Inspire Me Monday: All About that Base

 

Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Inspire Me Monday! Boy, do we have a treat for you all today. Amy Shulke from VanillaArts.com is in the house and she's sharing something that many of us don’t really take into account when we pick up our markers or pencils to bring an image to life. She's talking about the BASE! What's that you say? Well now that I have your attention, let's turn things over to Amy who is about to explain! Take it away Amy...

Thanks Julie! Yes, we're talking about base today. Why? Well, we all want a gigantic marker collection. Even if you win the lottery, it takes some time to gather a complete Copic collection. What do you do when you don't own the markers you need? You can "color kiss" and take your coloring to new extremes by tinting your Copic Markers with colored pencil. Take a look at this image below. The digital stamp - Olive & Oak - was colored with green and brown markers but is anything but boring!




So, where do we begin? Let's start by looking at what happens when you start with a base of brown. From here, I'm going to share a few quick tidbits so you can see how different colors, when used in combination, can bring about depth and versatility in your markers.

When there are a lot of elements in an image, I simplify the marker palette to prevent a color riot. There is deeper beauty in simplicity and cohesiveness.

I use blue underneath many marker combinations to create colors that Copic does not make. Blue or B32 + YG17 = YG19.

Do you have two green objects sitting side by side? You don’t have to dig out more green markers to make each look separate! I show students how to keep twin items from melting into each other.



From here on out, it’s like decorating a cake. Little touches of color are all you need to create autumn vibrancy.



The key to sophisticated and mature coloring is that there isn't one object hogging the limelight. It’s all about balance. Hopefully, seeing some of the layers I use to create will help inspire you the next time you hit up your stamping space. Curious about my Marker Painting process? I have a FREE class available at vanilla-workshops.teachable.com. There are also tons of tips, tricks and troubleshooting ideas over at my blog at VanillaArts.com

And, just in case you missed the news from last Friday, I am hosting an Oak & Olive live coloring broadcast set for November 18th at 12pm EST where I will break down in detail the object of "color kissing" and how you can get the best bang for your buck using the Copic markers you already own. Replay will be available to watch at your convenience. Join the class by subscribing at: Patreon.com/VanillaArtsCo


THANKS SO MUCH AMY!! I don't know about you, but those tips and tricks sure gave me some new ideas on how to create depth when coloring. We urge you to check out Amy's next Olive and Oak class as well for an in-depth visual lesson! All participants will be able to pick up the stamp set for a special discount when they enroll. 

Thanks for stopping by and thanks again to Amy Shulke of Vanilla Arts for sharing some of her coloring prowess this Monday. Be sure to tune back in tomorrow when we will unveil a brand new trio of colors for you to dabble in next time you create with our weekly Hues to Use.

Happy creating!

~Julie