Video: Selective Focus on Bold Prints Stamps with Colored Pencils - Hero Arts
Posted by Lydia Fiedler on March 20, 2023

Video: Selective Focus on Bold Prints Stamps with Colored Pencils

Hi friends! Lydia here with one of my favorite coloring techniques – it's a selective focus technique with colored pencils.

By selective focus, I mean a technique that is similar to a spotlighting technique, but it's more like portrait mode on an iPhone – it creates a sharp, focused foreground, with a soft, fuzzier background. If you are a photography buff, it's a similar effect to a macro or large aperture photo effect.

Grab your favorite colored pencils, the Poppy Field Bold Prints – a swoonworthy background stamp – some Dandelion Core ink and let's do the following steps:

  • Pick a colored pencil as close to Dandelion as you can, and one in a slightly darker yellow shade and softly shade the solid and line art poppies.
  • Using well sharpened yellow, cyan and magenta pencils, make well defined sharp lines on the outer and inner edges of petals on the one flower that you've picked for your focal point.
  • Using a dark blue-violet pencil, add deep dark shading selectively.
  • Color the center of the flower magenta, adding dots for texture.
  • Color a portion of a stem to match.
  • Stamp a sentiment – I used the sentiment from the stunning Wisteria HeroScape stamped in Intense Black ink – intentionally having the stem disappear into the sentiment.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your pencils very sharp when you are doing any sort of pencil project. Getting details like this are impossible without a sharp pencil.

Here's a video of the process – enjoy!

(If you are having trouble viewing this video, please watch HERE on YouTube.)

Thanks for stopping by today – make it a crafty day!

Click on products to shop:
CG898 Poppy Field Bold Prints | Hero...
SB352 Wisteria HeroScape Bundle (C) |...
AF652 Dandelion Core Ink | Hero Arts
AF471 Intense Black + Reinker Bundle...

2 comments

This is an amazing technique, Lydia! It really makes the card lovely. I’m one of those “chemical” users but you make a great case for keeping colored pencils for their intended use.

Elaine H.,

I love colored pencils, and you don’t see many videos using them. So thank you so much for this one. Beautiful work and a great idea.

annie solomon,

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.


  • Infinity Trees Christmas Card Tutorial with Stamping and Ink Blending

    BP-377

    Infinity Trees Christmas Card Tutorial with Stamping and Ink Blending

    Hey there, crafty friends! It's Marie again from Marie Nicole Designs. Are you ready for Christmas? I believe that it is never too early to begin your Christmas crafting. I try to make Christmas cards throughout the year so when December rolls around, and I’m already overwhelmed by all the events going on, I have a stash already made. Today, I’ll be sharing an easy Christmas...

  • Gift Boxes Christmas Card Tutorial with Gift Boxes and Bags Etched Dies

    BP-001

    Gift Boxes Christmas Card Tutorial with Gift Boxes and Bags Etched Dies

    Hello crafters! It’s Lisa Tilson here with you today to share a card using the Snowflake Kisses Collection by Lisa Horton. I am going to be doing a step-by-step photo tutorial showing you how to create a Christmas card using the Gift Boxes and Bags Etched Dies and I’m using a more unconventional colour palette to make it. Sometimes it’s fun to create with colours...

  • Debossed Snowflake Christmas Card Tutorial with Snowflake Background Etched Dies

    Categories:Die Cutting

    Debossed Snowflake Christmas Card Tutorial with Snowflake Background Etched Dies

    Hello there, Michelle Short here to share a step-by-step tutorial using the Snowflake Background Etched Dies from the Lisa Horton Snowflake Kisses Collection. The Snowflake Background Etched Dies are two layers which you can cut as a base layer and a top layer. For my card today, instead of having die cut layers, I thought that I would deboss the design. DEBOSSING THE DIE Place...