Fun with Drawings

This post came about because I wanted to find a new way to use some of the drawings I created for the coloring books.

My first thought was watercolor paints for a colorful background. Then print one of the drawings on the background from the computer.

But the first background I did was using my colored pencils.  Even before the coloring book craze most homes have colored pencils for the kids. So I scribbled some color on a piece of drawing paper. By looking at the drawing I could see where the colors should be darker or lighter. I didn’t want to put a dark color where the face would be.

I printed the drawing right onto my drawing paper, over the background I had created earlier.

Then I did some watercolor.  I tried to lay down thin washes of color to coordinate with the drawing itself. I used cold press watercolor paper that is acid free. This will help the framed image last longer without yellowing. This paper is expensive but is best to use when creating a piece of work that will last. Artist drawing papers are also usually acid free and will not yellow. Printer papers are not good for this type of project.

 

I let the paint dry for an hour. I wanted to be sure nothing smudged during printing.

All of my drawings are scanned into my computer when they are done. The original drawing was larger than I wanted so I made a copy and reduced its size to fit into the mat.

The cool thing about this is that I can do backgrounds in a variety of color themes and create art for any room.  I can also do them in a variety of sizes. Of course, each watercolor background will be different even if in the same color scheme.  I can also scan the finished artwork into the computer which will allow me to reproduce the same art over and over.

You can also just do a copy onto the background. If you have a black and white drawing, put it into the copier and put your background paper into the paper feed. Copy your image right onto the background.

I found the frame at the thrift store for less than a dollar. It’s amazing how many great things you can find at thrift stores and yard sales. I did buy the mats because I wanted new ones. But nice wooden frames can be found many places. I am always looking and grab up any bargains when I find them.

It’s fun to get creative without spending a lot of money. You can frame any pictures you like. Most people these days have printers that also scan and most computers have a scanning/faxing program already in their computer. It’s an easy thing to do, or easy to find a friend to help.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Paper is cheap and with frames from the thrift store you can create fun and beautiful art for you home at a minimal cost.

So now I am going to do some more printing. Have a great week.

Terri

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