Black isn't a color you usually associate with the holidays but it works surprisingly well as a base when using metallic or glittery gel pens.
Supplies
VLVS! Stamps Used:
Sakura of America Gellyroll Pens
Stardust: Red-Star, Lime-Star, Green-Star, Sky-Star, Golden-Star
Metallic: Green, Gold, Blue, Red
Standard: White
Stardust: Red-Star, Lime-Star, Green-Star, Sky-Star, Golden-Star
Metallic: Green, Gold, Blue, Red
Standard: White
Tim Holtz Distress Markers: Barn Door, Peeled Paint
Strathmore 140 lb cold-press watercolor paper 8 x 10
Golden Black Gesso
Miracle Tape
A finger or blending tool
Fold the sheet of watercolor paper in half so the more textured side is on the front.
Paint the front with black gesso, leaving a white border around it. Don't worry about crisp or even edges.
Stamp the Santa on a piece of Kromecote and color him with the Distress Markers.
Place enough Miracle tape to cover the Santa. Leave the strip on the back side of the tape for now.
Cut him out.
Remove the back strip from the Miracle Tape, and place the Santa so he is flush with the bottom of the card and outside the black area.
Add some blue metallic around the Santa and smudge it with your finger or blending tool (I really find the finger does a better job. The oils I think). Smudging must be done immediately while the ink is still wet.
Use the Gold Metallic pen to draw a border around the black, but keep a black border around the gold.
Continuing with the gold pen, outline a simple christmas tree, each section a triangular shape with three loops on the bottom. Keep a line of black between each section.
Add the gold ornaments. Simple again--just round and oval blobs.
Outline the packages, still using the gold pen.. Don't worry about perspective. This is a primitive-style drawing so simplicity is what counts. Make one large package next to Santa, and then draw 2 small packages behind him and the tree. If you can fit another small one between the large package and tree do so, but don't sweat it.
Fill in a stripe around the boxes for ribbon, and draw loops for the bow.
Color the area around tree, packages and Santa with the Red-star pen. Throughout, while you are coloring, leave a thick, black line between your color and the gold lines. The black does not have to be an even thickness. It's more interesting if it isn't.
Use the red metallic to place stripes that run from the edge of the card toward the tree. They won't show much, but will add a little depth.
Switch to the green metallic pen and color each section of the tree completely.
Switch to the Green-star pen and draw stripes from the bottom of each section to the top (same reason as with the red stripes)
Now switch to the lime-star and add similar stripes.
Switch to the Golden-star and make dots along the center stripes.
Use the blue metallic to draw the strings for the lights. Use the Red-star to color the lights (simple ovals), then use the Elmer's paint pen for white highlights.
For the rest of the black (except the border on the outside of the gold) color it with blue metallic. Rather than making it solid blue, color a section about the size of your fingertip, and then smudge it as far as you can. Keep doing this until the black is covered, but hints of it show through in places.
In the white border, on the left edge, color a dot of blue metallic about the twice the size of the pen's tip, and smear it in a fan shape. Go down 1/2 and inch or so, and repeat this on the right edge. Continue doing this around the entire border. Just skip over Santa and continue on the other side of him.
Use the black Elmer's painter pen to adjust your black lines. If you have places without a black line around objects, add one. If you have an area where it's just too, too uneven, even it out a bit (don't get to fussy about this. It's a primitive-style, remember?).
In the white border, where you created the blue smudging, draw a line or two and smudge.
Finish by using the black Elmer's to thicken the Santa's outline on one side.
I hope you've enjoyed creating a Christmas Card in black!
Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you've enjoyed your visit to Wonderland!For more of my work with Viva Las VegaStamps!, Amazing Mold Putty, zentangle-inspired art, and daily links to tangles, tutorials, and giveaways please visit my "Life Imitates Doodles" blog. ~ Sandra Strait
Elmer's Paint Pens: White, Black
Kromecote A2 CardstockStrathmore 140 lb cold-press watercolor paper 8 x 10
Golden Black Gesso
Miracle Tape
A finger or blending tool
Fold the sheet of watercolor paper in half so the more textured side is on the front.
Paint the front with black gesso, leaving a white border around it. Don't worry about crisp or even edges.
Stamp the Santa on a piece of Kromecote and color him with the Distress Markers.
Place enough Miracle tape to cover the Santa. Leave the strip on the back side of the tape for now.
Cut him out.
Remove the back strip from the Miracle Tape, and place the Santa so he is flush with the bottom of the card and outside the black area.
Add some blue metallic around the Santa and smudge it with your finger or blending tool (I really find the finger does a better job. The oils I think). Smudging must be done immediately while the ink is still wet.
Use the Gold Metallic pen to draw a border around the black, but keep a black border around the gold.
Continuing with the gold pen, outline a simple christmas tree, each section a triangular shape with three loops on the bottom. Keep a line of black between each section.
Add the gold ornaments. Simple again--just round and oval blobs.
Outline the packages, still using the gold pen.. Don't worry about perspective. This is a primitive-style drawing so simplicity is what counts. Make one large package next to Santa, and then draw 2 small packages behind him and the tree. If you can fit another small one between the large package and tree do so, but don't sweat it.
Fill in a stripe around the boxes for ribbon, and draw loops for the bow.
Color the area around tree, packages and Santa with the Red-star pen. Throughout, while you are coloring, leave a thick, black line between your color and the gold lines. The black does not have to be an even thickness. It's more interesting if it isn't.
Use the red metallic to place stripes that run from the edge of the card toward the tree. They won't show much, but will add a little depth.
Switch to the green metallic pen and color each section of the tree completely.
Switch to the Green-star pen and draw stripes from the bottom of each section to the top (same reason as with the red stripes)
Now switch to the lime-star and add similar stripes.
Switch to the Golden-star and make dots along the center stripes.
Use the blue metallic to draw the strings for the lights. Use the Red-star to color the lights (simple ovals), then use the Elmer's paint pen for white highlights.
For the rest of the black (except the border on the outside of the gold) color it with blue metallic. Rather than making it solid blue, color a section about the size of your fingertip, and then smudge it as far as you can. Keep doing this until the black is covered, but hints of it show through in places.
In the white border, on the left edge, color a dot of blue metallic about the twice the size of the pen's tip, and smear it in a fan shape. Go down 1/2 and inch or so, and repeat this on the right edge. Continue doing this around the entire border. Just skip over Santa and continue on the other side of him.
Use the black Elmer's painter pen to adjust your black lines. If you have places without a black line around objects, add one. If you have an area where it's just too, too uneven, even it out a bit (don't get to fussy about this. It's a primitive-style, remember?).
In the white border, where you created the blue smudging, draw a line or two and smudge.
Finish by using the black Elmer's to thicken the Santa's outline on one side.
I hope you've enjoyed creating a Christmas Card in black!
Don't forget to check out the VLVS! November Challenge for a chance to win (plus it's fun!).
Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you've enjoyed your visit to Wonderland!For more of my work with Viva Las VegaStamps!, Amazing Mold Putty, zentangle-inspired art, and daily links to tangles, tutorials, and giveaways please visit my "Life Imitates Doodles" blog. ~ Sandra Strait
5 comments:
very cool card
That looks awesome! Going to try, thanks!
very cute idea!!
Love your idea to use black for a christmas card. Thanks for the tutorial on how to make it.
Love this. Looks like a vintage card that's been around for awhile. Great job.
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