Framing My Sketches & Not What You Think

The other day I had an idea to create a different layout for my sketch in my Funto journal. I found some washi tape and experimented with adding borders to my sketches. My first attempt was sketching a dogwood flower.

Sorry I forgot to take a “before” picture when I used my washi tape to create the border on my paper. The washi tape did a lovely job and prevented the ink from running off the edge. I was able to create a nice border around my sketch.

Another idea popped into my head and I decided to use a thinner washi tape to create a unique border for my next sketch. I placed my washi tape onto my paper and created my pencil sketch of blueberries. I thought it would be a cool idea to continue sketching outside of my washi tape border. I created my initial inky wash with a light layer of colors.

Once the first layer of color dried, I added a blue wash of color. I also added a darker blue to represent the shadows. I made a mental note and tried to keep the white of my paper to represent the highlights as I kept building up my colorful layers.

I worked on the leaves next and added a layer of light green and a layer of darker green. I painted right over the washi tape.

I continued building the layers of colors. While I waited for the leaves to dry, I worked on the blueberries.

When I finished my sketch and the ink had dried, I removed the washi tape border. This is what I was left with:

This was a fun sketch to create. Something different. I actually like the white border. I might try this again on a larger piece of paper.

Tip: Before removing the washi tape, I made sure my artwork was dry. How can I tell? I used the back of my hand and laid it on top of my artwork. If the paper was cool to the touch, the paper is still wet/damp. If the paper felt warm, the paper is dry.

Fountain Pens: Franklin-Christoph 02 Prototype (swirls of pink, yellow, & teal) with Nagahara Fine Cursive Italic nib. TWSBI GO with Stub 1.1 nib. Pilot Kakuno (blue and pink) with medium nib.

Inks used for Dogwood sketch: KWZ/Galen Leather Prairie Green. Robert Oster Blood Rose and Eucalyptus Leaf

Inks used for Blueberry sketch: KWZ/Galen Leather Prairie Green. Robert Oster Bless Your Heart, Midnight Sapphire, and Eucalyptus Leaf

Journal: Funto 100% Cotton Watercolor Journal 140lb/300gsm 5″x7.5″