Happy Tuesday! Kim Hughes is with us this week and she’s going to share a great tutorial on some fun and easy way to colour in your stamped images.

Here’s Kim with her fabulous tutorial:

First I choose papers that I love and then I bring out the markers or colored pencils that I will use to create a custom colored image that will coordinate with my papers. You are actually creating a custom accent for your project. Always test colors on scrap paper.

I chose a wood mount stamp by Stampin’ Up (Cute & Cuddly set), Copic markers, colored pencils, SEI papers (Play Day Collection) smooth white card stock and Ranger dye based ink. I used random buttons, Doodlebug letter stickers and a Stampin’ Up! scalloped border punch as well.

I stamped the bear and chose the lightest blue color marker that I had for his body (pink for the ears). Realistically it’s best to have 3 monochromatic colors that are one shade off from each other, but I used the ones that I had on hand that were the closest to the ideal.

 

I added in the medium blue and added it where I felt there would be some shadows.

I then colored over the entire image with the lightest blue once again, to help blend the medium blue color.

I added some darker blue over the medium blue and blended with the lightest marker…

and that creates a blended, smooth look.

I completed this image by adding a green belly and nose.

Here’s the card I created using the dark blue bear image:

Using colored pencils means coloring in a different way from markers. How much you press on the pencil will determine the darkness of your color. Colored pencils adds more texture than markers as well, especially if you are using textured paper.

Press harder on the pencil when you are close to the stamped line and press lighter as you come in towards the center. This will add dimension to your image.

 

Keep coloring around the image and turn the paper as you go along the lines.

Once you have colored the area, add light strokes to the center of the space and blend, lightly.

I colored the lighter shade of green first. It does not need to a perfect coloring.

You can leave the stamp image on the base card stock or choose to cut it out.

Other coloring mediums include chalk (which will create a very soft look) crayons which will add even more texture than the colored pencils but are not as easy to control on such a small surface. You can combine these mediums and paint an image as well. Just go back to your grass routes as a kid and sit and color. I think you will be amazed at how fun it still is!!