Day 5: 30 Day Coloring Challenge

No Line Watercolor

 Hi everyone and welcome back.  This is my second post for the day...phew!  Yes I have been a bit busy and will remain so for this whole month.  Any whoooooo!  Lets move it right along.

It's day 5 of the 30 Day Coloring Challenge by TheDailyMarker.com.  Today I wanted to challenge myself a bit and I decided to use watercolors for my coloring medium.  One thing I can say is that above all other mediums I really love watercolors.  Most people seem to think they are difficult, but I don't seem to think so.  I find that if you take your time and find the right brand for you, it is very rewarding. 

Today I used Sennelier French L'Aquarelle watercolors.  They are colors made with a honey base which allows for holding of saturated colors.  You do not need much in the way of charging (adding color) to the brush.

For the Image I used Flowers In Bloom from Craftin Desert Divas. I loved this set just because of the orchid.  I L-O-V-E O orchids.  They have a sleek and elegant look to them.  

I first began by stamping out my image onto cold pressed watercolor paper using Antique Linen Distress Ink.  The reason for distress ink is that it is water reactive, which will cause the stamp line to somewhat disappear and blend into the watercoloring itself.  

I may not know how to draw, but I sure can stamp!  (click on image to enlarge)

Next I did a slight wash around the image.  Typically you would mask off the image with masking fluid and then do a wash all over, but I wanted it a very light blue and light moss green.  It was fairly easy to control the water around the flowers and stem.  

Now I filled in my image using a 3 round brush to fill in the stem with a forest green and the flowers in violet.  Finer details were added using the 0 brush meant for details.   I also used a photo (below) for reference so I can follow shadows and natural colorings. 

I really am happy with how it turned out.  I have improved much since I started to watercolor.  I realize that watercolor will never be exactly perfect, but the beauty lies in the flaws and transparency of the colors.  I am really debating using this as a card.  I tend to try and get images I make with watercolor in a frame.   

Don't forget that this is a month long challenge and the final post will be on June 30th.  There are prizes and a give away.  simply click on the link above for TheDailyMarker.com.  I even got my daughter involved since they have a kids challenge.  As soon as she heard the word challenge she jumped on it.

Below is her first coloring. 

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XOXOXO HeartcraftPaper