For the past three months, I’ve taken a day or two to indulge in a few hours of pen and ink illustration. I love using the Nikko G nib and sumi ink to make elegant, detailed pieces! In March, I made a lace butterfly, and April brought a rosy Arc de Triomphe. Today, I’m introducing May’s artwork: an elegant henna-inspired bluebird illustration.
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One of the facts of life is this: the older you get, the more mothers you know. Slowly, Mother’s Day becomes a day that’s not only acknowledging your own mother: it’s also about your friend, your sister, your daughter, and many other women in your life. It’s wonderful that we all know so many fantastic moms, but it’s difficult to find the time to make a thoughtful DIY Mother’s Day card for all of them! That’s why this year I focused on making a quick card card concept that can be customized and streamlined if you want to make more than one. You can read the steps below to learn how to create it!
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Today’s “Let’s Go to Paris” greeting card tutorial offers the perfect springtime hello. It’s artistic and creative, and plays to two (arguable) truths: first of all, springtime brings out the travel bug in a lot of us. Second, Paris is absolutely stunning this time of year! To make this card, you’ll just need a printer, paper, scissors, and some glue.
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If you’re new to watercolor, this vivid thank you card is the perfect project to teach you about blending! To make it, you’ll start by drawing a series of simple shapes in pencil, fill them in with watercolor, and end with some calligraphy on the bottom. Keep reading for more detailed instructions!
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This lace butterfly card exemplifies elegance and creativity! In today’s tutorial, we’ll depart from the traditional greeting card format to produce an interactive, lovely piece that your recipient will want to put on display. I’ll also suggest a few alternative and artistic ways to use the butterfly printable that I created for this card!
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This thank you card tutorial, based on a Mexican Talavera tile design, is one of my favorites on the TPK blog because of its vibrant color scheme. The card only uses two colors — brown and turquoise — but the different values of those colors add a lot of visual interest. If you feel intimidated by blending watercolors, set that fear aside for this post! I will teach you exactly how to blend the two tones, and I promise that you can do it. Here are the steps for making this card:
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From November 1st to December 25th, a radio station here in Boulder plays all holiday music all the time. After listening to the tenth holiday song in a row, I realized: you can get too much holiday-themed stuff, and it’s nice to have a break. This winter greeting card is my version of that break. This is a great card to send to friends who will appreciate a nice, neutral “hello” in the midst of the holiday craze! Here’s how you make it:
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I enjoy playing with new lettering techniques. It’s amazing, really, how much artistic license you can take and still produce a piece that is gorgeous — and legible! This lettering tutorial is based off of the Theo Chocolate logo, which features an eye-catching color scheme and whimsical writing. You can use the “watercolor melt” lettering technique to write virtually any word! Here’s how:
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This birthday card tutorial may look intimidating from the get-go, especially if you’re new to watercolors. Before you discount this as a project you can’t do, let me assure you that you can! This design is 100% traceable, which makes it prefect for both watercolor and dip pen beginners. Here’s how to make it:
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It’s *this close* to being October, so I’ve been trying to make our house a little more festive with a few tasteful Halloween decorations. This Frida Kahlo Halloween art has helped to add some graceful spookiness to our décor, and I hope it will do the same for yours! If you’re thinking that you could never make something like this, think again. Skeleton Frida comes to you today as a free printable that you need but trace over!
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