Basic Watercolouring

Here it is, my second challenge entry for Helping Hudson.  I'm using a retiring set called Embrace Life.  I'm so disappointed this set is retiring... I've only just fallen in love with it!  I've also included a mini tutorial on basic watercolouring.  It's very basic!!

Mini Tutorial

Basic Watercolouring

I stamped my design using Jet Black Stazon ink.  It's permanent and perfect for watercolouring.  Because I wanted lots of flowers, I used a masking technique.  You can find my tutorial on basic masking here.

Using my Aqua Painter, I liberally brushed over a diluted wash of Pretty In Pink.  The proportion of water to ink you use to get a light wash depends on the intensity of the ink.  For Pretty In Pink, I used one drop of ink to about 4 drops of water. 

While the flowers were still reasonably wet, I dabbed on some undiluted Pretty In Pink ink in the centre of each flower, again using my Aqua Painter.  Because the flowers were still wet, the ink slowly ran outwards giving a really pretty gradation of colour.

Next I dabbed on some diluted Rose Red ink in the centre of each flower.  For Rose Red, I used one drop of ink to about 8 drops of water - it's much more intense than Pretty In Pink.   The ink runs more slowly at this stage because the water on each petal has begun to dry.  It means that you get the look of deepening colour at the centre of each flower with minimal blending. 

The final step colour-wise was to add undiluted Rose Red ink in the centre of each flower.  Again, the ink ran slowly, giving the effect of deepening colour.

The final step is to blend with your Aqua Painter!  I tend to use small circular motions, starting at the lightest point of colour.  I always have white scrap paper nearby to brush off my Aqua Painter at regular intervals.  Why?  To remove any build-up of colour and to maintain an even flow of water.

The final product again...

There you have it!  Did you notice the sneak peek of a new border punch??

Here's the challenge:

Materials:

Stamp sets - Embrace Life

Cardstock - Watercolour paper, Cambric White Linen (non-SU!), Not Quite Navy

Inks - Pretty In Pink, Rose Red, Not Quite Navy, Black Stazon

Accessories - Aqua Painter, Scallop Trim border punch