Sunday, September 16, 2007

Are you paint brush challenged?

I am "paint brush challenged". When I try to watercolor, I can't seem to get the hang of controlling the paint brush to do the beautiful shading I've seen so many other people do. I've tried and tried. I just haven't been able to do it. I finally got a couple sets of Watercolor Wonder Crayons by SU! I tried using a wet paintbrush touched to the crayon, but I ran into the same control issue with shading. Then it happened - an epiphany.

I'm pretty good with Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol using the blending stumps. I used the WWCs like a normal crayon to paper, then wet a blending stump with water. It works! Just like it works with gamsol and colored pencils. I had to sand the stump down a little more often because it got soggier (the water evaporates much more slowly), but other than that, it was like magic! I can't post the card I've made already, because I will be submitting it, but I'll make a different card for you tonight. I was just excited to share my discovery. It means a whole new world of coloring for me, and those crayons are FABULOUS!

5 comments:

AnnMarie said...

Very cool! I am water color challenged for sure! I have gone back and fourth about those crayons! Glad to hear they work so well! Can't wait to see your card! : )

Erika H. said...

Thanks for sharing your epiphany! I was wondering about using the stumps with water, but never tried it. Thanks again.

Corie said...

Thanks for sharing your idea -- cannot wait to see your card!!

mel m. m. mccarthy said...

That's ingenious; I love the water-colour pencil crayons, but sometimes find the brush drags the paint too much and I end up with spots that have no colour. I'll have to try this. Thanks! :0) Mel

~* Tracy *~ said...

Now that's a very nifty idea! Thank you for sharing it with us :) I have quite of few of those stump things (from my pastel paintings) that I will have to dig out of my art cupboard.