Thursday, July 10, 2008

Twinkling H20 Tutorial


Hi Everyone! Here is another card using the Twinkling H2O. I used the same image because I really love this flower image. It's a fun large flower to color. I created the a "written" version of the tutorial. I'll be creating a "video tutorial" today. Initially, I was going to create a video tutorial but when I went to turn it on, my battery was dead. Arrrghh! Anyway check back tomorrow or later this evening for the "video" version of the tutorial.

Many of you commented that your colors don't come out as vibrant when you use your Twinkling H2O. I think the problem may be when you add water to your brush and pick up the color from the Twinkling H2O, you need to "activate" it by swirling and swirling your watercolor brush until the Twinkling H2O thickens up on your brush.

Another problem is that you are using too much water. After your brush picks up the Twinkling H2O and your brush has too much water, it dilutes the color because Twinkling H2O is mixed with mica and they sort of separate causing the color to become sheer which is great when you want to add a subtle layer of shimmery color over another color but not when you want it to be your primary color, the color will be too light.

Interestingly, I have an opposite effect. . . rather than being too light, I end up sometimes with the color too vibrant especially when I use the darker colors so I try to pick up "less" color on my brush.

Another key to using this color medium is to pick up different shades of colors. The touch of different shades shows up so nicely on your image.

What I love about Twinkling H2O is that layering colors don't change the colors that can occur when you use watercolor or acrylic paint. It may change it subtly but it basically maintains the integrity of the different colors that you layer.


I think it'll make more sense when I do the "video" tutorial. It's hard to explain it in the written version.


This is a close up of the image. As you can see there's different layers of the different colors.


Anyway. . .try it out when you have the chance and stay tuned for the video tutorial!!
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16 comments:

2 Worlds said...

Maria Thanks for the tutorial
This really beautiful !

ineskreationen said...

this is e very beautiful card

Risa said...

Wow...your card is beautiful Maria and the coloring is fantastic!!!!
I watched your video and now I understand where I went wrong. I brought the smallest set available, and you can't really do anything except background shading. Perhaps I will invest in a larger assortment next time to achieve more depth when I color.
Thanks for everything:)

mel m. m. mccarthy said...

Maria,

I'm in looooooooooooove! This is mega pretty! What a great pointer about activating the twinklng H20s. You're THE best. P.S. I am so enjoying trying your faux-watercolouring with markers on gesso paper. I bet it'd be wicked with H20s, but I can NOT shop. Thanks for all of the awesome inspiration. Congrats on the garage! Happy studying & cleanin' :0) P.P.S. Charles got his 1st pay-cheque today & I've made a little doh-re-me, so the infamous package may make it to you yet! ;0)

specialcraftmom4 said...

Thank you so much for the wonderful tutorial! I looked at the Twinkling H2O but had no idea how to use them...now I want them! It looks so fun!
Wonderful card as always (:

Cindy Haffner said...

Oh Maria I just love this, your cards are so beautiful, you inspire me so much. I love the look of your blog, love your big sized pictures, they are gorgeous.

Tonniece said...

OH, I love you card it's so pretty.
Thanks sooo much for the tutorial Maria. I have tried and tried to get my colors to be that vibrant and now I know why they are not.

Thanks again

Happy Friday

Diane said...

Gorgeous Maria!!! Love the coloring
and the colors are fab!

Becky said...

beautiful card Maria, and great tutorial.

CreativeMish said...

Great card and tutorial. I'm going to have to get a few more colors so that I can layer them better. I tried them last night on a small image. I love them!

Kim Burmeister said...

Gorgeous card and awesome tutuorial! Love it!

Sankari W. said...

OOOOOOooooooOOOOoooooHH! Maria - this is just gorgeous! I love the little twinkling H2O technique - I now have to try this out! Can't wait till the video. I love the layers in the card along with the little dew drops hanging on the flowers - its just lovely!

I also just nominated you for an award - come over to see what is going on when you have a chance!!

You totally rock Maria!!

best wishes,
Sankari

Ila said...

Wow!! this is So Beautiful Maria! I love the way you used the H20's...and your tutorial is Wonderful!!!

kathleenh said...

Gorgeous card Maria! I love your coloring whatever the medium. I look forward to seeing your Twinkling H2O's video.

Gail Binette said...

Oh Maria, I haven't been blog visiting in so long, but I wanted to comment on your lovely tutorial today. I've been diligently working on my Christmas Calendars for next year and have also been using the Twinkling H2O's. They are such a lovely product to work with. I just feel so badly now that I've sold almost all my beautiful PSX large floral stamps. My calendars this year are all going to be elegantly embossed florals. I'm about half way through designing the pages and plan to spend the rest of the summer doing most of the painting. I just put in another order for some of the newer colors so I'm waiting before painting any more pages so that I can have an even larger selection. I'll come back and visit when things settle down a bit here to see what else you have done with them.

Vianna said...

Since the H2O colors are "layered" rather than blended, do you wait until one layer is dry before applying the next - and does it matter one way or the other? I noticed that you don't first wet the paper but start directly with your lightest color. I'm only just learning to watercolor and would appreciate the counsel. Thank you.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40437577@N00/2722644414/

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