Butterfly Garden with Brutus Monroe

 

Hello everyone!  Today I'm bringing you this beautiful spring card

that I watercolored using:

Brutus Monroe

Butterfly Garden

This is such a gorgeous stamp and I couldn't wait to watercolor it!

It's also very large!  So, using watercolor paper I stamped the image

using Antique Linen Distress Ink.  I laid my stamp down onto my

glass mat and laid the paper on top of it.  I don't own a Memory

MISTI so laying it flat was the only option.  However, I would

only get one chance to stamp it.  I took my time inking the stamp 

and really rubbed on the paper to get the ink to transfer.

It's light but it's all there.  I started my watercoloring with painting all

the leaves in a very watered down green.  I used Karin Markers for this.

By doing this I identified all of the leaves.

I painted all of the leaves the same.  I altered the color of some of them

when they were dry by glazing them with pale Copic colors (Y00, R00, E00, YR02, B41).  

My colors for the leaves were Lime, Olive Green and Olive Black.

The Lime is very yellow, so when I used it, I watered it down - a lot!

I built my shadows and I tried to complete each leaf except for the last bit of

darkest shading, all in one go.

I scribbled ink onto my glass mat and picked it up with a damp paintbrush.  

To get the very dark green I went directly onto the paper with the marker,

making sure my paper was wet so the marker didn't create harsh lines.  I

used this method for everything.  After the leaves were done I moved onto

the big flowers.  I used Skin, Rose Pink, Burgundy and touches of Copper Brown.

I went carefully petal by petal, trying to be mindful to keep the

top edges light or completely white.

I moved along carefully and sometimes added more direct dark

to the centers and sometimes taking some away.

The berries on top I painted with Egyptian Blue.  I watered it down, then

shaded with the same color and finally went in with marker to paper.

The yellow berries I used Pale Orange, Gold and Ochre, using the

Copper Brown for the little bits on top and the branches.

The tall spikey flowers I used a mix of colors and my final result

was a rather soft violet color.  I painted the butterflies using colors

I had already used somewhere else.  This gives the piece continuity.

I also used Black and Neutral Gray on the wings.  When the painting was 

finished and dry I heavily splattered with white gouache and pearl shimmer mist.  I 

also used a shimmerpen on the butterfly wings.  I used Lunch Bag card stock for my

base and foam taped my panel onto the base.  And that finished my card!

I hope I've inspired you today to watercolor with your water-based

markers and to create something beautiful!  You can find this

stunning stamp and the card stock at:

Brutus Monroe

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I appreciate

you spending your time with me!

Betsy

In my capacity as a design team member for Brutus Monroe, I do receive the products I use from them. 

All opinions and creative decisions remain my own, and I only work with companies/use products that I love.