OK, I probably need decent-ish watercolours...

One of the reasons I started abusing my kids watercolours this week was today's challenge at Make It Colourful which is Colouring Backgrounds. I like to let my hidden experimenter inner me out for that challenge and had this idea of trying out making a "proper" watercolour scene. Considering I hadn't really done much with watercolours at ALL before, the result ain't too desperate, lol

I was actually ignorant enough in the area to sneak to library and drag home couple of books on painting, just to get some rough idea how to go about it, lol.

Putting aside the specific rules for watercolouring (like working from back to front, letting the project dry between washes, how to mix colours etc.) the basic rules for colouring apply. Like using more washed-out and bluer tones for distance and getting warmer, brighter and more detailed as you come "closer". For distant hills I used paler washes and mixed greens quite heavily with blues. You would need to do the same with any medium.

I used Hilly Lane  from Make It Crafty as a base for my background, choosing to use some details and just paint over others. Very bold of me, I know...

I don't have many information about the Tilda on my card. She is from a Magnolia kit I got couple of years ago, I think it might be called Chasing Butterflies. I stamped her onto NOT 300gsm watercolour card and coloured in fairly "wet" style, letting colours mingle and soft watercoloury textures form. Then I let her dry and put in deeper shadows wet on dry, working on little areas and blending by dabbing with almost-dry clean brush on the very edhe of the wet shadow area. You need to have kitchen paper in your hand and keep constantly dabbing the moisure and pigment off your brush. Have to confess that's a technique I kinda "made up" and maybe it's outrageously wrong. :)

Either way, I had fun experimenting :)

Challenges:
Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Challenge  must use a digi - back to nature
Fairy Fun Fridays - Spring-themed
Fairy Knoll - happy!
Stampin With The Dragon - bring on Spring
Art Impressions Stamps Challenge - Water Colours
Dutch Dare Card Challenge - Celebrations
Samuel Taylor's Challenge - Butterflies
Crafts and Me - anything goes
Little Red Wagon - butterflies
Everybody-Art-Challenge - Happy Birthday
Card Cupids - Spring Inspired
Cheerful Stamp Pad - Be a Sport


Thanks for visiting and come back tomorrow for a video tut on colouring facial features with Copics!
Hugs
Annika