Coloring Woodgrain

(originally posted HERE on June 11, 2010)

COLORING TUTORIAL WITH TOMBOW MARKERS AND WATERBRUSH

Wood grain doesn't have to be hard.  However, when the wood grain lines are drawn in the image for you, it makes it a little easier.  If you have no wood grain lines in your  image, you can improvise by just coloring in waves on your piece.
WOOD GRAIN COLORING TUTORIAL:
1. On Willie's fence, I started with the 942 light brown color and just colored every other section or so. Really, there was no rhyme or reason to where I chose to put the color.  Note: I decided to get Willie all colored and waited for him to dry before beginning the fence.

Below is steps 2 - 5.  I began at the left (probably because I am right handed) and I glided the waterbrush over each section, just ONCE.  Make sure your waterflow is just right before you beginn... meaning you don't want too much flowing out but not too little.  What should happen when you brush it, is that your color blends and feathers out as you move, and water should not "pool" or "puddle" on the paper.  It should provide just enough wetness to look like it got misted.
You do NOT need to let this dry before moving on.

Below are steps 6 - 9.  Next I added the Tombow 947 color , and just in thin lines inbetween the first color. Again, started at the left and brushed over each section of the 947 color.  Some of the sections, I went over twice and moved the brush into the lighter sections to blend them.
NOTE: For this particular application, you really don't need to be perfect. Wood grain is a natural surface and it is never the same, and colors always vary, so you don't have totry to be perfect here. Just add the water and watch it blend... blend more if you want, or leave some places a little less blended.  I did not spend a whole lot of time here, just run the brush over.
You do NOT need to let this dry before moving on.

Step 10- I add the Tombow 899 color to just a few spots and in very thin lines. You don't have to add this color, it really was just to give a little extra variation in the wood look.  I think it enhances the contrast and makes it look more real though.

Step 11-Now blend the darkest color, run over each section only once or twice at most with the waterbrush.  You can see below that I didn't even get some of it all the way blended... some of it looks off the lines, some of it looks blotchy... this is OK for wood grain, it just makes it look more natural.

Here's my finished card::


SUPPLIES:

• IMAGE: Willie Worm (free for newsletter subscribers as of June 10, but for sale on July 1)
• CS/PAPER: Canson 90 lb watercolor paper, PTI melon berry, not quite navy, DCWV Whimsey DP
• INK: Tombow markers 942, 947, 899, 526, 873, 856
• ACCENTS/TOOLS: Spellbinders octagons and ovals, waterbrush, sewing machine, PTI ribbon, SU button, linen thread, basic grey pearls, MS frond punch, ticket corner punch, foam hexes, glue dots

Thanks for visiting today!  Also, thanks so much for all your support, it means so much and I am sincerely grateful!