This stunning Christmas poinsettia image had me reaching for my paints immediately! You can’t beat the classics. This blog post is part of a blog hop to celebrate the All The Joy release from Simon Says Stamp. You can find more on the blog hop below.
I’ve linked all supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.
simple, classic, watercoloured poinsettia
Achieving the no-line look of my watercolours is a question I’m frequently asked. It can be quite challenging for my eyesight, but I usually opt for a neutral water-reactive ink such as Antique Linen Distress ink. However, if there are strong colour biases, like with this poinsettia, I choose light pink and light green to work with. I apply a minimal amount of ink to the image and then stamp it onto the watercolour card. I may stamp once or up to three times. The key is to have the image stamped as lightly as possible without affecting its clarity. Furthermore, I try to keep most of the ink in the centre of the image and leave the leaf edges and such barely visible. If there are areas where the ink hasn’t caught, I fill them in with a pencil.
I’m really enjoying my watercolor journey and I have some useful tips for anyone who is starting out. In my experience, investing in the best watercolour paper you can afford is more important than buying expensive paint or brushes. I recommend using Arches paper for its exceptional quality. So, if you want to start your watercolour journey on the right foot, make sure you invest in good quality paper.
For a long time, I have favoured Daniel Smith paints because of their highly concentrated pigment and their ability to wet easily. When I squeeze out the tubes of paint onto my palette and they dry, all I need to do is add a light spritz of water and they are ready to be used. The tubes might be small, but a little paint goes a long way.
I’ve been talking a lot about paper and paint, but let’s get back to the card! After I finished painting, I splattered some leftover paint and white gouache. Then I trimmed the panel to fit on a Neenah Desert Storm card base. I stamped a sentiment from the Holiday Blossoms set in Nocturne ink and die-cut it with the matching die. Finally, I adhered it to the card front with foam tape.
more inspiration
Here’s another card I made with products from the new release. You can find the original blog post here. The card uses the Winter Wishes stamp set and Soft Snowfall embossing folder. Two poinsettia cards but two very different looks!
blog hop
As mentioned above, this post is part of a blog hop to celebrate the All The Joy release from Simon Says Stamp. Hopefully, you’ve arrived here from Amy’s blog, but if not, Simon’s blog is an excellent place to start.
- Simon is giving away a $25 coupon from comments left on each hop stop. Winners will be announced on the Simon blog on Wednesday, 08 November.
- Free gift with purchase! Use code STAR at checkout to get the free Holy Stars stencil. Offer valid until 05 November at 11.59pm ET.
Now, it is time to hop on over to Emily’s blog. Here’s the complete hop list to keep you on track.
supplies
You can find links to the supplies I’ve used below; click on the picture or shop icon to get taken directly to the product. Where available, I use compensated affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you! A store or the manufacturer provides items marked with an asterisk (*). You can read my affiliate and product disclosure here. I genuinely appreciate your support.
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I love the colors you used on this card. Beautiful
So gorgeous! You are so talented!