HELLO FALL

Tutorial by Linda Fields

Hello! Welcome to another tutorial showing you how I created this card, inspired by a color palette.

I loved taking the Creative Coloring Class with Erum. She has so many wonderful tips, tricks and techniques that challenged me to push past my norm and try something new. That’s not always easy for me because when I find something I love, I have a tendency to stay there… in my comfort zone. But you can miss out on so much wonderful discovery when you push yourself to venture outside the proverbial box. So grab your materials and see how far your creativity will take you!

Dying Embers

Poem by Linda Fields

Materials

• Watercolor Paper
• Altenew Waterproof Pigment Ink – Obsidian Black
• Prima Watercolor Pencils – Vintage Set
• Altenew Grape Leaves Stamp Set
• Mysti Stamping Platform (Any Will Work)
• Water Brush
• Sakura Micron Drawing Pen
• Mechanical or Drawing Pencil(s)
• Altenew Crisp Dye Inks – Nimbus, Coral Bliss, Charcoal Suit
• Watercolor Brush – Round
• Tim Holtz Distress Ink
• Water Droplet Beads
• Ruler, Glue, Double Stick Tape, & Foam Tape

Watercolor Techniques

There are many options for creating watercolor effects and not all materials fall into this category but give the same amazing results. I used ink and watercolor pencils to achieve the look of this card.

Watercolor pencils are a water soluble medium. Unlike most wax binding colored pencils, when dipped in or when water is added to the pencil, the color does not run. There are exceptions to this rule so you might want to experiment and see if your colored pencil react with water! I used 3 different Prima Watercolor Pencils per each leaf I stamped using the Altenew Grape Leaves set.

After laying down the colors, darkest in the middle to the lightest color on the edges, I used a water brush to blend the colors and smooth the pencil marks. A water brush has a brush nib (come in different sizes and types) and it has a barrel you can fill with anything liquid so yes, these are a great tool and aren’t expensive. This was my first time using watercolor pencils so I don’t have other brands to compare to. These Prima brand pencils were very hard, left a slight waxy surface, and did not like to move much once water was added but I still like the end result I achieve. I had to lay down a lot of color to get it.

Ink & Shade

I used the Micron Drawing Pen and a Mechanical Pencil to draw and shade in all the details. If you think you can’t draw then I encourage you to look into Zentangle because all it takes is a few, simple, repeating strokes to make the leafy patterns. I went over all the stamped lines again and added details with the pen before shading lightly with a pencil. The leaves take on a huge transformation!

Watercolor Backdrop

I smooshed my Altenew Dye Ink pads onto my Tim Holtz glass mat and added water. I used a round watercolor brush to added water to my paper, using down strokes while holding the paper up so the water could drip down naturally. When I added the ink, it followed the waters path. I used blue on the left side, red on the right, so when they met in the middle they blended into a deep, purple shade. I tapped droplets of that purple across the paper and used a heat gun to dry it. To diminish warping, you can spritz the back of you watercolor paper before drying.

Die & Place

I wanted a dimensional card so I die cut two of everything. The watercolor paper was already thick so glueing another layer created a dramatic pop off the card front. I inked and penciled in the backdrop leaves for another layer of depth. Always do a dry placement so you can play and see where you want your pieces to go. Maybe you don’t want them all or maybe you want more? It’s best to figure this out while they aren’t sticky.

All In The Details

I used a combination of glue, double sided tape, and foam tape to help keep the dimensional effect. I should have drawn in my frame details before placing my leaves but it still worked to my favor. I added a little more drama with some Tim Holtz Distress Ink and after adding additional stems and details, I called this card done once I place some water droplets accents. I had a great time experimenting and trying new techniques to get dimensional, watercolor effects. I encourage you to do the same! Discover just how much you can do!