Watercolor Backgrounds: Tips and Techniques

No matter your crafting style, a great watercolor background is often the best foundation for cardmaking, art journals, bible journals, or scrapbook layouts.  Watercolor can be brilliant and bold, or subtle. 
All too often, I hear students say they're afraid to try their hand at watercolor washes and backgrounds.

I put together a live video today, with a few tips and techniques that will take some mystery out of watercolor backgrounds. 
You'll be surprised because I used some mediums that you typically would not think of using for watercolor backgrounds.  I used Color Burst, Color Burst Ink Pads, Liquid Watercolors and Color Burst Ink from a refill bottle.

You'll have to watch, the results are beautiful and easy to replicate over and over. 

Thank you for joining me today!  I hope you're inspired to create a few watercolor backgrounds for your next crafting project. 

Color Burst Technique: Weathered Wood

Hi everybody, I hope you're having a beautiful day...it's a beautiful, crisp, fall afternoon where I live, it couldn't be more perfect.
Recently, I posted a video on Facebook live and I wanted to follow up today with a few clearer photos of the technique that I showed in the video. The technique is "faux weathered wood" with Color Burst.  It's a great watercolor technique that instantly make you look like an accomplished water colorist.   

This technique lets you create texture with watercolor.

And, it could not be easier.

All you need is some watercolor paper, Color Burst ( I used Burnt Umber, Cerulean Blue, and Lamp Black) and a fan brush! 



A fan brush will let you create lines and streaky textures with Color Burst.




 If you'd like to see how I did it, watch this video, I give step-by-step instructions and show you how to paint woodgrain with Color Burst and a fan brush.
Watch here....


                             

The contest is over, and the winners have been chosen,  but I thought you might enjoy learning the technique.

To finish these cards, I added a tiny water colored die cut leaf to the envelope. It looks pretty cool.  



Here's a list of the products I used to create these cards:
Color Burst, Rich Moroccan Shades
Ken Oliver Crafts Water Media Stitched Cards
Maya Road Dies
Stick It Adhesive
Best Ever Craft Mat
Robert Simmons White Sable Fan Blender Brush



Thank you for visiting my blog today and for watching my video!  I hope you'll try this technique, once you master it...your friends will think you're a watercolor expert! I'm thinking that this background would look great with a die cut Christmas wreath on it too! 

Watercolor Pumpkin Patch

Hey everybody, Fall is finally here and no doubt your craft projects and art will be inspired by this wonderful season.  This is a watercolor painting project that I think you'll love. It's a pumpkin patch painting using one of my new 12"x12" stencils and Color Burst. 

I chose a Color Burst palette that's perfect for fall...Yellow Ochre, Orange, Burnt Orange, Burnt Umber and Lamp Black.  I love this color palette for fall...in fact, it's the first time that I've really focused on using Burnt Orange...the deep orange tone is wonderful!

And, here's the new stencil I used.  

It's 12"x12" and called Harvest Pumpkins.

To get started, I placed the stencil on top of one of my 12"x12" Mixed Media Art Boards, the front side of the board is covered with watercolor paper, so it's a great surface for this project.  And, as you can see, I've already used this stencil with black ink, It actually helps you to see the stencil image in this photo. 

With the stencil in place, I used a pencil to trace the outline of the pumpkins, and if you'll notice, I used the stencil to add an additional pumpkin...I simply traced the 2 pumpkins in the foreground, and moved the stencil over to add an additional pumpkin in the background on the right side of the composition.  Here's a tip, you do not have to "draw" this image with any exact precision...in fact, I just kind of scribbled through the stencil to create my "drawing."

Then, I started to paint the image with Color Burst Burnt Orange and water.  You may have seen Color Burst sprinkled and spritzed...painting with Color Burst is a little different.  Tap out a bit of Color Burst powder into a paint palette, then pick up the pigment with a wet brush and begin painting and blending.

From here on out, it's like paint by numbers, I completed the painting by filling in little sections, until each section was painted.  It's cool to watch it all come together.

And then, used Color Burst Olive Green to paint the leaves.

To paint the background, I create a muted wash with Yellow Ochre, Olive Green, and Burnt Umber.

And filled in the remaining areas with a subtle watercolor wash. You'll notice, I left the tendrils blank until the watercolor wash background was complete.  It's easier to paint them on top of the background rather than to paint around them.
To complete the painting, fill in the details, like the tendrils, pumpkin stems and...

some "straw" in the foreground with Burnt Umber. 

Here's a list of the supplies I used:

Ken Oliver Crafts Mixed Media Art Board 12"x12"

Ken Oliver Crafts Harvest Pumpkin Stencil 12"x12"

Color Burst Burnt Orange, Orange, Yellow Ochre, Olive Green and Burnt Umber

#10 Robert Simmons White Sable Round Watercolor Brush

Black Frame, Canvas Corp.

I didn't include links to the projects...please ask your local retailer to order them for you or do a quick google search if you don't have a local retailer.  You'll find lots of options.   

This little painting will look great in your home from now through Thanksgiving...and your friends will think you're a watercolor genius!

Thank you again for stopping by today, I hope you've picked up a little inspiration and will try water coloring with Color Burst and stencils.  

Til next time,

 

Color Challenge: Turquoise, Chartreuse, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber

Hi everybody,
This past week, our color challenge was to use the colors Turquoise, Chartreuse, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber on a project or work of art.

It's a great color palette to use and a little unexpected...

...but it works because it's an analogous color palette, or, the colors are beside each other on the color wheel.  (Burnt Umber is neutral). 

And, I've been amazed by the projects that everyone has submitted.  They're all just stunning.  At first, I thought I'd randomly pick a winner.  But, the works are all so beautiful, I couldn't choose one myself, so I would like to put it up for a vote.  Please vote for your favorite by commenting with the Number and Name of the project that you would like to vote for.

1. Milagros C. Rivera

 

2. Milagros C Rivera

3. Lauren Bergold

4. Lauren Bergold 

5. Kathy Davis

6. Emilee Grupp

7. Pam Miner

8. Lisa Smith 

9. Ayoti Mittra

The voting is now open and will remain open until noon, 12:00 pm, August 31, 2016, so you only have 1 day to vote.  Feel free to share this blog post with your friends to let them see the color palette we worked with and give them the chance to vote for their favorite.  Tomorrow, I'll count the votes and name the winner here and on my Facebook Page. The winner will receive a set of Color Burst Caribbean Brights. 

Thank you again to everyone who took my color challenge this week. I'm planning to have another color challenge really soon!

'til next time, 

Ken

Color Burst Fruit Slices

Dunja Ducker has this sweet gift box over on her blog, she has used Color Burst to create these great fruit slices.  Dunja also has a blog hop and you could win a prize pack worth €50, check it out here. 

Supplies:

Color Burst - Lime Green

Color Burst – Lemon Yellow

Color Burst – Orange

Color Burst - Alizarin Crimson

Water Media Paperwater

Best Ever Craft Mat

Click It Ink Pad - Lamp Black

Color Burst Time

How quick and easy is it to up cycle a clock?.  Diana Hetherington shows us how quick on her blog today.  She used Color Burst and the new Cut'n'Color Butterfly Mandala.

Creative Team March Challenge - Kimberly Jones

The Creative Team were challenged this month to create projects under the Floral/Spring Team and we are sharing their fabulously creative uses for Ken Oliver products.  The brief for this month was to create a project that was not a card, tag or Journal !,  tricky but the team as always knocked it out of the park.

Kimberly Jones has blown us away with this project, we cannot wait to try this for our lights.

Supplies Used:

Color Burst Splash Double -Sided Paper

Flower Punch
Double-Sided Tape
Hole Punch
Lighted Garland

Color Burst Dino Eggs!

Did you know you could use Color Burst powders as more than just a water color?

Here Krista uses the Color Burst with Imagine Crafts, Goosebumps Texture spray to make an amazing colored texture spray! 

They add the perfect amount of color and texture to one of Krista's favorite projects to date!

Check out Krista's Blog here on how to make these AMAZING and realistic Dino Eggs!

Soul Protection Canvas made with Color Burst

Hello everyone.
 Diana Hetherington from the Creative Team has astounded us this week with another project using Color Burst powders.

 She added in some clear gesso to the mix as a base and things sort of went crazy from there!!

It went from this:

to this in a few random easy steps using an array of color burst, a bit of deco art paint and some liquid nails!

To see the process please hop over to her  blog here for all the details.

Butterfly Tag Trio using Color Burst

Buffy St John from the Creative Team has been busy with the new Caribbean Brights and Liquid Metals Collections of Color Burst.  These new ranges are now shipping so check out your local stockists for more details and to order yours.

Buffy says:

Hi Everybody!

Buffy here with you again today.

I have been busy playing with the new Color Burst Caribbean Brights collection,

As well as the new Liquid Metals!

Let me just tell you that I am over the moon in LOVE with all of them!

The project that I am sharing today is a cute little 3 tag card collection using these amazing new pigments!

 had so much fun with all of these exciting and fun new Color Burst pigments,

I cannot wait to paint more!

Head on over to my blog: Let's Go Paint Something to learn more!

Pretty in Pink Color Burst Tinted Postcards

How clever it this !!!, Creative Team Member Kimberly Jones has tinted vintage postcards using Color Burst.  Check out the tutorial on her blog here.

Kimberly says:

I love rummaging through old photos and ephemera at antique stores, and I was delighted when I found several vintage postcards with lovely ladies in white dresses! I thought they needed a hint of color, so I decided to add a bit of pink using Color Burst!

You can find all the details of the project at Serendipity Vintage Studio.

Watercolor Resist with Color Burst

We love seeing Color Burst used with other products and today Zoey has a great project using the Cosmo Cricket Watercolor Collection.  Zoey shares a fantastic tutorial on her blog, 

Zoey says:

Hello everyone!

I am here again to show you how amazing are color burst by Ken Oliver! Everytime I used them I always have fun and just can't stop to see how they all mix and combine together!

For the project today I will used only two Color Burst by Ken Oliver : Yellow Lemon and Ultramarine Blue. 

Color Burst by Ken Oliver works amazingly on every paper but today I wanted to play along with Cosmo Cricket Watercolor Collection -- and they work perfectly!

I mixed the Ultramarine Blue and Yellow Lemon in different layers to get this wonderful shade of green-ish .

I used the colored watercolor paper to make a cover for an handmade book I stitched for a friend of mine...and of course I had to make the coordinate little bag!

Want to see a quick tutorial on how I made it?

Check it out on my blog just here!

Stay Happy Stay Creative...till next time!

Ciao Zoey

Liquid Metals and Caribbean Brights Tag

Dunja Dücker from the creative team has made this great tag using the new Caribbean Brights and Liquid Metals Color Burst, love how bright and vibrant these new colors are, you are going to love them too.

Dunja says:

For my TAG I colored a tissue. First, I moistened it and then applied the color burst powder. The effect is simply amazing. Then I dried it with the heat gun and put the individual layers carefully spread apart. The middle layer is colored somewhat paler, but it does not matter ;) Then I put some gel medium to the TAG and glued a layer of the tissue. The gel dries transparent.

Also brand new products by Ken Oliver Crafts are the Liquid Metals. I've brushed the edges with Liquid Metals Yellow Gold and the rest of TAG in Verdi Gris (a green with gold reflexes). The glimmer really comes to the fore when everything is dry. In addition I have also used the heat gun. 

The text I have made with my Dymo Labeler and glued them on white card stock. After that I glued the elements on the TAG and decorated with a little heart and a glittered &. On the cords I have attached small beads.