Am I the only one that can't 'color'?
 

Seriously, am I the ONLY one?? LOL This is the one thing I really, really struggle with. I have the whole set of SU! markers, sets of Bic Mark-Its, some Sharpies and a few Copics. I have pencils: Crayola, SU!, Koh-I-Nor and another high-end brand I can't remember the name of.

It's not really the coloring part exactly, so much as the blending - I'm just no good at it! I prefer the softer look of pencils over markers, but the pencil lines left behind look very "juvenile". I've tried blending using baby oil, but it just seems to ruin the paper itself...maybe I'm using too much (or using "cheap" paper)?? Anyone have suggestions for tutorials?? Or suggestions in general??

I'm just starting back into making cards after not having much time the last few years with a baby (now toddler) and I've joined a few swaps to get my feet wet again - I don't want to send cards that someone would be disappointed in receiving! Let's face it...I can make cards for anyone in my family and they're going to love it regardless because I MADE it, but mailing to someone on here is another thing entirely! :D

Hey Toni - I'd say every person who *can* color couldn't color at some point and felt that frustration. I can't begin to tell you the value of practice, practice practice.

You have to spend many hours practicing to learn what works. I like pencils too. To keep those lines away, do many layers of VERY light pencil - most pencils at a certain point will blend out, especially oil-based pencils.

I did a video on layering with oil-based pencils here:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KmzNGMfGXCk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

A paper with a little "tooth" works best for me - so not an ultra-smooth cardstock with a coating, but kraft cardstock, pastel paper, etc.

We have some good coloring tutorials with different mediums:

Blended Pencils Tutorial - Splitcoaststampers
Alcohol markers with pencils Tutorial - Splitcoaststampers
Splitcoaststampers - Gamsol Magic Technique Tutorial by Cecilia Ross

Stamp ten images on one sheet of paper and color all ten in a practice session - that really helps me learn things. I just go out in the backyard and listen to the birds and practice :)

If you can afford it, I think you should give Copics another chance. Work with color groups (3 blue, 3 red, etc.) You say you like the softer shades, so choose colors with a low second number. The higher the second number, the darker the color.
For example:
Blue: B000, B01, B02
Yellow: Y00, Y11, Y13 (maybe Y15 instead of Y00 if you don't might a bit brighter)
Green: G21, G24

Unfortunately, finding the "just right" combinations is a bit of trial and error. It helps to see how others have used the blending groups. Here's one of the sites I used: Just4FunCrafts: Color of the Day

I've tried coloring with Marvy markers, crayons, watercolor pencils and ink. All were a disaster. The only medium I've been able to color with is Copic markers. I'm not good at coloring but I am getting better. For me, part of getting better is choosing images to color. Images with small coloring areas are difficult. I tend to get the paper too wet and the color bleeds outside the lines. The other part of getting better is practice, practice, practice--something I don't do enough.

I'm still learning the ins and outs of blending with Copics. I do best when there is a lot of white space to color. Small designs are harder. I usually get them too wet and they bleed outside the lines.

It is not just you! I'm brand new to blending-type coloring too and I can tell it's going to take a lot of practice. The other thing I struggle with is where the lighter part goes and where the shadow should go. Just not my natural way of looking at things so I really have to think about it.

No you are not the only one. I swear I flunked coloring in kindergarten. After I color, I top with glitter, glossy accents, gel pens, wink astella, or a Sticky paper from Tim Holtz that comes on a roll i dont know the name of but gives a frosted look. This has been my way of hiding the faults. I spend too much time to dump the project, but it is never good enough to stand alone. I think its because Im impatient or dont have enough time to practice practice. The videos make it look so easy. To me it is not. Do not dispare, you probably are too hard on yourself.

I have exactly the same problem. It doesn't stop me buying all the supplies but no matter what I seem to use (pencils with Gamsol, markers etc), I just can't get them to blend.

Lydia, your cups video is amazing. First of all, it is a beautiful card. When I saw it in the gallery, I assumed it was painted with a brush. It truly is ART!

I love how you've described what you are doing as the video goes along. For someone like me, who has no natural talent and no artistic training or education, the visual process and the verbal information helps the process to "click" in my brain.

In another thread, you showed how to make raindrops. I'd never tried adding a white highlight to anything before. Boy, what a cool trick that is!

I like the look of coloring, I can do it, sort of. The problem is patience, it takes time and practice to make a stamped image look beautiful. I much prefer solid images stamped with colored ink or heat embossed, so quick and easy.
Mary Beth

I totally stink with blending too. It isnt a skill you can learn in 3 mins like embossing folders. Why we compliment each other all the time on coloring in the gallery!

On the part of where to highlight....I saw a trick on a vid I cant remember the name of, but basically it was take some acetate, draw a circle on it (like a sun) and some lines radiating from it.

Then you can put it over your image and once you decide where you want the sun to be, the lines tell you where to highlight the image. I found that helpful...also to know where to put shadows.

I think hair might be an exception. There are a lot of dedicated tutorials just on coloring hair.

Thank you so much for sharing the link to your tutorial! And for the extra tips...

Yes, exactly! I see beautifully colored images with shading and the light/dark areas and think that looks great! But when I try to emulate it or recreate in some way, it just looks wrong or like I'm trying too hard!

Oh, absolutely!! This is totally me, too! Cover it up (just like my Dad use to say when I'd hear something in my truck...just turn the radio up!). I'm completely impatient and finding time to actually get to make anything is hard, so finding time just to practice the coloring techniques is also a struggle!

And skin tone...I've seen lots about that, too!

Honestly I don't think the issue is the "coloring". Most of us can "color". I think the issue is the value differences (aka the shading, the darks, the highlights and the range in-between). That takes lots of practice. In art school they spend months on value and students spend months practicing in grayscale (charcoal, graphite) with no color to confuse the issue. Only once mastered in grayscale do the instructors move on to color.

Honestly I cringe when I see people investing hundreds of dollars in Copics or whatever, thinking the expensive tool will magically solve the problem. The 'tool' will not help if a basic understanding of value differences doesn't exist. Practice grayscale by using a $1 '2B' drawing pencil.

This is only if you are really serious about improving the fundamentals. Honestly I tend to quick and easy so while I have the above experience, for cardmaking I tend not to use open line images -- I use solid or embossing, etc as another poster mentioned.

It definitely takes practice. And videos.

Finding one medium, whether it’s pencils, copics or other markers, and practicing with them so the feel and flow is second nature will give your practice momentum. When I switch from one marker to another, then to pencils, then to ink pad painting - it’s hard to get a foothold on the flow and feel so the practice starts to pay off.

And I stayed with very simple coloring images at first. Like balloons. I’ve seen stuff in the gallery that made me want to put my copics away for good. Now I don’t let it bother me.