Coloring Techniques for your Nautical Background

Hello, G45ers! 

 Welcome to another week of inspiration here at the Graphic 45 blog. We are so happy to have you and today we have a very beautiful Voyage Beneath the Sea Nautical album courtesy of the talanted Elena Olinevich. Elena uses watercolor to make custom designs on her project and shares a YouTube tuturial to explain this technique. We love how it can turn any project into a one of a kind piece of art! Check it out below.

 

Before we dive in, it is time to reveal this week's blog prize. We are giving away a set that includes A Ladies Diary – DCE, Portrait of a Lady 12×12 Pad, 12×12 Patterns & Solids Pad, a Journaling Chipboard, Ephemera Cards, Shabby Chic Metal Brads, Clock Keys, and a set of ATC Black Policy Envelopes-that is over a $100 value! To enter to win, just comment here on the blog daily or over on our Facebook page.

 

Nautical Album

by Elena Olinevich

 

 I always envy those people who live by the sea. I am not so lucky and live in the country with no sea. However, I do all my best each year to go somewhere where I can smell the sea spirit, to listen to the waves and to watch the endless water space.

 This month I decided to create a mini album and to use a mysterious vintage collection – Voyage Beneath the Sea.

The papers are so beautiful, however, I decided to create a few of my own background sheets and to embellish them with the fussy cutting elements.

 

 

But I also combined my drawings and paper together.

I decided to fill my mini album with the flaps and some pictures.

 

I wanted to share with you some tips how to make you mini albums more unique. It’s quite easy to do if you add to them something that you really like to do , not only papercrafting. You might have noticed that I like adding watercolors to my projects. Actually sometimes it can require some skills, but believe that there are some ways when you don’t need extra special skills or knowledge. And that is why I have prepared a video for you proving how it can be easy to create your own background for your nautical projects.

 

 

Coloring Techniques for your Nautical Background – Graphic45

 

Some tips before you start creating your nautical background.

 

1. it’s better to prepare the background for the paints and water to flow and to mix.

2. I worked on watercolor paper, I suggest you to play with the textured cardstock or the water color paper.

3. To prime it – I used clear gesso, but you can try a white gesso too.

4. The colors of the sea are not only blue– try to mix green, teal, nutshell and others.

5. Don’t cover the full paper sheet with the paints or the sprays, leave them free from the paint. If you feel you need more, it’s easier to add the color using the distressed inks, for instance.

6. Drawing something is not obligatory, as I sure you will get the awesome background made by your own. However, if you feel you want to add something, it’s easier to draw with acrylic paints or the marker, then using the watercolors since you have made the waterbased background already.

7. anyway, don’t be afraid of the process. If you feel you have failed, you can hide this part with the papers.

 

 

You can also make the drawing by stretching the image outside the paper. In my case I’ve stretched the hair for mermaid.

 

By adding the metallic colors, like gold, you can play with the dimension.

 

 

Nautical Album YouTube Tour

 

But fussy cutting is a good option to add the embellishments to your page

 

 

 

 

 

I draw this fish after noticing that I have a splatter that reminded me a fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I collected all the pages and made the book binding for my album. Add the fabric cover and stitched some of the pieces on top of it.

 

 

Graphic 45 Supplies:

• Voyage Beneath the Sea collection
• Voyage Beneath the Sea Tags and Pockets
• Voyage beneath the Sea 6×6 Pad
• Voyage Beneath the Sea Decorative Chipboard
• Voyage beneath the Sea Journaling Chipboard

 

Thanks for joining us for this nautical watercolor adventure with Elena Olinevich, and thanks to her for sharing her beautiful Voyage Beneath the Sea album. We'd love to hear about how you have integrated watercolor into some of your projects in the comments below. Remeber every comment is a chance to win this week's blog prize. Be sure to join us tomorrow and all week for more lovely creations by our talented brand ambassadors!

Happy Papercrafting!