Using Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors with Emily Midgett
Good morning! Emily Midgett here with you today sharing my thoughts on the new Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors! I have used a different brand of liquid watercolors several years ago, and I have to say, these are very similar in quality, but at a much more affordable price point, especially for a beginner! I’ve created a video showcasing a few different techniques that you can easily do with these pretty colors, including an ombre background wash and some tips on no-line watercoloring.
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Emily there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
In case you can’t watch the video, I will share some of the process, as well. To create the subtle wash on the background panel, I used Avery Elle’s Liquid Watercolors in shades of Sugar Plum and Sea Glass mixed with some Shimmer Spritz and my 1” Silver Black Velvet wash brush (try saying that three times fast!). I started by taping my slightly-larger-than-A2 Arches Cold Press watercolor panel to a cutting board, then propping it up at an angle against some washi tape, used my wash brush to add concentrated color to the top of the panel, then after cleaning my brush and leaving it very wet, pulled the color down into a subtle ombre. I flipped the cutting board and repeated the process with the Sea Glass, as well. The sparkle of the Shimmer Spritz cannot be captured accurately in a photo… this background is super subtle and super sparkly. Gorgeous. Next, I began work on the Hydrangea blooms from Avery Elle’s Floral Bouquet stamp and die set. I started by die cutting the main blooms and some leaves from Arches Cold Press watercolor paper, then stamping the images using my MISTI and some very pale blue ink. I then began watercoloring the images using Sugar Plum and a Sugar Plum/Sapphire mixture for the flowers, then Celery and a Celery/Sapphire mixture for the foliage. As I mention in the video, one of the main elements to remember is to keep the wet sections away from each other. So, I start by watercoloring one petal, then find another petal that is not right up against that wet petal. As long as you keep the wet petals apart, your individual elements will remain distinct and crisp. I also mention in the video that watercoloring is all about layers; use the Sugar Plum as your first layer, then add a drop of Sapphire to several drops of Sugar Plum to add your second layer to create shadows and depth. (This is one of the nicest aspects of the liquid watercolors; you can create a formula for your colors and always be able to recreate the same color just by knowing how many drops you use! The possibilities are endless!) Repeat the process with the leaves using first the Celery, then the Celery/Sapphire combination.
After the watercoloring has been completed, it’s time to assemble the card. I first die cut the My Favorite Things Vertical Cover Up frame from some white card stock and mounted it to the ombre watercolor panel with foam adhesive. I added the watercolored hydrangea and foliage using both foam and liquid adhesive to the corner and a Many Thanks die cut from the Essentials By Ellen line to the frame using liquid adhesive. Some lilac Nuvo drops added some texture. A few thoughts about the Avery Elle Liquid watercolors: ~Watercolor paper is important. If you use good quality watercolor paper (I’ve used Arches Cold Press here), the colors move and blend beautifully. You can even reactivate the color after it’s dried a bit on the paper. If you’re like me and you can’t resist the urge to stop fussing with your projects, this is especially helpful haha!
~They mix like a dream. You can always recreate a custom color because you can measure exactly how many drops you’re adding to your palette. Perfect for those of us who are slightly OCD in our cardmaking!! ~If pan paints overwhelm you (by virtue of the sheer volume of colors available or the cost), then the liquid watercolors are a great place to start. You can mix and match to create almost any color imaginable, and the price point is fantastic. You can get a very inexpensive palette from Wal Mart or your local big box craft store, add a few drops of color, and you’re good to go! ~You can very easily create deep, vibrant color or super subtle pastel colors by adding a little or a lot of water to your paint pans. I hope you’ve enjoyed my quick overview and initial thoughts on the Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors! They are all available in the Ellen Hutson store right now, so head on over and check them out! You won’t be sorry!
Using Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors with Emily Midgett
Good morning! Emily Midgett here with you today sharing my thoughts on the new Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors! I have used a different brand of liquid watercolors several years ago, and I have to say, these are very similar in quality, but at a much more affordable price point, especially for a beginner! I’ve created a video showcasing a few different techniques that you can easily do with these pretty colors, including an ombre background wash and some tips on no-line watercoloring.
Watch in HD on our YouTube Channel HERE! Thanks for sharing some comment love and a thumbs up with Emily there and be certain to subscribe to our channel for other fantastic videos!
In case you can’t watch the video, I will share some of the process, as well. To create the subtle wash on the background panel, I used Avery Elle’s Liquid Watercolors in shades of Sugar Plum and Sea Glass mixed with some Shimmer Spritz and my 1” Silver Black Velvet wash brush (try saying that three times fast!). I started by taping my slightly-larger-than-A2 Arches Cold Press watercolor panel to a cutting board, then propping it up at an angle against some washi tape, used my wash brush to add concentrated color to the top of the panel, then after cleaning my brush and leaving it very wet, pulled the color down into a subtle ombre. I flipped the cutting board and repeated the process with the Sea Glass, as well. The sparkle of the Shimmer Spritz cannot be captured accurately in a photo… this background is super subtle and super sparkly. Gorgeous. Next, I began work on the Hydrangea blooms from Avery Elle’s Floral Bouquet stamp and die set. I started by die cutting the main blooms and some leaves from Arches Cold Press watercolor paper, then stamping the images using my MISTI and some very pale blue ink. I then began watercoloring the images using Sugar Plum and a Sugar Plum/Sapphire mixture for the flowers, then Celery and a Celery/Sapphire mixture for the foliage. As I mention in the video, one of the main elements to remember is to keep the wet sections away from each other. So, I start by watercoloring one petal, then find another petal that is not right up against that wet petal. As long as you keep the wet petals apart, your individual elements will remain distinct and crisp. I also mention in the video that watercoloring is all about layers; use the Sugar Plum as your first layer, then add a drop of Sapphire to several drops of Sugar Plum to add your second layer to create shadows and depth. (This is one of the nicest aspects of the liquid watercolors; you can create a formula for your colors and always be able to recreate the same color just by knowing how many drops you use! The possibilities are endless!) Repeat the process with the leaves using first the Celery, then the Celery/Sapphire combination.
After the watercoloring has been completed, it’s time to assemble the card. I first die cut the My Favorite Things Vertical Cover Up frame from some white card stock and mounted it to the ombre watercolor panel with foam adhesive. I added the watercolored hydrangea and foliage using both foam and liquid adhesive to the corner and a Many Thanks die cut from the Essentials By Ellen line to the frame using liquid adhesive. Some lilac Nuvo drops added some texture. A few thoughts about the Avery Elle Liquid watercolors: ~Watercolor paper is important. If you use good quality watercolor paper (I’ve used Arches Cold Press here), the colors move and blend beautifully. You can even reactivate the color after it’s dried a bit on the paper. If you’re like me and you can’t resist the urge to stop fussing with your projects, this is especially helpful haha!
~They mix like a dream. You can always recreate a custom color because you can measure exactly how many drops you’re adding to your palette. Perfect for those of us who are slightly OCD in our cardmaking!! ~If pan paints overwhelm you (by virtue of the sheer volume of colors available or the cost), then the liquid watercolors are a great place to start. You can mix and match to create almost any color imaginable, and the price point is fantastic. You can get a very inexpensive palette from Wal Mart or your local big box craft store, add a few drops of color, and you’re good to go! ~You can very easily create deep, vibrant color or super subtle pastel colors by adding a little or a lot of water to your paint pans. I hope you’ve enjoyed my quick overview and initial thoughts on the Avery Elle Liquid Watercolors! They are all available in the Ellen Hutson store right now, so head on over and check them out! You won’t be sorry!
