Friday, February 27, 2009

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today's my birthday, and I want to send a big thank you to everyone who has already left comments or sent me digital birthday cards. There are some cute cards out there! I figured I haven't shown a basic tutorial in a long time, so here's a great birthday coloring exercise. Someone asked me about this a while ago and now I'm finally showing a tutorial.

Coloring Transparent Balloons
If this is the first time you've tried to layer really different colors I suggest you work with light colors or pastels. Today I'm using a pale blue, pink, and purple BV00/BV04, B21, and RV11. I quickly drew this bunch of balloons and photocopied it so I could

Begin with the front balloons. Transparent things collect color at the edges, so color darkest at the edge and feather into the middle. Do this for both front balloons. As you can see on the blue balloon, I am using the side of the super brush nib and stroking in towards the middle. This leaves the center almost white and the edges will bleed through on the backside.

Next, take your colorless blender and push the color back out from the middle of each balloon and let it gather at the edges. This heightens the effect of transparency. Want more transparent balloons? use more blender. You can let it dry and then push it again if it's still not light enough. On some cardstocks you need to be careful that you don't oversoak the paper or else it will start feathering. For darker balloons use less blender, or a darker color.

Now you can add the color to your back balloon. Start by coloring just the area not covered by the front balloons. I started with BV00, added BV04, and went back over it with BV00 to blend the colors better.

With the BV00, add a dab of color inside the other two balloons. Don't color all the way up to the dark edge, just feather the light color up to the edge. Add a tiny dab of BV04 to the extreme edge of the layered balloon. Add more BV00 to fade this in as well. The covered areas should NOT be as dark as the un-covered areas, and you still should see tones of the front balloons.

The lighter you make the layered areas in comparison to the un-layered areas will determine how transparent the front balloons are. If you want the front ballons to be pale but not very see-through, then add only tiny hints of purple. If you want the front balloons to be pale and very transparent then make the purple of hte back balloon closer to it's regular color.

Now, go back with your RV11 and B21 and darken up the front balloons in the same way you first colored them. Feather in from the edge towards the middle. It's OK to cover up the purple areas of the back balloon because it softens the dark purple and looks more like you're looking through the balloons. It looks pretty beleivable at this point. Again, if you want the front balloons to look less see-through then layer more of the original color and wash out the back color more.

For the final touch, I took Opaque White and added glints of light to the top to make the balloons appear shiny.

I hope each of you has a great weekend. I'm going to try and catch up on my e-mails and artwork that I am so far behind on. Eat something sweet- I know I will!

51 comments:

Tracey said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIANNE!! I hope you are having a fabulous day!!

Silly Skittles said...

Thanks for the tutorial! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!

Nancy said...

Happy Birthday Marianne! I wish you much happiness in the year to come!

Theresa Momber said...

Happy birthday, Marianne! I hope you are having a great day. Thank you for all your wonderful tutorials.

Take care and STAY POSITIVE! Trena said...

Happy Birthday Marianne!! You're wiser than a year ago. :o)
Hope your day was special!!

I really like when you show examples of coloring to show transparency. That one thing that I really want to do well!

Take care and STAY POSITIVE!

Linda Carson said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Marianne!! Thanks for all you teach us!! Hope you eat lots of cake & ice cream!

Debbie Corbari said...

Happy Birthday Marianne! Hope your day ROCKS!

kris fulk said...

Well, a happy birthday to you, Marianne ^_^ Hope you had some good cake!

preci28 said...

Happy Birthday! Mine is tomorrow, so when I saw your post I was like oh how cool!

Love your tips. I'm just getting into the coolness of copics, thanks for your awesome blog!

Anonymous said...

Happy Happy Birthday Marianne!! Did you make a wish when you blew the candles out? Well I hope your wishes come true and I hope you had a fab day!!
--Beccap

Mrs. Nancy G said...

Happiest Birthday Blessings!
{{HUGS}}

Awesome tutorial. I would of never thought of on how to color balloons. Wonderfully done!

Thanks so much!

:-)

Gail S. said...

Happy, Happy day!! Even on your b-day you find time to post! Thanks.

Peggy said...

Hope you are having a Fabulous Day!
Happy Birthday!

Nicole said...

Marianne! I thought you were copying my last post or something because that is what I had on there! My birthday was thursday! I didn't know we are just a day apart, no wonder we get along so well! HAHA!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LATE! I am just now getting on the net and blog hopping it was a major busy day! I scrapped until 1am just now and am going to an all day crop at 8:30am until midnight NEXT!

Hope you celebrate your birthday weekend to its' fullest! BIG HUGS, Nicole

Lynn Mercurio said...

Oh sweetie, I sure hope your day was one that brought you great joy...I'm sorry I didn't get my birthday wishes to you earlier in the day...it's nearly 1:00 a.m. and am just now reading blogs for the day! Thanks for all you do to share your Copic wisdom with us.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Marianne! Hope u have a wonderful day! Tnx for the tutorial!

Candy said...

Happy Birthday Marianne!!!
Have a happy enjoyable weekend...... Thank you for the balloon lesson!

debb said...

Happy birthday! I hope it is (was) wonderful! debb

Mixing-Katie said...

Happy birthday!! Mine was yesterday too :-)

Dawn said...

Happy, Happy Birthday Marianne!!! Hope it's a fabulous day!!

Holly Young said...

Happy Birthday Marianne, and thanks for showing how to color the balloons. I was the one who asked you that, andyour tutorial was wonderful as usual. Now I just have to go practice it! Do you think you're ever going to be coming to central Arkansas to teach?

Cheryl said...

Happy birthday, Marianne! Hope you get to do things that you love to do on your day!
Great tutorial, very helpful!
thanks and have a great day! Cheryl

Mary Leeson said...

Marianne, Feliz Cumpleanos!! May you have a most excellent celebration today! Thanks for your great tutorials. Love 'em! Bless~

Karen W said...

Happy Birthday Marianne!! It was wonderful meeting you in Pensacola and if anyone reading this has not taken her class in copics be sure you do!!! Have a great weekend

"Kirby" (KrB) said...

Happy Birthday, Marianne, and thanks for the tutorial. I love the effect so I will practice this one. Enjoy your day!

Susan said...

Hippo Birdie Two Ewes! Susan

Norine said...

just wanted to say Happy Birthday
have a great day and thanks for the tut
Hugs
Norine

dmurray407 said...

Marianne, wonderful tutorial and I hope you have a great birthday!!!

freida said...

I hope you have a fabulous birthday, Marianne! :)
This is such an awesome tutorial! Thanks so much for taking the time to enlighten us! You always make it look so simple....can't wait to play!

Freida

Linda said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIANNE!

Have a Fabulous Day!

YOU ROCK!

Sandy Knecht said...

Happy Birthday Marianne! I hope you had a wonderful day! Cool tutorial, thank!

Vicki G said...

Happy Birthday Marianne!!!!!

Many Many More Happy Birthdays to you!

Hugs

Vicki

Granbeads said...

Have a WONDERFUL, HAPPY DAY today! We've never met but I have gained a ton of friendship from reading your blog! Eat all the sweets you want - it's YOUR day!

Carla S. said...

Happy birthday, Marianne! Hope your day was the best! Thanks for the great tutorial!

Bandon, Oregon said...

eureMarianne,

Happy Birthday!!! Hope that it's wonderful!!

Thanks for all the friendship you share....

Always,
Faith, Bandon

Randell said...

Super Happy Birthday! I love coming to your blog and learning more Copic tips and becoming even more inspired!

JazzyHeart said...

Happy Birthday Marianne! You are a special person who is generous with your art and that brightens each of our days.

Susan said...

I hope you had a marvelous birthday! Happy Birthday a bit late!!!

Merlie said...

Happy Birthday Marianne!! Thanks for the tutorial.

Robin said...

Happy Happy Birthday Marianne. Have a wonderful day.

Lisa Kind said...

These tutorials are so helpful! I loved the post about the DUMB-V...very informational! Happy Birthday, too! I'm going to be at the certification class in Buffalo, NY in March and I don't know if you are teaching it, but I hope to see you there!

Henriƫtte said...

I'm sorry to be late. But happy birthday and I hope you had a wonderful day. Thanks for the great tutorial.

Ann said...

OH!! Happy birthday to you, Marianne! I hope that you day is full of fun and happiness.

Holly Nester said...

Happy birthday!

Whimsey said...

Happy birthday Marianne - hope your day was extra special!!

i {heart} papers said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Donalda said...

Sorry to be late but Happy Late Birthday dear. Hope you had a special day dear

Sharon Harnist said...

Hey, my birthday was Tuesday! Hope you had a very happy birthday, fellow Piscean (is that the right form of Pisces?)!!

Candy said...

Happy Belated Birthday, hope it was a good one!! Great tutorial!!

Latisha said...

happy belated Birthday Marianne!
You and my daughter share the same birthday. I hope you are feeling better.
hope you had a fabulous day! We took her to dinner and to see Corraline.
Latisha
aka
Queen Latisha by Marrianne LOL

Beate said...

I am sorry I am so late! Happy Belated birthday. I hope you had a wonderful day!
Hugs and smiles