Saturday, April 16, 2011

Design Time Saturday - Make your Watercolor Images P*O*P!

Here is a nice little design tip that will really make your watercolor images POP!

Soooo many stamp images these days really lend themselves well to being colored.  While there are tons of coloring mediums out there one of my favorite ways to color is watercolor...  This can be done with watercolor pencils; water crayons/pastels; Distress Inks; etc. 

I love the soft look you achieve by water coloring stamped images but, sometimes they look flat and lifeless....

watercolor1

To help remedy this problem I like to add highlights to my images after I have colored them.  Highlights with watercolor?  YES ~ it is a very simple step that does require a bit of extra time but in the end it's so worth while.  You just add a bit of extra color around the edges to add that extra little something to give your image more dimension and depth.

Below is an image that shows only the highlights ~ I simply added an extra bit of color over the stamped lines to show you what I mean.

Watercolor 2

and once you see the watercolor image combined with the highlights you will be amazed at how much the highlighted image differs from the original above.

Watercolor3

So you see how taking just a few extra minutes to add the highlights to your stamped image will make a world of change.



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10 comments:

  1. CuddlyBunnyApril 16, 2011 at 3:14 PM

    I like both versions, and can see how each would be a great application, depending on the result an artist is trying to achieve!

    Thanks for the art lesson!

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  2. VicApril 16, 2011 at 4:08 PM

    Thanks! It makes such sense when there's a visual.

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  3. DinahsoarApril 16, 2011 at 7:02 PM

    A little effort and a big payoff. Neat.

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  4. Elaine AApril 16, 2011 at 7:56 PM

    This looks awesome Roni. I also love watercolors, but I've never tried this technique, will have to try it.

    Elaine Allen

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  5. calamity janeApril 16, 2011 at 8:08 PM

    I remember seeing this technique before when you posted it. Thanks for the reminder tho!! I love the look of water colors, even though I like the look of markers too! Watercolors just have a softer touch I think.

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  6. Ms. JenApril 16, 2011 at 11:20 PM

    This is FABULOUS! Thanks for explaining it so well. I have one question. Do you blend the highlights at the end or just leave them for the definition? I can't wait to try it out. I'm new to your blog and enjoying what I see.

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  7. AnonymousApril 17, 2011 at 4:44 AM

    thanks for the tip! love the look!

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  8. SherryApril 17, 2011 at 8:35 AM

    I need all the tips I can get - LOL. Love this one, thanks for sharing.

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  9. KarenladdApril 17, 2011 at 2:40 PM

    Great tip and one that I use all the time! Watercoloring stamped images is one of my favorite stamping techniques!

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  10. CarolynApril 18, 2011 at 9:02 PM

    Thanks again for sharing all your knowledge with us.

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Thanks for your thoughts and comments!

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