Well hello stampers! Today's post is all about Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Pencils…I love them! My clubs and classes this month have featured cards with fun techniques using this great new product. I'm going to share my favorites with you today!
Our watercolor pencils (in a selection of our fabulous Stampin' Up! colors) can be used with both Blender Pens and Aqua Painters depending upon personal preference. My favorite paper to use is the Shimmery White Cardstock, but, of course, watercolor paper works well, too. Watercoloring takes a little time to “master” but the results are worth it! Here are some tips that I think will really help you and maybe give you some new ideas for using your pencils as well.
You will want to use Archival Black, Grey, or Staz-On Inks for watercoloring. This will prevent your image from bleeding. If you are going to emboss your image, any colored ink may be used.
APPLYING/BLENDING WATERCOLOR PENCILS:
When using watercolor pencils start with lighter colors first and add the darker shades. Try mixing colors and blend for interesting shades. It is more effective to apply several light coats of pencil shadings, adding more until the desired shade is reached, rather than one very heavy application. Try putting a dark line of color on one side of your stamped image and then “pulling” the color towards the center with your Blender Pen or Aqua Painter.
When using your Aqua Painter, a brush that is barely wet gives much brighter color. Adding more water will blend the colors more and “soften” the look. You don't want to saturate your image, as that will cause your paper to buckle.
Using a Blender Pen eliminates the need for water altogether. The blending solution is in the pen itself.
WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES:
- Use with a palette: rub a pencil tip on a piece of paper, building up pigment. Use a damp brush or blender pen to pick up pigment and then color your image. This is a great way to mix colors.
- For bright bold colors, take the pigment directly from your pencil tip. Dip your brush in water and press to the tip of the pencil. This will give you undiluted pigment for strong colors. You can also use the Blender Pen directly on the pencil tip
- A thick opaque look can be achieved by dipping the pencil tip in water and applying the color wet.
- You can also use the pencil to color directly on your stamped image.
To see more about the watercolor pencils, click here. There are also THREE new Sale-A-Bration freebies starting today…my favorite is the 6″ x 6″ Gimmer Paper Stack!
For every $50 in product merchandise you order, you can pick any of the Sale-A-Bration freebies!
Place your order anytime at my online store; questions? Please email me!
