64 Arts

Mosaic versus Collage

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What’s the difference?

I suppose you could say that mosaic is made of tiles and collage is made of paper. Except mixed media artists all over would heartily disagree.

Digging through my Figure Drawing sketchbook I came across these pieces that, to me, could go either way:

Green Man Nature Collage

Green Man Nature Collage

Torn Paper Mosaic

Woman Kneeling Torn Paper 'Mosaic'

What’s your vote? Sure, the leaves and twigs and stuff that make up the Nature Collage don’t scream mosaic right off but why not? Are they not an assemblage of pieces making a single picture? Maybe it’s because they’re not spaced out as much and overlap more than sit side by side.

The torn paper definitely looks like a mosaic to me, and could even be a blueprint for a tile work. Hmmm. But just because it looks more like a traditional mosaic does it count? Here’s a hit: the white spaces that look like grout are actually the torn edges of white-core card stock.

So what I keep wondering is, is it the grout that makes the mosaic, the filling in of space, or is it the pieced together technique? I really don’t know.

*  *  *

Going back to the traditional a bit, I got out the supplies I picked up this weekend: one pre-fab kit (the heart) and one pieces and parts (the square) as well as extra stuff. The first step with these is to make the bases out of plaster and they’re just about ready to come out of their molds and dry overnight. I hope. The directions also say they can cure in the microwave (low for 3 minutes, rest for 1, repeat 2 more times) but I think I’ll try the low and slow method first and if they’re still tacky tomorrow then pop them in the microwave to finish them off. It also gives me time to figure out what I want to do for each of them.

Here’s my progress pictures so far:

Mosaic Supplies

Mosaic Supplies

Making the bases and a mess.

Making the bases (and a mess).

the 9th Art: Mosaics

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To decorate the floor with small chips of emerald or other stones.

Why don’t we leave the emeralds out of it for a while, okay?

Any picture created from bits of glass, beads, tiles or broken stuff held together by some sticky medium can be called, at least in my opinion, a mosaic. Granted, the original mosaics, at least those that first come to my mind, were made of very small tiles and incredibly intricate.

Being a Latin nerd for 4 years means I’m a little familiar with the tiled floors of Roman ruins and, the summer after my Freshman year I made a valiant (if somewhat pitiful) attempt at my own version of the traditional Cave Canem (beware of dog) entrance mosaic. At least I think it said Cave Canem but I distinctly remember putting the evil eye (as a ward against it) in the center. Probably because it was easier.

Come to think of it, this could be why I didn’t even place in mosaics that year (it was for Nation Latin Convention–yes, I was that much of a nerd). But I got 1st in my division for jewelry, so it’s all good.

It might also have been my workmanship. You know, today I’d consider it pretty diy of me to take basic 1″ bathroom tiles and paint them the colors I needed rather than spending a fortune on special tiles and tools. And since we’re not competing or being judged, I think I still will.

Because this is no-holds-barred anything goes mosaic we’re talking about now, in the real world, not trying to be like the old guys in sheets.

If you want to play along with me, here’s what you’ll need to make your own mosaics:

A Base

Could be wood, metal, glass or something you’ve molded yourself out of plaster. Cardboard might be a little too weak to support tiles, glass or heavy beads but for small pieces with tiny elements, you can always try. Go for something sturdy, though: no sense in wasting effort only to have your foundation let you down.

Pieces of Stuff

Very technical term, yes? But this could be anything, which is why it’s a little vague. Yes, tiles are traditional, as are glass beads like you find in the floral aisles for putting in vases or on tables. Also consider pieces of broken china and pottery, sea glass, buttons, beads, bits of metal or molding and just about anything else you can think to use. Seriously, branch out and try some new stuff.

Adhesive

I put this third because it depends heavily on what you chose for your base and your stuff. In the specified area of your local craft store you’ll probably find something called mosaic adhesive. Sure, this will work great sticking tiles onto plaster or glass, but it might not work if you’re using a more eclectic mix of bits in your piece. Your adhesive could be anything from standard Tacky Glue or something stronger like E6000. If you’re really not sure what to use, head over to thistothat.com, pick your materials and use their suggestions when you get to the adhesives aisle.

Grout

A little less subjective, grout can be found in the craft store in small packages or at the hardware store in bulk. You might find it powdered or pre-mixed and you can find it in different colors or buy tints specifically for it. White is nice and all-purpose, black a little edgy but great for decor and, of course, colors for creativity.

Miscellaneous Supplies

Newspaper or drop clothes to protect your work surface, a container and dowel or other stirrer for mixing grout, a trowel or spatula for spreading the grout, gloves to protect your hands from chemicals or sticky stuff, and a sponge to wipe away the extra grout at the end.

Of course, you can also find all of these things in a handy kit, too, depending on the sort of project you want to start with.

So, gather your supplies and let’s make something fun this week, okay?

Gloss, Balms, Sticks and Liners

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I work at a print shop and I remember, back in the day, when folks would be surprised that the color in the swatch book didn’t exactly match the color of their printed item. It’s not that we used a different ink, it’s that they printed it on a colored paper.

Even the most opaque ink, if it’s not black, has some light showing through it, some slight translucency, and when you’re looking at a sample on bright white stock it’s the truest version of that color. Put it even on a cream background, and the color changes slightly because the background is no longer white.

The same happens with lipstick.

We’ve all been there, right? You search through all those racks, try all the possible testers on the back of your hand or the inside of your wrist to see what matches your skin tone best, buy the top one or two choices, get home and find out that they just don’t look the same.

Why?! Frustration and buyers remorse flood your very soul. Did the saleslady give you the wrong tube? Is it the lights in the store compared to your light at home? Is there such a thing as the perfect shade of lipstick?

What happened, simply, is that your lips aren’t white. They already have some color to them and everyone’s is different. Unless the lipstick is incredibly opaque your natural lip color will affect the color you’re applying.

This is why it helps to find single-use testers or go to a make-up counter where they will give you a single-use lip brush to try a color on before buying it.

But, okay, say you’ve found the color that works for you, how do you wear it?

I swear by lip liner. As we age our natural lip-lines start to get a little blurred. This comes from everything from cold sores (if you have them–knock-on-wood, I never have), miscellaneous blemishes, sunburns and just the natural passage of time. Lip liner makes a crisp edge that you can fill in with the various products of your choice and it really does look nicer in the long run.

Also? Filling in your lips with liner, first, then going over it with lipstick or gloss can help that color last throughout the day.

Speaking of which, do you reapply and how often?

I was long in the habit of not bothering to touch up my face or my lips during the day unless I had a meeting (rarely) or was going somewhere after work (occasionally). Part of the reason, especially for the lips, was that I put my make-up on at  home and didn’t carry it around with me. I’ve since solved this “problem” by putting on everything down to the lip liner at home, and keeping the lip stick/balm/gloss in my purse to put on at the first red light and to have available for touch-ups during the day.

Even though some areas of my life might belie the fact: I’m a stickler for efficiency in a lot of ways. It just seemed terribly inefficient to have 2 sets of everything (especially since my preferences change and have gotten more expensive over time) and to be constantly taking things out of my purse to use at home then putting back. Yes, I do that with my cell-phone but I don’t want to do that with my makeup!

So, sure, I leave the house with sort of a clown-thing going on, but no one’s looking that early in the morning and I’ve got it fixed by the time I get to the office.

Finally, what’s your finish preference? I’ve taken to wearing tinted lip balm during the day and switching over to gloss for afternoons/evenings.

Maybe it’s the makeup version of not wearing diamonds before 4pm (a rule I’ve never followed, either, lol).

A Big, Toothy Grin

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The other half of this art is teeth and, well, I can’t think of a reason (aside from Halloween or theatrical purposes) one would actually want to color their teeth. Usually we’re trying for whiter, brighter smiles, right?

I hate the dentist.

Oh, sure, you’re thinking I’m like all sorts of folks who say they hate the dentist but don’t really meant it.

Nope. I really hate the dentist.

I hate the way they make you feel  like a 2 year old as soon as you lean back in the chair. The distinct physical disadvantage you’re at when in that chair. The pokiness (<– should be a word) of the instruments. The ridiculous manner in which they ask you questions when there’s 2 (or more!) hands, multiple instruments and a suction tube making it impossible for you to reply.

See, I spent nearly 5 full years in braces. It did not help that I inherited some of the worst dental genes in the world and began this process by having 9 teeth pulled (some of which were only partial, there were issues with my baby teeth not wanting to leave the nest). After that, Mom needed to run an errand. At the Mall. With me puffy-faced and stuffed with gauze.After that, Mom needed to run an errand. At the Mall. With me puffy-faced and stuffed with gauze.

Then they attached the bands and wires that would then rotate my molars into something akin to a normal alignment.

Silly me, I tried to eat spaghetti that night and thought I was going to either choke or starve. Seemed like everything wanted to get hung up on that wire in the roof of my mouth.

Once that part was done, they put on the bottom braces for a while, then added the top ones just in time for pre-season Marching Band. I played the Baritone. I had to relearn a proper embouchure while also learning to march on asphalt in August with a large piece of brass bumping against my lips.

Oh, and did I mention that my orthodontist had a habit of looking into the parking lot while he was working? I distinctly remember (possibly when they were grinding the rotator-wires off the molar-bands–ew!) him talking to the hygienist about the shiny red sports car out there rather than paying attention to whatever it was he was doing to my poor mouth.

Thankfully the one humiliation I was spared was headgear.

Since then I’ve done my level best to avoid dental visits.

It’s less about orthodontia (I couldn’t care less that my teeth aren’t as straight as when they originally took all that crap off just a few weeks after having senior portraits done) and more about the sneaky way they just start in on you. You who are trying to be responsible by coming in for your 6-month cleaning only to be hit with a several-hundred-dollars bill when you leave for the extra  stuff they decided to do and didn’t tell you about. The extra stuff, by the way, that is not generally covered by insurance.

Ambushed. I hate being ambushed.

Screw that.

The last time I thought I was going to have to make an appointment I went from calmed to panicked in about 60 seconds and was physically ill from the anxiety. Thankfully my toothache was temporary and I dodged that bullet.

That may have been a bit of a tangent, but it’s merely to explain why I cannot for the life of me understand folks who go to the dentist for optional, cosmetic reasons. Are white-than-white chompers really worth another trip to that blasted chair?

Much less volunteer to have those trays full of icky gunk (that I swear is going to slide down the back of my throat) shoved in your mouth to make molds for who knows what?

No sir. Not me. I’ll just stick with the whitening toothpastes (those strips make my teeth too sensitive) and keep my happy butt outta that chair.

And the next time I DO have to visit that vile office? I’m trying out the one that practices “relaxation dentistry.” If by relaxation they mean sedatives, I’m so there.

Okay, folks, let’s hear your dental horror stories. I promise I’ll read ’em, even if it’s through half-closed fingers.

* * *

Speaking of teeth (nice segue there, yes?) indulge your sweet tooth with some serious eye candy by entering to win a copy of What’s New, Cupcake? over at my Circle of Food guestpost!

Products, Tools & Prime-Time Eyes

64 Arts

Glamour

"Glamour" by Scraps, Feb 2006

If the eyes truly are the windows to the soul…

What kind of curtains do you have up?

Are you the bare window or utilitarian mini-blinds type? Do you hang up the fancy chintz and voile only when company’s coming? Or do you dress ’em up everyday because you never know who you might meet, hmm?

I admin, most days I’m somewhere in the vicinity of mini-blinds. More on that later.

Products v. Tools

It’s not necessarily an either/or situation but I know that I’m the type that likes to have the basic building blocks and then diy them with a number of tools.

In other words: I like love gadgets!

Doesn’t matter if we’re talking make-up, in the kitchen or in my studios: raw materials and the appropriate tools are always going to win me over.

Not that I believe in gadgets for the sake of gadgets (a lot of as-seen-on-tv kitchen “tools” fall in this category), but specialized brushes and things like that? All over it!

When I was reading make-up tutorials and tips that suggested the use of eyeshadow primer, I was hesitant to purchase such a specialized product. Why wouldn’t my regular foundation work just as well?

In hindsight, here are a few potential reasons:

  • Skin around the eyes is more delicate that anywhere else on your face
  • The very act of blinking adds a certain amount of friction which means more chances for shadows, etc. to rub off
  • Standard foundations smooth, eye primers might actually be a little more grabby, helping the shadows stay in place

I still haven’t bought any.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not on-board with the idea.

It just so happened that I had a cream shadow in my make-up box that I bought without really knowing what to do with. Since it was a sparkly white I thought it would be best to use as a highlighter just under my brow line. Only I was rather inept at applying it.

So one morning I decided to just put in on my lids first, as is, overall and see how it looked. It was sheer with just a little sparkle when I gently patted it in. Then I added some of my regular eyeshadow on it and, wow! The color was more intense. Why? More was sticking to my lids.

And I’m pretty sure that just about any light-colored cream shadow would work just as well.

So I saved myself the cost of an additional product. Happy me.

Prime-Time Eyes

Eyeshadow application is one of those things that was hard for me to learn. I did just what the packages and magazines said to do but I couldn’t see anything when I was done!

Turns out my eyes are known as hooded–the entire lid just disappears when my eyes are open. Add to that the fact that I’m nearsighted and what the frames of my glasses don’t hide, the lens make smaller! Not a perfect recipe for show-stopper eyes in anyone’s book. Hence the mini-blind status. (And, no, that pun is NOT intentional, but I’m gonna leave it as is.)

Still, it’s not impossible to get show-stopper eyes, once you know what you’re dealing with. In my case, I had to play up my brow line more. The Mary Kay site (pure coincidence that I found this, but it’s pretty cool!) actually has animated tips for various eye-types that you might find useful.

The best place I’ve found for truly unique eye-shadow tutorials is Doe Deere Blogazine. Doe Deere is an amazing woman: she started her own cosmetic line, Lime Crime, when she couldn’t find eyeshadow that was bright enough for her tastes and has recently moved into super-pigmented lipsticks, as well, that are anything but your average everyday. She posts tutorials on her imaginative make-up stylings from time to time and even if they’re not your style, you can still learn a lot.

For instance: When do you apply your eye make-up? Once you’ve already got your foundation on and everything else done? She recommends doing your eyes first, especially when using loose-powder shadows, so that if there’s a stray dusting or an accident, you’re not having to start from scratch on the rest of your face. It’s little things like that that keep her blogazine on my radar.

Speaking of mistakes and fixes, I have a tip that I actually figured out on my own! You know those facial cloths that you just add water to and they lather up? Have you ever tried them dry? I had smeared my eyeliner one day and grabbed one because it was closer than a tissue: total pick-up, no additional smearing. It works to get rid of raccoon-eye in the mornings (I never seem to get it all off in the shower), accidental smears and splotches and just all sorts of clean-up touch-ups. I tear mine in half to make each sheet last longer.