Altenew - Easy Ink Blending Techniques

My next project that I had to complete for my AECP was on ink blending...

Now like most people I have used different papers, different tools and usually you get different results with what ever you use.... I am not a fan of ink blending and I usually shy away from it...that was until I tried these make up brushes and did the course.

In the course you learn that not every paper and every ink looks the same,  you really need to create swatches and practise different blends.  Now these brushes are similar to the Picket Fence ones and they are a game changer! I had a few practices with these and the results are amazing!

You can really get a very smooth blend, and you don't need lots of pressure and they don't leave rings like the round foam tools.

So lets get back to my card for my AECP, well this one I decided that I was going to make in pinks and aqua... I went with Distress Oxides, in a blend of spun sugar, worn lipstick and picked raspberry, on Bristol Smooth card stock, I just love this colour combo and I like to go from lightest to darkest.

I then decided to pull out the Beautiful Heart stamp set, I had a few images already stamped on watercolour card stock tucked inside the plastic pocket, so decision was made, I would water colour the flower and leaves.

I've just got the Altenew 36 pan set of water colours and haven't tried them yet so this was the ideal opportunity to give them a whirl, the first thing I will say is that these are highly pigmented and you don't need a lot!  I always make a swatch chart up... I like my charts LOL.

I like to add water to the paints and then transfer this to a plastic sheet to mix more water or different colours.  Now I will say that the method I used involves lots of water, so its best to use a water colour card stock, I have Canson XL.

I like to start by wetting the image with a wash of the palest colour, I used cotton candy

And whilst still wet I will go in to the shadow areas with my next darkest colour which was coral berry mixed with cotton candy, and again while the image is still wet I went in with purple wine.  

I tried to give the image some texture by doting on the colour and letting it bleed out, the higher up you hold the brush the more natural the flow, if you hold the brush near the tip you have a more control of where the paint is going and I didn't want that, well not for this image anyway.

If you find that you have put too much colour on, you can reactivate the watercolour with a little clean water and dab it off with a clean tissue.

The leaves were painted using the same technique and the colours I used were Mountain Mist and Lagoon.

While I had the paints out I decided that I would do a few splatters on the background using Kuretake Pearl colours 734 & 906 

When dry it was time to put it all together! A few sequins, foam tape and a sentiment from the Persian Motifs set, stamped in Jet Black, my card was complete!

I would recommend anyone that doesn't feel confident in ink blending to take the class on the Altenew website, it has some valuable insights and tips!

Thanks again for popping in and Im off to see what my next class is all about!

Hugs

Alli

XoX