Today’s post will show you how to create some simple watercolour backgrounds. They use ink from ink pads or ink refills. July 2022 is World Watercolour Month, so it seems appropriate to share some watercolouring techniques with you this month.
What Do You Need When You Are Watercolouring?
- Suitable Paper/Cardstock: When watercolouring, as you are using water, it is important to use a cardstock/paper that works well with water. Stampin’ Up! has two options. They are Shimmery White cardstock. This comes in A4 size with 10 sheets. The second is Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper. This also comes in 10 sheets, but it is a smaller in size. It is 5″ x 7″ (12.7 x 17.8 cm).
- Water Painters: Water Painters are useful to use when watercolouring. The barrel of the Water Painter is filled up with water so you can gently squeeze it when you need to add water to mix with the medium you are using.
- A medium to colour with: This could be ink pads, ink refills, Watercolor Pencils, or Pastels.
Two Techniques Using Ink To Create Watercolour Backgrounds
When using ink, you can use it from the ink pad or it could be from an ink refill.
1. Background Wash Technique: This technique involves getting some ink and mixing it with water and brushing it across a piece of suitable cardstock for watercolouring. In the card below, I mixed some water on a Clear Block with a drop of Sahara Sand ink from a refill bottle. I then brushed it across a piece of Shimmery White cardstock. You then need to wait for it to dry naturally or you can speed up the process by drying it with a Heat Tool on the lower setting before stamping on top of the background. If the cardstock curls as you dry it, just turn it over and dry it on the other side.
Clear Block Background: For this technique, you gently tap ink from an ink pad onto a Clear Block. The card below uses an H block. Then, with the area around protected, spray some water with a Spritzer bottle so the ink starts to run. Then quickly and carefully turn the block over and press it down onto a piece of Shimmery White cardstock or Fluid 100 Watercolour Paper. Hold the block for a few seconds so the ink can soak in. Then, gently remove the clear block. The image may be quite wet, so let it dry or dry it with a Heat tool.
I shared how to do these two techniques on a Facebook Live earlier this month. I have also made this into a YouTube video. If you would like see these techniques done in action, please check out the video below.
Thanks for visiting. Over the new few weeks I will be sharing some more watercolouring techniques with you.