Have you ever wanted to put a word or phrase in your art but there just seems to be no way to make it work- it’s just so… flat!
Sometimes there’s a word or phrase that just HAS to be in your mixed media piece to help tell the story. Words can help drive home a point, let observers know what your art is all about and add interest. Words are also good for filling and adding interest to small spaces where nothing else seems to fit.
You might find a word in a magazine or print it out from your computer, but since it’s on a flat piece of paper, you’ll need a way to to give it some oomph or even function as a focal point. How do you do that?
You can start by putting a border around your word or phrase by matting it or coloring around the edges. Some ideas of what to use include colored or textured cardstock or corrugated cardboard (with the paper torn off on one side). To color around the edges you could use markers, ink, paint, shoe polish etc.
You could also pair it with an embellishment or two that complements your word. Some ideas of embellishments include bows made from ribbon or raffia, feathers, paper flowers, craft stickers, coiled wire, nail heads, bits of lace etc.
You could also make your word more prominent by making it big or colorful or by making it contrast the area that’s surrounding it. One way to give it a place of importance is by following the rule of thirds and placing it where the lines intersect.
Another way to make your word or phrase dimensional is by is by putting it on a dimensional object. For example, a word could be placed on a small piece of wood or on a leaf, or in the center of a silk flower.
You can use a combination of these ideas to make your words stand out. For example, I may first tear the edges and color them with a marker and then glue it onto some cardboard and finally, I might go around the edges with wire.