Watercolour Background

A few months ago, my friend Pete told me about sprinkling rice on wet water-coloured images. I'd only ever heard of using salt, so I thought I'd give her suggestion a go. As you can see, the rice absorbs the colour leaving a very distinct pattern behind, which varies based on how much water is on the paper. Less water results in a clearer, more well-defined pattern, while more water creates a softer look.

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Hello Friend

Water colour paper and water-based inks are great for creating bokeh effects for cards and scrapbook layouts. All you need to do is brush the ink onto the water colour paper with a dauber, sponge or blending brush, give it a quick spritz, then press a paper towel over the surface to pick up the water and some of the colour leaving circles of lighter coloured ink. 

Stamps:

Kingfisher and Blossoms

I really like to get the most from my stamps, which is why I often design them to coordinate with other sets. For this card, I've used the new Kingfisher clear stamps that feature little cherry blossom flowers that are very similar to the Cherry Blossom set I designed several years ago. By placing the larger flowers in the foreground, framing my little bird, I've created the illusion of depth.

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Day 8 - "G"

Gift giving is one of the small pleasures that fill the holiday season, and it also happens to be my choice for today's letter prompt. I coloured one of the snowmen from the Snow Drifters set with water based inks in shades of blue and black. The blue border was also coloured with the same ink for a perfect colour match.

YOUR TURN: Create a project using the letter "G" as your prompt.

Click the link below to upload your creation to the challenge:

CLICK HERE

INSPIRATION WORDS:

gifts, garland, gingerbread, green, gold, gamsol, gesso, gap card, gate fold card, gilding, gold leaf, glitter, glass, glossy accents.

Stamps:

Colouring The Blue Wrens

I've created a video showing you how I coloured the little wrens using water based inks and a brush.

VIDEO TUTORIAL

Stamps:

Day 25 - "W"

I often use my water based ink pads as a colouring medium for my stamps by laying some of the ink down on an acrylic block and then picking it up again with a water brush. You can intensify the colour by adding additional layers of ink once the first layer has dried.

YOUR TURN: Create a card or papercraft project using the letter "W" as your prompt.

Click the link below to add a photo of your creation to the challenge:

CLICK HERE

INSPIRATION WORDS:

Wise Men, winter, wreath, workshop, wrapping paper, wonder, waterfall card, window card, watercolour, Wink of Stella, watermarks, wax resist, weaving, white, white on white, white with one.

Stamps:

Tutorial - Watercolour Pencils

Watercolour pencils are a versatile medium that can be used on just about any paper surface. Although you'll get the best results from watercolour paper, you can achieve interesting effects from other types of surfaces as well. Today I've used plain cardstock as my base, which results in a more textured effect since the water and pigment doesn't move as much before soaking in to the fibres.

I started by colouring some "sand" at the bottom of my image with a light brown pencil, adding a little more pigment to the areas closest to the coral.

In the shadowy areas, I added a layer of dark blue, followed by a small amount of black. Although the pigment will be a lot lighter once water is added, you still want to be a little reserved with the black. It's a lot easier to add more later than to try removing it if it's too dark.

Add water to activate the pigment. Since I'm not using watercolour paper I have to take care not to overwork the image or I'll end up with tearing and pilling on the surface. I also have to keep in mind that it dries a lot faster and will "grab" the paper quicker resulting in a more textured look.

Next, I added a layer of light blue over the remainder of the image, including the coral, the turtles and the little fish. Make sure you extend the colour beyond the border of your image so you end up with nice smooth edges once you've trimmed away the excess.

I added some dark blue to the areas around the coral and under the fish and turtles, followed by a little bit of black in the darkest areas. I also added some bright green into the water around the animals. It adds a bit of light to the image as well as a nice contrast to all the blue.

I used a variety of different colours for the corals and plant life, tending toward the cooler spectrum.

I added shading with the dark blue and black pencils. Using the same colour on different parts of the image helps to bring everything together, while also helping to shape and contrast the different areas of each item. For example, without a little shading the purple coral would just be a large purple blob with little shape. The blue pencil adds contrast, or difference, to help shape the image. Using the same blue on the other plants and corals not only shapes each individual item, it also connects all the items resulting in a more cohesive image.

I coloured the turtles with three different browns, keeping the bottom of their shells fairly light. More blue and black pencil was added for the shadows.

Once the image was completely coloured and dry, I decided which areas needed more shading. For more intense colour, you can pick up the pigment directly from the pencil with your water brush, which is how I added the darkest of the shadows beneath the coral.

The final step was to add some Wink of Stella to each of the little fish so they "flash" when they catch the light.

Stamps:

Both sets are available in either digital or clear stamp format.

Watercolour Background

Today I want to share an easy tutorial for creating simple backgrounds with water-based inks and a brush. These backgrounds are a great foundation for outdoor scenes and work well behind fussy cut characters and animals.

Firstly, make sure you're using water-based inks. Check the packaging or product label or do a test on a scrap piece of paper. If the colour moves or runs when you add water, then it is water based. Solvents, oils and alcohols are unsuitable for this technique as they don't react with water.

Prepare a background panel by cutting out your card stock or paper in whatever shape you desire. I've used a stitched oval die to cut my panel.

Lay down some of the water-based ink on a non-porous surface. I generally use an acrylic block but you could use a non-stick mat, glass board or even a piece of plastic packaging.

Dilute the green ink with water to create a puddle of colour. The more water you add, the lighter the green will be. You can increase the intensity by adding further layers of colour, allowing each layer to dry between applications.

Brush the green ink onto your card stock leaving the edges uneven, which will help to give the impression of a grassy meadow. If you wish, you can create a hill or slope by changing the shape of the green area.

Repeat the process with blue ink to create a "sky". Leaving some streaks will give the impression of clouds.

Once your panel is completely dry, pick up some more green ink on your brush. You don't need to dilute the colour as much this time so don't add too much water. Use the tip of the brush to add little clumps of grass, which are formed by grouping short lines of varying sizes. Place them randomly around the panel.

If you wish, you could add little spots of yellow or pink above some of the grass clumps to give the impression of little flowers.

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