This post was sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks, Simon!
Hi friends! It’s getting warmer out, and so my brain has switched into flower mode. Be prepared for lots of flowers over the next few weeks! I have always loved monochromatic patterns. My wedding colors were selected because of my love of blue and white Delft china and toile, and so I wanted to channel that with my project today! I used my huge Peony Background, which is one of my older illustrations but still definitely a favorite! I love the idea of monochromatic neutral paintings, but I wanted to try my hand at creating my own version of toile using my super detailed Peony Background stamp and just a few painting supplies. Let’s get started with the details!
I started my project by stamping the Peony Background onto some Arches Hot Press watercolor paper using Contour Ink. I selected two different shades of blue Karin Brushmarker Pro markers, one dark and one medium. I like to use hot press watercolor paper when working with Karin markers; I find that the smooth surface of the hot press allows the color to move nicely. I taped my stamped panel down to my watercolor board and began the watercoloring process!
One of my favorite things about watercolor is the ability to stretch the colors by changing the water to pigment ratio. The more water you add, the more diluted your color will be, allowing you to create a wide color gradient with each shade. I have found that, for at least the first layer of color with your Karin Brushmarker Pro markers, you will achieve better results if you scribble the color out onto your glass mat or watercolor palette and pick up the color using your damp paintbrush. This allows you to control the vividness of the color being laid down on the watercolor paper. I have found that if you put the marker directly to the paper for the first layer, it sometimes is reluctant to move with your damp paintbrush. I have no idea if there is any scientific reason behind this or if it is just my painting style, but it seems that once you have that initial layer of diluted color laid down, the paper is almost “primed” and the color will move even more easily for you!
Because the first layer of color is diluted with water when I pick up the color from my palette, the color is less intense. For the second layer of color, I want to increase the intensity and the shading, so I put the marker directly to the paper in just the areas that I want to be really shadowed. Using both of these methods allows me to expand that color gradient, keeping some of the white highlights with the diluted color and creating deep shadows with the undiluted color.
After I had finished using my blue watercolors, I used some Artistry by Altenew White Artists’ Gouache to clean up the edges of some of the petals. I squeezed a small amount of the white gouache out onto my glass mat, then wet my brush fairly well and picked up some of the gouache. Using a careful hand, I ran the crisp tip of my paintbrush along the edge of each petal, cleaned my brush, and then pulled the edges of that gouache out so that it faded seamlessly into the blue. The opaque gouache covers up any messy spots or untidy edges, while the medium’s ability to move with water makes it super simple to use.
Once I had finished my painting (I fussed with this for far longer than I should have… no-line watercoloring stirs up my need for perfection!!), I wanted to keep the rest of the card simple, so I die cut the new Fancy Lucky die from Simon Says Stamp’s Splendor Release using Midnight Navy glitter paper for the detail layer and Simon Says Stamp vellum for the shadow layer. I also white embossed and die cut a greeting from Lots of Luck onto some navy blue cardstock. Before adding my sentiments, I trimmed 1/4″ off of the long sides of my watercolor panel and added some strips of Midnight Navy glitter paper peeking out from each side. I popped up the greeting pieces using some foam adhesive, then added a few coordinating Pawsitively Dazzling blue gems for even more sparkle!
Well, that’s all for my project today. I adore how this monochromatic “toile” card came out. I think it was totally worth the time spent fussing on the details! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!
That color!