Today I’m sharing this clean & simple no-line colouring of the Sunflower digi stamp from Sunshine & Bee Designs, available at The Little Paper Tree. This was so much fun to colour and I loved how it turned out so much that I kept it super clean & simple.
I added some orange into the bases of each petal to work as my shadow and also to offer a deeper tone into my Sunflowers. I worked on a few petals at a time, starting with those at the front that aren’t sitting behind another petal.
As I moved further into the colouring I realised that the orange wasn’t giving the illusion of shadow, meaning that my flowers were looking very flat, which definitely wasn’t what I wanted! I didn’t have a darker yellow or orange that could work so I added very small amounts of BV00, which is a very pale purple, into the very base of the petals and anywhere that one is overlapping another.
This technique of adding a completely different colour calls on the idea that Orange & Purple are opposite each other on the colour wheel, making them complimentary colours. Complimentary colours are ones that look good next to each other but do not mix well as they tend to make a sludgey brown shade.
We would usually avoid mixing complimentary colours, which is why it is important to consider when ink blending or watercolouring for example.
However! Complimentary colours also, when used in very small amounts, work to ‘dull’ their partner down a little; a touch of green will mute a vibrant red for example.
Which is why I used a very pale purple here, to give me that darker colour really needed to add some depth into the flowers and give them a more realistic look.
Knowing the ways different colours interact is so immensely useful for anyone who wants to take their colouring skills to a new level; the best way to learn this is by trialling colours together! Before I added the purple to this I trialled them together on some scrap paper.
Colour theory may feel like something you don’t need to know, but I can’t stress enough just how much these basics have changed the game for me!!
I made a colour chart with my watercolours, which shows me the effect different each colour has on another and I have this up on the wall in my craft room so that I can look at it whenever I need a reminder. It was fun to do, it taught me a LOT and it looks so nice up on my wall! Win-win-win!!
If you give it a go for yourself I would love to see!! And if you try adding a complimentary colour to your own colouring then tag me in so I can see it!! Happy crafting!
Hey Crafty People!
Please be aware:
As part of my Design Team and Guest Design work I do often receive free products to use, but I only ever recommend products that I genuinely love.
Also, I know how incredibly lucky I am to have these opportunities, but you don’t always NEED the newest products or the ‘full set’.
So please don’t feel that you need everything.
I like to show a variety of brands and products; this way there will be something for everybody to enjoy.
— SUPPLIES —
— My Basic Supplies That I Use On Every Project —
MINI MISTI Shop at: Scrapbookcom | Alt | SBP | Trinity |
MISTI – Original Shop at: Scrapbookcom | Alt | SBP |
Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: Scrapbookcom | SBP | Craftstash UK | Craftstash US |
Neenah 80lb Shop at: Scrapbookcom | Alt | Craftstash UK |
Neenah 110lb Shop at: Alt |
Gemini Jr Shop at: Scrapbookcom | Craftstash UK |
Tim Holtz Trimmer 8.5inch Shop at: Scrapbookcom | Craftstash UK | Trinity |
Tim Holtz Scissors 7inch Shop at: Scrapbookcom | Craftstash UK | Craftstash US |
Tim Holtz Mini Snips 5inch Shop at: Scrapbookcom | Craftstash UK | Craftstash US |
Tidy Tray Shop at: Trinity |
Pick Up Stick Shop at: Trinity |
Reverse Action Tweezers Shop at: Scrapbookcom | SBP |
We R Trim & Scoreboard Shop at: Scrapbookcom |
Pressure Tool Shop at: Trinity |
Mini Trimmer Shop at: Scrapbookcom | Craftstash UK | Craftstash US |
9.5 inch Shears Shop at: Craftstash UK | Craftstash US |
Bone Folder Shop at: Alt |
Self Healing Mat Shop at: Alt | SBC |
*Affiliate links are used, where available; this means that I may get a small commission if you purchase using one of these links, at no extra cost at all to yourself. A huge thank you goes to anyone who does purchase using my links, it is so highly appreciated.
— SUPPLIES —
— My Basic Supplies That I Use On Every Project —
Affiliate links are usedMINI MISTI Shop at: Scrapbookcom | PBP | SBP | Trinity |
MISTI – Original Shop at: Scrapbookcom | PBP | SBP |
Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: Scrapbookcom | SBP |
Gemini Jr Shop at: Scrapbookcom |
Tim Holtz Trimmer 8.5inch Shop at: Scrapbookcom |
Tim Holtz Scissors 7inch Shop at: Scrapbookcom |
Tim Holtz Mini Snips 5inch Shop at: Scrapbookcom |
Tidy Tray Shop at: Trinity |
Pick Up Stick Shop at: Trinity |
Reverse Action Tweezers Shop at: Scrapbookcom | SBP |
We R Trim & Scoreboard Shop at: Scrapbookcom |
Pressure Tool Shop at: Trinity |
*Affiliate links are used, where available; this means that I may get a small commission if you purchase using one of these links, at no extra cost at all to yourself. A huge thank you goes to anyone who does purchase using my links, it is so highly appreciated.
- Neenah Classic Crest – Solar White 80lb*
- Neenah Classic Crest Solar White – 110lb (*Use code natashapapertree for 10% off)
- Sunshine & Bee – Sunshine Sunflower (no line) (*Use code natashapapertree for 10% off)
- Copic Markers – Y11, Y17, BV00, E79, YG63,YG17, YG003
- Altenew Artist Marker Y204
- Winsor & Newton Brushmarker O837
- Gemini Jr die cutting machine
- UK
- US
- Silhouette Cameo 4
- UK
- US
- Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive
- Arteza – Foam Adhesive tape