Tips for Colouring Images

I really love the Rose Wonder stamp set (as I might have mentioned before...) especially the gorgeous big rose image. As promised, today I wanted to share a few techniques I have used to add colour to this gorgeous stamp!

METHOD 1: COLOUR WITH PENCILS

This technique will work on any cardstock or patterned paper using Archival Ink.

As mentioned earlier this week in this post, coloured pencils work really well with any image stamped in Archival Ink. My preferred brand of pencils is Derwent as they give a nice smooth finish, lend well to blending and shading, and are available in such an array of colours.

Here I have used the Rose Wonder stamp to create a background pattern on Crumb Cake cardstock. The roses were stamped with varying amounts of ink (a method known as stamping off) so some of the images are quite washed out. This method is perfect for colouring with pencils as it is easy to shade the softer images lighter, whilst retaining the same colour.

Tip: Build colour up slowly in layers, pressing harder (or using a darker pencil) in areas of shade.

METHOD 2: COLOUR WITH MARKERS

This technique works best with Thick or Shimmery Cardstock, and Archival ink.

 I have only recently started to play with Stampin' Write Markers, and I absolutely love them! I am not a huge fan of colouring with "textas", and havent had much success geting a nice blended colour using marker ink the past. But the ink quality and brush tip of the Stampin' Write markers makes it easy to build up and blend colour, which means you can accurately shade your image. 

Tip: Start with a lighter shade of marker and apply using directional strokes. Layer on depth of colour using a small circular motion on "smooth" areas (eg. Petals) and directional strokes on textured areas like petals.

METHOD 3: COLOUR WITH INK USING A WATERCOLOUR TECHNIQUE

This technique works best with Thick Cardstock, Shimmery White Cardstock or Watercolour Paper. You can use Archival Ink, but I prefer to also heat emboss.

Did you know you can use Stampin'Up! Inks in a similar way to watercolour paints? This technique requires a little more work than the previous techniques but gives a really rich result. Here I have layered a water coloured Rose image over a background created with gold embossed images of the same design.

You can use either a Blender Pen or Aqua Painter, or just a basic paint brush and water, depending on the level of control and ease of use you desire. To access the ink, simply press the lid into the pad whilst it is closed. When you open the pad you will find a pool of ink inside the lid. Dip your desired brush/pen into the ink and buildup colour as you would with a watercolour painting.

Tip: Successful water colouring involves multiple layers of colour which are allowed to dry between coats. To speed up the process you can use a Heat Tool. If you make the paper too wet it will "pill" or "ball"

Tip: Heat embossing the image outline before hand will help stop colour bleeding across the image lines.

 METHOD 4: MIX IT UP

For me, Stampin'Up! is an artistic outlet, so sometimes I like to mix it up, experiment, and see what happens!

This rose was coloured first with a soft pink pencil, then I used 2 different markers to build up colour. The result is richer than I would have achieved with pencil alone, and is glossier than the matte finish markers give.

OTHER TECHNIQUES

This post has just scratched the surface for image colouring. You can also stamp directly onto a coloured cardstock or piece of paper (as in this post), you can spritz ink onto your design, you could use pastel, crayon or paint.


I dont have a "favourite" method for colouring images, as I feel that each way mentioned has its own merits and is suited to different situations. I hope this post has inspired you to step outside your comfort zone and try one of methods mentioned.

Love Em

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