Distinctive Touches

Make It Crafty Challenge - Spring Colors!

I really enjoy spring... it means my favorite season (summer) is not far behind!

This week our Make It Crafty team is challing you to color with spring in mind.  Whether you see specific colors, patterns or textures, we want to see how YOU color spring! 

Here's my sample:  I LOVE the way this card turned out!  I don't usually do kiddy-wampus layers, but I just had to add a touch of tilt to this one. 

I used the Timber Top Ridge background and added the Geeky Love couple to complete the scene. 

I wanted to keep the colors vibrant  - so I stuck with yellow greens and greens for the foliage and fully saturated colors for the images. (see below for a list of colors used)

Spring has sprung here in Georgia and I am ready and waiting to pull out those flip flops for summer.  In the mean-time, I'm going to go color! 

Thanks for stopping by.  Make sure to head on over the the MIC gallery for more springy inspiration... and don't forget to enter your own artwork in the challenge!

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Supplies Used:
Make It Color Blending Card (MIC)
Raven and Blue Jeans cardstock (Bazzill Basics)
Timber Top Ridge and Geeky Love Digital Images( MIC)
Wild Thing sentiment (Verve Stamps)
Tuxedo Black ink (Memento)
Black multiliner (Copic)
Copic Markers
grass:YG21/G43/G14/G46
Leaves: YG21/G43/G14/G05/G16
tree: E33/E17/E29
rocks: c1/c3/c5/c7/w7/w5/w3
skin girl: E50/E21/E04
skin boy: E41/E21/E34/E04
jeans: B91/B93/B95/B99
boy sweater: Y00/Y11/Y04/Y35
boy shoes: c1/c3/c5
boy hair: E33/E39
Girl sweater and skirt: R81/R83/R85
girl hair: Y32/YR24/E97
flowers: Y13/Y38
sky: Boooo
clouds: B91

Make It Crafty Challenge - Coloring Red!

Reds...  a dreaded hue for some color artists.  I always tell my students that red is stubborn and needs a little extra lovin' to behave.  LOL

The challenge at Make It Crafty for the next two weeks is to COLOR RED!  Pick your medium...  pick your image... pick your shade... just pick red.  Just in time for Valentines Day!

I colored up this simple card for the challenge (simple layout... more challenging coloring).  I merged Sophie Daydreaming and Park Bench for Two digis to create the scene. 

There are a LOT of different ways to tackle coloring red, so I decided to share a photo tutorial of how I colored her sweater - to give you an idea of my coloring process.

Colors Used:

Step 1: Apply a base coat of the lightest shade.  (R22) Leave any highlights white.

Step 2:  Add shading with a medium/medium dark maker.  (R46) 

 

Step 3: Add a bit of lighter marker (R24) and blend out slightly.

 

Step 4: Add darker shading (R39) and then blend backwards with lighter markers (R46/R24).  I don't ever come back in with the very lightest until the very last step.

 

 Step 5: Add more shadows with darker R59.

 

Step 6: Blend backwards (R39/R46/R24) Using very little ink and letting layers dry a bit in between to avoid over-saturating the paper.

Step 7: Using the lightest color (R22) very gently go over the white highlighted areas.  Do not go over multiple times or try to blend.  Keep these very light.

Step 8: Add cast shadows with RV99 and a tiny bit of B39.  Do NOT blend out. 

Step 9: Here I added texture to her sweater by spritzing a dish towel with colorless blender and holding it onto the colored image.  (Notice I colored her skin already... if other areas are colored, be VERY careful so as not to texturize an area you want smooth.) I also have a tiny bit of bleeding in between her arms.  I am not going to try to fix this with the colorless blender as it will only make it worse.  I am going to be coloring the bench dark browns, so that should cover up the stray red marks.

And then... I colored up her skirt and hair...

 And then I gave her somewhere to sit...

And finished off by airbrushing in a sky.

There you have it... it's not as hard as you might think... just give it a try! Head on over to the Make It Crafty Gallery for other "coloring red" samples from the DT and to upload your own!  I wanna see...

Have a Colorful day!

The Grass Is Greener...MIC Challenge (w/Video)

I'm back with another great challenge from Make It Crafty!  This time, we are thinking spring (or summer) and challenging you to create GRASS! 

That's right...  Bermuda, Crab, Blue...whatever type of grass you want! 

For this challenge, I paired up the new Fairy Poinsettia and Sitting Flowers digi images to create a colorful scene.  Of course, I like to color BIG... so this is printed full size on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of Make It Colour cardstock.  (I cut the top 1.5 inches off when I cropped the photo). 

I filmed myself coloring this image and have turned it into a speed coloring video for you all. I hope you enjoy!  (If you have ideas for other tutorials or speed coloring videos... just let me know.)

 

You can visit my Youtube channel for even more fun Copic coloring HERE. 

And don't forget to head on over to the Make It Crafty Gallery for the newest challenge and for some amazing samples of "Coloring Grass" from the DT members and guests. 

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Supplies Used:
Fairy Poinsettia and Sitting Flowers digi images (Make It Crafty)
Make It Color Blending Card (Make It Crafty)
Printer
Copic Markers
    skin E00/E21/E33/E93/V22
    hair C3/C5/C7/C9
    dress and flower centers RV10/RV52/RV55/RV66/RV69
    wings E00/B00/B41/B45
    flowers V20/V22/V25/V28
    grass and stems G40/G43/G46 and G20/G21/G24/G28 and G14/G16
    colorless blender for texture
Copic Multiliners (olive, purple, pink, wine)

 

MIC Recolor Challenge

I'm always telling my students NOT to compare their work with other students.  I think that is unproductive and can lead to all sorts of conflicting emotions.  While I think it's good to use other people's work as inspiration, I definitely think it's more productive to compare yourself with... yourself!  LOL

Our challenge over at Make It Crafty right now is to do exactly that.  Take an image that you colored previously (preferably a few months past) and recolor it.  It's a GREAT learning challenge and no matter how advanced you are in your coloring skills, there is always room for improvement!

Here are my samples for the challenge. 

I colored the Cheery Santa digi image about 6 months ago. (Image on the left.)  It was okay.  I didn't really do anything wrong in my coloring, but I sure left room for improvement!  Look at the image on the right.  That's my re-color of the same image for the challenge!  Just look at the difference in contrast!  The re-color is MUCH darker and I payed attention and added cast shadows too! 

Here are both colored images on cards.  While I am not all that fond of the "drab" coloring on the first card, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the layout! 

 
And while I love the coloring (and added detail of the scene) of the second card, I am not as fond of the layout!  LOL 

I guess the next step is to color up Cheery Santa again... using lots of contrast and more realistic skin tones (like the second attempt) and put him in the layout from the first attempt. 

Like I said... it's always a learning experience!

Stop in the MIC gallery to see what others are doing and learning from their re-color challenge.

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Copic Colors used in original
Skin: E00/E02
Beard and Fur Trim: C1/C3
Red: R22/R24/R27/R29
Black: C1/C3/C5/C7

Copic Colors used in the re-colorSkin: E00/E21/E34/E93/BV01Bear: W00/W1
Fur Trim: C00/C1/C3/C5Red: R22/R24/R29/R59/RV99Black: C00/C1/C3/C5/C7/C9
Tree: BG10/G40/G82/Y00
Snow: BG0000/YG31
Bricks: E93/E97/E99/E44/0
Sky: BG70/BG72/0

 

 

I'm a Color Addict!

Hello Readers!  I've got happy news to share with you all... 

I was asked to join the Make It Crafty Design Team, and I said, "YES!" (Well of course I said yes... it's a DREAM team and I am honored to be a part of it!)

You might remember my post about being a guest designer for MIC for their Texture Challenge a few weeks ago.  Well, shortly after, Zoe asked me to stay on as a permanent member of her team.  I am just SO thrilled!  Zoe and the girls are SO welcoming and the group really shares a love of coloring and sharing.  I hope that I can be as inspirational to others as they are to me.  

I'm a HUGE fan of the MIC digital images (they have red rubber too for those of you NOT into digis) and I am so excited to be able to play with them on a regular basis.  

Here is one of my latest creations...  I just LOVE these mischievous little guys!  I suppose getting home for the holidays IS sometimes a challenge.  LOL  

This image actually works for a number of recent coloring challenges over at MIC... texture on the wood, coloring white (rocket stripes), coloring snow (ummmm, snow) and light from a single point light source (fuse).  I'm pretty excited with how it turned out!


If you head on over to the Make It Crafty blog, you can read more about my coloring journey and just where I get my inspiration from... oh, and you can see a REALLY heinous photo of me when I was a child.  Yeah... good times! 

Thanks for stopping in today and sharing in my joy - have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Supplies:

Images -  (MIC - digital scene) Elf Delivery System, Winter Sign, Pile of Snow
Paper - (MIC) Make It Color Blending Card, (Bazzill Basics) brown, parakeet, Hillary
Copic Markers -
    wood post: E31/E23/E37/E49
    signs: E11/E55/E17/E44/E59
    skin:E00/E21/E34/BV01/E93
    rope: Y23/E43/E71/E74/E77
    lighter: C1/C3/C5
    rocket: W00/W1/Y0000/R22/R24/R27/R29/R37/R59/B26
    feathers: Y21/YR24
    coat/shoes/hat:G40/G82/G85/G28
    tights/collars: YG91/YG93/YG95/YG97/YG99/E25
    snow: BG0000/BG70/BG10/Y0000
Other - brown inking pen, MIC chippies (chipboard corners)

 

Just Some Coloring...

Nothing newsworthy today... just wanted to post an image that I worked on last night.  I was going to attempt another "texture" image (Chantelle at the Races) for the current challenge over at Make It Crafty, but after I started, I realized that I didn't "plan ahead" and figure out how I wanted to add texture. 

I was thinking about using the colorless blender to texturize her dress, but of course I colored that LAST... so that idea was out.  (Unless I wanted to try tapping in small areas with my stipple brush... which I didn't. 

So...  while it was a failed attempt at texture, I am pretty happy with the overall look of the dress so I thought I'd share. 

If you are interested in seeing a LOT of coloring with texture (and other cool challenges), head on over to the Make It Crafty Blog and Gallery.

Happy Coloring!

Supplies:
Chantelle at the Races Digi Image - Make It Crafty
Color Copy Laser Printer Paper (for practicing)
Copic Markers
    Skin: E00/E21/E34/BV01
    Hair: Y32/YR24/YR14
    Dress: B41/B12/B16/B26/B39
    Flowers: BG11/BG15/BG18

Copic Compatibility: Testing Cardstock - Part II

I'm back... and I have MORE card stock testing results for use with those Copic markers!  If you missed Part I, you can click HERE for the results of my first paper group. 

Today I have 7 more card stocks to cover... from color, to blendability, to feathering to colorless blender effects.  The papers I'm testing today are:

Copic Stamp Paper
Gina K Designs -  Pure Luxury (80lb)
Make It Crafty -  Make It Color
Neenah - Clasic Crest Solar White Smooth
X-Press It Blending Card
Papertrey Ink - Stampers Select White
Xpedx Hammermill - Color Copy Digital Cover 100lb

Let's Get Started...

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Copic Stamp Paper

• slight yellow tint
• smooth surface
• maker catches just slightly on surface
• no streaks
• darkens slightly with layering
• easy blending
• some feathering with lots of layers
• ink soaks through very quickly
• excellent blender effects

Overall Thoughts - an excellent paper to use with Copic markers, but NOT a thick card stock-like paper.  It isn't as thin as printer paper, but it isn't as thick as card stock. 

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Gina K. Designs Pure Luxury

• yellow tint noticeable next to gray/white paper
• smooth surface
• marker flows smoothly across the surface
• some streaks if not fully saturated
• darkens with layers
• blending takes a bit of work
• no feathering
• ink sits on top of paper
• minimal blender effects

Overall Thoughts - This is a very nice paper for Copic users who want a denser paper.  I personally prefer softer papers, but I do find this surface to be very compatible.  It take a bit more work to blend (the flick application technique is a must).  Since the ink sits on the surface for some time, it can get gummy if you layer on too much ink. 

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  Make It Color

• crisp white color
• super smooth surface
• marker flows smoothly across the surface
• no streaks
• darkens a lot with layers
• super easy blending
• minimal feathering with lots of ink
• ink sits on top for a bit before soaking in
• excellent blender effects

Overall Thoughts - What a find!  I love this paper... it is very similar to the X-Press It Blending Card.  Great for beginner or experienced Copic users alike.  Super easy blending and very, very little feathering.  (I had to really soak it to get it to feather at all.)  Love the fact that I can get really crisp blender effects with this!

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Neenah Classic Crest

• bright white color
• has some tooth
• marker snags on the surface
• no streaks
• darkens very quickly
• easy blends
• feathers with layers
• ink soaks in quickly
• excellent blender effects initially but they fade as they dry

Overall Thoughts - I actually like this paper because I learned on it... BUT, I would not recommend this paper for a beginner Copic user as it is too soft and tends to feather a lot.  It blends easily.

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X-Press It Blender Card

• crisp white
• super smooth
• marker floats over the surface
• no streaks
• darkens with layers
• super easy blending
• no feathering
• ink soaks in slowly
• excellent blender effects

Overall Thoughts - LOVE this paper!!!  It's my "go-to" paper... I recommend it for beginner and experienced Copic users alike.  Love that the markers flow so smoothly and the blending is effortless. 

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Papertrey Ink

• crisp white
• some tooth
• marker snags a slight bit
• streaky unless very saturated
• darkens with a lot of layers
• blending a bit more difficult
• minimal feathering
• ink sits on surface for a bit then soaks in quickly
• good blender effects

Overall Thoughts - A compatible paper that I would recommend for experienced Copic users.  (Too difficult to blend for beginners.)  It uses a bit more ink to create smooth blends than a softer paper.   A good choice for colorers who want a denser paper.

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Hammermill Color Copy

• crisp white
• some tooth
• marker snags a bit on surface
• no streaks
• darkens quickly
• simple blending
• little to no feathering
• ink soaks in quickly
• excellent blender effects

Overall Thoughts - I was very surprised by this paper.  Not one that I had used or tested before and I didn't think I was going to like it, but I DO!  It's a good paper for those used to a soft surface.  It would be a good option for beginner Copic users. 

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My final thoughts for the day... I really think that ALL of these papers are good Copic compatible papers!  Each surface is a bit different - so you really need to know your inking style and your own personal preference for paper type. 

My top two picks today...  X-Press It Blending Card and Make It Color - these are actually my very favorite card stocks to work with when using Copics.  Love, Love, Love them! I also want to give a "surprise" shout out to the Hammermill Color Copy paper... it definitely is at the top of my recommendation list.

How would you like to win a sampling of my top picks from the card stock testing? 

Just leave a comment on THIS post telling me what YOUR favorite Copic paper is.  I will be picking a winner (or maybe two) next week.  Commenting for blog candy will be closed on Sunday, October 23rd and the winner will be posted on Monday, October 24.

(Flower image from retired SU set and image stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black)

Thanks for stopping by!

Speed Coloring with Copics!

Here is what I've been doing...

 

 

It took me a bit over an hour to color this image...  but you can see me do the whole thing in crazy fast mode!  LOL  (I do always say that I color fast and crazy!)  It's about 14 minutes long...so grab a cuppa something warm and settle in to watch. 

Image is Mushroom House from the little house collection at Make It Crafty (I can't wait to color up some of the other houses... talk about whimsical!!!)  This is a digital image - and I love that I can make it BIG (full sheet of paper) and really get into adding details and texture.

Sorry I don't have a list of Copic Colors...  I used lots of reds, grays (warm and cool) and greens...  no blending groups... just colors I liked.

Paper is Color Laser Copier paper... it's what I use when I want to practice or when I am doing large images like this. 

Enjoy!

Click HERE to see more of my You Tube Videos.

Last Call for Copic Certifications!

As we head into the fall months, we are wrapping up our Standard and Intermediate Copic Certification schedule and beginning work on our schedule for 2012.  We now have ALL classes listed and open for enrollment for both Standard and Intermediate (with the exception of Atlanta Intermediate on Dec. 1st... that will open for enrollment very soon!)

          


You can see the list of classes HERE on my blog and you can apply HERE on the Copic website.  Don't wait...  this is it for 2011! 

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I also want to give you a heads up...  I've been working on some videos and some technique tutorials for you and I'm ALMOST ready to post...  here's a sneak peek at the image that I colored for one of the videos... 

Size: 8.5 x 11
Image: Make It Crafty
Coloring Medium: Copics
Learn more and watch the process...(coming later today!)

What? No Lines?

That's right...  well, light lines at least! 

Another tip/technique/challenge that is happening over at Make It Crafty is coloring images that have been stamped with super light ink. 

It might sound like no big deal, but it's VERY different than coloring in a nice, solid black lined image. 

Here's my very first attempt:

I'm not horrified by it... but I'm not really thrilled with it either.  It's all about learning new things and then practicing them.  That's my plan with this technique. 

As you can see, the stamped lines aren't really visible (they are in the hair because I colored with light shades)... and that makes coloring a definite challenge... the look is very different... almost soft and fuzzy like watercolor. 

I used London Fog ink (I think I want to get some of the uber light blue to try again.) And the image is Standing Pretty by Elisabeth Bell.  And here are the colors I used:

Thanks for stopping in!  Have a Colorful Day!

I've got PLEATS!

I decided to take some time off of "work" today and color.  Yes... I color for work...but today I didn't color for any specific project or deadline.. I colored just for fun...so I guess I had the day off!  LOL

I recently joined the Make It Crafty group on Facebook and I'm so impressed (and somewhat intimidated) by the talent over there!  Zoe (artist and group administrator) colors like an angel... and I want to soak up everything I can from her. 

The group posts challenges and tips for people to try... and I tried two today! (I'll show you one today and another in a few days...)

Here's the first new thing I tried... coloring PLEATS!  Now, I've colored pleats on images that already have pleats on them... but I've never done it on "flat" images. 

Here's an adorable image from My Favorite Things called Cute Is What I Do.  This is the way I would normally color her... (yup... and like normal, I changed the light source half way through the process!  LOL)

And here she is with PLEATS!  Isn't that awesome?  Now, it was my first attempt at pleats and I got a little pleat crazy... and they do look a bit zig-zaggy... but overall, I'm pretty happy and I can't wait to practice this technique and really perfect it. 

Here are the Copic markers used:

What fun...  I love that I can now take a fairly simple image and really bump up the difficulty level. 

What are you waiting for?  Go out and get your pleat on!