We just love painting cards! It's such a delightful way to create a little masterpiece and bring a big smile to someone's face when they receive your heartfelt creation.
Did you know that handmade cards are often the ones that people treasure the most? They're like little tokens of love and warmth that go beyond just a piece of paper.
So, to make your crafting experience as enjoyable as possible and to spread that joy to others, we've created this simple and fun project that is perfect for anyone who loves to dabble with watercolors, no matter their age or skill level.
Let's dive into it!
Materials you will need:
- Watercolor paper (Letter size, A4, or the size you prefer).
- "Flower Love" Card Template from the "Floral Hugs" Collection which you can download from the Freebies page
- Watercolors.
- Watercolor brush (I used a round brush size 8 for the entire card).
- Water for cleaning the brush.
- A cloth for removing excess water from the brush.
- Graphite pencil.
- Colored pencils.
- Palette for mixing colors.
- Your favorite tea to enjoy while you paint
*For a complete guide to materials for beginners, including a checklist, be sure to check out our related article here.
Optional materials:
- Plywood and paper tape to secure the card and paint comfortably without the paper warping.
- Light pad for tracing the template onto the watercolor paper.
*If you want to learn more about techniques for tracing a template on watercolor paper, check out our article here.
Steps to create your one-layer watercolor card:
1. Fold the paper
Let's start by delicately folding our watercolor paper to mark the center of the card. This will help us distinguish the front and the back of the card.
2. Trace the template
Once you have downloaded and printed the template, make sure that the midpoints of the template match the fold you just marked on the watercolor paper. This will ensure that your design is perfectly centered. Remember that all IPERARTIKA cards have a front and back design for each one. Also, you can adjust the size of the template according to your preferences.
3. Prepare the colors
For this card, I chose to work with 2 shades of violet, mixing Ultramarine Blue and Magenta Purple, and for the green, I used Hooker's Green. I prepared three types of paint: one more diluted (with little pigment and lots of water) and two drier ones (with more pigment and less water). These different types of paint will allow us to create incredible effects and shadows on our card.
4. Paint with the wet-on-wet technique
This technique is wonderful for giving texture to each element of the artwork without applying multiple layers. Simply paint the surface of an element with the more diluted paint and, while it is still wet, add a drop of the drier paint to the end where you want to create shadows. Let the watercolor do its magic, and you will see how your work comes to life with just one layer of paint.
Remember that you can paint untouched parts first, let them dry, and then paint the intermediate elements to give them personality and accentuate the contours.
5. Touch-ups with colored pencils
When the watercolor is completely dry, use colored pencils in the same shade as the paint to highlight the lines you want. Make sure the pencils have a fine tip so that the lines are subtle. If you want to add more depth, you can make some strokes with a graphite pencil.
And done!
Just that easy, you can have this beautiful card ready for any occasion. With the wet-on-wet technique, you achieve beautiful textures with just one layer of watercolor. And the finishing touches with pencils give it the right and necessary depth.
Extra tips:
- To ensure that your card remains perfectly flat, leave it open or closed inside a heavy book overnight.
- It's always helpful to have kraft paper envelopes on hand as they complement all your watercolor-painted cards perfectly. You can also decorate the envelopes with stamps to give them a special touch!
What did you think of this project?
What template would you like to see painted? Let us know if you have any questions and don't forget to share your painted template on social media, mentioning IPERARTIKA, so together we can inspire more people to keep creating!
Share this post with that person you know would love this simple project, or save it to Pinterest for later!
