Stenciling and Stamping Techniques for Mixed Media Watercolor

If you’re a mixed-media artist, there may be time when you’ve chosen to stick with acrylic paint because it seems there are certain things you can’t do with watercolor– stenciling, stamping or monoprinting, for example. Surprise! You can do all those things with watercolor paint! As you can see in this stenciling and stamping techniques demonstration from Gina Lee Kim, tube watercolors are more versatile than you think.

 

Creating Watercolor “Ink” for Stenciling and Stamping

Supplies Needed

• Grafix Printing Plate
• brayer
• tube watercolors
• Gum Arabic watercolor medium
• dish soap in squeeze bottle
• white gouache
• foam stamps (Gina used Art Foamies)
• stencils or masks
• paintbrush
• Ranger Ink Blending Tool
• pipette or eye dropper
• watercolor paper or art journal
• water mister

1. Use a brayer to combine a nickel size dollop of tube watercolor paints with a drop of gum arabic, liquid dish soap, and white gouache on the Grafix Printing Plate.
2.  Press the stamp into the “ink” or brush it on with a paintbrush. If the “ink” is too dry, add a single spritz of water from the mister.
3. Stamp your image on watercolor paper or your journal.
4. OR place a stencil on your paper and pounce the “ink” through the stencil using the ink blending tool or a stencil brush.

Imagine the possibilities with this technique!

• The “ink” is reactive with water so if you’re using a mask you can blend out the edges using a wet brush to integrate the image into the page you’re creating.
• Manufactured ink pads are great but only come in selected colors. When you can make your own “ink,” you can select the exact color you need for your artwork!
• If you get called away from your art as you’re working, you can reactive your “ink” with a spritz of water and begin stamping again immediately.
• You can now add crisp stenciled and stamped images to your watercolor art journal pages without having to buy acrylic paints!

We’d love to hear how you use this technique in your mixed-media art. Share your tips and ideas in the comments below!

To learn more about Gina Lee Kim’s techniques for monoprinting, check out her new video: Fun with Watercolor: Printing Effects!

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