Full scene color tutorial

(Originally posted HERE on June 5, 2010)

I have a mini tutorial on how to color the image, Lemon Ants by Doodle Pantry. 

WATERCOLORING TUTORIAL

Things I cover in the tutorial:

• WHAT COLORS TO START WITH? 
• WHAT ORDER TO COLOR AN IMAGE?
• HOW TO USE TOMBOW N15, BLACK

My general rule of thumb is to start with the lightest color within the image, and that is how I colored this Lemon Ants image.  Also required is a little patience.  :o)  That is pretty hard for me, but since my craft loft is a bit on the warmer side, my drying times are very short compared to a cooler climated home.
MATERIALS USED:

• 90 lb. Canson watercolor paper
• Laser printer to print image
• Waterbrush with water reservoir
• Tombow watercoloring markers

First, I begin with the lightest color, which is the sky.  I apply the color as shown below using Tombow 491.

Using the waterbrush and gently squeezing the reservoir to release the water into the brush tip, I blend out the color of the sky by brushing the tip along al the blue areas, and allow the paper to dry COMPLETELY.  Since this is a very light color, I am not too concerned about spreading color over the ants legs or very small areas of the image, since once it is dry, darker colors can be applied over without too much of the 491 color blending in.

Now using the next lightest color, which is the lemon color, 062, add the color to the lemon and leave an oval where there is no color applied, and this is where your light source is reflecting off the lemon.  This just helps to give a more 3 dimensional look to your image.

Add a little darker yellow to the areas of the lemon where there may be some shadows, similar to below. I used Tombow 985 because I wanted a more intense contrast of darker to lighter color on the lemon.

Below, using the waterbrush and gently squeezing the water from the reservoir, begin blending the lemon by starting to brush the blank area on the lemon where you had no color and work in a circular motion, moving outward.  You will see the 062 color feather in and pull itself into the oval area where you had no color since this is the action that water has when mixed with the ink in the Tombows. Once you touch the 062 color, continue moving the waterbrush in a circular and outward motion until you get too the edges and touch the 985 color. You will see the color being pulled from the edges into the wet area of the lemon.  If you feel you need a little more 0062 yellow in the center, simply run the brush tip quickly from the outer edges of the lemon, using circular motions spiraling back to the center.  That should spread the color inward.

Below, If you want to add even more lifelikeness to the lemon, while the lemon area is still damp from the water, add more 985 yellow to a few of the dimples in the rind.  As you touch the tip of the  brush of the marker gently to the paper, as long  as the paper is still wet/damp, you will see it begin to feather out into the paper.  If you wish to blend a little more, then just use the waterbrush tip to quickly run it around the lemon one more time.
Allow to dry completely before moving on to next step.
HINT: When you use the waterbrush over the same area twice or three times, I recommend moving that brushtip as quickly as possible.  If you move too slow, it is possible too much water will pool out onto your paper and create undesireable results.

The next colors are the greens.  Apply your color with BOTH the lighter and darker greens prior to blending.  Blend the greens using quick motions of the waterbrush and stay within the lines.  Allow to completely dry.

I next added color to the ant tongue and mouths and the ground, and blended the ground out using the waterbrush.  Allow to completely dry.

ADDING and BLENDING black (below).
What I lke about the N15 Tombow black color is that it is true black and can be blended, and even after blending, it still looks black, just a lighter version of black.  As you can see on the ants below, I only added the black color to the lower third of each ant body section, all the areas where each body section meets, and the lower half of each foot.  When using the waterbrush to blend, touch the tip of the waterbrush quickly and move as quick as you can with as steady a hand as you can. Start adding the water to the areas of the body sections where there is no N15 color and move toward the N15 color. Once you reach the N15 color and touch it, go to the edge of that section and move the brush back to where you started, all the while keeping a moving motion of the brush within the are that you are coloring.
Blending with the N15 black DOES take practice.  Try on some scraps first.
Allow to completely dry.

Finished image panel below.

That's it for the tutorial!  I hope it was a little useful and that you are inspired to go create!
:o) Thanks for visiting today!   Hope you have a blessed weekend!