Hello All!
For my very first blog post (I am so excited to say that!!) I’m sharing a fun technique for making super quick cards using outline coloring or what I call “suggestive coloring”. The four cards below demonstrate how to use this technique while gradually becoming more complex, but don’t worry even the most complex card is super fast and easy to make. So, with that said let’s move on to the fun part!
Card One:
This card is the most simple to make as it requires very little coloring.
Step 1: To start I stamped nearly all the images from Hello Bluebird’s Frosty Littles stamp set and an additional image from Frosty Friends stamp set onto Bristol Smooth cardstock with Ink on 3 Blackout Detail Ink.
Step Two: I selected two different Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers – a light blue and light gray. The trick is to only add color where the shadows would be and let the rest of the snowmen be white. I added a pop of color with orange for their carrot noses. That’s it! Coloring done!
Step Three: I used MFT’s Birdie Brown Greetings Galore stamp set for my sentiment along with a snowflake from the Frosty Friends stamp set which I heat embossed in white onto black cardstock and tucked into the bottom right corner of the card.
Card Two:
I wanted to use another adorable stamp set I’ve been itching to create with so I broke out my Hello Bluebird Yeti or Not stamp set for this card.
Step 1: I stamped all the images in MFT’s Extreme Black ink onto Neenah Solar White, 80 lb, cardstock.
Step Two: I selected 7 Copic markers – two shades of gray, two shades of blue, two greens, and 1 brown. I used one blue and gray color combo for some of the yetis and the other blue/gray combo for the remainder. The blue/gray combos were used to add shadows to the Yeti fur and faces. The two green colors were used to outline the trees along with the brown Copic for the trunk.
Step Three: I used the Lawn Fawn’s Scripty Thanks die for the sentiment which I cut out of glitter paper to add a little more bang.
Card Three:
This card is a little more complicated than the last two but still super simple.
Step 1: I love Lawn Fawn stamps and just had to use Beary Happy Holidays and Toboggan Together stamp sets for this card. I stamped the images onto Neenah Solar White, 80 lb, cardstock with MFT’s Extreme Black ink.
Step Two: I selected 5 Copic markers – two shades of gray, two shades of orange, and 1 green for this card. I colored the Polar Bears similarly to the cards above using one warm gray marker to add shadows to their fur. For the Penguins I outlined their bodies in a darker gray shade to suggest a sense of darkness and colored their feet and beaks with an orange marker. For the remaining images: fish, bucket, and Polar Bear accessories; I outlined them using the remaining colors.
Step Three: I again used the Lawn Fawn’s Scripty Thanks die in a similar cardstock color as the Polar Bears scarfs and skates. I went over the die cut with Glossy Accents to help it stand out.
Card Four:
This is the most complicated card and I have to say it’s my favorite.
Step 1: I’ve been wanting to use the super adorable Alpaca Holiday stamp set from Sunny Studio’s. For this card, I stamped the Alpacas onto Neenah Solar White, 80 lb, cardstock with MFT’s Extreme Black ink.
Step Two: This card features 6 Copic markers – two shades of brown, 1 green, 1 blue, 1 pink, and 1 purple. Since normally the Alpacas would be colored with lots of shading I decided to outline them to make them appear solid. For their accessories, I used a combination of outline coloring and solid coloring.
Step Three: I used Simon Says Stamp’s Big Thanks die for the sentiment which I cut from a similar shade of cardstock as the blue Copic marker. I mounted the blue die cut onto a white cardstock shadow to help it stand out.
Before you go, I thought it might be helpful to have a list of some helpful tips for if/when you try this technique yourself.
Outline Coloring Tips:
- This type of coloring technique works best for images that don’t need a lot of shading or depth such as snowmen, yetis, Polar Bears, etc.
- When coloring a white or typically light image, such as the snowmen, you can just lay in shadows with your colors. However, if you are using an image which typically has more shading, such as the Penguins or Alpaca, then it’s best to outline the image to give the sense of solidness.
- Using softer color tones, pastels, are best with this technique.
There you have it, super simple and quick cards using outline/suggestive coloring!
Also, please know I’m not trying to claim that I developed this technique but simply sharing my coloring process and tips that might help you if you try it out for yourself.
I hope you enjoyed this post!
Mimi Peters says
Very cute cards. Great job with the new blog.
Anika says
Mimi – thank you so much for your sweet comment! I really appreciate you visiting the site!
Roxanne Anson says
The cards are darling. I am new to stamping and coloring. Blending is really hard for me. I love what you did.
Anika says
Roxanne – Thank you so much for visiting and your super nice note! I’m always working on color blending- it is challenging. I’m delighted that you found this idea/technique helpful.