Watercolor Techniques

Don't you just love the stamp in the photo above? This background stamp called Pretty Medallion and can be found on page 116 of the annual catalog. It sells for $18.00 and the order number is 158930. To get that beautiful image is really so simple, stamp the image in Versamark ink, heat emboss with white emboss powder and then apply ink with an Water Painter. This is one of the projects shown in the video I posted yesterday.

Did you know that Stampin' Up! has 23 colors of watercolor pencils that coordinate with the colors found in our inks, cardstock and other products? To highlight al the fun watercolor products that we carry in one place, I've created a flyer for you. You can download it HERE.  

Try your hand at a new technique! Trying something new, and experimenting is fun!  Remember that practice makes perfect, so try a few samples. Below is a list of some watercolor techniques you can try. I'll be posting samples using these techniques this month and posting samples to share with you.

Techniques shown in the video:

1. No Line Watercoloring: stamp in a very light color of ink, use ink from the lids of inkpads and water painters to color your image.

2. Watercolor Pencils: stamp an image in Stazon on Shimmery White paper, use Water Painters to 'paint' with.

3. Watercolor Wash: spritz watercolor paper with water, then use Water Painters to apply a bit of color from the lids of ink pads to apply color to paper. 

4. Stamp in Color on watercolor paper and fill in with Water Painter.

5. Emboss Resist: stamp image in VersaMark ink on watercolor paper, then heat emboss with white powder.  Put  a few drops of desired colors of ink refills onto a block, then 'paint' using Water Painters.

6. Chalk Pastels as Watercolor: Stamp image with Stazon Ink, on Shimmery White paper. Apply a bit of color from chalks to a scrap paper, then use Water Painters to 'paint' with.

7. Watercolor on Embossing Folder: use your favorite embossing folder on Shimmery White paper, then use Water Painters and some ink from the lids of ink pads.

Additional Techniques To Try:

1. Use watercolor pencils to add shading to your solid stamped images.  You can use blending stumps to soften the look or leave as is.

2. Mist watercolor paper with water and then stamp. The water causes the color to move, creating a not-so-perfect look.

3. Mist watercolor paper with water then using the Stamparatus, ink the stamp and stamp on the wet watercolor paper. This results in a fun effect where the color moves. Then heat emboss the same image on top to give it definition. You can use any color of emboss powder, black, white, gold etc.

4. You can also ink up your stamp with markers or ink and stamp it… and THEN mist it. This also causes a more of a bleeding effect. If you want it to be “cleaner,” use less water. If you'd like a messier more ethereal look use more water! 

5. Use the Stamparatus, ink up your stamp with markers or ink, and stamp it… and mist it.  Once it dries, heat emboss the image with any color Embossing Powder. 

6. Use the Stamparatus, ink the stamp and mist the stamp before stamping.  Once it dries, heat emboss the image with any color Embossing Powder. 

7. Ink the stamp, then mist the paper before and after stamping. This causes the ink to move even more, then heat emboss with any color powder.

8.  Use Stampin’ Write markers to color on the stamp. You can use several markers and then use an Aqua Painter to achieve the “watercolor” look.

Technique List in printable PDF format

          Want to use black ink with a watercolor technique?                  Just remember, Opposites Attract.

Using water? You want to use the Jet Black StazOn pad. If you will be watercoloring with a watercolor brush, AquaPainter or blender pen then you are using water. The Memento pad is water-based. That means that if you wipe water across it, it will smear. The StazOn pad is alcohol-based. That means it won’t smear when you watercolor.

Using Stampin’ Blends or another type of alcohol-based marker? You want to use the Memento Pad. If you use alcohol-based markers on an image stamped with an alcohol-based ink pad like StazOn, your image will smear. Stamp with Memento ink, color with Stampin' Blends markers.