Polished to Perfection

Copic Airbushed Twilight with Stampscapes

From Sunset to Twilight and all the hours inbetween I can't stop thinking about the Copic Airbrush Possibilities.I have always loved Stampscapes stamps, but I must admit the past three posts are actually my first venture into designing with them and as you can see I am totally thrilled - OH NO!! NOT ANOTHER GOTTA HAVE IT ALL MOMENT!!! Yep!!

I started this card by purusing the stampscape website and lesson section and decided that I would try my hand at using the Copic airbrush system to try to create the effect that they were achieving with ink and I was amazed at how easy it was to airbrush this scene.  Many of you have asked which colors are the best for using in the airbrush system?  The answer isn't simple - it is really a personal preference based on your color palette and the your desired end effect.  In yesterdays post I used very pale colors to achieve my beautiful sunset, but here I used a darker selection of Copic Sketch Markers.  I am still experimenting with a variety of stamps, styles and techniques to determine my personal recommendations in the intirum I will try to always post the colors I have used in any particular project.

To create this card I used the following Copic Sketch Markers: 0 - Colorless Blending pen, B06, B29,V09, and 100 black.  I also used the following Stampscape Rubber Stamps - The small lakeside Cove 048E, Oak Branch 203G and cat tails.  I used a 2" x 2" square of stampbord which I stamped with a versamark watermark pad and embossed with super fine black ranger embossing powder.

To airbrush the image I began with B06, near the tree line I laid in a very light coat and got progressively heavier as I approached the top of the sky.  Then I repeated this technique in a mirror image on the lake. Next I airbrushed in B29 leaving the area near the tree tops simply airbrushed with B06. then on the top 1/4th of the sky I airbrushed in V09.  Mirror image the airbrush colors in the lake.  To create the clouds in the sky I used my blending pen in a circular motion, which made fluid and removeable some of the color I had airbrushed in.  Using my scratch tool, I highlighted sections of the trees and rocks.  Then I scratched in highlights in the water. 

Next I added in the cat tails stamp and embossed in black embossing powder (make sure that your stampbord is dry before adding the cat tails) Now scratch in the North Star and it's corresponding reflection.  Scratch in a few smaller stars.  Using Black 100, I then airbrushed around the entire edge of the stampbord.  I cut a mat for the stampbord square from Black Kromekote. 

Now cut a  3 3/4" x 5 " mat of Murdock Country Creations Turqouise Polished Stone Paper.  Use just the edges of the Oak Branch stamp I add branches to this mat.  Stamp and emboss in black.  Using an opaque white paint add highlights to the trees and add stars to the Turqouise Polished Stone Paper. Mat with Black Kromekote and place on a A2 size card made from Deep Sea Polished Stone Paper.  Now enjoy the Twilight!!! For tons of instructional information visit the Stampscapes Rubber Stamps website. There you will also find a complete listing of stores that carry Stampscapes Rubber Stamps.

Copic Various Inks used for the Polished Stone Technique

If you love to create your own Polished Stone Paper - You are gonna love what Copic has to offer. 322 colors of Various Ink Refills (aka 322 Colors of Alcohol Ink). The ability to control where you are laying in color using the Copic Airbrush System with your Copic Sketch Markers.  The availability of a colorless blending marker that can remove color from your design. A 1 liter bottle of colorless blending medium.  Plus the ability to add small areas of color with your Sketch Markers.  What this now gives you is more control in placing color in your designs before. 

When I started this card the intent was simple to make a second sunset card using the Domino Shaped Stampbord shapes from Ampersand Art Supply .  If you haven't used this product yet I suggest buying the assorted pack.   It gives you a selection of several shapes and sizes of stampbord to play with.  Next I placed all 3 pieces of stampbord together and stamped the image with a Versamark Watermark pad using one stamp from Stampscapes and embossed it with Ranger super fine detail black embossing powder.   On the middle Domino I added the tiny stamp of the man rowing the boat. Keeping the 3 dominoes together I then airbrushed the sky using Y17 on the top 3rd of the sky.  Next I airbrushed in RV02, this color is very light for airbrushing so I had to do a couple of layers of color to get this effect.  Using a C5-grey copic marker I colored in the rocks, Now I did notice that my copic sketch marker picked up some of the black dye from the embossing powder - this did add some additional grey tones to my rocks. I purposely left areas of the rock white. Then I used BV01 to lay in a pale purple in back of the tree line -again this is a very pale color so I had to do several layers to achieve this color. I colored the rocks first so that when I airbushed the purple in the sky I would get some overspray on my rocks.  Since the sunset would  naturally be reflected in the rocks. What I love about stampbord is that you can use your scratch tool to highlight areas of your stamped image.  It also very forgiving, if you do not like the color you have applied to the stampboard simply sctch it off and add more color. For the water I used a combination of airbrushing in color, and brushing in color with the sketch end of my marker, and scratching in highlights. When I tried to use a piece of Murdock Country Creations Polished Stone Paper for my background nothing popped like I wanted it to. So I decided I needed an alcohol inked paper with a variety of colors like the sunset I had airbrushed. So I decided that this would be the perfect card to try my hand at using the Copic Various Inks to create my own Polished Stone Paper. 

In case you have not tried to make your own polished stone paper yet ,here is a brief tutorial:  What you will need to create your Polished Stone Paper :

1. A Ranger non-stick sheet- to  protect your work surface ,and as a pallette to put your Various Ink on.
2. A felt applicator - I am spoiled my husband made me a larger applicator, since I always make a full 12 x 12 sheet of polished stone paper.
3. Copic Various Ink 0 Colorless Blender - refill. This will make your ink flow across the page as well as allow you to remove any areas that you are not happy with.
4. Glossy white paper- I prefer Kromekote as it has a very fine layer of clay.

To create this particular piece I used the following Copic Various Inks:0, Y13,V95 and the following  Copic Sketch Markers 0, YR07, Y17 -currently I only have a small selection of markers and inks.What is really cool about Copic is that I could use the airbrush system to lay in additional colors of ink that I did not own in Copic Various Ink to fill in large areas of my design and I could use my markers to lay in color in smaller areas. If you have ever made paper using the Polished stone technique you know that you really don't have a lot of control over how the colors blend on your applicator- so I was more than thrilled that I could decide which colors I wanted to add where with the control of the airbrush system and the markers.  Whenever I design polished stone paper I love to create a splash pattern.  I do this by placing my blending solution in a spray bottle (do not use the Ranger blending solution in a spray format as it is toxic).  I use denatured alcohol as it is stronger in concentration than rubbing alcohol and relatively inexpensive.  I was thrilled to see how large the Copic colorless blender refill is and how affordable it is as I will end up using a ton.  For this creation I decided to use strictly the copic colorless blender.

Using a new felt on my applicator, I made a puddle of Y13 on my Ranger non-stick sheet. Next I made a puddle with my colorless blender and picked it up the colorless blender ink with my applicator first, by gentle dabbing it up and down in the puddle.  Next I dabbed the colorless blender ink all over the top 1/4th of my sheet of glossy white Kromekote so that the Copic various ink would move nicely.  While this was still wet I put my applicator into the Y13 puddle of Various ink and starting at the top of my paper I dabbed it across the top 1/4 of my paper (I was working with a 12 x 12  Sheet.) I also made sure not to leave some of the white Kromekote showing. Next I applied with my applicator more colorless blending solution and airbrushed in YR07 over it while it was wet and then dabbed it with the applicator. Now I wanted to see what kind of effect I would get from airbrusing in with the colorless blending Sketch marker.  So I airbrushed the entire image and it look like nothing had occured until I dabbed my applicator over the entire paper and Tah Dah!!! Whereever the colorless marker had sprayed I know had tiny splash patterns.

Next I tried the closest pink I had in Various Ink which was V95...it was a little on the gray side for my taste.  So I applied more colorless blender with my applicator and it picked up the color and lightened my paper.  I sprayed Y17 and a little more YR07 over the pink area and added more colorless blender with my applicator. I was thrilled with the end result and can't wait to make a ton more polished stone paper using the Copic Various inks.

As I placed my stamp images on the newly created Polished Stone Paper, I noticed I had a few darkers specs of copic in the yellow section of the mat, I simply picked up my Colorless Copic Sketch Marker and colored over the undesired colored areas and the colorless blender removed it!!  I was more than a little excited that I could use the blending pen to remove unwanted color from my page.

I finished the card by using Balck Kromekote to mat the stampbord dominoes and the piece of Copic Polished Stone Paper I had created.  I added a Rod Iron Corner Punch from EK Success and used Raspberry Twist Polished Stone Paper from Murdock Country Creations for the base of my card.   I hope that this long post will be helpful to anyone who has used the polished stone technique before as well as anyone who may now be anxious to try their hand at making their own Copic Creation.

                                             

Copic Markers Airbrushed Stampscape Sunset

                                                               

As an artist I love to watch the sunset.  My studio faces west so that I can watch the sunset while I am designing.  It always amazes me how quickly the light changes and the sunset changes. I use to make my boys watch the sunset including making them really notice how the light changes as the sun sets.Now, it always makes me smile when they exclaim "look at the beautiful sunset."  Did you every notice the difference between a summer and winter sunset??

In August I posted some cards I made with stampboard prior to my addiction to airbrushing.  Since I have been playing with my airbrush system I have been dying to try it out on Stampbord from Ampersand Art Supply and as you can see the result is exhiliarating.  I stamped the image Stampscapes - Pine and Rocks -195G on the stampbord with a versamark watermarkpad and then embossed with Super Fine Ranger Black Embossing Powder.  My stampbord was slightly larger than my stamp, so I used the same stamp in different positions to achieve this image. Next I used the Y17 Copic Sketch marker in the Copic Airbrush system and airbrushed in a light coat of  yellow.  Then I switch to the YR07 and starting spraying about a 1/4 of the way down the image.  Then I finished with R08 at the tree line. I airbrushed the rocks with a light grey. To achieve the water I airbrushed in the Y17, then airbrushed in with B06.  While the ink was still wet I painted in brush strokes with my B06 Marker.  Next I used my scratch tool and highlighted the water and the top of the rocks by scratching into the clay.  I mounted my scratch board onto black glossy kromekote paper which is a staple for me for cardmaking.  Please note that it will take a few minutes for the airbrushed ink to dry on the clay board.  If you are in a hurry you can heat set it...remember that you will also be reheating the embossing powder which may become hot.

When I decided to use the Sherbet Polished Stone Paper from Murdock Country Creations. I instantly loved the effect but I wanted to play off the sunset image to give the card a warm glow.  So you guessed it. I airbrushed the edges of the Polished Stone Paper with my YR07 marker.  It will take a little while for the ink to dry on the Polished Stone Paper..if you are impatient like me feel free to heat set the edging you airbrushed.

I stamped the verse for the card on plain white paper and tore the verse in half.  The top half I airbrushed with my sunset colors and place it it the sky of my stambord image,  The second half of the verse I used inside my card and I airbrushed this with Y17 and B06.  Since the stampboard is so heavy I chose to line the card with Lemonade Polished Stone and Sherbert. Again I airbrushed the edges to give the card a glow.