Swing Scene

I haven't painted a scene with my Art Impressions stamps for a little while, so for this Watercolor Weekend edition, I put together a few of my favourites:

 

I began using the largest hanging swing image from the 5195 - WC Swing Set, colouring it first in my Tombow Dual Brush Marker #565 Deep Blue, stamping it off on scrap paper, and then colouring it again with #879 Brown.  I stamped it onto my Canson XL Watercolour paper.  *Instead of masking, when I coloured the swing, I left an open area in the corner where I intended my bunny to sit.  I've used the bunny from 5016 - WC Mini Critters Set, coloured him up in #N45, and used my stamp positioner to place him where I wanted him.  With my damp #4 brush, I softened the lines of the swing, pulling out the colour to fill in the shaded areas on the wood frames, and between the cushions.

To create my floral vine, I started with one of the smaller twig images from 4964 - WC Branches Set, and colouring it with #879, I stamped it numerous times, in different directions, creating the flow of the vine.  Using the trailing foliage stamps from 5126 - WC Foliage Set 4 coloured in #177 Dark Jade, I stamped the greenery along the same path, winding it around the swing frame in first & second generation.  Before stamping the flowers, I softened the images with my damp brush.  Using the Daisy Bunch from Flower Set - 4052, I coloured a few of the blooms in #993 Chrome Orange, and created the yellow floral sprays around the base of the swing, stamping them in a cluster.  I filled in any open areas with the tiny dot flowers from 5009 - WC Mini Flower Set coloured in #533 Peacock Blue, and then I added clusters of them along the twisting vine - then touched all the flowers with a damp brush.  I used the fine point end of my #993 marker to draw in the stripes on the seat cushions.  The bunny got a touch of #850 Blush in his ear, and I used a fine tip black marker to define & darken his eyes & nose.

On my palette, I scribbled #992 Sand and picked it up with a wet brush to add colour to the wood frames, keeping it streaky to suggest a wood grain pattern.  I did the same with #565 Deep Blue, and used this to add shadows where needed to the swing, bunny, cushions and under the swing.  Using the smaller mountain stamp in 5198 - WC Mountain Set, I selectively coloured it in #533, omitting the largest peak, and used my stamp positioner to place it in the background.  Then using my brush and picking up colour from the palette, I used #565 to paint in the mountains and sky, and #177 to add a grassy hillside.  Since some of my twigs were 2nd generation, they were a little too light, so I went in directly with my fine Twintone Chocolate marker to darken them up.  I diecut my scene with a stitched square die, and mounted it on a dark brown cardstock.  The sentiment is from 5136 - WC Sentiment Set 2, stamped in Versafine Onyx Black ink, and diecut with a small stitched tag from 5132 - Tag Stitched Dies, and it got a small yellow Baker's Twine bow.  I did some zigzag stitching with my sewing machine on my background papers, and mounted it all onto a 5 1/2" square card.

Set of Ai Mini Critter Cards

I am sharing the 5th card that completes the set that I made using the Art Impressions WC Mini Critter Set.  I've put the little curled up fox next to the log from the WC Sitting Places Set:

 All of my cards used Tombow markers, coloured directly onto the stamps, and then the images were painted from scribbling the markers onto my palette.

 Here's a photo of the five cards that I've shown over the past few days all together.  I began by simply painting the images out of the Critter set, decided to pair them each with an object, and sprinkled flowers around them.  It was only when I searched for papers to make them into cards that I decided to create a set, each cut out in a different die shape.

All the items I've used can be found over on the Art Impressions website. (Stay tuned this week for a new release of Ai Watercolour stamps!)

4th Mini Critter Watercolour

A horizontal card today using the sweet deer from the WC Mini Critter Set from Art Impressions:

 I put him in front of the stump from the WC Rustic Containers set.  I really love painting this stump!  You can really go to town adding shadows to the crevices, and pulling out different tones in the wood.

I die cut my image out with the Hexagon Double Stitched Dies, matting it with a larger shape cut out with the dies, and elevating it with pop dots.

Mini Critter Card #3

Today I'm showing the curled up puppy from the WC Mini Critter set, paired with a weathered basket.  For each card, I paired the animal with a larger object/container, and then added some flowers and greenery in the same colour palette.

 I die cut my watercolour panel with a stitched square die, and mounted it with some pop dots.

Mini Critter #2

Here's the second of my five cards using the Art Impressions' WC Mini Critter Set:

 I love this sweet bunny, so I tucked him in beside the rocks from the WC Sitting Places set.

Mini Critter Watercolour

I made a set of 5 watercolour cards a few months ago, and realized that I hadn't shared them online.  Here's the first one featuring Art Impressions' WC Mini Critter Set:

 I masked the kitten, and stamped the chair behind him, then painted everything in with my Tombow markers:

I used several different oval dies to cut and mat my image, then used some 3d Pop Dots for a little added dimension.

Window card for Watercolor Weekend

This is one of the cards that I taught at my recent card class at the Crafter's Workshop, and I'm sharing it on the Art Impressions blog today for Watercolor Weekend!  The class featured the 5014 WC Window Set from Art Impressions:

 The base is cut with a 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" stitched rectangle die, from Canson Watercolor paper, and I started by colouring the smaller window in the set with my N55 Cool Grey 7 Tombow marker, stamping it about 3/4" down from the top edge.  Still using the N55, I stamped the kitten from 5016 WC Mini Critter Set on the window sill, and the pot from 4869 WC Small Container Set about 3/4" below the window.  I masked off the pot, and stamped the bricks from 5018 WC Cobblestone Set with N55.  With the fine point of the marker, I sketched in the curtains directly on the paper. (If you're nervous about adding details with a marker, use a pencil to get it exactly as you like, first!).

I used my damp #4 paintbrush to pull the colour out of all the lines, dragging it towards where the shadows would fall.  I scribbled 992 Sand onto my palette, and painted it in streaky strokes to suggest weathered wood on the shutters.  I used 947 Burnt Sienna to add colour to the kitty, and the terra cotta pot, going in a second time to add another layer of colour where the shadows would be.  With 177 Dark Jade and a sprig from 5007 WC Foliage Set 3, I created the vine leading up from the pot, through and over the shutters, adding a few smaller sprigs using the tiny greenery in 5009 WC Mini Flower Set to fill in a few areas.  With 533 Peacock Blue/177 Dark Jade I coloured the floral cluster from the Mini Flower Set and added it to the pot.  With the tiny dotted flowers from the set, and the 533 marker, I put clusters of flowers throughout the vine.  I dabbed all the foliage with my damp brush to soften all the lines.

With the tiny grass from Foliage Set 4051, and my 126 Light Olive, I added grass around the pot & cobblestones, then pulled out the colour to add a suggestion of a grassy area on the ground.  I picked up 565 Deep Blue from my palette to paint in the shadows on the window, around the shutters and cobblestones to add a little depth to my scene.  You really can't see it in the photos, but there is a faint wash on the wall of 491 Glacier Blue, which softens the look of the wall quite nicely.  Be sure to check out the Art Impressions blog today, to see what Dot & Tricia have to share!  Happy painting!

Summer scene

I have a sweet summery watercolour card to share with you today, using stamps from the latest Art Impressions Watercolor release!

I started creating my image cluster by stamping the puppy from the WC Mini Critters Set, the sitting little girl from WC Beach Girls Set, the beach ball from WC Beach Boys Set - masking each as I went along - and finally stamping the umbrella from WC Beach Girls Set.  I coloured each of the stamps with my 992 Sand Tombow marker, except for the girl, where I used my LP38 Oyster Grey Marvy marker.  I wanted a paler shade for her skin tone, as she's sitting partially in bright sunlight.  I also used the fine tip of my LP38 marker to draw in the blanket.

With a damp WC Brush4 paintbrush, I softened all of the lines, and then began filling in the colour by scribbling my markers onto my palette: Tombow 991 Straw for the hat/ball; Tombow 885 Warm Red for the umbrella, and added more water to make it more of a pink shade for her swimsuit & the ball.  I used my LP86 African Violet Marvy marker to create the shadow under the umbrella, and in and around all of the images on the blanket.  Her skin tone is made with several layers of Tombow 850 Flesh, and then I used the same colour to sketch in the suggestion of a sandy beach.  I picked up the LP86 with my brush and painted in the water, and after watering it down a little more, used it to paint in the suggestion of a sky as well.

*Design tip!  You'll notice that I placed everything on the left side of my painting, leaving the upper right corner mostly white.  The white space provides a sense of balance for the cluster of images.  I could've added a sentiment up there, but felt like it would've been too busy.

To assemble my card, I popped up the image and the stripey pink frame that I created with adhesive dots with my periwinkle cardstock peeking out from behind.  Happy painting!

Watercolour Fawns

I am trying hard to get all of my watercoloured images made up into cards!  This sweet fawn is from WC Mini Critter Set - part of the Art Impressions winter 2018 release.  The first time that I break open a stamp set, I usually like to copy the scene on the packaging, which is pretty much what I've done here.  I also used the tree from WC Tree Set 1, and bits from WC Foliage Set 3 and WC Flower Set 3:

 I did both a rectangular (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") version, and a 5 1/4" square version, and added some simple sentiments:

Happy stamping!