"Flower Power" A Mixed-Media Watercolor Journey
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How a simple vintage truck became so much more to me.
There's something magical when a blank piece of watercolor paper transforms into something way beyond your imagination!
My latest piece, "Flower Power," began with my love nature. colors and the warm vibrancy autumn brings. I wanted to create something that felt both nostalgic and coloful by combining rustic charm with the energy of the fall. The style is very loose and whimsical. The print is made from the original watercolor, acrylic and ink painting.
https://www.artbytamlinetteplaster.com/products/flower-power
The Creative Process
I started rough sketching out my design with a graphite pencil and layering loose watercolor washes to establish the basic forms and depth. The beauty of watercolor is in its unpredictability. The splatters and bleeds you see throughout the piece happened naturally as the pigments found their own way across the wet paper.
Once the watercolor base was dry, I used the Posca markers to define individual flowers, add highlights to the pumpkins, and create those charming scattered dots that give the piece its sense of movement and energy. The interplay between the soft, flowing watercolor and the crisp marker details creates a dynamic tension that keeps the eye engaged.
Why Mixed Media?
Combining watercolor with marker work allowed me to achieve something neither medium could accomplish alone. The watercolors provide that organic, flowing quality that feels alive and spontaneous, while the markers add precision and pop where needed. It's a perfect metaphor for life itself - the balance between letting things flow naturally and adding intentional details where they matter most.
Materials & Links that I used
STAEDTLER Mars Lumograph 2B Graphite Art Drawing Pencil, 6 Pencils: I've litereally had this pencil since college!! 20+ years ago Great for drawing out all the shapes and outlines loosely Graphite Art Drawing Pencil (Amazon)
Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors (48-color set): These Japanese watercolors are incredibly pigment-rich and creamy, perfect for achieving those vibrant oranges in the pumpkins and the deep blues of the vintage truck. The way they blend and flow on paper creates those organic, natural transitions you see throughout the piece. Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 48 Colors (Amazon)
Posca Markers in Soft Tones: The real magic happened when I added details with these markers in white, sunshine yellow, apricot, light pink, coral pink, lavender, light blue, and aqua green. Posca Markers Set, 8 Fine Paint Markers 3M – Soft Tones – White, Sunshine Yellow, Apricot, Light Pink, Coral Pink, Lavender, Light Blue, Aqua Green (Amazon)
Pilot Hi-Tec-C 04 Gel Ink Pen: This pen is freakin amazing. I used it to finely outline in black. When drawing on wet and damp paper it turns smokie and almost appears like a drop shadow! I absolutely love - love it! Pilot Hi-Tec-C 04 Gel Ink Pen, Ultra Fine Point 0.4mm, Blue Ink, LH-20C4, Value Set of 5 (Amazon)
Arches 140lb Hot Press Paper: The smooth surface of this professional-grade paper was essential for the mixed-media approach, allowing both the watercolors to flow beautifully and the markers to glide smoothly without bleeding. Arches Watercolor Paper Pad, 140 pound, Hot Press, 11.69"x16.53" (Amazon)
Princeton Heritage, Series 4050, Synthetic Sable Paint Brush for Watercolor, Set of 4 (Amazon)