How many ways are there to add color a stamped image? I came up with 8 ways but I will focus on just six for today.
You probably already know one or two ways to add color to a stamped image but today I am going to give you a few more options to try.
Option #1 to Add Color to a Stamped Image – Blending Brush and Ink Pad
Add a little ink to your blending brush and rub the color over your stamped image. This option will add all-over color and doesn’t have to stay in the lines. There are two sizes of blending brushes, and the small blending brush will provide a little more control where you are blending the ink than the larger brush.
Below I used a mask by cutting a circle from scrap paper and then used two different colors with the blending brushes to color over the sea gulls stamped in black.
Option #2 – Blender Pen and Ink Pad
If you want to be a little more precise placing the ink on your stamped image use a blender pen. First squeeze your closed ink pad so that some ink from the pad gets on the inside of the lid. Then dip your blender pen in the ink inside the lid and color your image. Be sure to clean your blender pen on scratch paper when done or before you change colors.
Below I stamped the TV in black then used the blender pen and gray ink to color the outline of the TV screen and the knobs. Word of caution: Don’t to go over the same spot multiple times because the liquid in the blender pen will saturate your cardstock and it can start to deteriorate.
Option #3 – Pattern Paper aka DSP
I love this option where you use designer series paper (dsp) to add color to your image. First you stamp the image on the pattern paper (dsp) and then fussy cut the image out with snips. Cut as close to the stamped image lines as you can and then attach it to the same image stamped on your cardstock.
Below I stamped the umbrella outline on two different sheets of pattern paper and cut them both out to see which one I liked the best.
Option #4 – Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pen
Another way to add color to a stamped image is to use Watercolor Pencils. First stamp your image with a permanent ink such as Jet Black Stazon and then color your image like you would color in a coloring book. Stamping up has two different assortment packs of watercolor pencils to get a wider variety of colors to pick from. There is Watercolor Pencils Assortment One and Watercolor Pencils Assortment Two. Then take your blender pen and go over the color and blend the pencil lines. Clean your blender pen off on scratch paper before changing colors and when done blending.
Below I colored the hat and coat with balmy blue watercolor pencil and then started to smooth out the color going over it again with a blender pen. You can see in the bottom right corner of the coat the watercolor pencil has NOT been blended yet. The blender pen makes such a difference!
Option #5 – Pastels
Option number five is to color your stamped image using Soft Pastels. Soft Pastels are a chalklike substance and can be combined with other tools to apply the pastel color to your stamped image. You can use Sponge Daubers, Blending Brushes, and Water Painters with the soft pastels. Try scribbling a pastel chalk on a scrap piece of paper to create chalk dust, then use Water Painters to create your very own watercolor paints! The pastel chalk material also works great with images stamped in VersaMark ink. Stamp your image in VersaMark ink, then color over it with the pastels using a Sponge Dauber. One word of caution is to be very careful working with pastels because you can easily create a smudge with your fingers or hand.
Option #6 – Water Painter and Ink Pad or Watercolor Pencils
Similar to the Blender Pen and Ink option is the Water Painter and Ink option. Water Painters hold liquid and are best used with Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper which absorbs the water and ink better than regular cardstock. You can either use the Water Painters with an Ink Pad or with Watercolor Pencils. They each give a different effect.
The Water Painters come with three different size brush tips. The small and medium sized brushes are round and have pointy tips that allow you to do very detailed coloring. The wider brush tip is good for backgrounds and covering a larger area. Just fill the tubes with water and you are ready to paint! Stamp the outer image with Jet Black Stazon, then pick a different color ink for inside the image. Squeeze the ink pad while it is closed so that the ink from the pad gets on the lid. Open the ink pad and pick up the ink from the lid with your Water Painter and apply to your paper. Another option is to take your ink pad and apply ink to an acrylic block and use the acrylic block as a palette to pick up the ink color with the Water Painter. Squeeze the barrel of the Water Painter to add a little bit of water to your ink and mix it around then paint.
The second way to use your Water Painter is with watercolor pencils instead of ink. Stamp the image in Jet Black Stazon, color it with the watercolor pencils and then brush over it with the Water Painter. The water will mix with the colored pencils as shown below (similar to using a Blender Pen).
My Links (plus two more options)
It is my hope that you will try one or more of the options above to expand your repertoire and grow your paper crafting skills. I haven’t even mentioned Stampin’ Write Markers and Stampin’ Blends which are two more options for coloring stamped images!
If you enjoyed this tutorial, please share this post with others so they can learn and grow as well. If you’d like to see more ideas, tips, techniques, tutorials, etc. please consider following me on the social media platforms listed below. Lastly, I would like to invite you to sign up for my weekly newsletter so you can stay informed of all the latest news from Stampin’ Up!, events, specials, new product releases and more.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tammylovesstamping
Private Facebook VIP Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tammylovesstampingvipgroup
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammy_loves_stamping/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/TammyLovesStamping
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tammylovesstamping
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tammy_loves_stamping
Thanks for taking time to visit and I hope you save it as a favorite so you can visit my website again real soon!
God Bless,
-Tammy
P.S. Did you know there are at least six different ways to use the Simply Scored Scoring Tool? Learn more here.
