I recently explored a fun technique I thought I would share with you today -- Faux Watercolor!
It is quick and easy, and uses a supply you probably already have: solid stamps! Here's my project (Bold products are linked below in the supply section):
(Click on photos for a larger view)
Here's how to achieve this look:
I started with the 6" x 6" Prima Cold Press Watercolor Paper Pad. This pad is glued together like usual paper pads are along the top edge, but is also glued along the bottom edge. You apply your watercolor on the top sheet of paper, while it is still glued on the pad and thus, it helps to keep your paper from warping!
The stamps I'm using are Concord & 9th's Pop Art Pineapple. I love pineapples and this set is adorable, isn't it?!! For my ink, I'm using Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. You can also try this technique with Distress Inks/Markers, for similar results. The markers allow you to do a little shading directly on the stamps. For this blue pineapple, I used Zig Light Blue #36 and Cobalt Blue #31 Clean Color Real Brush Markers:
Just color onto the stamp and then lightly mist the stamp with water, before stamping onto the watercolor paper. You may need to experiment with the amount of water misting you do with whatever ink medium you choose and adjust according to the look you'd like to achieve. For my fine mist sprayer, I found two pumps/spritzes of water from about 6 inches worked well most of the time:
Next, I inked up the pineapple's top with Light Green #41 and Green #40:
This time, however, my colors didn't blend together as much as I would have liked, so I lightly spritzed the stamped image with water and let the colors bleed and run together a little more:
Be sure to have a tissue on hand, so you can lightly dab the water if it starts bleeding a little too much. Dabbing will quickly stop the ink color from spreading and blending too much:
I continued stamping the different pineapple shapes with different colors, creating a patterned paper look:
The other Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers color combos I used for the pineapples were Light Carmine #21 with Pink #25 and Bright Yellow #52 with Light Brown #61:
To finish this card, I trimmed the watercolored panel down to 5.50" x 4.25" and adhered it to a Neenah 110 Lb. Solar White card base, topped it with a pretty Taylored Expressions stitched scalloped Frame in Frame 2 die cut from silver glitter cardstock, and scattered 4mm and 6mm Clear Pretty Pink Posh Sequins. The sentiment, from the Pop Art Pineapple stamp set, was stamped with Jet Black Archival ink:
I hope you will give this faux watercolor technique a try and let me know how you like it!
~ Sharon
