How to Use Watercolors in Coloring Books | Paul Rubens Set Review + Step-by-Step Tips

[@PursuingHeaven]

Irena you are always such a good instructor not only explaining what you are doing but why. Thank you so much!

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your lovely comment! 🥰I'm really glad my explanations are helpful. I actually thought I might have missed a few things, but I plan to continue with this and will try to cover more soon! 😄

[@KoiandlilyStudio]

Yes true

[@lorraynecruz26]

I always love your watercolor paintings in coloring books.

[@blackaneri]

@@lorraynecruz26 So happy to know that 🥰 Thank you ❤️

[@KoiandlilyStudio]

Really 😮

[@melody_tune991simms]

Absolutely stunning ❤❤ thank you for sharing. So very helpful 😊

[@blackaneri]

Happy to know that! 🥰Thank you so much for your words! ❤

[@alicebeshay6124]

I am always happy to see you at work. It is very inspirational 👍🌷

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much! 😊 I'm so glad you find it inspiring! 🥰

[@Coloriages.de.suzanne]

Absolutely stunning! It is soooooo ice to see you complete an illustration from beginning to finish! Hvala puno ❤

[@KoiandlilyStudio]

Yes true 😊😊

[@tiamarie2538]

Thank you so much for sharing this! I've always been intimidated by water color, but I think I can try it with your lovely instructions, tips, and videos.

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊You can absolutely do it-just take it step by step, and most importantly, have fun with it! 💕

[@KoiandlilyStudio]

😊 go for it 👍

[@charityariverpixie998]

Loved watching this especially the background ❤, beautiful xx

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it 😊❤

[@vashtiadajen7718]

Thank you for sharing. Beautifully done 👍🏽

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you like it. 🥰

[@KoiandlilyStudio]

Yes😊

[@ksimpson3952]

Thank you for sharing!!

[@blackaneri]

You're very welcome! I hope you find it useful 😊🎨

[@dawntappenden1804]

Thank you, just love watching you paint, very relaxing and I can sit back and marvel at your skill 😊❤

[@blackaneri]

That’s such a sweet thing to say, thank you! 🥰I'm so glad you find it relaxing. 😊❤

[@KoiandlilyStudio]

Yes true 👍

[@tanyaschmith9737]

So stunning thank you for sharing 😊i love love love the work you do in colouring books so gorgeous 😍

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your sweet words! 😊 I'm happy you do! 🥰❤

[@quitecolorist8274]

Beautiful! I always look for your videos tutorials, love all, mix media and watercolor. Thank you! I look forward to the next❤

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your kind words and support ❤ I'm thrilled to hear it 🥰

[@maureenmorley9555]

Wow!!! You are so talented and this was a super video!!! Thank you so much for sharing and demonstrating! I have always loved your pictures they are beautiful!!!

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊 I’m so happy you enjoyed the video 🥰

[@Escudera_de_Roble]

😍👍 Irena, this is so amazing! I'm finishing watching now, and love everything about it! You create magic on paper: those emeralds and ocres, the light, the background, the details, are spectacular. I have the book and can't wait to start colouring this page, now that I know how to manage water on this type of paper! 😉🙏 Thank you so much for all these tips!🤗🥰

[@blackaneri]

Wow, thank you so much for your kind words! 😍😊 I’m sure your version will look amazing - enjoy the process and have fun with it! Thank you again for your lovely feedback! 🤗🥰

[@Nora-jt9zy]

Thank you for this tutorial ❤

[@blackaneri]

You're very welcome! ❤Thank you for watching! 😊

[@jenscoloringcorner]

Loved it!! Thanks so much for sharing!!! 🤗

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your kind words! 🤗 I’m so glad you loved it 🥰

[@lynnetteboulanger4487]

Wow! This is so beautiful! Loved watching your video and Thank You for sharing!🥰

[@blackaneri]

That’s so kind of you, thank you 🥰 I really appreciate your support. 🥰

[@cecilelefeuvre7517]

Your background brings it Magical. Love Cécile.

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much, Cécile! 😊 I’m so happy you like it 🥰

[@Sadpanda079]

This is stunning work !

[@blackaneri]

So happy you like it! Thank you! 🥰😊

[@nathaliegonzalez1037]

Un grand merci pour ce tuto, votre travail est magnifique. Avez-vous passé du gesso sur la page avant de travailler aux aquarelles et si oui blanc ou transparent ? Merci

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊I painted directly onto the page. Johanna Basford’s books have fairly thick paper, which holds up well with careful painting.

[@HelenKuster]

Fantastic! Thank you😊

[@blackaneri]

You're very welcome! 😊Thank you for watching, Helen 🥰

[@ZarnazFahad]

Magnificent work! Love this!

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your words 🥰❤

[@ZarnazFahad]

@blackaneri you are my inspiration! I started using watercolour in my colouring books after watching you paint that magical globe page in Rooms of Wonder. You turned that page into a masterpiece! A true Wizard's room! Exceptional work!

[@blackaneri]

@@ZarnazFahad Oh, I’m so happy to hear that! 😊 I’m still working on that page. I’m a bit nervous about finishing it because I don’t want to ruin it, so I’ve been procrastinating a little! 😅 Thank you so much again 🥰

[@ZarnazFahad]

@@blackaneri I don't think you can ever ruin a page! Please share a short video whenever you feel like working on that page.

[@anaathy4506]

beautiful 🎉🎉

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much! 🥰😊

[@liline2904]

C’est magnifique j’adore vos mise en couleur avec l’aquarelle . Merci de votre partage 🙏

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your kind words! 😊❤

[@deelopez2154]

beautiful..did you prep the page before using the watercolors?

[@ellyfranken6137]

Thank you so much for showing this. I would never have thought about mixing with gesso. You say it's not perfect but i see a masterpiece. I truly hope to see more video's from you :) I have one question, did you wet the paper first before you started painting the background?

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much for your kind words! 🥰 And yes, I’ll definitely keep filming whenever I can! 😊 I didn’t wet the paper first because I was worried it might warp or get damaged. I just applied the paint directly to the paper and worked a bit faster-that’s all! 😊

[@ellyfranken6137]

@@blackaneri thx. I am going to try this technique in one of my miljon books, lol. Klara Markova, Gugeli might be great to.

[@anitaholmes6824]

So beautiful.....it must be waterproof coloring book? Thanks for sharing!

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much! 😊 It’s not a waterproof coloring book, but I use watercolor carefully to avoid too much water, which helps prevent any damage to the paper. Thanks for watching! 💖

[@robynbroderick6822]

Hello Irena So beautiful. When you use your acfyl Gesso with your pigment is that because you want an opaque finish. Can a white smooth acrylic work as well? Or will the acrylic paint not mix with the watercolor.💫💫

[@blackaneri]

Thank you so much! 🥰I mainly wanted to use Rubens watercolors for everything, but to cover the black lineart, I needed an opaque layer, so I opted for white gesso. White acrylic would work as well, as long as it’s water-based and becomes water-resistant once dry. This allows me to paint over it with watercolors if needed. Any acrylic or gouache paint is perfectly fine for this purpose ☺ I’d actually encourage you to experiment and find what works best for you, as you might discover your own perfect method for painting in coloring books.🥰 I have a few different techniques I use, depending on what I need for the project. I hope this helps! ☺

[@robynbroderick6822]

@blackaneri Thankyou Irena. Yes the best way is to experiment💫💫💫

[@KoiandlilyStudio]

Wowed 😊❤

[@blackaneri]

Oh, thank you so much! 😊❤

[@FrancesMarionz]

Stunning Art 🤩 maybe a soft classical music instead of that music over and over …l Thank You 💫

[@blackaneri]

Oh no, I was worried that some people might not enjoy the music! 😅 That’s completely understandable. I usually go with what feels fitting and pleasing to me, and since this is free music with a limited duration, I worked with what I had 🤭. However, there’s an option to turn on the subtitles, so you can still follow along even if you prefer to mute the music. Thank you so much for watching 🥰

[@FrancesMarionz]

@ no offense… I adore your art 🤍🕊️

[@blackaneri]

​@@FrancesMarionz Oh no, I totally understand! 🤗 Some people might find the music distracting if they need to focus. Personal preferences vary, and that’s totally normal. Thank you again for your kind words! 🥰

[@wendyashton5274]

How do you keep the paper from distorting?

[@blackaneri]

The paper will inevitably distort a little when using watercolor, as most coloring book paper isn’t designed specifically for wet mediums. However, if you use less water and work carefully, you can minimize the distortion. Johanna Basford’s books have fairly thick paper, which helps, but they’re primarily made for pencils and pens. If you choose to use paint, just keep in mind that the paper won’t stay perfectly flat, and that’s okay! 😊The vibrant, unique results with paint are worth it for many people. It all depends on what works best for you. 🥰

[@tezzcan1]

I know this video was to show the paints, which look wonderful. However I would have liked to see how the book held up after the painting was done. Was it a watercolour colouring book or just a normal colouring book?

[@blackaneri]

That's a great question! I forgot to show the other side in this video, but I'll cover that in the next part 🤗 When you paint carefully, there’s usually no bleed-through, and you can easily cover the other side with mixed media without any issues. Johanna Basford's books have fairly thick paper, but they’re primarily designed for pencils and pens, like most coloring books. If you want to use paint, you’ll need to accept that the paper will not stay perfectly flat, and there may be some minor bleed-through if you're just starting out. That said, paints have their own advantages, like faster coloring and vibrant results. Ultimately, it depends on your preferences. 😊

[@tezzcan1]

@ thank you.

[@amandamccallum6796]

How do you paint such tiny objects without going out of lines?! My paint is either too dry to do it or too wet.

[@blackaneri]

The size of the brush definitely makes a big difference. It needs to be a detail brush (I use a 3/0 for this). 😊 Even then, I sometimes use too much paint or go over the lines. But that’s okay! You can always fix it later by layering or going over it with another medium. 🤭

[@loriayres7410]

Is white gouache just as effective as the Gesso?

[@blackaneri]

For covering lines after watercoloring? Absolutely! 😊 I just don’t have any gouache at the moment and wanted to use a technique with this particular set of watercolors. 🤗

[@Loreli45]

the key is to use little water

[@blackaneri]

Yes, that’s true! 😊

[@TheHobokenArtGal]

Were you following a reference?

[@blackaneri]

Nope, this one came straight from my imagination! 😃 You might notice I messed up the shadows and highlights a little, but I like to think it’s just part of the magic. 😂

[@TheHobokenArtGal]

I agree, without imperfection we can't appreciate our wins. Your art has a special quality to it. Great Job!!