Scenes & Backgrounds...

...and whether to colour or not.

A lot of folk are hesitant to use stamps or digi-images that contain a subject and a background scene.

It can be difficult to decide just how much detail you put into the background without losing the focus on the subject.

There are lots of techniques that you can consider.

This is the preview page for one of the new Nicecrane Designs images...

...as you can see, the main subject has been given some colour but the background has only had certain areas highlighted with colour.
Using another of the images from this new collection, I coloured everything using alcohol pens...

...and this was the completed image.
If you look a bit closer, you can see that the background has been kept fairly simple...

...and the colours have been kept quite pale and the number of shades limited.
The foreground is quite 'busy' but it is still possible to keep things simple by using paler shades...

...you will also notice that although it is obvious that this is a dandelion meadow, the detail doesn't have to be perfect to convey that fact. Just a few splashes of colour will do the job.
With this image there is a lot 'going on' in the area surrounding the central characters...

...and whilst you would not want the background to overpower the image, there are elements that you still want to 'see'.
The gathers in the drapes and the creases in the bedding...

...all add to the feel of the picture...

...and the quilted side to the bed are all design elements that you wouldn't want to be missed. You can still highlight these areas with subtle shading so that you know they are there but they are part of the picture as a whole - not a dominant feature.

The "Little Picture Song" DSL sheet from Nicecrane designs offers so many possibilities for you to explore with the colouring.

If you would like this design sheet...

...you can pick it up here (DSL link to be added). Or if you prefer something already coloured and ready for use, take a look here.

I have used the two coloured images to create some simple cards...

...the PPs used are from a paper stack by "Joy"...

 ...they give a vintage feel to the cards...

 ...which need little extra embellishment. The 'balloon' card just has a few Prima paper blooms & pearls added to pick out the design of the paper...

 ...and the 'bed' card just has a few pearls in a couple of the corners. Do hop over to the Nicecrane Design blog to see what other members of the DT have created with these images.

Remember the multi-fold card from an earlier post?

Well, the cut of the folds actually allows the card to stand up even when completely folded...

...so for those folk who get lots of cards for their birthdays, this is an ideal design to use because it will still stand up on the mantle without taking up too much space............................................