Learn to Paint the Colors of the Rainbow With Liquid Watercolors

Do you like to make your cards colorful? Here at Altenew, we totally do, and we've found that the perfect way to get beautiful, vibrant colors is by using liquid watercolors. This easy-to-use paint can be added to cards in various ways, resulting in unique and eye-catching projects.

A Guide to Liquid Watercolor Paints

If you are a rainbow enthusiast, you're in for a treat because today's blog post will feature a colorful journey with liquid watercolors! In this tutorial, you'll learn how to use liquid watercolors to create bright and beautiful cards. You'll also learn some tips and tricks for using liquid watercolors to get watery designs that look amazing every time. Ready to give art projects with liquid watercolors a try? Keep reading for more information on how to get started.

What Makes Liquid Watercolors Different From Other Mediums?

Before we delve into using liquid watercolors to craft rainbows, let's first discover what makes them different from other watercoloring mediums. Aside from using watercolor pans and tubes, liquid watercolors are another excellent option for water-based designs. They are vibrant and concentrated watercolor paints in portable bottles, making them perfect for artists and crafters on the go. 

What Are Liquid Watercolor Paints?

Instead of traditional brushes, most liquid watercolors come with pipettes or nozzles, so you can control the amount of color to use. Odor-free and non-toxic, they are a translucent, washable, and fast-drying paint. Because of these unique features, liquid watercolors are perfect for beginners and pros alike, as there are many techniques that you can do with this versatile medium. Check out this FREE Crafting 101 - Liquid Watercolor Online Cardmaking Class by Lydia to find out how to use them!   

Vibrant & Colorful Card Inspirations Using Liquid Watercolors

Rubellite Liquid Watercolor - Brush Marker Refill

If you want a new water-based technique to try out, then you need to try out liquid watercolors! With just a few drops of these vibrant paints, you can create beautiful, one-of-a-kind designs. Plus, they're so easy to use - just add a few drops of color and a little water to your card and watch the magic happen!

See what beautiful liquid watercolors you can work with for your next project, by browsing through this helpful color swatch guide to get you inspired on making your color palette. You can also try out one of these simple yet stunning design inspirations using only one to two liquid watercolors per card:

A Radiant Red Card Made With Dishwashing Soap

Yes, you read that right- we will use dishwashing liquid for this technique! This stunning and one-of-a-kind card by Svitlana was made using the "soap bubble technique" and a mixture of bold red liquid watercolors. Make this unique card using the following steps:

Crimson Liquid Watercolor - Brush Marker Refill

1. Make a mixture of water, a few drops of dishwashing liquid, and 4-5 drops of red liquid watercolors in a bowl. You can use a combination of Crimson or Autumn Blaze to achieve this refreshing look. 

2. Next, use a straw to blow bubbles in the bowl. This will cause the mixture to create rising bubbles in your bowl.

3. Absorb the inky bubbles using watercolor paper. When they pop on the paper, they will leave a distinct bubble mark in beautiful shades of red. 

4. Repeat until the entire paper is covered with colorful bubble marks, and repeat the same process using a darker shade of red to create an attractive two-tone effect.

5. When you’re satisfied with the watercolor background, let it dry and attach it to a card base. Pair the background with an intricate cover die, and a matching sentiment in the middle.  

6. Voila! You can easily spruce up your red-colored cards using liquid watercolors and this unique dishwashing soap technique. Talk about making CLEAN and simple cards indeed (LOL)! 

See how this technique is done by Svitlana in this fun and engaging video tutorial:

Using beautiful shades of red in your cards is a surefire way to make them stand out. From birthday cards to Valentine's Day cards, red is an all-around color that you can use for any card theme. 

Autumn Blaze Liquid Watercolor - Brush Marker Refill

A Floral Watercolor Card in Outstanding Orange Colors

Citrus Burst Liquid Watercolor - Brush Marker Refill

Let's face it: orange is such a creative color, and you can definitely use more of it to color your lovely floral cards! Known as the color of optimism and energy, using orange to color your floral stamps and dies will give your card designs a much-needed boost.

With liquid watercolors, you can achieve even better effects with blending orange and yellow paint since these two complementary colors are perfect for realistic-looking petals. Therese amplified this effect and created a textured floral die-cut by mixing Rouge and Citrus Burst colors from the Winter Wonderland Bundle. So go ahead and start using more oranges for your floral cards, as there is absolutely no limit to how you can use this vibrant and zesty color!

Autumn Festival Watercolor Brush Markers & Refill Bundle

A Graceful Green Card Featuring Foliage and Flowers

Have you ever used green liquid watercolors to make nature-themed cards? Green liquid watercolors are an excellent way to add a pop of color to any card, and they're perfect for creating soft and stunning nature-themed designs. 

Metallic Silver Liquid Watercolor - Brush Marker Refill

Whether you create a watercolor scene with trees, flowers, and grass or keep it simple with just a few leaves, you can use liquid watercolors to paint gorgeous no-outline images or make colorful backgrounds for your foliage die-cuts. 

Mango Smoothie Liquid Watercolor - Brush Marker Refill

A Brilliantly Blue Die-Cut on a Black and White Background

Persian Blue Liquid Watercolor - Brush Marker Refill

If you want to make a wow-worthy yet easy-to-do card with liquid watercolors, try using a blue-colored die-cut set against a black-and-white background! The neutrality of the black and white will make the majestic shades of blue pop. To do this design, simply follow these steps: 

1. Stamp your favorite image on a smooth white cardstock using black ink. Make sure that the image is a large outline that can take up the entire background of your card base.
2. Next, make a watercolor background on some watercolor paper with some blue liquid watercolor. You can find the perfect shades of blue in the Winter Wonderland Bundle: Persian Blue, Sea Breeze, and Dusk.
3. To make a marble look, drop a few drops of liquid watercolor on your paper and spread it with a wet brush. The goal is to create an uneven spread, so some parts look more washed out while some have darker streaks. You can also experiment with a straw or an ink blower to control the flow of the water. Anything goes! 
4. Using a brush, pick up some liquid watercolor pigment and gently tap it across the entire paper to get the tiny watercolor splashes. 
5. Once the watercolor dries, place your chosen dies on the paper and run it through your die-cutting machine.
6. Adhere the die-cuts to your card base using foam tape, and you're good to go!  

A Vivaciously Violet Layered Floral Die-Cut Card

When coloring 3D layering dies, liquid watercolors are the way to go. With liquid watercolors, you can say goodbye to buying different-colored cardstock to make beautiful layers. You can make various dark and light shades even with just one color!

Ultraviolet Liquid Watercolor - Brush Marker Refill

Violet is one of the best colors to stick to when making florals, as the subtle hues of violet can add depth and dimension to any arrangement. Do the formula of adding more or less water, and you can now make various shadows and highlight layers for die-cutting. 

The result would be an astounding watercolor flower. You get more bang for your buck with liquid watercolors: you can make your paintings come to life AND save money on colored cardstock! What more could you ask for?

Time to Add the Best Liquid Watercolors to Your Stash!

Ready to take your cardmaking projects up a notch? Now that you know how liquid watercolors can make your cards come to life, it's time to get creative! From making your own color combinations to creating unique textures, these versatile paints will surely make your crafting time a lot more fun!   

Be sure to drop by our Card Blog for more inspiration – we have many more cardmaking ideas like these to grow your techniques, skills, and knowledge. That's it for today - thanks for joining us on this journey into the world of making rainbows with liquid watercolors!