Watercolor Crayon Tutorial

OK - Here it is - my Watercolor Crayon Tutorial.

Let me know if it makes sense!!

First - It is very important to stamp your image with an ink that will not end up bleeding when water hits it. Palette pads are great for this. If you're not sure if yours will work, just test a stamped image first by wetting it a bit and seeing if it bleeds. Also, using watercolor paper is ideal - but heavy cardstock will work fine as well.

Next: I am using watercolor crayons from The Angel Company. I have found that I really like using the crayons versus the wc pencils. Much easier to blend without leaving a hard line on the paper. The Gerbera Daisy stamp is also from The Angel Company. (Did I mention that I was a demonstrator for them?) :)

Pick 2 colors - a light and dark - for your flower. Also, a light and dark for the stem and leaves. Using colors from the same family will work great.

Start by applying the darker of the flower colors to the center of the petals. Don't be too careful - just scribble in. :) Apply the lighter color to the ends of the petals. Do the same with the leaves and stem. Keep the darker color to where the deeper veins and shaded areas are. As you can see in the flower at right - I added a touch of the flower color to the leaves.

Now we're ready for the fun!

I used a 1/2 inch round watercolor brush. Starting on the petals: wet your brush - you want a wet, but not soppy brush. Start in the center white area of a petal. Using small circular motion head toward the end of your petal. When you hit color it should bleed back onto the wet white are you were just in. Go around doing the same with the other petals.

Now, reverse what you just did - but work from the center of petal toward the center of the flower - working to blend in the darker crayon color. Add the same petal colors to the center of the flower and work those in as well.

Blend in the leaf and stem parts using the same technique.

TIPS: Make sure you use a light hand when blending in the crayons - make sure that you leave lighter (or even white) areas. Don't blend too much or you may end up with a muddy flower!!! Use darker colors in shaded areas.

Below is a blue version using the same technique.