#8 watercolor backgrounds

Watercolor backgounds are a wonderful (and easy) way to make fast and colorful backgrounds for homemade cards, holiday tags even wrapping paper. I've pulled a handful of my favorite techniques to share with the hope that you will find a little inspiration to pull out those watercolors and get creating this holiday season!

 

 

 watercolor backgrounds from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

 

 

 

WET ON WET

 

technique- wet on wet from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

password- bliss

 

DOODLE INTO A WET SURFACE

Wet on wet painting is also a great way to create interesting pattern. SImple wet down the surface and doodle into it. You will get a pretty and soft pattern that has a bleed to is and makes for a perfect background.

 

 

WET ON DRY

technique- wet on dry from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

password- bliss

 

 

COLOR WASH

technique- color wash from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

password- bliss

 

 

SPLATTERING

technique- splattering from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

password- bliss

 

 

DRIPPING

 

technique- dripping from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

password-bliss

 

 

USING A RAG TO CREATE TEXTURE

Paper towels, rags, sponges and even fabric with texture make a great tool to not only pull color and water away from your surface but also a way to add texture to the surface.

 

Start with laying down a wash of wet color.

and using a rag, pull that color away in spots while leaving more saturated color in other spots.

 

CRAYON RESIST

Using a white crayon is another easy (and cheap) way to create a resist.

Simply draw, doodle, write or scribble with a crayon. 

Paint over the surface of the crayon

 

and you are left with a super cool resist pattern. Keep in mind that when using crayon you won't be able to paint over the top of the way surface but it still makes a great background for drawing and journaling and a great technique to use to create fun borders.

 

 

USE STAMPS TO CREATE PATTERN

 

 A stamp is a another great way to add texture to a surface. I love stamping into a wet surface. I start while my paper is still damp 

 

and lightly cover my stamp with watercolor paint- keep in mind these are watercolors so the surface of the stamp will not be perfectly covered (that is the beauty of stamping with watercolor paint).

 

 Press stamp into the damp surface and repeat all over.  

 

 The result is a really lovely pattern with a little bit of soft bleed to it. 

 

Skip the wet surface and stamp right into a dry surface for a clean stamp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Susan718]

thank you so much for this wonderful tutorial!

[Barbara]

What was it you used as a resist other than the crayons in the first video, some kind of glue? You rubbed it away after. Thank you

[Debbie J]

She use rubber cement, in the first video. It comes in either a can or bottle, with a brush that is attached on the inside of the top.

[Bronwyn Smith]

Thank you so much for sharing,really enjoyed.