Step 2: Add Color
Let the Page Breathe in Hue Before It Speaks in Image
Color is primal. It bypasses logic and speaks straight to the nervous system.
It is memory, sensation, vibration. It sets the tone before meaning takes shape.
This step isn’t about design, it’s about energy. Emotion. Mood.
Once your gessoed substrate is dry, you’re not just painting, you’re awakening.
The Purpose of the First Color Layer
Establishes a mood or emotional undercurrent
Adds visual depth, your next layers peek through it like memory
Breaks the fear of the blank page (perfection can’t live here anymore)
Helps you loosen up, connect with your intuition, and begin
Choose Your Color Medium(s)
You can use one material or many. Let your supplies reflect your energy for the day, fluid, bold, chaotic, gentle.
Watercolor
Transparent, flowing, and atmospheric
Use for soft backgrounds, emotional wash, and layering
Be mindful: gesso can resist it, this unpredictability can be used to your advantage
Acrylic Paint
Opaque, creamy, and fast-drying
Scrape, brush, sponge, or stencil it on
Layer it thick or water it down for transparent glazes
Gelatos / Water-Soluble Crayons
Vibrant color sticks that blend beautifully with water or fingers
Great for smudging, drawing directly, or blending into wet gesso
Inks (India, acrylic, dye-based)
Intense and fluid—perfect for dripping, splattering, or loose brushwork
Use pipettes, eyedroppers, or old paintbrushes
Inks soak into gesso with edge—perfect for chaotic or bold emotion
Soft Pastels or Chalk
Excellent for expressive marks and gradients
Use with a fixative if you want to prevent smudging later
Creative Application Techniques
Drip watered-down ink or watercolor from the top of the page and tilt the book
Splatter with a toothbrush or flick of the wrist
Sponge-blot acrylics for foggy textures
Scrape paint using an old credit card for raw, abstract motion
Stamp or stencil with a dry brush and acrylic to create shapes and texture
Blend with baby wipes to create ethereal, hazy transitions
🎭 Think of this like music: you’re setting tempo, rhythm, mood. The lyrics (details) come later.