TRYING SOMETHING NEW

Last week on several of the blogs I visit there was a challenge going on to use colored pencils to color the main image on your card. The work was beautiful and it inspired me to try something new. I have some Crayola colored pencils (you can stop laughing now ladies!!!!) and I had used them occasionally to produce realistic looking skin tones - but that was as far as it went. Even as a child in school I preferred crayons to colored pencils because of the smooth, "penciless" results - so I never bothered to use them. After viewing the work of the very talented women on these other blogs I realized the key is the type of pencil you use - specifically a wax based pencil such as Prismacolors or Kohr-i-noor (spelling on this one might me wrong!) and the blending method you use. So off I went to the hobby store to purchase colored pencils, odorless Mineral Spirits (aka Gamsol) and blending stumps from Taiwan. I picked up the largest set of Prismacolors - and after recovering from a little episode of hyperventilating put them down and picked up the smallest set. Much better price for my pocket book - but VERY limited on color choices. Then I saw the woodenless Kohr-i-noor pencils. A nice variety of colors - 24 pencils I think - for 14.99. Yep - those were definitely the best choice for me.

This card is the result of my first attempt at coloring with colored pencils (not watercolor pencils). I'm pleased with the result I achieved with the medium - and will definitely be using it more often now.

Recipe:

Stazon Jet Black Ink

90# Watercolor Paper

Daisies image from Rubbernecker

Kohr-i-noor pencils

Gamsol

SU! So Saffron Cardstock

SU! So Saffron Ribbon

I also wanted to show you the difference in color when using watercolor paper and when using Whisper White. Using a scrap piece of Whisper White I stamped the image then colored a few petals using the same colored pencils as I did on the card. The watercolor holds the vibrant colors of the pencil while the Whisper White keeps the pencil on the surface. When I blended on the WW, much of the color dissipated leaving a much lighter/pastel look to the image.

Hope you enjoyed the practice sample today. I hope you'll give this technique a try. It is a bit time consuming - but loads of fun!

Thanks for visiting today and have a great day.

Jill