It's all about markers this week in the CLASSroom! Markers are fabulous and flexible crafting tools and we are so excited to feature some of our favorites and tell you all about them! My favorite markers are the ones I'm featuring today...the Zig Clear Color Real Brush Markers from Kuretake. It's a bit of a mouthful but these markers are so fab they live up to their big name!
While I'm sharing a bit about these markers and how to use them, I'll be sharing step outs on how to watercolor this card design. This Mondo Peony Stamp Set by Julie Ebersole is so gorgeous and watercoloring it with all it's beautiful detail really shows off what the Clean Color Real Brush Markers can do.
To start off with I first stamped the images onto watercolor paper in Jet Black Archival Ink and then pulled out my markers. Before I get using them...here's a little more information about these markers.
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
Marker Type: water-based...watercolor markers
Nib Type: brush nib with actual fine bristle tip
Ink Properties: blendable
Type of Surfaces to Use On: watercolor paper is highly recommended
Best Techniques: coloring images, watercoloring images, direct to stamp, lettering
Recommend for Beginners?: Yes!!! These are a great way to start watercoloring stamped images.
Recommended Starting Colors: I love the color packs as they are a great value and the hues chosen work well together. I'd suggest the 24 set to start of if you can afford it, the 36
Why do you like these markers? These markers make watercoloring soooo easy! The colors are amazing and I love the way you can color with them and blend them together. They even work well brush to brush for color mixing without staining. I wish I'd had these years ago when I started stamping. Right now they are really the only marker I reach for and believe me...I have all kinds!
These markers can be used so many different ways. You can color them and blend them together with each other right on the watercolor but for this project, I'm blending with water for a lighter look. To color each petal I've drawn a line of the pigment right along the inside of the petal...right where the shadow will be the darkest. I then I add water and pull out the color with a wet watercolor brush.
I do that with each petal. For color variation you can also touch one marker to another to mix ink, then add the color to a petal. This is a great way to add different shades! It WON'T wreck your colors or brushes!
Gradually add color to each petal. The more blending and subtle variation of shades you add, the more realistic it will look.
After I've done the petals once, I like to go back in and add even more depth of color where it needs it. You don't even have to use the same shade. Here I've added in a darker purple to the shadow areas. Next step will be to add water again and blend it out to a soft graduation of color.
Keep on building up the color.
And add in the greenery until you feel it is finished. Remember that watercoloring is a very loose look so don't be afraid to have some white spots and some color bleeding. It all adds to the artistic look.
Add shadows beneath the petals and leaves with a very light gray. Then blend with water again.
I wanted to add a little something to the background and decided to draw on lines with a blue marker. I love how you can do this easily with the marker format.
Blend it out with water for a finished background. I think it looks a little like falling rain.
Add in your sentiment using the Misti. There was NO way I wanted to botch the sentiment after all that work! The beautiful sentiment is from the Lovely Stamp Set by Julie Ebersole.
Finally...adhere your watercolor panel to a card base and add some droplets of Glossy Accents. I love how it adds water droplets to the petals and adds to the spring showers look.
While this is a complex image to watercolor...the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers really made a huge difference in how easy it was to mix colors, and add them to tiny areas! I find they give me so much more control!
I hope you've enjoyed this project and marker week in the CLASSroom! What are your favorite markers to use and which ones have you been inspired to try?
Thanks for joining me!
Julia
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