WAVES OF EXPRESSION

Hi everybody! My name is Katherine Knapik. I’m a professional illustrator, painter, and designer, as well as a fan of sparkles! I use The Smiling Hippo Watercolors in all of my traditional illustrations, and I am excited to share with you today one way to use them.

     There is a principle of design called Emphasis that uses an “anomaly” -or an element that is otherwise not repeated in your design- to create a sense of importance in a work. I’m using two different watercolors from The Smiling Hippo to create some emphasis in this gouache illustration.

I want this painting to illustrate the changing of the seasons, and the beginning of fall, so naturally we want to emphasize the first leaves about to fall! I’m using Amber from the Hidden Gems Collection and Hera to create a two-tone rose and gold shimmer on the foliage that has begun to yellow.

You end up with this very pleasant shine on just the leaf that’s falling and the most golden leaves in the tree, which is not only beautiful, but also calls attention to what is the most important element in our illustration.

Here’s the final illustration!