Yup....this may be the ONE AND ONLY video tutorial you will EVER see of me, unless of course I happen to be at bella headquarters again and Ebru arrives with her video cam in hand! Yes, this piece of work was put together by our video babe Ebru...here you'll see how I do a face, hair, and add pencils to shade my copic colouring! Plus if you watch the entire thing you will see me hiding a zit on my forehead and trying to look sultry and gorjus! LOL! And if you plan on leaving a comment, PALEEEEZE tell me that I don't look as old as my voice sounds! EEEEEEK!
Now if you are still with me, you may want to check out Paula's claim to fame...and that would be GARASSSS! YUP....she demonstrates how she does grass...her old and new technique. And....if you omit the GARASSSS blades it is a good demo of 'all purpose' grounding!
ENJOY!
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
a pseudo-tutorial and x-press it blending card!
well girls...this is NOT really a tutorial, but it may be helpful. The No.1 question I get asked is how much pencil do I add! Well, I'll tell you, to the image, not very much AT ALL! But all shading around the image, and the grounding is ALWAYS done exclusively with pencil. So I've decided to show you three images that we coloured up at Stamping Bella this past weekend and what the image looked like with just copics, and after I added the pencil. Hope this WOW's you cause it always WOW's me!
In these three examples the left image is just coloured with copics, and the right after adding some pencil. (you can click on all of them for an up close look) In all cases, I would have initially used 2, but probably 3 colors of copics but I don't get as much depth, contrast and texture as I would like so that is where the pencils come in. If I increased the number of copics used to say 5 instead of 3, I could certainly achieve the depth and contrast, but it still lacks the texture of pencils which I LOVE for the softer look. So that is why I went 'hybrid'!
When I add the pencil, I almost always use a stump with some gamsol to blend it out a bit. BUT...I'm careful not to blend it out over the entire area! You only want to blend it out over half to two thirds of your darkest copic you used! And I don't always blend it out, sometimes I like the way it looks just as is. Now be careful though! This is NOT the same as if you were gonna color your entire image with pencils, where you want a good heavy application of pencil down so you have enough pigment to spread over the entire area! We DON'T want to cover the entire area so a light hand here is all that's required.
Below are the three images and some examples of where I added pencils.
Izzy has a cake
After colouring the green icing with G20 and G21, I used some Kelp Green to deepen it up a bit. The stripes were done with YR0000, Y00, 11, 15, YR31, 23. Then I used mineral orange pencil to shade under the cake, the underside of the skirt and on the polkadot layer where the striped layer is shading it. If I don't think I have enough, I might have added some light umber here, but just a very thin line and not really pulling that out at all, but just softening the line with a stump that is on the 'dry' side.
Izzy has a cupcake
Most often I just choose a color of pencil that is darker, but in the same color family to deepen things up a bit. Here I used BG000, 11 and 72 for the dress. Then I added some aquamarine pencil and again, just a thin line of a deep french grey to create that 'pop'. And remember, don't blend that french grey out, just a sweep with the stump to soften the line is all that is required.
Jill is two
You know I love MO....this is where pencils really come in handy. I did not want to tackle all the folds and creases in those tights with markers, especially cause the tights are striped!!!... so I just coloured the stripes using two colors for each stripe. Then following the contours I added some light umber and blended it out with a stump and gamsol....staying away from the center because I wanted to keep that light. Then just a teeny tiny bit of dark umber under the bulge of her diaper got me the look I wanted!
So that's it...not to tough eh! Just so you know, I RARELY do anything with pencil on the hair...I like it the way it is with just copics.
Now speaking of just copics...I got my grubby fingers on some of the x-press it blending card. Let me just say....if you are a copic purist, this is THE HANDS DOWN THE BESTEST PAPER FOR YOU! It is brilliant white so your copic colors are not distorted in any way and ULTRA smooth....like silky smooth! The copics blend like a DREAM! i LOVE THIS STUFF!
BUT....(for me there is a but!)
if you are a hybrid gal like me and like to use pencils with your copics....don't use this paper. It is way too smooth for pencils, there is absolutely NO 'tooth' to it at all. that means there is nothing to 'grab' the pencil....it's like colouring with a pencil on glass! get my drift! and if you do manage to get pencil down on it, you can't get it to move and blend as smoothly (or at ALL) like you can on bella's bestest paper.
so for you hybrid gals....stick with the bella paper!
So my verdict, if you are a copic purist...go for it! You'll LOVE IT! I'd rate it a 10 out of 10! If there is a remote chance you may want to use pencils over or in addition to your copics, stick with the bella paper because i would rate it a 9 out of 10 with both mediums.
Don't forget our halloweenie challenge this weekend! There is still time to get your card to Emily by tomorrow! Just so you know, I coloured mine on the x-press it paper!
In these three examples the left image is just coloured with copics, and the right after adding some pencil. (you can click on all of them for an up close look) In all cases, I would have initially used 2, but probably 3 colors of copics but I don't get as much depth, contrast and texture as I would like so that is where the pencils come in. If I increased the number of copics used to say 5 instead of 3, I could certainly achieve the depth and contrast, but it still lacks the texture of pencils which I LOVE for the softer look. So that is why I went 'hybrid'!
When I add the pencil, I almost always use a stump with some gamsol to blend it out a bit. BUT...I'm careful not to blend it out over the entire area! You only want to blend it out over half to two thirds of your darkest copic you used! And I don't always blend it out, sometimes I like the way it looks just as is. Now be careful though! This is NOT the same as if you were gonna color your entire image with pencils, where you want a good heavy application of pencil down so you have enough pigment to spread over the entire area! We DON'T want to cover the entire area so a light hand here is all that's required.
Below are the three images and some examples of where I added pencils.
Izzy has a cake
After colouring the green icing with G20 and G21, I used some Kelp Green to deepen it up a bit. The stripes were done with YR0000, Y00, 11, 15, YR31, 23. Then I used mineral orange pencil to shade under the cake, the underside of the skirt and on the polkadot layer where the striped layer is shading it. If I don't think I have enough, I might have added some light umber here, but just a very thin line and not really pulling that out at all, but just softening the line with a stump that is on the 'dry' side.
Izzy has a cupcake
Most often I just choose a color of pencil that is darker, but in the same color family to deepen things up a bit. Here I used BG000, 11 and 72 for the dress. Then I added some aquamarine pencil and again, just a thin line of a deep french grey to create that 'pop'. And remember, don't blend that french grey out, just a sweep with the stump to soften the line is all that is required.
Jill is two
You know I love MO....this is where pencils really come in handy. I did not want to tackle all the folds and creases in those tights with markers, especially cause the tights are striped!!!... so I just coloured the stripes using two colors for each stripe. Then following the contours I added some light umber and blended it out with a stump and gamsol....staying away from the center because I wanted to keep that light. Then just a teeny tiny bit of dark umber under the bulge of her diaper got me the look I wanted!
So that's it...not to tough eh! Just so you know, I RARELY do anything with pencil on the hair...I like it the way it is with just copics.
Now speaking of just copics...I got my grubby fingers on some of the x-press it blending card. Let me just say....if you are a copic purist, this is THE HANDS DOWN THE BESTEST PAPER FOR YOU! It is brilliant white so your copic colors are not distorted in any way and ULTRA smooth....like silky smooth! The copics blend like a DREAM! i LOVE THIS STUFF!
BUT....(for me there is a but!)
if you are a hybrid gal like me and like to use pencils with your copics....don't use this paper. It is way too smooth for pencils, there is absolutely NO 'tooth' to it at all. that means there is nothing to 'grab' the pencil....it's like colouring with a pencil on glass! get my drift! and if you do manage to get pencil down on it, you can't get it to move and blend as smoothly (or at ALL) like you can on bella's bestest paper.
so for you hybrid gals....stick with the bella paper!
So my verdict, if you are a copic purist...go for it! You'll LOVE IT! I'd rate it a 10 out of 10! If there is a remote chance you may want to use pencils over or in addition to your copics, stick with the bella paper because i would rate it a 9 out of 10 with both mediums.
Don't forget our halloweenie challenge this weekend! There is still time to get your card to Emily by tomorrow! Just so you know, I coloured mine on the x-press it paper!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Pooped out!
or as Alex would say...I'm spent!
I was on vacation this past week but it wasn't all rest and relaxation for this sistah! Wednesday we moved Derek to Hamilton and yesterday moved Alex to London. They were both in residence last year and this year they are renting houses with friends (ah...alex's place already looks like a scene from Animal House!). The day after Derek left I got the vacuum, a pail and my beloved Enjo multipurpose cleaning mitt and tackled the room from ceiling to floor! Then I rearranged furniture a bit and tried to make it look more airy, homey and welcoming...a stark contrast from the clutter that was in there before. Next up is Alex's room, but with all the moving, lifting, vacuuming and washing walls my wrist needs a bit of a rest. I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day because I'd really like to go back to work on Tuesday knowing both these rooms are clean, neat and tidy!
After these few days, if I had a puppy large enough, and I was small enough!...I would so love to just sack out on top of my dog just like Buds-girl is doing! Honestly, that looks soooooo comfortable!
Buds-girl was stamped on Bella's bestest paper, coloured copic markers, and shading aound and below the image was with prismapencils and gamsol/OMS. I used just a tiny bit of pencil on the main image and mostly on the little girl's outfit because I didn't want to too dark. And I also didn't want my yellow too bright or her cute tiny bottom would have looked like a big lemon!
And what do you think of those ribbon rose buds! OMG...they did NOT photograph well, the color kept looking blue, but they are actually a bright teal. I got them at Pickle the other day and they are called Bloomers by Websters Pages. They are sooooo pretty and soft i want to make a pillow out of them and squish my face in them. I couldn't decide what color to get, so what the heck...got one of each! What is really nice about them is that you can put them on a card and they look all fluffy, but if you squish them flat (like when in an envelope) they pop back into shape and they are way less bulky than they look when squished down. I love these things. They come as a ribbon and you just cut off what you want! I was stalking Marcie's blog the other day (another local gal) and I see she was using them too....gotta get that dreamy ivory color she used!
Okay...so these are the markers I used
E0000, 000, 00, 11, R20
E30, 31, 33, 35, 50, 51, 53
E40, 41, 43, 44
G000, 00, 20, 12 (darker shading was added with Aquamarine pencil, and just a teeny bit of a medium grey)
YR0000, Y0000, 000, 00 (a base of YR0000 tones down the yellow a bit)
w00, 1, 2, 6, c00, 1
Now to answer a couple questions...
Gauk...I sew VERY slowly and use a foot that is open in the front so I can see where I am going. This is especially important when doing ovals! And when I am going around the tight ends of the oval I will sometimes do just one or two stitches at a time, stopping with my needle down and SLOWLY turning the paper bit by bit between stitches.
Sylvia...MOST of the shading on the main image is done with copics. I will typically use 3-4 colors of the same color family in an area. On the choir card I did not use any pencils on the animals at all, it was all done with copic because they are so small. Typically if the area to color is larger, like the dog in this post, that is where I will go in and add pencil. I may add a light layer in a shade similar to the copic to mask any blending with my copics that didn't come out too smooth, or more likely just because I like the textured look that pencls give. Most often, I will just add a bit of a deep shade (just a bit) to add some darker shadows.
Hope this helps ladies, stop back later this week for my Christmas Card of the Week! And don't forget our Friday challenge is School Days...hmmmmm....maybe I should make a card of me doing the happy dance around the house!
I was on vacation this past week but it wasn't all rest and relaxation for this sistah! Wednesday we moved Derek to Hamilton and yesterday moved Alex to London. They were both in residence last year and this year they are renting houses with friends (ah...alex's place already looks like a scene from Animal House!). The day after Derek left I got the vacuum, a pail and my beloved Enjo multipurpose cleaning mitt and tackled the room from ceiling to floor! Then I rearranged furniture a bit and tried to make it look more airy, homey and welcoming...a stark contrast from the clutter that was in there before. Next up is Alex's room, but with all the moving, lifting, vacuuming and washing walls my wrist needs a bit of a rest. I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day because I'd really like to go back to work on Tuesday knowing both these rooms are clean, neat and tidy!
After these few days, if I had a puppy large enough, and I was small enough!...I would so love to just sack out on top of my dog just like Buds-girl is doing! Honestly, that looks soooooo comfortable!
Buds-girl was stamped on Bella's bestest paper, coloured copic markers, and shading aound and below the image was with prismapencils and gamsol/OMS. I used just a tiny bit of pencil on the main image and mostly on the little girl's outfit because I didn't want to too dark. And I also didn't want my yellow too bright or her cute tiny bottom would have looked like a big lemon!
And what do you think of those ribbon rose buds! OMG...they did NOT photograph well, the color kept looking blue, but they are actually a bright teal. I got them at Pickle the other day and they are called Bloomers by Websters Pages. They are sooooo pretty and soft i want to make a pillow out of them and squish my face in them. I couldn't decide what color to get, so what the heck...got one of each! What is really nice about them is that you can put them on a card and they look all fluffy, but if you squish them flat (like when in an envelope) they pop back into shape and they are way less bulky than they look when squished down. I love these things. They come as a ribbon and you just cut off what you want! I was stalking Marcie's blog the other day (another local gal) and I see she was using them too....gotta get that dreamy ivory color she used!
Okay...so these are the markers I used
E0000, 000, 00, 11, R20
E30, 31, 33, 35, 50, 51, 53
E40, 41, 43, 44
G000, 00, 20, 12 (darker shading was added with Aquamarine pencil, and just a teeny bit of a medium grey)
YR0000, Y0000, 000, 00 (a base of YR0000 tones down the yellow a bit)
w00, 1, 2, 6, c00, 1
Now to answer a couple questions...
Gauk...I sew VERY slowly and use a foot that is open in the front so I can see where I am going. This is especially important when doing ovals! And when I am going around the tight ends of the oval I will sometimes do just one or two stitches at a time, stopping with my needle down and SLOWLY turning the paper bit by bit between stitches.
Sylvia...MOST of the shading on the main image is done with copics. I will typically use 3-4 colors of the same color family in an area. On the choir card I did not use any pencils on the animals at all, it was all done with copic because they are so small. Typically if the area to color is larger, like the dog in this post, that is where I will go in and add pencil. I may add a light layer in a shade similar to the copic to mask any blending with my copics that didn't come out too smooth, or more likely just because I like the textured look that pencls give. Most often, I will just add a bit of a deep shade (just a bit) to add some darker shadows.
Hope this helps ladies, stop back later this week for my Christmas Card of the Week! And don't forget our Friday challenge is School Days...hmmmmm....maybe I should make a card of me doing the happy dance around the house!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Glittering Technique
This is a special post for Leslie and fella babe Karen who want to know how I do my glittering 'technique'. I'll openly admit here that I sort of smiled when I read it because it really isn't a technique, there is no special secret to it and when they see this I'm sure they are gonna look at each other, squirrel up their faces and say..."that's ALL she does"...heheheh...but I am quite tickled that it looks so impressive! Remember gals, if it ain't easy, I ain't doin' it...the ONLY exception might be for a really special card for a blood relative!
So here goes....
let's assume this stella is all colored up with the medium of your choice
And if you have a question, don't be shy (although, i'll admit, i AM quite shy myself) and post it in the chat box. What I really like about the chat box is that it is quick and easy and I can check it and post answers to it from any computer as long as I can get to my blog and I don't have to sign on to email!!! Gotta love the internet!
So here goes....
let's assume this stella is all colored up with the medium of your choice
see those red dots...I use a Quickie glue pen, make sure it running nice and smooth and 'dot' glue where you see all those red dots. The solid red is where I applied lots of dots to fill in the space. Then I use loose glitter. Either Glamour Dust, or any of the other colored glitter that Stamping Bella sells. You can find those here, or here. Most often though I use clear glitter like the Glamour Dust, or sometimes Hero Arts.
And there ya go! All nice and glittery!
Now don't forget about the Bellarific challenge this week. Gold and bling are the rules! For the challenge pic you can check out Emily's blog here.
And if you have a question, don't be shy (although, i'll admit, i AM quite shy myself) and post it in the chat box. What I really like about the chat box is that it is quick and easy and I can check it and post answers to it from any computer as long as I can get to my blog and I don't have to sign on to email!!! Gotta love the internet!
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