Hi everyone! I’m so glad you’ve stopped by today. In this month’s Newsletter, I wanted to take a look at one of my favorite coloring methods....coloring with Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. I'll also be using the new Mondo Sakura from the fabulous Essentials By Ellen May Release. So much good stuff!
The Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers are water based pigment markers with a genuine brush tip. They’re a great way to quickly color an image or create quick watercolor effects. The real brush tip also makes them great for brush lettering techniques. I think the best part of the markers themselves is their ease of use.
I’ve done a thorough in depth comparison on these markers versus the Zig Art And Graphic Twin Markers. To check out that post, click HERE. I think you’ll get some great information.
- Paper matters. While I love my Neenah Solar White for Copic coloring, it is not my card stock of choice for coloring with most water-based markers. I prefer either the Smooth Bristol or a watercolor card stock for coloring with these types of markers. These card stocks allow the marker to sit on top of the paper and blend easier.
- Blend it beautiful. While another marker of a lighter shade or water are the most obvious choices for blending out these markers....they’re not the ONLY choice. Try other things that you might have in your stash to give different looks. My favorites are shimmer pens and the Art and Graphic Twin Blender Pen. You could even use a paint brush dipped in pearlized water to blend these out and give a fun pearlescent effect to your coloring.
- Think about ink. A permanent ink is important for images that are going to be exposed to a wet medium like water based markers. Choose a black ink that won’t bleed when exposed to water. My favorites include the VersaFine Clair Pigment ink, the Catherine Pooler Midnight Ink and Hero Arts Intense Black Ink. All of these are permanent when dry. I like to hit them all with a heat tool for a few seconds if I’ll be coloring the images right away so I know that they’re set and I won’t have a bleeding image when I color.
- Mixology means more. You may not have the perfect shade....but that's okay! You can create custom shades by mixing colors. Mix them on an acrylic block and pick them up with a paint brush, or blend them together right on your project. This means you can get the perfect shade every time!
For today's card, I colored the Mondo Sakura from the May Essentials By Ellen release on Bristol card stock using the Zig Real Brush Markers. If you haven't checked out the amazing new products released this month, you can click HERE to see all of them! You don't want to miss these!
To add a special touch, I used a fine tip glue pen to add some glue to the end parts of the stamen of the flowers. I allowed this glue to dry and then pressed some champagne foil over the top of the adhesive to add a touch of gold to this card project. I love the way the foil shines and catches the light.
Be sure to check out today's video tutorial. I'll be walking you through the creation of this card...and give you some tips and tricks along the way.
