Watercolour daisies 2 ways
Posted: January 9, 2014 Filed under: Flower Festival, Watercolour | Tags: Fabriano Watercolour Paper, Penny Black stamps, Ranger Distress stains, Tsukineko Memento inks 21 Comments
These two cards demonstrate the difference between two watercolour techniques. (Sorry there is no video tutorial for these two) The top card was created using the ‘wet into wet’ technique and the bottom card the ‘wet into dry’ technique.
Wet into Wet card
I wet the whole panel of watercolour paper, inked the stamp in orange and green Memento inks then stamped it onto the wet paper. Immediately colour bled and spread. I waited a little while before restamping the image and painting more colour onto the petals and stems with distress inks. I blended with water and worked with the colours for a while before I was satisfied with the flowers. I dampened the background area again before adding some blue to blend with the colours from the flowers.
Wet into Dry card
I stamped the image once again with Memento inks but this time onto dry paper. I used a small paintbrush to paint distress stains onto the image. I blended colours and added water inside the lines but rarely let the colours bleed out into the rest of the panel. I flicked ink onto the panel when the flowers were complete.
I did both these panels as experiments and as I was doing them I did not think the ‘wet into wet’ would make it onto a card. It was just looking too messy. I kept going with the inks and background and finished it anyway but was not too hopeful. When I came back the next day and saw the two attempts dry I was quite happy with both. If you are interested in these techniques just play around with the water: a little more, a little less, sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Supplies:
Stamps: Flower Festival, Summer Fun, Friendship(Penny Black)
Inks: Distress stains Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Peeled Paint, Broken China, Vintage Photo & Memento inks Bamboo Leaves, Tangelo
Cardstock: Fabriano 100% cotton hot pressed watercolour paper, Mix and match Grand Canyon paper
Heather Telford 
Guess it always helps to walk away from the project and come back later…a new look and usually you like it better! Both projects…the same, yet oh so different…like them both! Thank for sharing Heather!
Jan
I love them both!
I am in love with “wet into wet”… the best technique for me. Thanks for sharing. Je voudrais te dire en anglais mais je ne suis pas assez à l’aise, je vais le dire en français: chaque jour, je jette aux poubelle mes “wet into wet” et chaque matin, je les reprends et ils font mes plus belles cartes! Thanks a bunch Heather!
Beautiful cards, can’t wait to try both techniques. Love both looks!
They are such beautiful cards. I am going to try both techniques with your suggestion of “a little more, a little less” and taking a step back. Thanks for giving details to help us novices.
Both are awesome. I love your experimenting. My experiments seldom turn out so beautifully; I think you start from a background of skill and sort of knowing what will happen & what you want to happen. Lucky for us, it’s always beautiful! TFS & detailing the how-to.
Heather! I just can’t tell you how much I love your posts. You make me want to watercolor and use my stamps in different ways. Thank you!
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Your first card is so impressive to me as it didn’t descend into muddiness — it’s quite beautiful! The second is also gorgeous, in that brighter palette.
So different, yet both so pretty! Amazing what letting something dry (and walking away) can do. Thanks so much for sharing them.
gorgeous!
Such different looks and yet they are both beautiful!
Heather, two beautiful and inspiring cards! Watercoloring remains my favorite technique, but I can’t do it on my too short breaks at work, alas, where most of my coloring takes place these days. Your art makes me feel like locking away the world and doing some watercoloring, though. I hope this comment goes through today. Going to try logging into WordPress and see if that helps. What is wrong with our two blogs that they won’t let us talk to each other?
Wonderful water colour techniques! Such beautiful results for both cards.
I think the wet into wet card is beautiful! They both are, but that is my favorite!
Oh my, they are both so pretty.
Sooo pretty
How gorgeous Heather!
I really like both cards and I doubt if you could get two to look the same again!. The wet on wet is fantastic. That really must haven time to achieve because it has retained it’s brightness and not muddied. That’s where your skill and keen eye has come into play. The dry technique is lovely and bright and must have taken lots of patience! I loved the flicked background, so pretty and it adds that little extra something. Super work! Thanks so much for sharing!
Both cards are fantastic. I love how you present techniques and show beautifully all that is possible. thank you!
These are both tremendous!!! Thanks for the inspiration!!! Hope my experiments turn out half that good!!!
Heather, both of these are gorgeous! I’m really interested in learning more watercolor techniques because I love the look of it. Thanks for the tips and inspiration. I’m more determined than ever to spend some time exploring these techniques further.