How to Ombre with Chalk Couture the Easy Way
How to Ombre with Chalk Couture
There are so many fun ways you can chalk using multiple colors of paste. You can use one color for your transfer. You can use 2 colors and separating them out on the transfer design. Or you can use 2 or 3 colors and blend them together for a cool ombre' effect.
So let's dig in to how to ombre with chalk couture pastes.
Chalk couture ombre technique
FIrst, obviously you'll need to choose your transfer design, your surface and your paste colors. You'll also want to have some extra supplies on hand to make the project a success. So go ahead and gather those items.
Another great option is to choose a Try Me Kit. These are affordable kits that come with EVERYTHING you need to complete your first (or thirteenth) chalk project!
If you read the article, then you know you'll need to also gather a pan with some water in it, some paper towels and your fuzzing cloth.
Step by Step directions for ombre technique
Once you've chosen your transfer, you'll want to fuzz it and place it on your surface. For this example, we are going to use 2 different paste colors since my transfer is a small A size transfer.
Ideally you want to start with your lighter color on top of your design and the darker color on bottom.
Using a stir stick or a squeegee, put your lighter color paste on top. Don't scrape away the excess paste just yet. You can scrape away some of the excess paste at the top of the design but leave some “extra toward the middle.
Then put your darker color paste on the bottom of the transfer making sure to cover the entire design. Scrape off the excess paste towards the bottom of the design being sure to leave some “extra paste in the middle where we will blend the 2 colors.
Next, using your finger, you want to blend the 2 colors together so there is no harsh line of color. Some people will rub up and down, others like to use a circular motion to blend. It doesn't matter really.
You are then going to use your squeegee and scrape off all the excess paste using a top-to-bottom direction.. This will help to blend your paste further. However, since this is 2 colors of paste you are going to want to wipe this off on a paper towel, not put it back in your jar!
Now it's time to remove your transfer. Make sure you either peel from the top down or side to side. Do not ever pull your transfer off at an angle (corner to corner) as it can stretch the transfer and you won't be able to use it again.
Once you've peeled off the transfer, be sure to put it in your dish with water in it. Washing your transfers is so important. I like to do it right away so they don't get stained. All you need to know about washing transfers is on a related post.
Now you can sit back and enjoy your beautiful work of art!
This was my FIRST ombre project. It's ok but I think I'd ilke the colors to blend more. So luckily, this paste is washable, so I'll probably re-do this one and blend the colors a lot more. I also tried this with a Pink and Purple paste but the purple (regal) paste was too dark and I didn't like how that looked either. So I used a paste scraper, a board eraser and then started over!
Ombre Technique Options
Ombre can be achieved using anywhere from 2 to 4 paste colors. A lot will depend on the size of the transfer. Obviously, the bigger it is, the easier it is to do more colors.
Having a squeegee, a mini squeegee and a multi-tool on hand is important to be sure you can blend your paste and cover your entire design.
You can find all the items to make this project on my chalk site. If you are just starting out and want to try chalking, I'd like to suggest you start with a “Try Me” kit. It is the perfect beginner kit since it has everything you need to create your project. And you could even try to ombre with your kit since it comes with different paste colors.
I hope you've enjoyed learning how to ombre with chalk couture and that you will give this technique a try. If you are interested in learning how to create a shadow with chalk or ink this article will help you out!
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