Team Tuesday with Chris

Good morning! 

It's Chris here with a monochromatic card and video to share.  I love to challenge myself to working in grayscale every once in awhile.  It great coloring practice, and forces me to focus on contrast only without the hassle of choosing colors.   

I've used my Original Misti to stamp this floral from Hero Arts,  Hero Floral Magnolia, with Gina K. Designs' Amalgam ink onto Strathmore's 400 Series Toned Gray paper.  While my paper and stamp was still in place, I stamped a second time to give a dark, crisp image for me to color.

For my coloring medium, I have limited myself to only 8 Faber Castell Polychromos pencils:  the warm grays I-VI, black and white pencils.  I first began to very lightly color in the cast shadows of the petal with gray VI.  This light coloring gives me the flexibility to start to create the shape of the flower, and yet the dark gray is colored faintly enough that I could still erase away the coloring should I want to change my mind.  

I built up more of the petal shapes using the gray IV and V before adding the deepest contrast areas with the black pencil.  I then worked toward the lighter gray, blending the colors, continuing to create the visual depth of each of the petals and leaves.

The last pencils to be used were the white and gray I.  Those are my lightest highlights and can create that dramatic contrast on the gray paper.

Here is the short coloring video:

I used my Rototrim paper trimmer to very carefully cut my panel.  I carefully cut from the corners just to the leaves, then used a scissor to free the leaves so they can extend over my black and white mats.  A quick cut with a craft knife and ruler between the leaves that I wanted to remain extended, completed the rectangle panel.

Thanks for joining me today, and I hope you enjoyed the short coloring tutorial!

Happy stamping!