Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I've been stamping for almost 8 years, and I'm embarrassed to say I could be featured on a new show entitled "Can You Color Better Than a Fifth Grader?"
I tend to use wwcrayons or watercolor pencils, occasionally ink, rarely markers because they look dark and globby to me. I know the basic principles, highlight the areas you want darker & pull the color in, but I'm just not happy with my results. I'd love and appreciate any words of wisdom from those of you - and there are many - who rock at this. TIA!
__________________ My Gallery Team Jasper! "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" Mt. 6:21
All I can say really about watercoloring is that you follow what the stamped image tells you. When there's lots of shading in the stamp, you use that as a guide and put your darker colors there. Start with the lightest color for an area. Build up the color and the shading by doing subsequent light washes of color in the areas that you want it. It's definitely the less-is-more school of layering color! Then switch to a darker shade and continue layering the color in the areas that need shading.
When I pull my inks out (I take the color directly from the classic pads with an aquapainter) for a project, I pull them in groups. I usually tend to work within the EE and RR groups, but use SS colors as needed. I don't do much with the BB family for some reason. Here are some of the color groups that I typically use:
Summer Sun/More Mustard/Close to Cocoa/Chocolate Chip (you can also highlight this combo with Pumpkin Pie)
Rose Red/RHR/Bravo Burgundy/Chocolate Chip (you can also start this with Regal Rose, or Pink Pirouette/Regal Rose)
Ballet Blue/Pacific Point/Night of Navy/Chocolate Chip
And a good go-to green combo: certainly celery/Old Olive/Always Artichoke
For skin (like on the gnomes): Blush Blossom and either Pretty in Pink or Cameo Coral for the cheeks, depending on your color scheme.
Most of the stuff in my gallery is watercoloring, but here are two good examples:
Can you get to experiment a little with other colouring tools without having to spend lots of money, Lisa? It might be that you'd find you get results you like with things like Prismacolor pencils or something. If you have a local stamping group or maybe a local store has products you can try out? I reach for different colouring tools depending on what I'm doing and what mood I'm in so I'm just wondering whether you might be restricting yourself to a medium that isn't necessarily the perfect one for you.
Can you put your finger on what it is about your results that you're not happy with? Somebody may be able to offer more specific advice if you can show an example and maybe say how you'd like it to be better? I know that's a tough thing to do but I'm sure people will be gentle!
Thanks -- it's really not that hard! All you have to do is patiently build up layers of color and put shadows where you think they should go. The sun doesn't shine under the gnomes' bottom, so you put a shadow there. There's always a little darker shading/shadow between rows of corn, so you run a little Close to Cocoa or Chocolate Chip in there.
WOW! Ponygirl your work is stunning! Thanks so much for the color combo suggestions. I think I need to work on my patience as much as my watercoloring.
Joanne, thanks for the suggestion of try before you buy. Goodness knows I have enough stuff and just need to learn how to better utilize what I already own.
I knew I could count on you ladies!!
Just a few more questions. Maybe you can help with this, ponygirl. What do you find works best for blending - an aquapen or a blender pen? Also, what colors do you like for shadowing?
__________________ My Gallery Team Jasper! "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" Mt. 6:21
DEFINITELY the aquapainter! Blender pens are good, but they can "pill" the cs if you aren't really careful. I don't think that they're we enough to do large areas with, either. They're great for small figures, though. You can really use the aquapainters to pull color off the watercolor crayons, too, if you have them. I use mine mostly when I go somewhere and want to take my stamping stuff with me. You can pick the color up without ever even physically touching the crayon with your fingers -- mine never come out of the box!
Shading? Sahara Sand is the ultimate go-to shading color! I used it on both of my examples above. The gnome also has a touch of Old Olive in the shading closest to the gnome, too. Sahara Sand is a great neutral, though, and you can build the color up nicely. I use it a lot for overstamping. This sample also has some green in the shading.
It can be really subtle, too, for layering random images:
See?
I think that Joanne has some great advice -- maybe go try out some different products and see how they work? I'm stuck in my rut, but it works for me. I've got a friend who does gorgeous work with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol.
I learned about coloring by reading about real watercoloring. If you seach on the net you can find plenty of resources that talk about the basics. For me I found that once I understood how water colors react on paper, then it was easier for me to make the tranisition to using our techniques. One thing I did learn from a class, is that less is more. Sometimes we overwork a piece by adding more and more colors and it just get worse.
Also, I rarely color with markers unless it just a small piece. I'm prefer a good watercolor brush and for watercolor mediums I love Peerless papers. I also use the cheap watercolor pots, next is watercolor pencils, and last are crayons. I ocassionly will use my classic pad as a souce.
some basics are -
test your colors on a scrap paper - some colors will make mud
let the paper show through - you dont have to color every inch of paper
colors change as they dry - test them on a scrap piece of paper to see how they look when they dry
if you are really doing watercoloring - use watercolor paper, nothing gives you the same look
practice - practice - don't just color when you make a project. Play a bit and if you have a practice piece that you like, jot downsome notes on what you did and keep it for future reference
Shading is like other have said - start with your lightest color
If you use watercolor paper it is more forgiving than cardstock. If you get too much color, you can blot it with a paper towel. If its already started to dry, add some clear water with your brush and blot it.
I tend to like vivid bright colors, but I start with a light application and then add more colors. It is so much easier to add more than take it away.
If I want to use my markers as a medium, I color them on my paint pallete and pick the color up with a damp paint brush. I have a lot of trouble with an aqua painter - I always get too much water. Blender pens are ok but not my fav. I just really like a good paint brush - they cost more but are well worh it IMHO.
I did a tutorial a while back using reinkers and a waterbrush. You can find it HERE. One of the biggest "ah-ha!" moment's I've had is not to use too much water. Sometimes you have to squeeze water out of the brush before you give it a go. And practice, practice, practice!
I always use watercolor paper...it gives the best results.
Wow - great stuff here! PonyGirl your cards are fabulous! Thanks for all the tips - and Shannn I just checked out your tutorial and am going to practice some more!!
I agree about the paper. I love to use watercolour paper if it's a project where that will work since the colour definitely behaves differently on there (I did this one this week and had great fun with the solid silhouette style body on the caribou since it meant a traditional watercolour effect was possible rather than filling in an outline, IYSWIM).
I still haven't tried an aquapainter. I have a couple of traditional brushes and a small pot of water and that works for me. I usually use ink pads for colour, I do have some pencils but I just like the look of the inks. Tim Holtz Distress are awesome for this as the colours don't break down in water like some brands do - you always get the colour you expect.
Icmad -- I use regular white or vanilla SU cardstock. I use watercolor paper if I want the "bleeding" effect. I'm a bit too much of a control freak, otherwise!
Wow!! Great question. One of my goals is to try and watercolor more and the tips above are wonderful! Ponygirl your work is awesome! Angelnorth I love your caribou!!
Andrea
Lisa, how close are you to McFarland, WI? Gina K and Jessica (jessjen) have amazing Copic coloring classes. OMG! In two short hours, I felt like a pro. I'm hoping Santa thinks I've been a good girl, cuz I'd love for some Copics to be under the tree! teehee!
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Ponygirl, your work is breathtaking. All I can say is OMG!!!!
Steubner great tutorial.
I do watercoloring because I was able to get a set of 60 on sale at ebay for something like $20. I do passable work, but need tons more practice. This thread is going to be a lifeline for me.
Thanks so much!!!
Paula
__________________ Paula Anne www.candywrapsandmore.com
Ponygirl - just had to check out your gallery after your awesome instructions. Your work is just stunning. Thanks for sharing some great tips with people like me who stamp because I can't draw a straight line and therefore am really bad at shading.
Lisa, how close are you to McFarland, WI? Gina K and Jessica (jessjen) have amazing Copic coloring classes. OMG! In two short hours, I felt like a pro. I'm hoping Santa thinks I've been a good girl, cuz I'd love for some Copics to be under the tree! teehee!
I'm about as far away as you can get and still be in this country, lol! I'm just north of Raleigh, NC. Thanks for the suggestion, though!
Shannan, my shading issues are: where to put the shading, in one area or around the whole image; how much shade to apply; conform to the shape of the image or not. Last night I was practicing on TAC's Gerbera Daisy image, and I wasn't sure if I should go around each individual petal, or just around the edges of certain petals, KWIM?
__________________ My Gallery Team Jasper! "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" Mt. 6:21
here are a few tutes from this site. I love the step by step showing where the shadows go! Maybe there is a tip here that will help someone! I think the theory is the same whether you use water color or alcohol (copic type) markers. Hope they help!
I'm about as far away as you can get and still be in this country, lol! I'm just north of Raleigh, NC. Thanks for the suggestion, though!
Shannan, my shading issues are: where to put the shading, in one area or around the whole image; how much shade to apply; conform to the shape of the image or not. Last night I was practicing on TAC's Gerbera Daisy image, and I wasn't sure if I should go around each individual petal, or just around the edges of certain petals, KWIM?
Gotcha. I usually imagine my image in 3-D with the sun shining on it, and try to visualize where the sun would hit it (that's where the highlights are) and where the shade would be. Here's a great visual of that. http://painting.about.com/od/landsca...irection_2.htm
I usually imagine my image in 3-D with the sun shining on it, and try to visualize where the sun would hit it (that's where the highlights are) and where the shade would be.
There you go, girls! Shannan's absolutely right. If you stop to think about it, light is never flat, it sometimes goes to the edges of things, sometimes not. Just remember to visualize your image, then shade everything the same way -- i.e. shadows all to the right or to the left, plus some underneath -- otherwise you'll mess up your perspective.
I think that's exactly my problem. I have a hard time seeing in 3D, visualizing how the light source would hit, etc. I think a fair bit of that is wired in. Some people can draw, and some people (um, me!) totally can't. I'm sure this is a skill that can be learned to a degree and I'm sure gonna try. Thanks again for all the encouragement and ideas.
__________________ My Gallery Team Jasper! "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" Mt. 6:21
Thanks -- it's really not that hard! All you have to do is patiently build up layers of color and put shadows where you think they should go. The sun doesn't shine under the gnomes' bottom, so you put a shadow there. There's always a little darker shading/shadow between rows of corn, so you run a little Close to Cocoa or Chocolate Chip in there.
See what I mean?
This made me LOL!!
The sun doesn't shine under my bottom, either. :rolleyes:
As for coloring: I haven't done too much of it, but I already owned a set of 24 Prisma pencils from before I was into card-making, and have enjoyed using them with the odorless mineral spirits. It helps to start out with a rubber stamp with a color image on the front to give you an idea of how to color it. :mrgreen:
Here is a card I colored using the Prisma pencils and odorless mineral spirits.
Michaels carries the Prisma pencils. They're a good thing to buy when you have a 40% or 50% off coupon. I think Michaels also sells the odorless mineral spirits (OMS), the Mona Lisa brand maybe? You will find them in the same aisle as the pencils, in the artist supply section. You will also need some blending stumps, which are gray in color and look like pencils made out of plain newsprint style paper.
Have you looked at the Gamsol Magic tutorial? Gamsol is another brand of artist grade odorless mineral spirits. Using the OMS takes colored pencils from 5th grade to graduate school. :p
MissIowa, thanks so much for the link to your card. I might have to break down and buy me some prismacolor pencils. I find I have more control with pencils than with markers or watercolor crayons. Are they super expensive? Where do you get the Gamsol/OMS?
__________________ My Gallery Team Jasper! "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" Mt. 6:21
I think that's exactly my problem. I have a hard time seeing in 3D, visualizing how the light source would hit, etc. I think a fair bit of that is wired in. Some people can draw, and some people (um, me!) totally can't. I'm sure this is a skill that can be learned to a degree and I'm sure gonna try. Thanks again for all the encouragement and ideas.
Lisa, I am JUST like you. so, thanks for the thread. I guess we need to "see" better!!!
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
Coloring 101
