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Floral Modernist Birthday Card Tutorial
Handmade birthday cards are a lovely way to celebrate someone special, and this floral modernist card is no exception! In today’s tutorial, I’ll guide you through creating a beautiful, minimalist card using ink, masking fluid, and a bit of creativity.
Over the years, I’ve learned that you can never have too many handmade birthday cards on hand. Birthdays always seem to pop up unexpectedly, and having a unique card ready to go makes all the difference. In today’s tutorial, I’ll guide you through creating a unique, modernist-inspired birthday card using simple painting and lettering techniques. It’s a relaxing project that adds creativity and thoughtfulness to your birthday greetings — perfect for when you want to give something truly special!
To create this card, you’ll need to gather the following supplies:
- 5″x7″ (12.7 cm x 17.78 cm) blank watercolor card – or fold a piece of 10″ x 7″ watercolor paper in half
- Pencil + eraser
- Art masking fluid
- Brause Rose nib and pen holder
- Sumi ink
- Size 1 paintbrush (or another small paintbrush size)
- Red gold sumi ink wash or metallic watercolor – affiliate link
1. Make a Pencil Draft
Begin by using a ruler and a pencil to make a 3/4″ (~2 cm) frame around the outside of your card. Then, draw a large oval near the center of the card. Add pointy petals around the oval, then draw a stem. Make two vines on either side of the bottom of the card, then draw a partial flower at the top right.
Tip: If you don’t want to draft a frame around the card’s edges, use washi tape instead. Washi tape is great masking tape! Next, use a decorative sans serif lettering style to fill the oval with “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” It’s a good idea to hyphenate “BIRTHDAY” to take up more space. Add little flourishes where you have the opportunity to do so.
Adding flourishes to your letters helps the design to look more festive and full. 2. Apply Art Masking Fluid
Now, use art masking fluid and a Brause Rose nib to trace over the lettering that you just drew. If you’re new to using art masking fluid as an “ink”, see How to Write Calligraphy with Art Masking Fluid.
It’s best to use a highly flexible nib — like the Brause Rose — to write with art masking fluid. 3. Add Ink
Once the art masking fluid has dried, use your paintbrush to paint the pencil draft with sumi ink. You can go right over the art masking fluid letters!
Continue painting until you’ve filled in your pencil draft with vivid black ink.
Now, use your pencil to draft out a few vines and dots to enhance the design. To reduce the risk of paint going outside of the frame, you can apply art masking fluid to the frame’s edge.
I like to make a second pencil draft after inking, as it makes it easier to spot areas that need filling in. Next, moisten your sumi wash or metallic watercolor and use it to fill in the pencil draft that you just drew.
Don’t forget to rotate the card as necessary to avoid smudging any fresh ink or watercolor. 
4. Remove the Art Masking Fluid
Once all your ink has dried, remove the art masking fluid. (Instructions for doing this can be found starting at minute 6:23 of the How to Write Calligraphy With Art Masking Fluid video.)
Then, erase any remaining pencil guidelines, and your birthday card is ready to send!
Behind the Inspiration for This Birthday Card Tutorial
I spent all of last week searching for birthday card design inspiration because I have quite a few cards to send out this month! Just when I had all but given up on coming up with something cool, inspiration jumped out at me from my own book.
On page 147, there’s a spread featuring elaborate mail art, and a floral modernist envelope caught my eye. I realized that a similar design could make a really neat birthday card. I remember that using Bleedproof White ink to write the address over the dried sumi ink on that envelope was pretty tough. So, for this birthday card tutorial, I went with the more reliable technique of using art masking fluid instead. I’d say it was a success!
I hope that you enjoy playing with this card concept as much as I did! Remember that you can make substitutions to accommodate what you have on hand. Any black ink (or an opaque black marker) can stand in for sumi ink, for example. And, while I used gold rose sumi ink today, I used an orange umber gouache for the mail art in my book. It’s all about working with what you have and getting creative.
Thanks so much for reading today’s tutorial, and have a wonderfully creative weekend!
Warmly,
