Just last week I taught a beautiful group of women how to make their own watercolour Christmas cards. It was a face to face workshop that featured as their end of year celebration and I was grinning from ear to ear as I guided them through their art experience. I introduced them to a range of techniques and approaches to composition. Whilst their end products were stunning, it is the fact that I invited them in to artmaking as a form of self expression and a means for self care, that was the most rewarding. I just can't wait to see what they create next!
This week I have for you three ideas for gorgeous greeting cards that you too can make at home. The ideas have a Christmas theme but can very easily be adapted for other occasions by changing the colour schemes.
Wreath Greeting Card Design
This delicate design can be painted as a whole circle or as a half circle, coming off the page. I start with tracing a circle in 2B pencil. Then I mix my green watercolour paints in a range of greens. I paint my first leaves on using the varied range of greens, adding more water to some colour than others, to add variety. I then add in the red or pink berries. Once dried, I come in with my archival ink pen, adding additional leaf shapes and details such as stripes and dots. If I am in the mood, I add in a word to the centre of the circle such as "joy."
Stem Greeting Card Design
A simple yet powerful design, this design features a single stem with leaves coming off of it. I have used red and magenta as my dominant colours for my leaves. Beginning with the leaves, I paint the shapes of the leaves with some leaves in red and others in the magenta colour, visualizing the stem as I go, I then add in the stem as finely as possible with additional thickness at the base. Once dry, I use my archival ink pen to add further details I like to draw the outline of each leaf over the top of the painted leaves, but slightly off centre to highlight the fluidity of my style. You can draw as you please, to suit your own style. Ten I add extra details such as dots at the base of my stem for close-up interest.
Bauble Greeting Card Design
This design is specifically Christmas-related but very very simple. It looks great on any Christmas card! Simply choose your Christmas colour and in the centre line of your card, paint three circles. Start at the outside of your circle, and then continue, pushing the bead further through the circle until you close it off. Once dry, you can come in with your archival ink pen and add the additional details: the square at top, the bow, the string, the stripes and the dots. You can then paint over every second band of the bauble to darken the tone of the paint in that area.
Handmade greeting cards are very special to receive. They show the recipient that you have thought of them and put time into the creation of the card. Through a handmade card, you are offering the recipient a piece of original art - that is incredibly special and will be cherished by anyone!
Now go get creatin'!
Ros
x
P.S. If you would like to learn more about watercolour painting, I have a FREE video tutorial on offer at the moment - head HERE!