Quick Coloring Technique Using Distress Crayons
Do you ever struggle with adding color to your images? Coloring images is enjoyable but can take a lot of time and patience. Today I will be demonstrating a quick coloring technique using Distress Crayons for those moments when you want to spend less time coloring and want a very forgiving result.
Fighting Against Perfectionism
Using a quick coloring technique is a great way of fighting against perfectionism in our creative practice. We can be very critical about how we color and shade images. This technique is a great way of breaking out of perfectionism.
I originally showed this technique at the Creative Scrapbooking Carnival last weekend when I was demoing for Wild Whisper Designs. The main feedback that I received about this technique was how quick and simple it is. Many people that I spoke with spend hours coloring one image and were surprised that there was another looser way to add color.
I believe we all have moments of struggling against perfectionism. It’s easy to judge ourselves and our work. Creative expression should be fun, and we need to remember that. It might be challenging and take practice, but we should enjoy the process.
Loose Coloring Techniques
I love beautiful, painstakingly colored images, but it can lead to perfectionistic tendencies in my creative process. Instead, I choose to use techniques that are easy and not time consuming. By embracing imperfection this can allow us to create in a unique way.
But if you love spending hours coloring one image because it brings you joy- go for it! It’s important that we do the things we love when finding creative restoration. If you’re like me, and do not have the patience to spend hours blending and coloring, this might be a great technique for you!
Quick Coloring Technique Using Distress Crayons
In the video below, I provide step by step instructions on how to create a beautiful card using this quick coloring technique. If you would prefer photos and written instructions, they can be found below this video.
Stamping Flower Images
Start with a piece of your favorite patterned paper. Choose a design that has soft images or a neutral background. Avoid choosing a paper that has strong graphical images.
Using the flower stamp from the Wild Whisper Designs Strength of the Season stamp set and Jet Black Archival Ink, stamp the flower image randomly onto the patterned paper. Let the Archival Ink dry for a few minutes before moving onto the next step.
Blending Flower Images with Distress Crayons
Apply strokes of Distress Crayon onto the sunflower images. Do not cover the whole surface but add small marks in areas close to the flower center. Using your finger, blend the color outward from the flower center. This should make the color near the flower center more intense, and the blend lighter moving outward.
The intention is that there should be a color difference between the flower and the background. But there should be no definite line where the color begins and ends.
Continue to add more Distress Crayon until you get the intensity of color that you like. You also don’t need to stick to one color of Distress Crayon. Add in highlights, shadows, and other colors to the flowers by blending in different colors of Distress Crayon.
Be aware that depending on the surface of your patterned paper, you may get a slightly different result. The Wild Whisper Designs patterned paper used in this tutorial is very smooth, which makes blending with Distress Crayons very easy. If you are having trouble getting a smooth blend with your paper, wet your finger with a bit of water or a baby wipe before blending. The water will activate the color and help it move smoothly over the surface.
Add Crayon to Flower Centers
To complete the flowers, add crayon to the flower centers. To blend this out, you can also use your finger. But if you want a more precise or softer look, you can use a water brush to dilute the color slightly. This will give you a more definitive edge to your flower center over blending with your finger.
Adding Fussy Cut Flowers
If you would like to create more layers on this project, stamp flower images onto white cardstock, color with Distress Crayon and fussy cut. If you would like to see the step-by-step process, please reference this article for more information on to quickly color and cut out flowers.
Add these fussy cut flowers to your surface with your favorite adhesive. Consider placing the flowers in a way that creates odd numbered groupings with the background images.
Adding a Sentiment
Finish this card by adding a sentiment or phrase. For this card I used “Live life in full bloom” from the Strength of the Season stamp set.
Finish off this card by adhering it to a card back. In my case, I matched the white of my sentiment with the card back to give this card a more cohesive and finished look.
Questions?
Do your have any questions about this technique or how to blend with Distress Crayons? I am fully aware that this technique will not work on every coloring project. The intention was to show you a quick way of blending color onto your images.
You will notice that as you add color, this creates dimension to the card as the sunflower stamps will appear separate from the background. This is a great technique that often looks more complicated than it is. I hope that you will consider using this technique for one of your projects as it is a great way of quickly adding color.
I would love to answer any questions that you may have about this technique. Please leave a comment below or contact me directly. Have a great weekend and I hope that you take some time for creative self-care!
Project Supply List
- Pam Bray Watercolor Paper Collection
- Wild Whisper Designs Strength of the Season Stamp Set
- Ranger Archival Jet Black Ink
- Distress Crayons: Seedless Preserves, Abandoned Coral and Mustard Seed
- Staples 90lb Cardstock
- Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L
- Other Materials: Scissors, water brush, stamping block
If you are interested in getting a discount on the Wild Whisper Designs products, use DTNADINE at checkout to get 10% off your order.
