Hi everyone, today I would like to show you the first page in my Spectrum Noir Art Journal, and since this is the first page I thought it would be fitting to call this page “New Beginnings”. This particular journal I’m working in is available on the Crafter’s Companion website.
I don’t work directly on the pages but use the journal to add my projects into!
Step 1:
I printed this digital image by Power Poppy Stamps (“Hellebores”) onto alcohol marker friendly paper and let it sit for a while before I started colouring (you will have to try for yourself to see if the ink in your printer is compatible with alcohol markers).
Today I’m working with my Spectrum Noir Illustrator alcohol markers (these are the new 2019 colours), but you can use any Spectrum Noir alcohol markers you have.
When working with alcohol markers always make sure that you have a piece of scrap (printer) paper underneath your project.
I added my first colour to parts of the flower petals to saturate the paper: I choose Pink Tint (PP3) for this (this first bit is a bit difficult to see in the picture because the colour is light). I use flicking motions.
Step 2:
In the next steps I’m going to build up the colour until I like what I have. Keep in mind that it’s hard to remove what you have added to your project, so working in layers in important. To some extend you can “bleach” the colours with your Blender marker (BL), but you can’t erase them completely when it’s a dark colour. The Blender is also not intended to blend colours together although the name might suggest otherwise.
The next colour I’m adding to the petals is a bit to dark for my liking but since I don’t have all the colours of Illustrator markers I try to work with what I have: Cerise (BP4). By adding the first colour (PP3) on top of this BP4 colour I can sort of blend them together but it’s not looking great at this moment. I try to keep one/third of each petal free of colour because I will add green from the other side. If you went to far in, try to bleach a bit with the BL marker.
Step 3:
The darkest colour for the petals is Cranberry (BP7) and you need to add this colour carefully because it’s overpowering the others when you’re not careful. Blend this colour with the BP4 and PP3 colour.
Step 4:
Like I mentioned before I want to add a light green to the flower petals on the one/third of each petal that I left uncoloured. For this I used Willow (DG1).
Step 5:
Now that the flower petals are ready I’m working on the leaves: since I don’t have that many green markers yet I will start out with the same DG1 that I used before, marking what will be my darkest areas.
Step 6:
Then I’m adding in my darker green: Pear Green (CG3) and before adding my darkest green I will add some yellow (Sunshine (CT2)) because I need to create a difference in colour between the green in the flower petals and the green in the leaves. Then I add my darkest green: Avocado (CG4).
Step 7:
Because I feel there is still not enough contrast between the different greens I add a brown tone to create a more darker shadow for the green leaves: Russet (TN8), use this colour sparingly.
Step 8:
Then I go over this colour with the yellow and green tones that I used before. In this step I also add CT2 (the yellow) and some Warme Beige (TN4) to the hearts of the flowers.
To the water/glass I add some Pale Mint (BT1) and I also go over the stem part of the flower that’s underneath the water surface as well. The focus will be on the flower so not a whole lot of detail is required for the rest of the image.
As a ground for the glass and a little around the flower I used Brown Grey 2 (BG2), blending this colour to nothing around the flower image with the BL marker.
Step 9:
Personally I like to add some highlights with a white Gelly Roll pen, but this can be quite scary in the beginning (because you don’t want to ruin your image).
You can find all the Illustrator markers that I used today here on the Crafter’s Companion website.
Step 10:
Now that my focal point is ready I will work on the rest of my page: I start by cutting a sheet of Crafter’s Companion Watercolour Card to the size that I need, which is 2 panels of 14,5 x20,5 centimeters.
On the right hand panel I pencil in the quote that I want to use using a graphite pencil. On both panels I next add some Spectrum Noir Sparkle Ink in Rose Quartz in the following way: after mixing I use a brush to add some of the ink to my glass work surface, then I spray a little water over this. I dip the watercolour card into the ink and, spray with water when I feel this is needed and dry with my heat gun when I like what I have. This I repeat several times until I’m happy with the result!
Then I splatter on both panels using the Spectrum Noir Sparkle Ink in Pink Garnet using a brush. I picked both of these colours of Sparkle Ink because they match the colours in the flower.
Step 11:
I edge both panels using a foam applicator tool and some Spectrum Noir Grasshopper Ink.
And I also go over the quote using the 0.3 black Spectrum Noir Artliner Pen.
Step 12:
I die cut a rectangle shape from the flower image and I also die cut a slightly larger rectangle panel from some matching card stock. These two rectangles I adhere together using liquid glue and then I adhere this combination to the left hand background panel using one millimetre thick foam tape.
All I have to do now to finish my art journal page is to adhere both background panels in my art journal using gel medium or strong glue.
Detail picture:
And that’s it for today, I wish you a creative day!
#PowerPoppyHellebores #SpectrumNoirIllustratoralcoholmarkers #CraftersCompanionWatercolourCard #SpectrumNoirSparkleInk #SpectrumNoirArtLinerPen
