Stamped Sunflower Watercolor Card

Just having some fun with watercolor painting a stamped image today...  

This is a stamp set by Chapel Road Art Stamps - Large Sunflower.  I thought this image would be perfect to stamp then watercolor and I love how it turned out. 

 I started off by stamping the image with Memento London Fog (grey) ink onto watercolor paper. (Note - you could use cold or hot press paper but I prefer the texture of cold press paper to the smoother finish of hot press.) By using grey you get enough detail to follow but once you add a few layers of watercolor paint the stamping recedes allowing the watercolor to shine.  

I started off by painting the background with layers of blue - getting darker near the edges.  Next I painted the yellow, orange and browns of the flower head... I let most of the upper layers of color dry completely before adding the next so I worked on the leaves between dry times for the flower head.  As I was working back and forth they both were finished about the same time.

I don't know why but I find watercolor painting very relaxing - building the layers of color and swishing around the water...  I love it.

Supplies:

Watercolor Image: 

140 lb Cold Press Watercolor Paper

Koi Watercolors

Memento London Fog Ink

Chapel Road ArtStamps - Sunflower

Finished Card:

White & Colored Cardstock - Club Scrap

Memento Ink Dual Tip Markers (for the small sunflower border)

Gold Thread