Cityscape Reflections Stamp with Inks, Gesso & Gold | Sheena Spotlight Series

Create the Gesso Background
Begin by diluting a little white gesso with water and applying it irregularly to the cardstock with a piece of kitchen sponge. Keep the coverage uneven, with some areas receiving more gesso than others. This variation is important, as the gesso will resist the inks slightly while the exposed cardstock absorbs more colour, creating a mix of chalky and more intense areas. For a second variation, apply the gesso mainly through the centre of the cardstock using light vertical strokes. This creates a paler band that can later resemble a glow behind the skyline. Allow the gesso to dry completely.

Add Colour with Water-based Inks
Start with Marigold around the centre of the background, where the horizon and skyline will sit. Add Firecracker Red and Raspberry Ripple, allowing the colours to overlap and create warmer orange and pink tones. Introduce Mediterranean Blue towards the outer edges. Where this meets the warmer colours it naturally creates softer purple shades, while the centre remains lighter and more luminous. Do not worry if the colours look quite strong at this point. The background will be trimmed later and the bold black cityscape will help balance everything.

Add Gold Shimmer
Apply a small amount of Cosmic Shimmer Enchanted Gold Metallic Polish with a sponge, concentrating it around the lighter central area. Dilute it slightly and fade the shimmer towards the outer edges. The gold works particularly well over the matt gesso and colourful inks, giving the centre a soft reflective glow without overwhelming the background.

Try Blending Bottled Inks
For a smoother blended finish with your inks, work a tiny amount of glycerin into a blending applicator before adding the bottled ink. The glycerin slows the drying time and allows the liquid ink to move more easily across the cardstock. Begin with the lightest colour in the centre, then gradually introduce reds and deeper colours around the outside. If the applicator begins to drag, add another very small amount of glycerin. This produces a soft, almost chalk-ink effect, particularly over the areas prepared with gesso. Again, finish with a light veil of Enchanted Gold if desired. A wetter sponge gives a softer marbled finish, while a drier sponge creates a more broken, textured effect.

Stamp the Cityscape
Once the background is completely dry, position the Cityscape Reflections Pre Cut Rubber Stamp in a stamping platform and ink it with black archival ink. The stamp has a deliberately distressed design, so some broken lines are part of the artwork. Stamp with moderate pressure. Because the surface contains both exposed cardstock and gesso, the ink may transfer differently across the background. A stamping platform is essential to re-ink and stamp again if a stronger impression is needed.

Add Extra Depth
Once the image is dry and trimmed, use a small amount of heavily diluted black ink to strengthen selected areas. Drag a little colour downwards beneath some of the buildings to enhance the reflected effect, and deepen occasional sections of the skyline if needed. Keep the black very diluted and build it gradually so the colourful background remains visible. You can also add simple details to the sky, such as birds, a moon, kite or hot-air balloon. Finally, mount the finished panel onto black cardstock to frame the artwork and emphasise the skyline.

Experiment with the Background
One of the great things about the Cityscape Reflections stamp is that the background never has to be exactly the same twice. Change the colours, alter the placement of the gesso, add more or less metallic shimmer or experiment with a completely different sky. The strong city silhouette works as the anchor that brings all those loose, expressive background techniques together. And that is exactly what makes it such a good Sheena Spotlight find – a stamp that immediately invites you to get the inks out, start experimenting and see where the background takes you.