sweet candy watercolors

Not quite cookie decorating, but at least sweets are involved...

Watercolor pencils offer a super easy method of creating your own paintings, even for the most artistically challenged. If you aren't up for drawing your own, I've included a pdf of four "sweet candy" prints HERE. Each 8 1/2 x 11" page has two prints. Each print is about 3 x 4".

Some ideas for using your candy paintings:

• Cut out a 5x7" rectangle around each candy and frame each to create a series.
• Cut out each print, write a message, stick in an envelope and use as a card.
  
• Cut out each print into a rectangle or a circle (with a circle cutter), punch two holes at the top, string ribbon through and create garland for a sweets themed birthday party.

how to create your own sweet candy watercolors:

you will need:
pad of watercolor paper
paper trimmer (12" minimum)
watercolor pencils
cup with water
small, flat paint brush
printer (preferably laser, not inkjet)
ultrafine black marker

The watercolor paper, paper trimmer and paint brushes can be found at any major craft store. All of the above (except the printer) as well as watercolor pencils can be found at a fine arts store. Warning: You don't need a color printer, but the printer does need to handle a thick piece of paper.


step one: create your print
If you are drawing your own design, lightly sketch a design with a pencil on a piece of watercolor paper. If you are using my candy designs (pdf HERE), use the paper trimmer to cut your watercolor paper to standard letter size, 8 1/2 x 11". I purchased a 9 X 12" watercolor pad, but I wanted to keep measurements the standard letter size to make things easier on my printer.

step two: color with your pencils
Using the colors of your choice, pencil in the areas to be painted on the prints. The best part of penciling is you don't need to be exact or uniform. (I used these colors: light blue for rock candy, lime and black for licorice, purple and light blue for wrapped candy, light pink for cotton candy)

Some tips:

• No need for precision. A rough scribbling method is fine, as you can use the brush to push color to the edges later in step three.
• Heavier pencil marks will create darker areas, lighter pencil marks, lighter areas. This is an easy way to create shading.
• You don't need to fill in the entire space. The brush can push more color into areas you didn't pencil. Again, this creates shading.
• A good rule of thumb when thinking about shading (heavy vs. light pencil): keep heavier marks closer to the black outline and lighter marks in the middle.

step three: add the water
Dip your brush in water and dab excess on a paper towel. You want your brush to be wet enough to rid of the pencil marks, but not dripping all over your prints. Then, simply brush over each penciled area. Make sure to clean your brush between colors. Warning! If you use an ink jet, the outline can run if touched with the wet brush. Be very careful with the brush when getting close to the outlines. Laser printers are better, but I still kept my eye out for running.

Let prints dry fully, at least a couple hours. If needed, touch up the outline with an ultrafine black marker. Use the paper trimmer to cut paper in half to create individual prints.