by
When words fail, a hand-crafted card is a considerate way to tell someone you care. Today’s sympathy card strikes the perfect balance of elegance and restraint.
In today’s tutorial, I’ll walk you through how to create this card step by step—from the centered calligraphy layout to the loose floral illustrations. Consider the project an opportunity for quiet focus: the tactile process of creating each element offers a kind of meditation, and the result is something meaningful you can share when words don’t feel like enough.
To create this tutorial, you’ll need:
Begin by using a ruler and pencil to draw a 2.5″ x 3″ (6.35 cm x 7.62 cm) rectangle in the center of your card. To do this:
Now, get out your sumi ink and your straight pen fitted with the Nikko G nib. Then, use a ruler or straight edge to carefully trace over the pencil box with ink. Don’t worry if the lines bleed a bit—this project embraces little imperfections as part of the charm.
Next, use your ruler and pencil to lightly draw a vertical guideline down the center of your calligraphy box. Then, draw a horizontal line across the middle. To help with letter sizing, add two more horizontal guidelines: one about 1/8″ (3 mm) above the center line and another about 1/8″ (3 mm) below it.
Next, add two more sets of horizontal guidelines above and below the center set. Each set should be spaced about 1/2″ (1.25 cm) apart, with a horizontal line drawn through the middle of each to help with letter positioning. Then, use a ruler to draw diagonal guidelines at a 55° angle to serve as your slant lines. With your guidelines in place, pencil in the phrase “Thinking of You” using copperplate calligraphy for “Thinking” and “You.” For “OF,” opt for a simple, flourished sans serif style that nestles neatly between the two words. Finish the design by sketching loopy, tapered flourishes above and below the phrase to balance the layout.
Once you’ve sketched out those words, trace over them with your pointed pen and sumi ink.
Dip your straight pen generously into the sumi ink, then make a bold, short stroke somewhere on the card. It doesn’t need to be perfect — a squat mark or even a simple ink drop will do.
Now, use your fingertip to smudge the mark you just made in one sweeping motion. It should just be a quick little flick—you don’t want to give too much of a tail or length to these marks. I give mine a bit of bounce and curve for a little extra character.
Keep adding ink blotches around the card, placing them wherever feels right. Aim for a balanced look by leaving some areas lighter and letting others carry more visual weight; a good mix of white space will help everything feel balanced. Then, use your dip pen to draw abstract outlines and hatching around the smudges to signify petals.
Once you’ve outlined all of the petals, sketch flowers and additional petals around the card in pencil. Again, try to be mindful of maintaining a good balance.
Now, trace over the pencil flowers with your dip pen.
Next, prepare your gold watercolor by adding about 0.5 mL of water to the pan. I like to use a blunt art syringe for this, then mix with a paintbrush until the paint reaches a creamy consistency. Once it looks good, dip your pinky into the pan and use it to make soft, petal-like smudges around the card.
Once you’ve finished making the smudges, use your Nikko G nib to draw petals around them. It’s also a good idea to make some freestanding gold petal outlines. (If you’re not sure how to write with gold watercolor, see this tutorial.)
Now, it’s time to add some depth. First, use your sumi ink to add a couple more smudges, petals, and tiny leaves to fill in negative space.
Then, grab your sumi-stained art water and paint your card … between the flowers, over flower petals — whatever you prefer. As the base layer of art water dries, use the paintbrush to draw additional loose petals and leaves.
As you approach the point of being finished with this card, keep contrast in mind. It’s a good idea to paint with dark art water around the box in the middle to draw the eye to that part of the card first. Then, add pops of contrast to your flowers and a couple of petals. Once you’re happy with how everything looks, draw a second line around the center border and add some hatch lines to it.
Handmade sympathy cards can be tricky to get right — they need to strike a delicate balance between beauty and restraint. This design manages that gracefully. The soft, neutral color palette evokes calm and comfort, while the black sumi ink and gold watercolor add just enough depth and richness to make the piece feel special.
Paired with elegant calligraphy and a nature-inspired motif, the card feels genuine and timeless. It’s the kind of gesture that communicates care—a powerful way to say, “I’m thinking of you.” I hope this tutorial offers a bit of creative support the next time you want to reach out to someone with compassion.
Warmly,
*This post contains affiliate links to Amazon
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