How to ~ Watercolor with Markers

Good Morning Friends!

I'm filling in for Lee's post this week with a little tutorial I wrote this past Monday. Got to love the team work here!

I've been playing with the new sneak peek set recess to make thank you cards to those who give donations towards a new playground for the school across the street from my home.

The paper is also a sneak peek and comes from a new simply scrappin kit that will be available through your SU! demonstrator on May 1st!

Base: 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored and folded at 4 1/4"
Layer 2: 5 1/4" x 4, rose red
Layer 3: 5 1/8" x 3 7/8", daffodil (dont worry too much about seeing a crazy measurment, this layer is only 1/8" smaller than layer 2.. So you would just make it smaller by moving it over two lines on your paper cutter.
Layer 3a: There's a scalloped sticker under there, that I got from the simply scrappin kit.. Almost forgot to put that in the directions!
Layer 4: 4 1/8" x 3 1/8" rose red
Layer 5: Designer paper from a new simply scrappin kit coming out next month! 3x4 (note** you get 12 of these from one piece of designer paper, so with 3 sheets, you could make 36 cards).
Layer 6: 2 1/2" x 3", whisper white.
Layer 7: A self adhesive die cut from the same simply scrappin kit.. I used dimensionals to attach that on the card
Layer 8: Water colored piece, cut with a 1 3/4" circle punch. 119850

That gorgeous bow is tied with Rose Red seam binding, which I'm told will be available for purchase after the mini catalog is gone at the end of the month.. Yea!!! That bow was tied by hand using the "bunny ears" method. It's the same method I'm trying with Alexis to help her learn to tie her shoes. But that's a post for another day...

Now down to the tutorial...

1. You'll need some aqua painters, and markers to match the project you're working on. I don't like to add too many colors and try and stick to the colors that match my designer paper. The aqua painters are on page 195 (item 103954) and you get two sizes. For watercolor with markers I prefer the smaller brush size.

2. Fill your brush with water, then find something plastic to draw on with your markers. A sandwich bag, a stamp case.. anything plastic will do. Here I used a clear block.
3. Stamp your image in stazon ink. (101406 Jet Black Stazon, page 195). It's important to use an ink that's not going to move when you add water. Stazon.....stays-on.. :D

4. Draw a line with your sky color. This will be your horizon line. Pick up and "GENTLY" water down your blue color and wash it on your background, leaving your focal point white.
5. Repeat the process with the ground.. It's perfectly okay if the line isn't perfect.. Maybe she's standing on a hill! :D

If you look just to the left of her foot, I just added a patch of old olive ink there in a watery stroke. Then, the most important part is... STOP!!! :D A good artist knows when to stop, it's so important to do it sort of quickly and not over do it. If you do, the paper will only absorb so much water, unless you use watercolor paper.. Even then, quick is better. Get it on there and stop... :D
6. I colored her face with blush blossom, and her hair with daffodil, full strength. I could add some brown or black, or change the skin color if necessary.. Alexis says, "oh look mom, you are coloring ME!"

7. Add some color to one section of the focal point.. choose a corner.. in this case I did bottom left and added some color straight with my marker. Then I blended it with the aqua painter. If the line is still too defined, just go pick up a little marker color from the plastic palette you made.
8. I colored the hula hoop with a straight marker in pumpkin pie and photographed it without a flash so you could really see the colors. See how the color was just washed on for the background. I used circles with my brush when adding the color.
9. Here's the 1 3/4" circle punch. I just punched her out and stuck her down as my focal point. :D

That's all from your operators for today!!! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! :D Oh and heck! Want to try it for yourself? I opened a linky for watercolor with markers.. If you are inspired to make a stampin' up card with this tutorial, please link it up and let us see too!!


Rubbah hugs,
Selene Kempton