Watercolor Washes and Color Blending

So, if you wanted to do a watercolor wash and make a gradient or blend colors you would think you could just slap some water and some color on your paper.  That's what I would have thought.  But I have learned in my Watercolor Card making class at www.onlinecardclasses.com that is much more complicated.  The instructors all have different techniques to get similar results and some of the colors I've seen blended are just absolutely gorgeous.

I decided to give it a whirl.  I used two colors I had on hand. Winsor and Newton Rose Madder and Cobalt Blue.  They are in teensy weensy tubes and cost an arm and a leg but that's a whole 'nother story!  I decided that I would start with the red color and then add some blue to it to make a violet and then blend it out to blue.

I worked at it a few times and I know I have a lot more practice to do!  When you are working with watercolors it is important to make sure your water to  pigment ration among your colors is consistent.  That sounds easy enough. Not. For. Me.  HAHA! But I am rapidly learning what does NOT work and other than wasting a bit of paint and a bit of paper...well, I just chalk it up to practice will eventually make perfect something passable!

After my color wash had dried and I had my background I used some Altenew stamps and heat embossed them in white.  I added a few sequins and that was it.  I don't have access to all my playthings right now so I'm just trying to make do with what I have on hand.

All in all...are these cards that I've made from what I learned in the Watercolor class my favorite of all time? NO! They probably aren't even in the middle...but I will tell you that it has been so much fun and is so interesting...and I love playing around with brushes, water and pigments.  I really am learning a lot.  I just need to make the transition from brain to fingers!

Here is my card: