One way to create an impact is to watercolour with cohesive colours. Today I was able to create a lovely big card (5×7″) using one of the stunning florals in the Altenew Watercolour colouring book.
This watercolour colouring book has so many beautiful florals to colour, whether you turn them in to a card or just use them to practice. I took the Polychromatic cardmaking class at the Altenew academy and it inspired this card today.
I really enjoyed the class where Nina talked about use similar colours or colours that are close colour families to colour in with. I thought I would challenge myself with this and colour a floral. Instead of using the go to green to colour the leaves, I choose a colour in a close colour family and I love how it turned out!
PRODUCED AS PART OF MY DESIGN-TEAM WORK FOR BUMBLEBERRY PAPERCRAFTS - SEE END OF POST FOR MORE DETAILS
*** Affiliate links used at no extra cost to you ***
Watercolour with cohesive colours: adding colour
Start off by laying a flat colour wash of a pale pink/red onto a petal of a floral from the Altenew Watercolour colouring book. For this card I used the Artist’s Watercolour 24 pan set along with the Artist’s Watercolor Detailed Brushes. Repeat this for several petals ensuring they’re not adjacent to one another as we don’t want the colour to bleed.

Once those petals are dry, start adding some darker layers of colour to the petals, adding a darker shade towards the base of the petals or where there are folds present creating shadows. Repeat this for all the petals of the flowers.

For the leaves, I decided to use a cohesive colour with the pink flowers to create a visually appealing card. Yes, leaves aren’t normally purple, but I wanted to create a soft card and the purple leaves pair well with the pink.

Repeat the same process with the leaves, laying a flat colour wash first before going in with more colours layering this up for depth and dimension. Once the floral is complete, fussy cut the image out.

Watercolour with cohesive colours: assembling the card
To create the card, add a white die-cut using the Grid cover plate die to a 5×7″ card base. Next, foam mount the floral onto the front and add a heat embossed sentiment from the Altenew Celebrate Today stamp set.

Lastly, add a few sequins scattered around the floral to finish the card off.
Supplies
Watercolour with cohesive colours
Affiliate links used at no extra cost to you at these shops: Altenew (ALT), Scrapbook.com (SB), Hero Arts (HA), Picket Fence Studios (PF), My Favourite Things (MFT), Tonic Studios (TS UK/US), WOW! UK/US (WOW UK/US), and Craft Stash UK/US (CS UK/US).
All other shops are not affiliated links: Bumbleberry Papercrafts (BP)
**For 10% off at the WOW! Embossing Powder shop, use the code WOWDTVB **
![]() Celebrate Today stamp set – Altenew Shop at: ALT | SB | BP | ![]() Grid Cover Die – Altenew Shop at: ALT | SB | BP | ![]() Watercolor Coloring Book – Altenew Shop at: ALT | CS (UK) | CS (US) | BP |
![]() Stress-Free Coloring Book and Watercolor Brushes Bundle – Altenew Shop at: ALT | ![]() Florals Coloring Book and Watercolor Bundle – Altenew Shop at: ALT | ![]() Artists’ Watercolor Brushes – Detailed Shop at: ALT | SB | BP |
![]() Artists’ Watercolor Brushes Bundle Shop at: ALT | BP | ![]() Artists Watercolour 24 pan set – Altenew Shop at: ALT | SB | BP | ![]() WOW! Clear ultra slow drying embossing ink pad Shop at: CPD | CS (UK) | CS (US) | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) |
![]() WOW! Clear ultra slow drying embossing ink refill Shop at: CPD | CS (UK) | CS (US) | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) | ![]() WOW! Clear ultra slow drying embossing ink pad & refill Shop at: CPD | CS (UK) | CS (US) | WOW (UK) | ![]() Opaque Bright White -WOW! Embossing Powder Shop at: CS (UK) | CS (US) | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) |
![]() Original MISTI 2.0 – My Sweet Petunia Shop at: ALT | CPD | SB | HA | BP | ![]() Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive – Tonic Studios Shop at: HA | LPT | ![]() Scrapbook Adhesives 3D foam squares 1/4″ white Shop at: CPD | SB | BP |
![]() Crafter’s Essential Bone Folder – Altenew Shop at: ALT | SB | BP | ![]() Tim Holtz 8.5 Inches Comfort Trimmer – Tonic Studios Shop at: SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) | ![]() Trim and Score Board – We R Memory Keepers Shop at: SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) |
![]() Polychromatic Class – Altenew Shop at: ALT |
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Design team work:
DISCLOSURE
This post was produced as part of my design team work for Bumbleberry Papercrafts have not been paid to make this post, but I am given supplies from Bumbleberry Papercrafts to use. However, I create projects with creative control and produce projects I am proud of and with products that I love. The information provided is based on my own personal experience – I am not an expert.
4 thoughts on “Watercolour with cohesive colours – 1 stunning fun technique”
Verity, your card looks beautiful! Your post is also so very well written.
Thank you for submitting your gorgeous work to the AECP assignment gallery.
Thank you Erum+
What a stunning creation this is. I love how you did the leaves in a complimentary colour, makes the card so eye catching.
Thank you ?