A unique feature that can be seen in some of Kelly's artwork is a stroke of rainbow colour on an otherwise black and white sketch. Read more about Kelly and her artistic background here. Keep reading to see how to add a fun pop of colour to your artwork in three steps with Arteza's Watercolour Paint and a few paintbrushes!
Supplies Needed:
Smaller Paint Brush
Large Paint Brush (Or as wide as you want your rainbow to be)
Watercolour Paint
Optional: Waterproof Pen/Pencil Sketch
Preparation
First, decide how wide you'd like the rainbow stroke on your paper to be, and grab a paintbrush that can create that. You don't need a super wide brush if you don't have one handy. However, a smaller brush will have difficulty achieving the same effect depending on how large you want your rainbow to be. Next, saturate the paintbrush of your choice with clean water so that the watercolours will glide on smoothly. Now that the paintbrush is prepared, you can move on to the next step!
Painting the Paint Brush
Choose the watercolour you'll start with, and gently paint the paintbrush in sections. In this demonstration, Kelly begins with red, but you can start with any colour you like. You'll want to apply the watercolours quickly, so the water doesn't dry. Kelly notes that the rainbow paint stroke you create will probably be pretty light, so if you've added a lot of paint and it's 'too much,' it is likely just the right amount. Another tip Kelly suggests is to paint both sides of the paintbrush to ensure the colour is saturated. Additionally, if you have watercolour in tubes, you can use those for this technique.
Continue applying the sections colour by colour until the rainbow is finished. In addition to a rainbow, this technique can also be used for any gradient you like!
Applying the Rainbow
Before you put the rainbow on your artwork, Kelly highly suggests trying it out on a blank piece of paper. A lot of the time, there will be some bleeding between colours at the tip of the brush, which is OK, but it is better to test to ensure you like the effect before adding it to your artwork. This is also an excellent option if you don't have a waterproof work of art ready but still want to try this technique!
Once you are satisfied with the effect, you can add the rainbow to your work of art! Simply position the rainbow where you want it and slowly move the stroke in whatever direction. It is important that whatever medium you have used is waterproof, whether it be a pencil or pen. Otherwise, despite the medium being dry, it may smudge with the addition of water.
Voila! Now you can add a pop of colour to any of your artwork. We encourage you to try making rainbows and gradients and experiment with different widths of overlay in your next work of art! Be sure to share your work with us on Instagram, and don't miss out on the exclusive bundles Kelly has helped curate!
The Kelly Edelman Real Brush Pens Starter Bundle includes a Set of 24 Real Brush Pens®, Set of 24 Inkonic™ Fineliner Pens, Set of 6 Water Brush Pens, Pack of 2 Mixed Media Pads, 22.9 x 30.5 cm, and a swag bundle including a thank you note packet featuring an artist print.
The Kelly Edelman Real Brush Pens Favourites Bundle includes a Set of 24 Real Brush Pens®,Set of 36 EverBlend™ Art Markers, Portrait Tones, Portable Watercolour Frame Set, and a swag bundle including a thank you note packet featuring an artist print.
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