Block Printing With Apples & Watercolor Gel Crayons

Please read all “Tips & Examples” before watching the VIDEO at the end
so you will get a better idea and understanding of the process.

Photo of Apple Print

The object of this lesson is not to print the “perfect” apple print as much as the fun of finding the perfect apple, and the adventure of creating.  Whether as a simple apple printed alone or to add an interesting layer of mixed media. . . . very simple, few supplies and you can eat the apple when you you are done ONLY if you carefully slice off the layer of gel crayon of course) !!

Note: once you have assembled your Bibles, paper and supplies, this project goes faster than the time it will take to read the directions and watch the video. You might consider making a party out of it and gather your friends and their Bibles, everyone watch the video (below) and do their favorite verse together. It is easy enough for the  children and artistically challenged to join in as well.

 

Keep scrolling and to read the “Suggested Verses”
before watching the VIDEO at the end

This Apple print is in an Interleave Bible, illustrating Proverbs 25:11. Embellished with Gold and Silver Sharpies.

This Apple print is in an ESV Interleave Bible, (every other page is completely BLANK) illustrating Proverbs 25:11. Embellished with Sharpie Metallic Fine Point (Silver, Gold, Bronze).

Suggested Verses –

There are multiple verses in the Bible that you can illustrate with an apple print. Different Bible versions are slightly different. Here are just a few.

My absolute favorite is Proverbs 25:11 followed by Psalm 17:8.

  • Proverbs 25:11 ” A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”
  • Psalm 17:8  “Keep me as the apple of the eye, . . .”
  • Deuteronomy 32:10 “ . . . he kept him as the apple of his eye.”
  • Proverbs 7:2 “Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.”
  • Song of Solomon 2:5  “Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.”
  • Song of Solomon 7:8 KJV “. .  . and the smell of thy nose like apples”
    ESV ” . . . and the scent of your breath is like apples
     NLT “. . . and The fragrance of your breath is like apples
  • Matthew 7:16 “Ye shall know them by their fruits.”

    Keep scrolling and to read all the “Suggested Supplies & Tools”
    before watching the VIDEO at the end

Apple Print - Proverbs 25:11 - Printed in NIV Holy Bible, Journal Edition. Very simply printed, outlined with a fineline black sharpie. The leaf was colored with a green watercolor gel crayon.

The reason for using Sharpie Metallics instead of Uniball Signo Metallic Gel Pens is that Sharpie’s won’t clog up the rolling ball and quit working if they were to roll into the Gel Pens or products used for the Apple Print)

Supplies –

Tools –

  • Knife to cut apple
  • Spray bottle of water (not required)

    Keeping Scrolling to read all the “Examples and Tips”
    before watching the VIDEO at the end

Photo of Bible

Examples and Tips –

  • First – ALWAYS – practice any multi-media technique on a piece of paper outside your Bible before you decide the colors you chose don’t go together as well as you had hoped or any number of other issues you may discover.
  • There are a number of brands of Transparent Gel Crayons that gave me results I preferred, however you could use any color medium that makes you happy. . . A watercolor based marker should work (although I have not tried them), Watercolor or Acrylic paint .. . any water based product you can get on the apple should come off on the paper . . .practice on plain paper before doing a page in your Bible.
  • Consider how you plan on embellishing your page before you print the apples. Pencil in the words based on the size of the apple . . . it is easier to change where you are going to print the apple than to have to squeeze your words after the fact.
  • You can use the same apple to make multiple prints, just keep adding additional layers of gel crayon. If the image gets muddy with color, or you have used a color you don’t like, either run water over the apple and dry with a paper towel, or slice a thin layer off the apple to get a fresh surface.
  • Be aware that when you are done, many mediums may not dry immediately. Gel crayon in particular are slightly “sticky” for an extended period of time. . . with Gel crayons, leave your Bible open over night, then take a paper towel wrapped over your finger and you can lightly “buff” or polish your print to remove excess product.
  • If your apple is particularly dry, when you do your test print, the color may not transfer to the paper as bold as you hoped. You can lightly mist the apple either prior to or after placing the color on the apple, let it set just a minute to let the water dissolve the pigments. To much water will make the pigment run, so get to a happy balance on your test paper before you make a print in your Bible.

Keeping Scrolling to see “in-line art for Verse Highlighting”
before watching the VIDEO at the end

  • Pages with apple prints can be further embellished with in-line art to highlight the verses. 4 examples of in-line art

    Keeping Scrolling to read about Amazon.com and like/share
    before watching the VIDEO at the end

  • Please consider ordering your supplies from the Amazon.com links below and watching the youtube.com video through to the end so that the small commission we receive will enable us to continue providing you with with more creative content like this tutorial.
  • If you enjoy this tutorial please leave a comment below, like and share the post, pin, etc. So we know that you would like more of this type of content on our blog.

    Keeping Scrolling to read the last 6 of the “Examples and Tips”
    before watching the VIDEO at the end

  • Printed on a fine grade of Watercolor paper this project, whether embellished with a verse or just as an apple print, makes excellent wall art as shown below.

Like Apples of Gold, In settings of Silver, Is a word spoken in the right Circumstances - Proverbs 25:11

Like Apples of Gold, In settings of Silver, Is a word spoken in the right Circumstances – Proverbs 25:11 – Printed in Bible Journal. This wall art was created in a watercolor paper notebook. The green background was made by laying the bag from some oranges down and using it as a resist while sponging acrylic paint through the bag. I used Crayola Slix Stix as the gel crayons. the lettering was done with metallic Sharpies and outlined with fine line black sharpies.

Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of your eye. Printed in NIV Holy Bible, Journal Edition.

Apple Print illustrating Psalm 17:8  Even though there was Margin Art from a past Apple Tip-In Tuesday Project, and a feather drawn with Prismacolor Pencils, as well as inline art embellishing the verse, this apple print made a fun “extra mixed media layer” to illustrate the verse.

Psalm 17:8

Apple Print – Psalm 17:8 – Note the use of different sizes of apples, cut both vertically and horizontally, small red delicious and crab apples. I used a piece of card stock as a resist to make 2 of the apples go behind the column demonstrated in the video below.

Apple Print - Psalm 17-8

Embellished with Prismacolor Premiere colored pencils and Sharpie Metallic Fine Point Markers.

.

Apple Print - Proverbs 25:11

Apple Print – Proverbs 25:11 – without using a marker to outline the apples or add seeds, you can easily read through apple prints that you used gel crayons as the coloring medium.

 

Apple Print - printed with Psalms 17:8

Apple Print – printed with Psalm 17:8 in an Interleaved Bible, verse outlined with Sharpie Metallic Permanent marker and embellished with Prismacolor colored pencils.


Please watch tutorial video


Download free full color printable clip art of Apple Leaves HERE

If you are interested in ordering from Amazon.com, please click on any of these ads to be directed to their site. Any purchases, while there, will give us a 5% bonus, at no extra cost to you. This will help fund the CBJ ministry here on the web. Thanks ~ Susan


“Creative-Bible-Journaling.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking from/to amazon.com.”