| Watercolor Page (Web Exclusive) |
From "Scrapbooking"
episode SCB-215 |
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By Holly Christian
Craft designer and writer
I love this old picture of my dad on a pony. As my dad tells it, a traveling photographer stopped by his elementary school and asked the kids if they'd like to sit on the pony. When they did, he snapped their picture, got their address, and later hawked the photo to the proud mama or papa. Good marketing scheme. I'm glad my grandpa bought lots of these photos! A vintage black and white photograph, like this one of my dad circa 1927, provides a perfect start for a scrapbook watercolor page. The photo was hand colored with easy-to-use photo markers and framed with fold-dyed paper. A bit of ivy cut from cardstock and fold-dyed paper add a pretty touch that doesn't detract from the photo. Click here for printable templates for the featured "Watercolor Page".
Hand Tinted Photo Materials: black & white photograph (matte finish)
extra photo for practice
Zig Photo Twin markers (beginner set) Note: Matte finish photographs work best with Zig Photo Twin markers. Glossy finish photos can be used but are not recommended. Streaking is common on the non-absorbent glossy finish. If you're scanning an original black and white photo, be sure to use matte photo paper; using glossy will result in green faces and messy streaks. - Test the Photo Twin colors on your practice photo. Each marker has two tips— a large brush and a small tip for detail. I tried two sets of Zig markers and found that the six colors of the Beginner set were just right for a vintage look.
- Begin by tinting the photo's focal point. Use a light touch, especially when adding skin tones. For faces, try dabbing on color very lightly with the fine tip end of the marker.
- Add accent colors to the background images. For a natural look only add color to a few areas of the photo. To prevent streaking, apply color with the brush tip in long light strokes.
- When you're satisfied with your test photo, tint the final photograph. Allow to dry for 12-24 hours before handling.
Watercolor Background Paper Fold dyeing is part of the family of resist patterning techniques that includes batik, ikat and tie-dye. In resist dye techniques, protecting parts of the fabric or paper from dye penetration creates a pattern. By dipping only the edges of a piece of folded tissue paper in watercolor, a lovely soft-edged geometric pattern is created. Fold-Dyed Paper Click here for complete step-by-step illustrations.
Materials: protective table cover
waterbased paints or inks (Dr. Ph. Martin's Concentrated Watercolors in slate blue, moss green, black)
white tissue paper
scissors
spray bottle of water
small containers for mixing and dipping (one for each color)
stir stick or old paintbrush for mixing colors
old towels or paper toweling
steam iron - Cover the work surface with a protective cloth.
- Create a watercolor wash by mixing any water-based paint or ink with water. (I used 15-20 drops of concentrated watercolor per teaspoon of water to produce the green, blue and black in this project.) Stir to blend.
- Cut large sheets of 20" x 24" tissue paper into four equal rectangles measuring about 10" x 12" each.
- Begin by folding single or double sheets of the tissue paper in half.
- Fold in half lengthwise twice more to create a long strip.
- Accordion-fold the strip of paper to create a flat square of folded paper.
- Spray the folded paper with water to dampen.
- Dip one side of the folded paper in a watercolor wash.
- Continue dipping each side in a different color.
- Place folded paper on absorbent towels and allow to dry for several hours or overnight.
- When dry, carefully unfold and press flat with a steam iron on medium setting.
The paper is now ready to be used as project paper. Try this: Experiment with folding and dipping to create different patterns. Fold in rectangles and dip only corners, or just crumple the paper and dip anywhere. The patterned paper is surprising pretty and can be used for everything from greeting cards to decoupage. Putting it all together After the black and white photo has been tinted and the background paper dyed, you can begin to put your scrapbook page together. Materials: tinted black and white photo
fold-dyed background paper
two sheets of 8-1/2" x 11" cardstock in neutral colors (cream and buff were used for this project)
1 sheet of lightweight white paper
straightedge
craft scissors
small sharp scissors
adhesive of choice (glue stick, mounting tape or spray adhesive)
paper cutter or craft knife and cutting mat (both optional) - To duplicate the layout of our watercolor page, print a copy of the page template [template link] The photo used in this project is 3-1/2" x 5-3/8".
- To give the fold-dyed paper some stability, adhere it to a sheet of lightweight white paper. Apply the adhesive to the reinforcing paper, carefully place the dyed paper on top, and smooth in place from the center outward.
- Following the template, cut the photo background papers -- the cream cardstock and the dyed paper -- to size.
- Adhere the photo to the cardstock, then attach the cardstock to the dyed paper. Glue in place on the 8-1/2" x 11" buff colored cardstock.
- Using small sharp scissors cut out the printed ivy template and trace onto the dyed paper. Cut out the dyed paper ivy and glue it to the leftover piece of cream-colored cardstock. Cut along the edge of the ivy pattern, leaving a border of cream visible.
Holly Christian was a frequent contributor to HGTV Ideas magazine and has written for other national publications. Click here for DIY's Scrapbooking Glossary.
RESOURCES :
Zig Photo Twin™ Markers (EK Success Ltd.)
EK Success Ltd.
Website: www.eksuccess.com
Holly Christian
Craft artist and writer
Holly Christian
Website: www.hollychristian.com
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