Colouring Pictorial

Edited to show the final coloured image at the bottom of this post.  I won't show my steps.  You'll have to join the Bloobel Group if you want/need to see 'em ;-)

Well, it's no secret that I'm slightly fond (okay... addicted) to Lisa and her Bloobel Stamps so this week on the Bloobel Stamps Facebook Group, I'm going to be posting a colouring pictorial of Big Girl Bloomers.

Why?  Well, 'cause I want to share my love of "art" and the joy of colouring/painting (I really think the Copic/alcohol markers are and can be more than just "marker colouring"... you're blending and experimenting with colour so you're creating an artwork be it on a canvas or paper).  I've learned (and am still learning and experimenting) a LOT from the sharing of other artists (there are many great video tutorials and teachers online and I follow many of 'em and soak up and really analyze their completed art) and one of 'em, Rhea, challenged one of our groups (pretty sure it was Passionate Paper Creations and Friends - a group I have belonged to and learned from for a long time) to colour along with her and I jumped at the chance and had a great time (I'd only been playing with my copics about a year and hadn't done any serious colouring).  Even using another artists' colours and following along with the pictures (use your eyes to see where they've placed those colours/strokes where the original artist/line drawing did not), you learn a lot and become... dare I say, braver?

Bottom line... there are NO WRONGS.  A mistake/boo-boo is just an opportunity to embellish (a physical embellishment or with your colouring medium).  I always tell anyone I'm teaching that if someone/a teacher tells you theirs is the only way/the right way to do something... run.  That being said, if you're lucky enough to take from a good instructor/teacher/artist, do as they do even if it is "different" to what you would normally - you never know how you will incorporate these new twists and techniques into your own art.  You may embrace it, or you may say, it's not for me.  But you have expanded your education and skill set.

Sometimes I go light to dark with my markers/colours, sometimes I build up dark to light and sometimes, I start in the middle.  Even if you use the same colours, yours may turn out differently as each artist blends differently and lays down colour differently and laying down colours in different orders can really change up the value.  I have my go-to skin colours "today" but next week I may have new ones or a new order (and often my "new" colours come from another artist/blog who has willingly shared their "ingredients"; and sometimes I just experiment, or grab what's "close" lol or... make a happy accident).  This is what I'm liking now.  Experiment.  If you don't like a colour, try going over it with another Copic marker colour... they're translucent so pretty forgiving this way and it's often really fun (the very dark colours don't play nice this way lol) - I've been known to start some brown hair, hate where I'm going, and throw a yellow wash overtop; a green outfit might get a wash of blue.  There are NO WRONGS.

And what did I do with Rhea?  A piece called Goblin Market in February 2015 (two years ago... I'd only had my markers [and a small set at that] since late spring 2014).  A very overwheming "beginner" piece lol.  I very nearly quit several times but pushed on and was really pleased with it when I called it done.  Rhea kept posting to do small areas at a time.  Yup.  Break your pieces down into manageable areas, it'll all come together in the end.  It's something I knew from my Decorative Painting days... it's gonna go thru the uglies before you start being happy with it... keep going.

 

So, won't you join us over at the Bloobel Stamps Facebook Group?  Pick up the Big Girl Bloomers and colour along?  It doesn't have to be in "real time" as the steps will be posted in an album but if you have questions, I will try, or someone will try to answer 'em for you.  Lisa is even offering a gift certificate for her store for a random participant.  And I will offer my completed coloured image to someone who participates - if they want it (I will also use a random generator... or pull a name from a hat lol).

Completed Image:

 

~Shelley