Enjoy another step-by-step guide from our Head of Design Naj Ellwood. Enjoy watching her use Derwent Metallic Bundle to create Christmas Tags. Over to you Naj!
Although I can’t quite believe Christmas is almost upon us once again, I am looking forward to the extra reasons to make and create! Christmas giving is the best chance to make your own gifts, and everyone loves receiving a gift that’s handmade or created uniquely for them. One of the things my family always look forward to every year is seeing how I’m going to wrap the presents, I really love to make the gift wrapping just as special as what’s inside.
With the help of our exclusive Derwent Metallic Paint Bundle (plus a few extra bits), this year I’m going down a scandi route with that all important added Christmas sparkle! This bundle would also make a brilliant gift, the paint set perfectly complements the rest of the Derwent range and the metallic paints can be added on top of more pigmented colours or layered up for more coverage. They work really lovely on the traditional lighter watercolour surfaces and then bring a totally different look on the black paper.
YOU'LL ALSO NEED - WASHI TAPE AND STRING OR RIBBON
STEP 1
First off – swatch your colours. Let them dry in-between coats and layer them so you can see the variety in the pigment
STEP 2
Mark out with a ruler and pencil the shapes of your tags. These can be any size or shape you like, I have gone for a classic luggage tag shape. Cut them out, making sure you have a few more than you need.
STEP 3
Mark out the triangle shape that will be the tree. Ensure you have enough space at the top for a ribbon hole and a seasonal message at the bottom. I created a few slightly different angles, but you can keep them all consistent and precise if you like. For this, I have used MT washi tape, it’s flexible and won’t affect the paper underneath when you remove it later.
STEP 4
Paint in the ‘triangle’ created with the tape using the large brush. Choose your favourite colours from your swatches and start to layer up.
There’s a number of ways you can lay the colours down – wet on wet or wet on dry – depending on how intense you’d like the colour to be. I’ve chosen to use a damp brush, really load it with pigment and layer up the colour for a more intense appearance.
The textures and patterns you can create are endless – this is where you can mix colours, vary them from light to dark or create a marbling effect.
The beauty of this palette is that no matter how you use the colours, you’ll always get a lovely shimmery result. If you’re layering the colours, ensure to let them dry in between each layer.
STEP 5
Once you’re happy with the base colour of your tree you can then gently remove the tape, taking care to not damage the tag. This is so satisfying! You’ll see the sharp lines appear and the colours really pop against the black card.
STEP 6
Add in any details you’d like using the smaller brush included in the paint palette. Again, I have loaded a damp brush with a contrasting colour to create ‘baubles’ let it dry, and then added in highlights.
STEP 7
Repeat steps until you have enough tags. Here’s a few design ideas
STEP 8
Punch a hole in top for ribbon/string, add an extra festive message and attach your ribbon, all ready to add to your gifts.
STEP 9
All done, time to add to your parcels! Keep with the black to really make the metallics shine or add in an extra pop of neon!
Why not scale up your tags to make your Christmas cards too? Share your creations with us at @cassart1984
