Hey guys, it’s Kate! Today, I wanted to do a quick and fun abstract watercolor piece. I grabbed my Marie’s Masters palette and played with some vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges.
I tilted my paper slightly and started by letting some water flow down. Then, I went in with juicy washes of color, letting the reds, oranges, and a touch of Payne’s Grey mingle on the page. It was fun to see how the colors moved and blended together!
While the paint was still wet, I dabbed at some areas with a paper towel to create interesting textures. Then, I let the whole thing dry completely.
Once dry, I decided to add some shimmer with gold watercolor paint. I dotted it in a few places and let it flow organically along the natural lines of the previous watercolor layer.
Next came the stencils! I pulled out a stencil and used a subtle gray archival ink to create some shapes that played with the edges of the watercolor. I also used a purple stencil with a dot pattern to add another layer of detail.
Next up – embellishing! I grabbed a beautiful teal Ranger ink and used some butterfly and flower stencils to create a little scene. It was lovely how the gold paint peeked through the butterfly wings.
To finish it off, I used a white gel pen to add some highlights around the flowers and butterfly, making them pop. I couldn’t resist adding a few more gold dots here and there for some extra sparkle.
I love how the rich colors blend together and how the stencils and details add another dimension to the piece. I hope you’ll give this a try with your favorite stencils and paint!