Idea of the Month

Waterbrush Fun

I've been having great fun with the waterbrush lately, so I thought I'd share some techniques for using this versatile accessory.  Unlike blending pens, using a waterbrush gives you total control over the amount of water you mix with the ink, thus making it possible to lay down very light to dark colors, and anything in between. 

Waterbrush Card Examples:

Basic Waterbrush Techniques:

1.  Use a dye-based ink (like Close To My Heart Exclusive Inks TM Ink Pads).  Stamp your image using a waterproof ink (like Close To My Heart Exclusive Inks TM Black Ink.  This is a specially-formulated dye ink that is waterproof, yet cleans up easily!).

2.   With the ink pad closed, squeeze the case or push the lid down so that the lid makes contact with the surface of the ink pad.  When you open the lid, you will have ink on the inside of the lid, creating a paint palette.   (Note: it doesn't work well to dip the brush directly onto the surface of the ink pad... you really need to get the ink on the lid).

3.  Fill the handle of the water brush with plain tap water.  Squeeze it gently where indicated to get the water flowing into the brush tip.

4.  Dip the brush into the ink, and "paint" your stamped image! Vary the intensity of the color simply by squeezing the brush to release 1 or more drops of water into your ink palette. 

5.  To clean the brush, simply squeeze it over a rag to  release a bit of water to clean the brush.  Then you are ready to move onto the next color.

Additional Ideas:

If you are doing large areas or are coloring a lot of cards, try adding a few drops of re-inker (like Close To My Heart Exclusive Inks TM Re-inkers) to the water in the brush itself.  That's how I did the cards above.  I had separate brushes with red, blue, and green re-inker, etc.  Start with 3-4 drops of re-inker, and add more as needed until you get the shade you like.  Doing this makes coloring swap cards very quick!  It also allows you to make broad strokes of color (like in the striped card above).  I know of a consultant friend who keeps one brush always filled with Close To My Heart Exclusive Inks TM Re-inker in light blue so she can do skies!  It's also fun to tint the edges of your card (or the torn edges of a piece you will be mounting on your card) with your waterbrush.   Waterbrushes can also be used with chalks or watercolors.

Large Waterbrush: #1770, $8.95

Medium Waterbrush: #1771, $8.25

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  ©Linda Harrison 2004