Help - Frustrated!
 

Ok.. so I have a aqua pen... I hate it... I can't get a good look. What the heck am I doing wrong?

Can you be more specific? (like too watery or too dry). That may help with responses.

It doesn't look like watercolor at all. I'm just using water in the pin. The color doesn't "fade" or it is all "faded"

Not that I have an answer for you, but what kind of paper are you using? Have you tried different kinds of paper? ei. US White, Glossy? Are you using ink or watercolor pencils? If you're using ink, are you using the pens, or the pads? Do you have a CD you can trash? If so, try this... using the pens, color on the CD in a small area making a kind of puddle. Pick up the ink off of the CD with the Aqua painter and apply it to you paper. This should give you a watercolor effect. If not, you either have too much or not enough water on your brush. If not enough, give the pen a little bit of a squeeze until a drop of water come out. Then dab off a little on a paper towel and pick up your color and try again. If too much dab off on a paper towel and try again. Hope this helps.

Ok, the last post helped. I didn't have enough water on the brush, but I'm still having lines in my "coloring" is there something else I'm missing. I am using classic ink pads on white card stock (I hate when I know I should be able to do something and can't), I've trashed the whole thing. I'm "squeezing" the ink pad before I open it. Then picking up the ink with the brush on the "squeezed" ink side.

I'm still not an "artistic pro" at using my aqua painter, but I LOVE the look I get with it! I would suggest you do the following:

1. Choose a flower stamp (or any stamp of your choice) and stamp it about 10 times (using Basic Black or Basic Brown) ink.
2. Practice coloring the image using different color mediums. Ex.: if you have watercolor crayons, outline the edges of your flower (if you're using a flower) and then take the AP and brush from the outlined edges into the image--you're just picking up the color and painting it on the rest of the image. You can also use watercolor pencils for this coloring method.
3. Another coloring option is to squeeze the lid of an ink pad several times (while it's still closed) and then when you open the pad, there will be an ink spot in the lid. Use that ink spot to pick up color with the AP and apply it to your stamped image.
4. Have ink refills? Put a drop of ink in a lid or paint palette and pick up VERY, VERY LITTLE ink with the AP to color your image. Ink from the refill bottles goes a LONG, LONG way.

I love my APs more than I ever thought I would. When I bought them, I thought I'd just demo them and not really use them much myself. As it turns out, I use them all the time. If you'll try the coloring options that I described and just practice, I'll bet you'll start loving yours, too. I don't know of a better-looking AND easier way to color!

HTH.

Regina

I'm a former painting teacher. The secret to using the water brush is to load the brush up with as much color as possible so that you don't run out to color before you've finished a section. Start in the areas that you want to be the darkest because the brush has been freshly loaded and will be darker. Try to complete an entire area without reloading the brush. I usually start by outlining the area first and then when I fill in the center it turns out a little lighter. Also start out darker everywhere any thing is behind something else to add some dimension. Hope that helps, Nan

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