Christmas Gift Wrapping with Inktense and Metallic Paint by Judith Selcuk

What you need:

• Inktense Paint Pan 24 Studio Set (or Inktense Paint Pan Set #01 or #02)
• Metallic Paint Pan Set
• Academy Acrylic Paint in Titanium White
• Craft paper, bags and/or tags
• Waterbrush
• Line Maker Pens

Step 1:

Prepare your paper or bag by painting a thick layer of white acrylic paint (using Academy Acrylic Paint in Titanium White) onto the craft paper/bag in your desired shape. Here we have drawn a star.

Allow it to dry.

Step 2:

Add a second layer of white paint to make the surface smooth and opaque.

Step 3:

Choose either Metallic Paint or Inktense Paint. Below we have outlined different ways for using both.

Metallic

1. Using the Metallic Paint Pan Set, squeeze some water from your waterbrush into one of the mixing palettes in the lid. Choose your favourite colour and paint it on top of your white acrylic shape.
2. Work your waterbrush, using the water from the palette lid, into the pan to release the lovely sparkly particles and bright pigment. Alternatively, work your waterbrush into the paint pans dripping in the water from the brush as you go.
3. Smooth out the colour so it isn’t patchy so you can get the full metallic effect.
4. Add a second layer after the first has dried if the colour isn’t quite to your liking.
5. Turn your work to get into the points of the stars.
6. Leave to dry completely and make any changes or additions you wish. Once dry your work is complete.

Inktense

Use Inktense Paint instead of the Metallic. Here you have the option to use over the white acrylic or straight onto the craft paper.

Creating a rainbow gradient effect

1. Choose your colours and mix them with the water from your waterbrush into the mixing palettes in the lid. You will need 3 versions of your colours. In this example we used a light green, an emerald holly green and a darker wreath green.
2. Layer down your colours on top of the white star, starting with the lightest on one side and ending with the darkest on the other side.
3. Let your design dry and add more layers until you are happy with the effect, colours and vibrancy.

Painting onto the paper

1. Load up your waterbrush nib with your chosen colour and paint directly onto the paper. Note: the colours won’t be as vibrant without the white under-painting and will soak slightly into the paper, but this does give a lovely vintage feel to the piece.
2. Feel free to play around with your design and add other colour in to your paint shapes. You could add lighter and darker tones to give the appearance of shading and highlights.

Using the sponge

1. Take the sponge from your Inktense Paint Pan Set and dip it into some water.
2. Load up with your colour of choice and then dab the sponge onto the white star shape. Make sure the paint on your sponge is a thick layer. This gives a lovely texture.
3. Keep picking up colour from the pan set to add more vibrancy to the piece. You want little water bubbles on the design as when these burst, they leave a pattern behind.
4. Play around with the design you want, adding in more than one colour if you wish. You can use your waterbrush to soften the edges of the sponge design, as well as fill in the points of the stars.
5. Add extra colour into the centre of the star with your waterbrush for more vibrancy.
6. Let this fully dry.

Step 4:

You can use Line Maker pens to outline the stars and add extra details if you wish, once the paint is fully dry.

Step 5 – Gift Tags:

1. Choose your preferred paint and create your design on the gift tag. Either fill in the whole space or add artistic strokes and patterns.
2. Once fully dry, using a Line Maker pen, write your recipient’s name.

Step 6:

Wrap your gifts in your new and unique gift wrap.

Thank you to Judith Selcuk for providing this festive fun craft idea. Watch the full video tutorial.

Find out more about Judith via her website judithselcukillustrations.com, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Purchase the products used:

• Academy Acrylic Paint in Titanium White
• Waterbrush
• Line Maker Pens
• Metallic Paint Pan Set
• Inktense Paint Pan 24 Studio Set