrick Valentine’s Day, by SecretLifeofWords

“Santana stretched in her seat as she shifted for the umpteenth time of the bus ride. The ride from NYC to Boston wasn’t that long, it’s just that she was really anxious to see Brittany after their Valentine’s plans sort of, fizzled. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault, per se, but, it still sucked”.

Stand Clear Of the Closing Doors, Please, by  Swinging Cloud

“Brittany’s made up her mind- she can’t wait, she’s going to take Santana right now- and the look on Santana’s face tells Brittany that she won’t stop her.” Brittana. Subway!sex. SMUTTT. SUMOSMU #2. YAY!

The Bowery!verse, by crammit

Merry Christmas

For Brittany, there’s no better present than waking up to Santana on a snowy morning. – Rated M for smut and language **Part of The Bowery 'Verse**

Perfect

On this New Year’s Eve, Brittany decides to start Santana’s New Year off in a way she might not have ever imagined. - Rated M for smut and language **Part of The Bowery 'Verse**

Stuttering, by Normal-Is-For-The-Boring

Summer Storm

“You chase the sweat from her back with the pad of your thumb, the cadence of her irregular breathing accented by the slow rumbles of thunder outside your open bedroom window”.

The Carnival Switch, by Writtentoberead

“ Santana slowly opened her eyes to the girl next to her. Beautiful dark hair and tan skin met her eyes…wait. That’s definitely not Brittany, but it was definitely one smokin’ hot girl. Santana was in fact looking into the face of…herself. “

The Day Snixx Almost Ruined Christmas!, by slbsp-33

“ Santana looked at their six year old daughter and gave her a huge smile to reassure her that she would wear the hat in their family picture. It had been tradition and Santana was big on tradition. “

The Feelings that Smolder until it’s an Inferno, by kp83

BrittanaCon 2015 fic prompt: Firefighter!Santana and pet storeowner Brittany. Santana is in charge of the station’s Dalmatian. One-shot, rated M.

The Journal, by silverdoe14

AU Brittana. Brittany Pierce is an attorney’s receptionist at a major NY law firm. Santana Lopez is the new, challenging lawyer Brittany has been chosen to work for. Brittany finds a very old journal and begins writing in it to reveal some of the feelings she could never ever tell her new boss. No outside glee characters, crackshipping, etc.

The Only Choice!verse, by crammit

The Only Choice:

When Brittany walked into Santana’s inn all those years ago, neither knew just how much their lives would change. When a dark force from Santana’s past threatens to destroy those she loves, she’ll stop at nothing to protect them. Vampire-AU - Rated M for language, mild violence, and sex.

The Only Choice-Interlude: Feeding.

A late night lesson in the kitchen on the proper way to feed leads Brittany and Santana with the urge to satisfy another kind of hunger. Rated M for smut.

The Only Choice-Interlude: Running

Deciding to test Brittany’s new abilities, Santana challenges her to a race, not counting on how distracting Brittany really can be. Vampire- AU Rated M for brief bad language and sex.

The Only Choice-Interlude: Thoughts

A lesson in mind games quickly turns into a lesson about control. Rated M for smut

The Only Choice-Decade Interlude-Date Night 1925

In anticipation of their upcoming anniversary, Santana and Brittany enjoy a date night but Santana worries that a change in her appearance may derail their plans. Rated M for smut and language.

The Substitute, by PullingSunflowers (WARNING: G!p)

A hot, young Latina is chosen to replace Sue Sylvester as she goes on maternity leave. Not everyone is happy about it but Brittany sure is. G!P Santana and Cheerio Captain Brittany.

The Sweetest!verse, by crammit

The Sweetest Condition:

“Santana.” Your soft voice calls to me and I look up to find you watching me, a thousand emotions playing across your face, all contained in the sweetness of your smile. Your hand grabs mine and together we curve our fingers against the slope of your belly. Our baby. - Rated M for language, smut, and fluff **Part of the Sweetest Universe**

The Sweetest Song:

“You sound so beautiful when you sing to her, you know.” - Rated M for smut and fluff **Part of the Sweetest Universe**

The Sweetest Decision:

“I want to have a baby.” - Rated M for smut, fluff, and the one-time use of a curse word **Part of the Sweetest Universe**

The Sweetest Reservation:

Despite being anxious to leave Ava for her and Santana’s first date night since their daughter was born, Brittany finds a way to channel that anxiety into something better suited for a date with her wife. (side of Faberry) - Rated M for smut, fluff, and the super minor use of a curse word **Part of the Sweetest Universe**

The Sweetest Gift

A Christmas Eve interlude between Brittany and Santana - Rated M for smut and fluff **Part of the Sweetest Universe*

The Sweetest Saturday

“You can sext me any time you want. Just, maybe not when I’m in the middle of an important meeting. Or when I’m standing at the mailbox talking to Mrs. Whitfield across the street.” A Saturday morning at home gets interrupted by work but Brittany figures out a way to make it work in her favor. - Rated M for smut and fluff **Part of the Sweetest Universe**

The Sweetest Candy

After taking Ava trick-or-treating, Brittany and Santana decide to indulge in a little Halloween fun of their own. - Rated M for fluff and smut **Part of the Sweetest Universe**

The Sweetest Sleepover

With Ava out at her first sleepover, Brittany decides to take advantage of the time alone and surprises Santana with her own version of a sleepover. Rated M for smut and fluff **Part of the Sweetest Universe**

The Sweetest Bedtime Story

Taking a deep breath, I take a few moments to enjoy the quiet of the house, the soft static hum of the baby monitor on the dresser the only sound in the room until your voice breaks the silence with a request, “Tell me a story.” - Rated M for fluff and smut **Part of the Sweetest Universe**

The Sweetest Dream

After returning home late from a long day at the office, Santana’s tired mind slips into a dream that feels all too real. – Rated M for sex, mild reference to vampire violence.

The Werewolf and the Witch!verse, by BetTheDuckisInTheHat

The Friendly Werewolf and The Wicked Witch

Brittany and Santana’s children want to go trick or treating for the first time. But the girls weren’t expecting them to want to be just like their moms. Brittana. #DUBSPOOK ONESHOT First story of *The Werewolf and The Witch Verse*

The Werewolf and The Witch: Holiday Edition

The family goes to a new place for this Christmas. How will the Holidays turn out? Brittana. #HOLYSMU *The Werewolf and The Witch Verse*

Luck of the Almost Irish

Brittany is very enthusiastic to celebrate Saint Patrick’s day with the whole family for the first time, but will she get her wish? Brittana. *The Werewolf and The Witch Verse*

Things that go bump in the basement, by mamatots

AU. Santana follows Brittany down into the basement of her grandmother’s old house. What all will happen once they accidentally get locked down there?

This game we spectate, by somethingsdont

Santana takes Brittany to a hockey game.

Vignettes, by orangeyouglad8

Moments and Pieces of a Love Story. A/U-ish. “And just like that time stops and all the breath leaves my body and I am lost in you. I never want to be lost anywhere else.”

What money can’t buy, by Stalpankaka

AU set in New York. After a one night stand goes a little crazy, Santana and Brittany bump into each other again… But life can never just be easy, right?

Worth the Risk, by everdreaming3

Santana Lopez is a hot young talent agent in New York. She has the whole world in front of her, but she is held back by her own insecurities. Brittany Pierce is a woman who gives up her comfortable life to try and follow her passion. When Santana does a favor for a friend, Brittany is thrown into her life and everything turns upside down. Can they risk everything to find happiness?

You Gave me the Word, I finally heard, by LeighKelly (If you haven’t read this yet, GO NOW!)

When Brittany Pierce was seven, a near drowning experience left her profoundly deaf. For twenty-two years, she’s lived in a quiet solitude, her mother’s response to her accident leaving her wary of building relationships. She’s content with her life, her career, her home with her service dog Otis, until she quite literally runs into Santana Lopez…and then everything changes.

You Live, You Learn, You Love, by kp83

At seventeen, the most important things in soon-to-be high school senior Santana Lopez’s life is school, Cheerios, her family and friends, and dreaming up ways to escape her small town. Then one night she meets a girl that needs her help, and in a blink of an eye, everything in her carefree life starts to change. AU Brittana, rated M.

IN-PROGRESS

2859: The Fearsome Foursome

Brittany and Santana attend a very important wedding.

Beautiful Life, by  LeighKelly

Three years after the emotionally tumultuous first year of their marriage (and of their unexpected daughter’s life) Santana and Brittany have realized that with love, anything is possible. Watch as the two of them and their four year old daughter Annie take on their little corner of the world. Sequel to Finding the Way Back, but can be read on it’s own. Santana’s POV, canon to 4x17

Binding Hearts, by GleekForHemo

Sequel to Beautiful Scars. It has been 4 years since Santana and Brittany got married and they are still very much in love. Of course life comes with ups and downs so will they be able to stay strong together when chaos appears to be on the horizon? AU.

Don’t You Dare Look Back, Just Keep Your Eyes On Me, by LeighKelly

In the fall of 1983, while on a date with another woman, semi-closeted banker Santana Lopez meets struggling dancer Brittany Pierce. Though they come from two different worlds, a single dance changes their lives forever.

Healing, by hedonist11

“Santana had to reread the text a couple times to make sure Sam was telling her what she thought he is telling her. Motherfucker didn’t have the decency to call, the least he could do was use the spell check on his phone”.

HellaPrompts, by where'smynaya

A collection of Brittana prompts submitted to me on Tumblr now in one place for your viewing (reading) pleasure!

How I met your mommy, by MissHeatherMichelle

“Santana walks out of the kitchen, and makes her way into her bedroom, carrying a glass or orange juice. She stops abruptly when she sees her closet door opened and things scattered all around, spilling out into her bedroom. She carefully places her glass down on the dresser, and hears giggling coming from inside the closet. She takes a few tentative steps forward, until she can see inside the walk in closet, where she spots a little girl and boy. “What are you guys doing?” Santana asks, kneeling down to their level”.

Leaving Normal, by LeighKelly

In small towns like Roswell, New Mexico, secrets are hard to keep. When Santana Lopez is shot in her father’s diner, and Brittany Pierce saves her life, everything is put at risk, especially the secret Brittany has been hiding for all of her life, that she is most definitely not of this Earth. AU loosely set in the Roswell-verse.

Like We’re Made of Starlight, by LeighKelly

As the oldest in a large family, and her father serving overseas in the second World War, Santana Lopez leaves the city to tend bar in a tiny Fire Island town. Almost immediately, the female captain of a fishing boat catches her eye and calls into question everything she knows about right and wrong, and everything she knows about herself.

Piece by Piece, by LeighKelly

When pediatric surgeon Santana Lopez meets Dr. Brittany Pierce, head of plastic surgery, in the elevator during a blackout at the hospital, she’s immediately hit with a sense of disdain. Little does she know that she’ll be the first person to show her what love looks like, and change her life for good.

Time passes, in love and in seasons, by echoes_of_realities

You were the choice I made before I knew what the other choices were

Summer comes and goes in the quiet moments. It comes and goes in the quiet moments of time passing away from the critical eyes of high school, where they can just be the them that they always are when it’s just Brittany-and-Santana. It comes and goes like a flower unfurling its petals towards the sun in the new beginning of a different sunrise every morning.

Somewhere along the way we must grow up, not perfect, but up and out

Autumn comes and goes in the quiet moments. It comes and goes in the quiet moments of time passing between classes and in secluded hallways, where bravery grows as they fight to protect their love from the clumsy fingers of careless teenagers and smear campaigns and familial rejection. It comes and goes like a golden leaf free falling through the air with its unconscious courage as it leaves everything it knows and throws itself into the unknown for just the chance at love and happiness.

That winter you left me snow-blind

Winter comes and goes in the quiet moments. It comes and goes in the quiet moments of time passing between snowfalls and mistletoe kisses, where they can finally stop holding their breaths and instead bask in the warmth of acceptance despite the winter wind. It comes and goes like lazy Sunday mornings where the alarm clock is a cold nose against skin as snow covers the town in a fresh beginning.

And here’s the link to the files: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1o5sOhyJ0yntsKSh7Zz4EwlKYJbAJ4kJ4

And thanks por the question =D

[kinthonic]

[image description: Image is of a nine block grid with a galactic border. Each space holds a face of any previously created “face”. The order in which they are described will be left to right, top to bottom. The first is someone who seemingly looks older with long, gray/silver hair and two long strands of a mustache. They have a pink fluffy collar to a blue shirt. They also have pink ram horns. The subject also has a pink and red background. It’s color pencils and marker on a porous material. Profile view The second slot has a white background but is digital. The face is accentuated with points at the cheeks, nose, and other areas with color to suggest tan. The subject has brown hair with a bit of purple at the viewer’s right hand side. The male perks his left side of the mouth up and glances towards the left. Full face view. The next one is electric pink on a black background. They have this pink floppy hair and purple shading for the face. They seem elfish or otherworldly. Also digital and full face view. The next is acrylic and tempura on poster board. It shows a woman laughing from a profile view. She has brown/red curly hair with a pinkish collar and green ribbon tying her hair. There are blue flowers in the background. This is my icon, a stippled face with something wrapped around the head and eyes, the background being blue, yellow, orange and green. Gelatos and ink. Full face view This is another digital piece of a fae, purplish skin with white “freckles”. They have blue markings on their face and a piercing red mohawk. Their eyes are shut and they seem to have fins on the side of their head. They seem asleep and at peace! Full face view. This is a character with vitiligo. They have curly hair and this is done with ink on line paper. 2 quarters view. This is an old drawing on sketchbook paper—well i did the sketch on sketchbook paper but made a copy of said sketch and colored it with color pencils and warercolor but ANYWAY—they have full lips, multicolored eyes with no iris, and black clothing. Their hair is brown and very curly/almost coily, and they have a portion in red on the viewer’s left. The last is a sketch i did last night! A succubus in 2 quarters view, sketched on sketchbook paper in pencil. She peers to the right, despite having a downturned mouth, seemingly amused. Her long hair goes beyond the end of the image. Her full lips are dark and glisten! 
Thanks for reading! Hope this was a satisfactory image description. I’ll be doing more of these! *heart emojis*] 🌺 HEHEHEEHE I decided to do the #faceyourartchallenge!!! It was really nice rifling through all my art and realizing I??? Haven’t done portraits or like humanoids in a wHILE lol. So enjoy this collection of some old and new faces! 💕 🌺

[seagull-laugh]

I Made the 2017 version of the JWG! 

I bought the base book for £8, and the rest was all stuff I just had lying around my house! I tried to make this as cheap and easy as possible (like always), so even people with small budgets can do it themselves

I’ll write my step by step process below for those who want to make their own!

THINGS I USED

A NOTEBOOK

NAIL PLOSH TO PAINT THE STRIPES

A PENCIL

A BIRO

PAPER

A RULER

SCISSORS

CARD

A BROWN SHARPIE

A PAINT BRUSH

WATER

BLUE WATERCOLOUR PAINT

A CRAFT KNIFE

A HOT GLUE GUN

BROWN ELASTIC

MASKING TAPE

PVA GLUE

1.) First thing I did was buy the base book! the one I bought was an A5 Tan False Leather Journal from my local WHSmith! you can buy any size book that fits you, I just thought A5 would be good for transport! The colour of the Book from the show is more of an orange than a brown, so you can always go for a different colour too, just whatever suits you best! 

2.)  Using a reference picture I then marked out where I wanted the three stripes on the Journal to go! I don’t own any paint but I own a lot of Nail Polish so I used that! If you don’t have Nail Polish, DON’T WORRY feel free to experiment and try different paints! as long as there is a thick layer it should be okay! I Own a bunch of Nail Polish but a lot of them are the same shades so I used a Blue (because the only green Nail Polish I have is glittery), I personally don’t mind the colours not being 100% but each to their own! I mixed one of my yellow ones with a hot pink nail polish to make the orange! It turns out I have Orange acrylic paint so I could have used that extra Yellow nail polish to make green and had all the right colours but OH WELL When doing the Lines I used tape so cover the spine and the edges so that the edges are clean and crisp

here a pic of the labels so you can see I’m not lying when I say I mixed the colours! just because I know some people wont believe me

Once this is dried, you need to paint the 3 stripes again on the back, The Spine is clear thou so make sure you leave the tape on that so it stays plain 3.) The next thing I did was draw out the ‘WJW’ symbol that goes on the front of the book! Firstly I dew it on a piece of paper! Then I cut it out and using the card from a cereal box I Traced the outline of the logo. all I did was line them up and draw around the edge! then I cut that out and placed the paper version over card one. I pushed a hole using a pin where all the edges for the letters are, then using a ruler I connected the dots AND TAA-DAA I had two copies of the logo! IDK if that made any sense but you can do  whatever method suits you! there’s a few good references on google that you can use! 

4.) Once the logo was drawn Out I just coloured in the dark bits with a Brown Sharpie I had! any felt/marker/paint would do, I just only had a sharpie in the colour brown ahaha! once the stripes on the book where dry I just painted the BACK of the logo with PVA glue, Placed it where i wanted it and put a shoe on top while it dried! 

AND HERE YOU HAVE A NICE BRAND NEW JWG! all you need to do is seal it and add some elastic on the side! Huey’s Guidebook is very beaten and old, So the next few stages are just how to add the wear and tear, so if you want your book to look all swanky and new, you can skip step No. 5, 6 and 7!

5.) OKAY SO, next I drew out all the cracks and rips and using a craft knife I calved them out! you need to be extra careful you don’t hurt yourself!

6.) I cut out some masking tape and stuck it in the correct places! I cut the width of the tape to try and match the ones on the reference image, and I ripped the ends so they weren't clean! I used my finger nail to push the tape into the cracks and dents I had cut out so you could still see them clearly, finally I used some blue watercolour paint to tint the tape blue! if you can think of a better method to do this then PLEASE feel free 7.) using paint bush, wipe some water into a little puddle where you want the marks on the cover to be, and then using a black biro, just scribble! once i did that I just used my finger to smudge the ink in the water and TAADAA A MARK ON THE COVER!!! 8.) to seal the whole thing I just covered the whole book in a few layers of PVA glue! IF YOU HAVE A BETTER METHOD TO SEAL THE CARD/COLOURS AND TAPE  TO THE BOOK, SO THAT THEY ARE SECURE AND WONT FALL OFF/FADE, THEN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DO THAT INSTEAD! 9.) Now for the elastic for the side! for this I just took an old notebook that was falling apart, as it had brown elastic on it! I ripped it out, tied the two ends into a knot and then stretched it over the end of the journal! you can use any elastic or string that you have! then I just used a hot glue gun to stick the elastic to the back of the book! and left the front so that i can easily pull it off to open the book

AND TAA-DAA IT IS FINISHED If anyone else decides to make the journal for themselves, I would love to see it! I would also really appreciate it if you credited me for the help, but you don’t have to! If anyone decides to make their own JWG based Off My Tutorial here, could you please post a link to this post? just so anyone else who want’s to make one can also see how it is done :)

if you have any more questions or struggle to understand anything here, please feel free to message me! I’m always happy to help 

[stationerspk]

7 Must Have Student Stationery Supplies In High School

Every student in their college life needs essential stationery items to perform at optimum level. The blog lists out seven basic stationery supplies that every high-school student must have in their backpack to succeed in daily college work in a proper and well-designed way.

[goope-jp-tenmei]

Paper Party 2018! Colorful Modern Abstract Art Party Inspiration

As promised, I’m sharing the photos from this year’s Paper Party during the National Stationery Show! As you saw with the invitations and save the dates, our party inspiration was driven by a non-traditional color palette – mustard yellow, pale pink, peach, lavender, navy blue, and forest green – and modern abstract shapes. For those of you looking for some colorful modern abstract art party inspiration, we’ll be sharing all the fun party details with you today! This year’s party featured a TON of balloons, a gorgeous art print wall, a hand painted paper art installation, and a calligraphy bar! It was such a wonderful evening with some of the most lovely people in the stationery industry, and together we raised more than seven thousand dollars to help support women’s empowerment and equal rights!

This was my fifth year organizing a major party for the stationery industry during the National Stationery Show. In the past, we’ve always done a free party, but this year I wanted to do something a bit different and find a way to give back in a small way. So I joined forces with Writes for Women, an advocacy group for the stationery industry that helps raise money for women’s empowerment and equal rights via the Ms. Foundation. We sold tickets to this year’s party and ended up raising more than $7,100 – more than I had ever imagined in my wildest dreams! Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who came to the party for making this possible!

This year’s party was again held at Hudson Terrace on their rooftop terrace. My talented friend (and professional event planner) Janice from Bellwether Events helped me plan the party, along with Melinda of Lion in the Sun and Caroline of CW Pencils (my party planning partners in crime from Writes for Women). And of course the party would not have been possible without our amazing sponsors, including Paper & Ink Arts, Mixbook, Legion Paper, Bella Figura, Sakura of America, Hester & Cook Design Group, 1canoe2, and the National Stationery Show, and our fantastic creative partners Ramona & Ruth, Sam Teich, Lillian Farag, Farmette Press, and Meant to Be Calligraphy. Let’s get to all the fun details!

Okay, so first – the balloons! I knew that I wanted to incorporate a balloon installation into our party décor this year, and it turned out so fun and colorful! (We used Balloon Saloon for those of you who might need something similar in NYC) We used balloons in shades of pink, peach, deep yellow, teal, and purple – and calligrapher Sam Teich used some of Sakura of America’s Permapaque markers to letter a few fun party phrases on the balloons! It was super easy!

We also made this really fun paper art installation in collaboration with artist Lillian Farag and Legion Paper! I was feeling super inspired by our save the date and invitation design by Ramona & Ruth, so I came up with the idea of creating this installation using sheets of Colorplan and Stonehenge Aqua watercolor paper from Legion Paper. Lillian painted on the Stonehenge sheets in her signature free flowing style, and we layered Lillian’s pieces together with the Colorplan paper in lavender, candy pink, fuchsia pink, citrine, park green, forest green, and imperial blue. Stay tuned for a more detailed DIY post so you can create one of these installations for your own party!

And can we talk about this Mixbook art print wall? So gorgeous! Mixbook works with an amazing roster of artists, including Hello!Lucky, 1canoe2, Black Lamb Studio, Ashley Goldberg, and Amy Tangerine – totally perfect for our colorful evening! The art print wall featured a mix of canvas prints and acrylic block prints, and each print was either super colorful or had a message of women’s empowerment – or both!

Oh! And Mixbook also brought Eunice from Hello!Lucky to sign copies of her brand new book, Be the Change, and do some illustrations on Hello!Lucky for Mixbook stationery. So fun!

I also love having an interactive element at the party – and this year it was a calligraphy bar in collaboration with Paper & Ink Arts! The uber-talented Sam Teich hung out ALL night to do calligraphy demos using a variety of Paper & Ink Arts tools and materials, including this Paint Your Own Oblique Holder, this pointed oblique holder with a Tachikawa G Nib, a Fintec Metallic Palette, Ziller Ink in Wild Viola Violet and Wild Rose Pink, Sumi Ink, and a Size 1 Princeton Series Round Brush.

Farmette Press also sent an assortment of their GORGEOUS handmade papers for Sam to write on! They make the most beautiful paper in an amazing assortment of colors – I want them all!

The CUTEST paper placemats from Hester & Cook! I couldn’t resist these die cut unicorn placemats – that hologram foil on the horn!! – and the black and white swiss dot placemats were perfect for our tall round cocktail tables. Pretty much everything in this Sorbet collection was perfect for the party!

Finally, a HUGE thank you to the wonderful sponsors and people who made the evening possible:

The National Stationery Show, Paper & Ink Arts, Mixbook, Bella Figura, Sakura of America, Hester & Cook Design Group, Legion Paper, and 1canoe2!

Sam Teich, Farmette Press, Lillian Farag, CW Pencils, Ramona & Ruth, Meant to Be Calligraphy

Infinite thanks to Janice, Melinda, Kelly, and Caroline, for their invaluable help over the past few months and throughout the evening – and our small army of friends who helped with set up before the party. We couldn’t have done it without you!

And of course a big thanks to CJ of Charlie-Juliet Photography for the gorgeous photos and Hudson Terrace for having us!

Photo Credits: Charlie-Juliet Photography

from Oh So Beautiful Paper https://ift.tt/2JUJh0T via IFTTT

[beth-griib-illustrationnua]

10/01/18

Screen Printing my image 

-Bubble effects from mixing the posca pen with water- this is an interesting effect but hasn't blended how i intended and resulting in white gaps where the water has pushed away the marker ink. 

-Despite this, i am quite happy with the marks made in the sky- looks a bit like a sunset

-i wasn't happy with the colours i used in the first few prints - it was too bold and concentrated... i regretted not mixing the inks more to get a more subtle colour. The more dominating colours imply discomfort and claustrophobia, whereas slightly bleaker or more translucent tones may imply more space. I also struggled to achieve an edition where al the layers were accurately alligned. Therefore, i re mixed the colours to how i wanted them and printed some more copies, ensuring accuracy by re aligning my paper each time. I had to do this because each piece of paper was not exactly the same size.

-I made the blue more translucent by adding more acrylic medium- this gives the effect of more space and looks more like a sky blue

-I done the same with red in the hope that the opaque red would blend and make orange. It didn't make orange but it creates a warmer feel next to the yellow and draws more attention to the strong opacity of the yellow. 

[agosnesrerose]

Painting for Beginners: Choosing the Right Painting Medium

A free excerpt about painting mediums for beginners from Create Perfect Paintings: An Artist’s Guide to Visual Thinking by Nancy Reyner 

Painting for Beginners: Choosing the Right Painting Medium

by Nancy Reyner

Here are lists of pros and cons for most common painting mediums. In addition to those listed here, paintings can be made with many other mediums such as gouache, oil pastel, ink, pencil, markers, spray paint and silkscreen among others. Experimenting with new painting mediums, even for a short period of time, can be fun and inspiring, and expand how you use your current medium once you return to it.

Sky Mountain (acrylic and gold leaf on panel, 16×12) by Nancy Reyner. Get your copy of “Create Perfect Paintings” here today!

Painting with Oil

Pros: Oil paint is slow drying, allowing for more time to make changes and to blend colors. Oil refracts the color pigment in the paint for a beautiful, rich glowing color. Great for realism, blending and detail, oil can also be used for experimental and playful methods of abstraction

Cons: Working transparently (such as glazing) requires the use of oil mediums that often contain toxic solvents. Oil paint alone is not toxic, but some mediums used to extend oil paint are toxic. Reduce toxicity by using non-toxic mediums in the paint and baby oil to clean brushes.

Oil paint never fully cures even when dry to the touch, so correct care must be taken for handling and storage. The painting must not be shipped or varnished too soon. Layering requires correct chemistry so that a more flexible layer is always applied over a less flexible one.

Oil has the potential to crack, especially if used thickly. Most oils turn yellow over time, dramatically reducing luminosity in white and light value colors.

Snow Leopard (acrylic and oil on board, 18×24) by Tom Palmore Selecting Mediums Appropriate For Your Style: Here acrylic is used to get a fast overall underpainting, then oil is used for the final layers for detail and blending.

Painting with Acrylic

Pros: Acrylic paints, mediums and products are almost all nontoxic. Acrylic is known for its fast drying qualities but is also available in slow-drying forms. A wide variety of acrylic products are available to customize paint and to personalize preferences in surface absorbency, texture and sheen. Fast-drying acrylic paints are great for layering while slow-drying acrylics imitate the look and feel of oil.

Paints are available in varying consistencies (viscosity), so acrylics can imitate both watercolor and oil in look and feel. Acrylics can be as thin as ink or thick and heavy bodied for textural effects. Acrylic offers the widest range of possibilities and is now considered more archival than all other mediums. When used correctly it will not crack or yellow, and fully cures in about two weeks. Acrylic can be used in conjunction with many other mediums such as creating a fast-drying underpainting for use under oil paint.

Cons: Acrylic binders usually contain ammonia, and though considered nontoxic, can cause sensitivity with some people, especially when used without proper ventilation.

Painting with Watercolor

Pros: Watercolor naturally creates transparency, and its water-soluble nature allows for some changes even after it has dried.

Cons: Because watercolor is usually applied to paper, the paint will sink into and stain the surface, making the paint difficult to remove fully once dry.

When finished, watercolor paintings need protection, such as being framed behind glass, due to paper being not as archival as panel or canvas as well as the non-permanent nature of the watercolor paint.

Painting with Chalk Pastel

Pros: Pastel is actually a drawing medium, but finished works in pastel are often referred to as paintings. Drying times are not an issue when working with pastel, making it portable and an excellent choice for working outdoors. Good quality pastels can produce a unique and luscious sheen in the final surface. Colors come in a wide range and can be blended and mixed directly onto the surface.

Cons: Pastel remains delicate on a surface and requires protection with glass and framing. Alternative protection, such as spray fixatives and sealers, will diminish pastel’s color and sheen.

Daisy Mao (mixed media / paper and acrylic on wood, 30×40) by Deborah Lewis Using Nontraditional Materials: Mixed media combined with paint adds a contemporary feel and tactile surface interest in this painting.

Painting with Mixed Media

Pros: Combining paint and painting mediums with other materials expands possibilities and adds an immediate contemporary appearance.

Cons: Non fine-art materials, such as those made for craft and commercial use, can fade over time with exposure to light and air, requiring UV or other types of protection such as sealing applications or framing with UV glass.

When one type of material is layered over a different one, it may need extra procedures for proper adhesion between them.

A Word About Painting Mediums

The word medium has different meanings depending on its context. It can designate a discipline such as oil or acrylic, or it can refer to an actual binder or extender used in the chemistry of that discipline. For example, linseed oil is a medium and is used with the medium of oil paint.

Below: Watch “Nancy Reyner’s Perfect Color Mixing” and preview all of her online art workshops here at ArtistsNetworkTV!

The post Painting for Beginners: Choosing the Right Painting Medium appeared first on Artist's Network.

from Artist’s Network http://ift.tt/2ngQCIh

http://ift.tt/2m1kjMv

[mredwinsmith]

Painting for Beginners: Choosing the Right Painting Medium

A free excerpt about painting mediums for beginners from Create Perfect Paintings: An Artist’s Guide to Visual Thinking by Nancy Reyner 

Painting for Beginners: Choosing the Right Painting Medium

by Nancy Reyner

Here are lists of pros and cons for most common painting mediums. In addition to those listed here, paintings can be made with many other mediums such as gouache, oil pastel, ink, pencil, markers, spray paint and silkscreen among others. Experimenting with new painting mediums, even for a short period of time, can be fun and inspiring, and expand how you use your current medium once you return to it.

Sky Mountain (acrylic and gold leaf on panel, 16×12) by Nancy Reyner. Get your copy of “Create Perfect Paintings” here today!

Painting with Oil

Pros: Oil paint is slow drying, allowing for more time to make changes and to blend colors. Oil refracts the color pigment in the paint for a beautiful, rich glowing color. Great for realism, blending and detail, oil can also be used for experimental and playful methods of abstraction

Cons: Working transparently (such as glazing) requires the use of oil mediums that often contain toxic solvents. Oil paint alone is not toxic, but some mediums used to extend oil paint are toxic. Reduce toxicity by using non-toxic mediums in the paint and baby oil to clean brushes.

Oil paint never fully cures even when dry to the touch, so correct care must be taken for handling and storage. The painting must not be shipped or varnished too soon. Layering requires correct chemistry so that a more flexible layer is always applied over a less flexible one.

Oil has the potential to crack, especially if used thickly. Most oils turn yellow over time, dramatically reducing luminosity in white and light value colors.

Snow Leopard (acrylic and oil on board, 18×24) by Tom Palmore Selecting Mediums Appropriate For Your Style: Here acrylic is used to get a fast overall underpainting, then oil is used for the final layers for detail and blending.

Painting with Acrylic

Pros: Acrylic paints, mediums and products are almost all nontoxic. Acrylic is known for its fast drying qualities but is also available in slow-drying forms. A wide variety of acrylic products are available to customize paint and to personalize preferences in surface absorbency, texture and sheen. Fast-drying acrylic paints are great for layering while slow-drying acrylics imitate the look and feel of oil.

Paints are available in varying consistencies (viscosity), so acrylics can imitate both watercolor and oil in look and feel. Acrylics can be as thin as ink or thick and heavy bodied for textural effects. Acrylic offers the widest range of possibilities and is now considered more archival than all other mediums. When used correctly it will not crack or yellow, and fully cures in about two weeks. Acrylic can be used in conjunction with many other mediums such as creating a fast-drying underpainting for use under oil paint.

Cons: Acrylic binders usually contain ammonia, and though considered nontoxic, can cause sensitivity with some people, especially when used without proper ventilation.

Painting with Watercolor

Pros: Watercolor naturally creates transparency, and its water-soluble nature allows for some changes even after it has dried.

Cons: Because watercolor is usually applied to paper, the paint will sink into and stain the surface, making the paint difficult to remove fully once dry.

When finished, watercolor paintings need protection, such as being framed behind glass, due to paper being not as archival as panel or canvas as well as the non-permanent nature of the watercolor paint.

Painting with Chalk Pastel

Pros: Pastel is actually a drawing medium, but finished works in pastel are often referred to as paintings. Drying times are not an issue when working with pastel, making it portable and an excellent choice for working outdoors. Good quality pastels can produce a unique and luscious sheen in the final surface. Colors come in a wide range and can be blended and mixed directly onto the surface.

Cons: Pastel remains delicate on a surface and requires protection with glass and framing. Alternative protection, such as spray fixatives and sealers, will diminish pastel’s color and sheen.

Daisy Mao (mixed media / paper and acrylic on wood, 30×40) by Deborah Lewis Using Nontraditional Materials: Mixed media combined with paint adds a contemporary feel and tactile surface interest in this painting.

Painting with Mixed Media

Pros: Combining paint and painting mediums with other materials expands possibilities and adds an immediate contemporary appearance.

Cons: Non fine-art materials, such as those made for craft and commercial use, can fade over time with exposure to light and air, requiring UV or other types of protection such as sealing applications or framing with UV glass.

When one type of material is layered over a different one, it may need extra procedures for proper adhesion between them.

A Word About Painting Mediums

The word medium has different meanings depending on its context. It can designate a discipline such as oil or acrylic, or it can refer to an actual binder or extender used in the chemistry of that discipline. For example, linseed oil is a medium and is used with the medium of oil paint.

Below: Watch “Nancy Reyner’s Perfect Color Mixing” and preview all of her online art workshops here at ArtistsNetworkTV!

The post Painting for Beginners: Choosing the Right Painting Medium appeared first on Artist's Network.

from Artist's Network http://ift.tt/2ngQCIh

[kat650]

Definition: monochrome: a photograph or a picture executed in black and white or varying tones of only one colour.

As a warm up for the monochrome exercise I painted a lemon using varying shades of yellow. I used A3 mixed media paper and I sketched the lemon freehand onto the paper with very faint lines before painting it. I used acrylic Windsor and Newton acrylic paint.

I think the lemon would have been a lot looser in appearance  had I just painted it with no prior marks. I did not mix the yellow colour with any other colours to darken it or lighten it. This was done with just yellow: As suggested by R. Kaupelis, I diluted it when I needed lighter shades or used it ‘neat’ when I wanted it to appear darker, (Experimental Drawing, R. Kaupelis p.67). Some very small areas were left paper white to indicate a slight reflection of light.

A greater number of tones can be achieved when one colour is mixed very gradually with either black or white, (indicated in the example below). The same process can be followed for most wet media such as watercolours, acrylics, oils and inks.

The same can not be done when using dry mediums such coloured pencils, soft and oil pastels or markers. The have to be mixed directly onto the paper, usually by applying one layer of colour (often the lighter one first) followed by the secondary colour on top. Varying tones can be achieved by altering the pressure or density of colour layered. It may also be a case of adding multiple, alternate layers in order to reach the desired tone. Some brands of dry mediums offer a huge range of shades of each colour thus making it a bit easier to work tonally.

When working with pencils, graphite and charcoal, varying tones can be made by altering the pressure and marks. A putty rubber often comes in handy in helping to lighten areas by removing what’s already on paper.

Working in black and white is one of my favourite ways. I often draw with just pencils, graphite or charcoal as they lend an atmospheric feel, laden with mystery and nostalgia. My first assignment was done in black and white as I thought it would be relevant to the subject I had chosen to draw.

Also, some of Odilon Redon’s symbolic drawings such as ‘Smiling Spider’, ‘Eye Balloon’ and ‘Cactus Man’ are a prime example where the dark, moody, monochromatic tones evoke a feeling of enigma and wonder.

HGM81124 Smiling Spider, c.1881 (litho) by Redon, Odilon (1840-1916); 27.7×21.5 cm; Haags Gemeentemuseum, The Hague, Netherlands; French, out of copyright

IMA1556629 Christ (lithograph on chine volant paper) by Redon, Odilon (1840-1916); Indianapolis Museum of Art, USA; (add.info.: Odilon Redon (1840-1916); French 19th Century/LATE Visual Works: Prints lithograph on chine volant paper); Partial and Promised Gift of Professor Joseph Bloch; PERMISSION REQUIRED FOR NON EDITORIAL USAGE; French, out of copyright PLEASE NOTE: Bridgeman Images works with the owner of this image to clear permission. If you wish to reproduce this image, please inform us so we can clear permission for you.

  For my group of objects for the monochrome study, I used the same composition I had for my mixed media exercise, (I kept a copy of the original drawing on tracing paper so I could use it on other studies).

I knew I was going to work in monochrome but was undecided about what mediums to use. I transferred the composition on the paper and added Chinese ink wash all over the page. Once it had dried i used pencil to help the lines of the composition stand out a bit more. After that I used white charcoal to try and create a range of light tones and blended it mostly with my fingers. Every so often, I’d spray the drawing with a fixative before working in the next layer. I added and extra vertical line to the left hand side of my composition to create the illusion of a wall and make the sketch appear a bit more three dimensional.

I found the drawing of the fabric the hardest as it had numerous folds that were quite tricky to depict accurately on paper.  Also the glass bowl holding the fruit was another tricky object draw. I realized that I needed to do a bit more research and practice when it came to drawing such objects! Also, I noticed that the black ink had changed its tone slightly when dried and it had a purple-blue tinge to it.

Below is another attempt at monochrome following R. Kaupelis’s guidance of covering a page with an even layer of charcoal throughout and then using a putty to work the lighter tones first and then add the darker ones with charcoal.

As I would like to further expand my knowledge and practice of drawing glass objects, I looked up some of Giorgio Morandi’s still life pictures on Bridgeman Education online library. The black and white one is an etching whereas the coloured one is oil on canvas. In both of the pictures the glass items are convincing due to the range of tones produced.

ESC427627 Still Life with Jugs, 1956 (etching) by Morandi, Giorgio (1890-1964); Estorick Collection, London, UK; PERMISSION REQUIRED FOR NON EDITORIAL USAGE; Italian, in copyright PLEASE NOTE: This image is protected by artist’s copyright which needs to be cleared by you. If you require assistance in clearing permission we will be pleased to help you. In addition, we work with the owner of the image to clear permission. If you wish to reproduce this image, please inform us so we can clear permission for you.

ELC858359 Still Life, 1916 (oil on canvas) by Morandi, Giorgio (1890-1964); (add.info.: All. Vases; pots bottles gray brown Creator: Morandi Giorgio Location: Private collection, Milan, Lombardy, Italy); Mondadori Portfolio/Electa/Sergio Anelli; ITALIAN RIGHTS NOT AVAILABLE; Italian, in copyright PLEASE NOTE: This image is protected by the artist’s copyright which needs to be cleared by you. If you require assistance in clearing permission we will be pleased to help you.

Below are two more examples of still life by contemporary artist Jeremy Galton ‘whose work allows for extreme scrutiny, where closer observation of his pictures only reveals detail previously unnoticed’, (http://galtonfineart.com/aboutus). According to Jeremy, glass allows most light to pass through it but because light is refracted at the air-glass boundary, images seen through it appear distorted. It also reflects a little light too but not as much as metal, (Artists and Illustrators magazine, April 2014).

                    Part 2-Project 2-Exercise 4, Monochrome Definition: monochrome: a photograph or a picture executed in black and white or varying tones of only one colour.

[mysticsparklewings]

Watercolor Kitty

Look, paint!   So not that long ago I more or less made the decision with myself that I wanted to branch out into watercolor. I've been avoiding the world of painting for a while because...I mean, have you guys seen that gigantic rabbit hole of supplies to pick through, for one thing?? Beyond that, just overall my past experience and knowledge of paint up until this point hasn't been that inspiring. (I'm going to describe past experience now, but in small text so if you're not interested you can just skip it.) For starters, it wasn't until like halfway through high school that I finally understood there were even different kinds of paint that behave differently, and I did not learn that from art class, either. I'm not sure when and where exactly, but I found out on my own and was like, why were we never taught this. A thought I still have regularly, I might add. You'd think that would be a pretty high-ticket item in art classes past Elementary school. All of my watercolor experience until recently was contained within my elementary and middle school years. The colors were always super washed out and even though at one point we went over techniques, we didn't actually get to use them more than like twice. And then high school art never addressed watercolors again. Other than that, I had heard the term "oil paint" thrown around, but I didn't really understand what it was. The closest thing I knew of was oil pastels, but that didn't help because they were like older cousins of crayons and not very paint-like at all. I have done a few things with acrylic in the past, but mostly solid backgrounds (or not very interesting school projects that never explained they were acrylic paints in the first place; it's paint just use it as instructed) in which I spent entirely too long trying to mix just the right color and enough of it, and then you have to bend over backward to keep the stuff from drying out. No thank you. Then last year I started my adventure in trying to recreate this thing called the Rainbow Sponge (and have done so to moderate success, but that's a conversation for another day) and in that process acquired some inks by Dr. Ph. Martin. When testing colors to make sure I was grabbing what I wanted, they reminded me of watercolors, and the general impression I got during that time (from experimenting and from researching) was that they pretty much were watercolors, the exception being that once they dried you couldn't re-activate them. (And they were purely liquid; most watercolors are either the little panned cakes or the more traditional "paint consistency" you find in tubes and apparently the liquid watercolors you find are usually dye-based instead of pigment based, so they behave slightly differently on paper.) After seeing a couple of Youtubers I trust try them, I decided to spoil myself with some commission money and ended up with this set of strange watercolor sheets, and even though I didn't know much about watercolor, I really liked them and the idea of a water brush instead of a traditional paintbrush and 50,000 trips to change paint water. Plus, by this time I had learned that watercolor doesn't have to be all totally washed-out pastels. Who knew, right? Somewhere in this mess, I was attuned to the idea of first the Derwent Inktense, ink-based pencils and watercolor pencils, which both came as side-effects of my deep-dive into the world of colored pencils. They both sounded intriguing--Pencils you can blend out with water to get rid of the streaks?? What??--and after I checked the Faber Castell Polychromos off my Art Supply Wishlist, watercolor pencils went next. The set of Arteza ones that I got, I like pretty well. After that, since I had at least two watercolor supplies I rather liked using enough though I didn't really know what I was doing, I figured I might start looking into gaining some knowledge on what to do with them. A couple of weeks ago I acquired a book called "Watercolor Workshop" by Sasha Prood because it instantly caught my attention for telling you on one page what to do with an example, and them providing you with a space to give a try for yourself, which is not something that is all that common to me in "how to X" books. This book made me want to procure a set of tube watercolors, and after some poking around on Amazon with a specific budget and requirements in mind, I ended up with a 24 set by Crafts 4 All and an empty travel palette by Meedan to put them in. (As I've come to understand it, this seemed like the best route to go for tube colors; I know myself too well to trust just squirting the paint onto a regular palette every time and not wasting it, especially when it comes to mixing colors, so I went the route of putting some paint in little half-pans and letting them dry to hopefully prevent that.) I won't go too much into detail like a review of that set of watercolors or my tube-to-pan process here, because I want to play with the paints some more to get a better feel for them before I truly sing their praises or condemn them, but so far they're actually working out a lot better than I thought they would, considering they were pretty inexpensive. So far my biggest complaints are A. I'm not crazy about the smell, as it's a pretty "industrial" scent, but I get the feeling a "paint smell" is relatively unavoidable; and B. I wish there were more colors. The range in the 24 set feels pretty balanced out (though one more purple wouldn't have hurt), I just wish there were more in total. (And for all I know they sell a bigger set, I haven't looked into it, but this isn't really a bad thing; I like what I've seen so I want more.) As is maybe obvious, I meant for this to go up closer to Valentine's Day, but my palette didn't come in until the day after, I had to wait at least a day after that for the paints to dry out, and I can only paint so fast. (I had the sketch done on like the 12th, I think, and the line art on watercolor paper on the 13th). And by then I had a couple of other pieces backlogged, so since I had missed my holiday window, I figured I'd just post it at the next available opportunity. (And after I got off my lazy bum to write this description ) I was inspired by some very red-furred kitties on Pinterest for colors and I've been trying to get a bit into hand-lettering, though I didn't get too fancy with that here because I mostly just wanted to play with the paint and see what I could do (and I was also putting a new set of Sakura Gelly Rolls to the test on just how waterproof they were--fortunately they passed!). It's going to be tricky to break my habit of how I like to usually blend and shade with my other supplies, as watercolors just don't behave the way markers and pencils do, but as I said earlier, these were working to my liking much better than I had expected. My little fluffy kitty here isn't perfect, but I do think she turned out quite cute. I was trying to avoid using my other supplies to really let the watercolors breathe and do their thing, but I did have to add a gold border with a Pentel Sparkle Pop because it just needed something. The only real issue with this piece I ended up having is that the physical copy has a nice stain where at some point I wasn't careful with waving my brush around and got a little blop of yellow ochre paint near the bottom right corner. I lifted off what I could, but apparently, I had not noticed it for long enough it did get to settle in a little. Fortunately, I was able to crop it out on the scan, though! I do have one other art piece ready to go for Wednesday, but beyond that, I am hoping to do more with these watercolors and I should have some new supplies coming in the mail this week with a couple of planned test-pieces in mind. (Does anyone else just get this relieved sort of exhilaration from getting new supplies? No? Just me? ) (Also I'm mostly trying to get into a consistent upload pattern, even though I keep missing a couple days here and there ) ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram