Tagging Hello Kitty

I’ve been rather busy lately which has frustratingly kept me from spending as much time getting creative as I have been hoping to. Seeing how painting keeps me focused and relaxed, I’m now trying to make the effort and vow to set aside at least two hours daily just painting. And what is it that has been keeping me occupied during my free time? Sorting out my Hello Kitty collection! As I buy stuff, so much time is spent unpacking and finding space to display and store them. Need to slow down of course! And all the cute packaging, labels and tags these purchases come in are just too cute to throw away. I’ve even accumulated a shoe box filled with them, how crazy is that! It has been my intention for some time to get creative with them. So today, just a little experiment in my sketchbook…

The Beginning

I grabbed a random selection of these Hello Kitty tags and glued them with Mod Podge on a two-page spread of my Strathmore sketchbook. As these tags are made of cardboard, they had to pressed down hard. A sheet of deli paper was also wedged between the pages before closing the book shut with the aim to further make sure they stay pressed down. So far, they’ve managed to stick, but how is something to keep in mind. Nevertheless, the fun now begins! First a brief pencil sketch of me all happy. Then painting my face with Golden fluid acrylic in Quinacridone Azo Nickel Gold and Titanium White, with the remaining quinacridone on the hair.

Introducing More

And now time to prepare the background! I first scribbled some words “Hello Kitty” and “Kitty Chan” (That’s what Hello Kitty is called in Japan) in fluorescent pink oil pastel before painting over with some acrylic ink. Two shades of Green and two of blue were chosen, one each of green and blue being pearlescent. Once dry, more label tags were introduced, a more varied selection to make the painting more colorful and happy. My dress was then colored in with some fluorescent pink paint by ARA. So far so cute!

Making Her All Pretty

The eyes were now drawn in firstly with brown Molotow acrylic marker then traced over with coppery Stickles glitter glue. Then I painted the hair with brown ecoline ink and incorporated more strands with that brown acrylic marker and Dr. Ph Martin’s Bombay Ink in Copper Plate Gold. A few areas tapped in with some blue Stickles glitter gel, and I was good to go!

Just a fun experiment using scrap Hello Kitty label tags. Quite happy with how it all turned out, and I’d definitely want to create something amazing with the rest of them. Great way to recycle! Perhaps a large canvas collage to remind me of the cuteness? Or to remind me how crazy I am of Hello Kitty? Let’s see what I can come up with! An upcoming project…