Three Fabulous Mail Art Tutorials

If, for some unfathomable reason, I had to choose just one type of project to do for the rest of my life, it would be mail art. Each envelope serves as a unique canvas that’s focused on creatively enhancing the recipient’s name and address. Mail art isn’t just about sending a message; it’s about crafting a personal piece of art that connects people across distances, making each piece a meaningful keepsake. Today, I’ll walk you through three different mail art tutorials that are designed to spark your inspiration.

Tutorial #1: Banner, Lettering, and Swirls Mail Art

This mail art concept goes to show that sometimes more is more. It features flourished florals, four different lettering styles, a banner, and a maximalist postage stamp collage. To get started, you’ll need a few basic supplies:

• Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White ink
• White mechanical pencil
• Nikko G nib in a straight pen
• A7 envelope in a blue tone such as “Peacock” (affiliate link)

1. Write Flourishes and Add Postage

Begin by drawing “Telephone Cord and Flower” calligraphy flourishes in the upper left and bottom right corners of the envelope. (To learn how to do this, see tutorial #3 in the Three Simple Calligraphy Flourishes article.) Next, use an assortment of stamps to create a stamp collage; preferably, the stamps should correspond with the color of the envelope. Once you have created your stamp collage, use your white pencil to draw two parallel wavy guidelines, and write “PLEASE DELIVER TO:” between them, as pictured below.

2. Add a Banner and the Recipient’s Name

Next, draw a banner around “PLEASE DELIVER TO:”. Then, use your white pencil to sketch out the recipient’s name. For the envelope below, I didn’t use a specific lettering style: I just wrote the first name in cursive bubble letters, then I wrote out the last name in print.

Now, write over your pencil guidelines with ink. If you drew bubble letters like mine, you can trace along the outside of them, then leave a space and fill in the inside.

3. Add the Recipient’s Address

Finish up by writing the recipient’s address under their name in any calligraphy style that you like. I chose Kaitlin Style because it is whimsical and pretty.

Don’t forget to add your return address on the back! I like to match return addresses with the calligraphy style used on the front, so I used Kaitlin Style calligraphy here again.

Once you’re happy with how your envelope looks, treat it with MicroGlaze (or the finishing agent of your choice). Remember, Bleed Proof White ink is essentially an opaque watercolor, so it’s a good idea to do what you can to protect it against smearing and moisture.

Tutorial #2: Botanical Explosion Mail Art

This mail art is cheerful and interesting to look at! It’s a great piece to tackle when you want to take thirty minutes for yourself and just “zone out” to a great playlist or podcast, paintbrush in hand. Here’s what you’ll need in order to make it:

• Watercolor palette of your choice
• Waterproof ink
• Brause EF66 nib in an oblique pen
• Pencil + eraser
• Size 2 (-ish) paintbrush (affiliate link)
• A7 white envelope (affiliate link)

1. Write the Recipient’s Address in a Banner

Start by drawing a banner in pencil. After you draw the banner, draft out the recipient’s name and address in pencil. You can write in any style that you want; in the photo below, I opted for Janet Style calligraphy with a little bit of Sans Serif.  Once you have written out the name and address in pencil, trace over everything with your waterproof ink.

2. Add Watercolor Florals

Now, break out the watercolors! Paint florals, leaves, and dots all around the banner. You don’t have to paint in a specific style; just let yourself paint whatever you want to.

3. Add Yellow to the Banner

After you’re finished painting your florals, add a sunny yellow tone to the edges of your banner. Once everything looks good to you, then the envelope is ready to send!

As with the Banner, Lettering, and Swirls envelope concept, it’s a good idea to finish this mail art off with MicroGlaze or a similar protectant. Otherwise, your watercolor might get smeared. Try, too, to find a postage stamp that complements rather than detracts from the floral design. You want the focus to be on all those pretty flowers!

Tutorial #3: Landmark Mail Art

This mail art utilizes a drawing of a landmark to make for a compelling and intriguing piece. The landmark that I chose for my envelope is Hearts on a Swing, a bronze sculpture that is a staple of the Pearl Street Mall here in Boulder. While I chose to depict a sculpture, you can apply this technique to almost anything: buildings, vegetation, bridges, etc. As long as the landmark reflects the recipient’s city in some way, the artwork will make sense. To make this mail art, you’ll need the following supplies:

• Crowquill nib (in a crowquill-friendly pen)
• Waterproof ink
• Your favorite pointed pen calligraphy nib + holder combination
• Watercolor palette of your choice
• Size 2 (-ish) paintbrush (affiliate link)
• A7 white envelope (affiliate link)

1. Draw the Landmark

Begin by finding a reference photo of your chosen landmark online and sketching it with a crowquill nib and black waterproof ink. If you are intimidated by the sketching process (or need to expedite it), you can always print out the photo you find online, insert it into the envelope, and use a light box or a bright window to trace over the photo. That’s the route that I opted to go here, thus the absence of a pencil draft.

You can add shadows by crisscrossing tiny lines; the closer together those lines are, the darker the shadow will be. Lines that are farther apart denote light shadows. This shading technique is called “crosshatching“.

2. Write the Recipient’s Address

Once you have finished drawing and shading your illustration, it’s time to add some calligraphy! I opted to use Janet Style calligraphy in the photo below to write out the recipient’s name and address. The elegance of Janet Style complements the sculpture’s beauty.

3. Add Color

Finish up the mail art by painting a landmark. Watercolors are an excellent choice for adding color to the landmark art, but I actually used McCaffery’s inks in brown and green to mimic the real sculpture’s bronze tones. I love to use McCaffery’s inks in place of watercolors because they have a beautiful transparency to them.

The main subject of this envelope is meant to be the landmark, so try not to go overboard with the postage. A simple pretty postage stamp should suffice! Know, too, that you don’t need to treat the envelope with MicroGlaze if you opt to use inks to add color to your illustration. If you use watercolor, however, applying a finish like MicroGlaze is a great idea.

I hope that you enjoyed reading through these little tutorials and that you feel inspired to make some mail art! Remember that you can adapt these pieces to suit your personal style. Please feel free to modify the ideas in this post however you want to. Experiment with different envelopes, different colors, and different techniques. And, of course, know that if a recipient doesn’t come to mind right away, there’s someone at More Love Letters who could use a snail mail pick-me-up.

Warmly,