Hello, and welcome back for Watercolor Weekend!
Hello, my
Ai watercolor friends and fans! I’m so glad you’re here for Watercolor Weekend.
Today I’m sharing two cards. The first features a sweet Parisian street scene.
The second is a charming farmhouse floral thank you card.
You’re So
Sweet Village Card:
Ever
since the 5746 – SF Village set came out, I thought about how cute this little
scene would be with a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower in the background.
Bonnie is
always saying to try new things to make it your own. Add things, leave part of
a stamp off, draw in elements, etc. – so that’s just what I did!
I began
by doing a Google image search for the Eiffel Tower. After finding a reference
image, I inked the stamp with N57 and stamped the street scene onto my Canson
XL watercolor paper using a stamp platform. Using the reference photo, I
sketched the shape of the Eiffel Tower lightly with a pencil – adjusting where
needed. Surprisingly, it was a fairly easy shape to draw if you break it down
into a rough triangle shape, a few rectangles, and a curve at the base. Once I
had the shape drawn, I added a few more reference details. Since it’s in the
background, it doesn’t need to be too detailed. I also drew a horizon line under
the tower and extended the walkway past the building.
I painted
the tower with N55, layering more color to some areas of the structure, creating
contours and shadows. Once dry, I added a few details with a gray TwinTone.
I shaded
the flower pots with 526 on some and 565 on the others. I used the spiny stem
stamp from 4963 – WC Fall Set to create an Italian Cypress tree on the far left.
The pot edge was masked; I inked the stamp with 249 and stamped multiple times
until I was happy with the shape. Using a stamp positioner can be helpful for
perfect placement. For the other tree, I used the small fir tree from 5372 – WC
Mini Foliage Set, also inked in 249. For the pink flower pots and flower box, I
stamped tiny leafy foliage from the 5009 – WC Mini Flower Set inked in 177 and
added pink flowers with the tiny dots stamp also from 5372. Those were inked in
725. For the potted white and yellow flowers, I first stamped the tiny grass
from 5372. Next, I added dots of Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed proof white. Once dry,
I added yellow centers to the flowers with a Chrome Yellow TwinTone.
The rooftops
and windows were painted in 526. For the chimneys, I used N55. The chalkboard
frame, door overhang, and trim were painted in 947 and the buildings were
mainly painted in 942. I’ve noticed that store fronts in Paris are often
painted in different colors than the building (probably to stand out), usually a
darker color, so I chose black for my sweet shop. I painted the lower part of
the building with N25, as well as the sign and chalkboard. The awning and door
of the shop was painted in 725. The other door is 249. I like to think I live
in that building, just a few steps away from the Bon Bon Shop!
For the
red pot of flowers, I did the same process as the pink flower pots but used
856. For the remaining flower boxes, I inked part of the squiggly bush from
5372 in 177 and stamped along the railing edge, cascading downward. I used the
dot flower stamp again inked in 565 for the blue flowers and Dr. Ph. Martin’s and
Chrome Yellow TwinTone for the others.
The sky
was brushed in with 555, and the grass below the tower was 177. I dotted in
some bushes below the tower with 249. For the pathway, I added a little 565 and
a little 177. Additional shadows on the curb, under the roof, around the pots, and
the doorways were added with 565. Dr. Ph. Martin’s was used to dot in additional
white flowers to the pots. It was also used to paint the lettering on the signs
using a #0 brush. All the window frames were also painted with Bleed Proof
White. I used a .005 Black Micron pen to add tiny details to the signs, balconies
and flower boxes. A brown or grey TwinTone was also used to add details where
needed.
The card base
was covered with a blue and pink floral-patterned paper from the 6051 –
Mother’s Day Paper Pack. The painting was matted with a thin black mat on top
of a blue scalloped mat and then mounted onto the card base with foam tape.
For the
interior of the card, I added a decorative edge to the bottom using a scrap of
the patterned paper. The “You’re so Sweet” stamp from the 5904 – So Sweet
Armful set was inked in pink. I cut a thin mask strip to cover the sentiment
and then stamped the heart from the 6150 – His Love Set in blue, over the masked
area. This prevented the image from being stamped over the lettering.
I was
very pleased with how this card turned out. I think it would make a nice
Thinking of You or Thank you Card.
Farmhouse Floral Thank You Card:
Next up is this quick to paint floral thank you card. To start off, I used
a die from the 5591 – Journal Rectangle Frames Die Set to cut out a base for my
watercolor painting and a second one from pink dotted patterned paper from the 6051
– Mother’s Day Paper Pack for the frame.
I inked
the rose floral stamp from the 6126 – Light of the World Set in 249 for the
foliage and 815 for the roses and stamped onto the watercolor paper using a
stamp platform. I created a mask to cover the roses, and then inked the
farmhouse planter from 5923 – Farmhouse Container Set with 565 and 969 and
stamped off twice. Using the positioner, I was able to place the pot in the perfect
spot. Once the mask was removed, the flowers now appeared to be hanging over
the edge of the planter.
I layered
additional 815 from my palette to add shading to the roses, remembering to
leave some white areas for highlights. I also darkened some areas with a Fuchsia
Twin Tone. For the leaves, I added additional 249 to darken the leaves and some
177 for highlights.
With a
damp brush, I pulled some of the color from the container to add depth. Additional
565/969 mix was added to the container to create shadows and contours. The background
was brushed in with 555 and a shadow below the container was brushed in with
565.
I added some additional greenery to the container using a long stem
foliage stamp from the 5920 – Long Stem foliage Set. I placed the mask back
over the roses and foliage, inked the stamp with 177 and added multiple
greenery stems to the container. I used Bleed Proof White to dot in tiny
flowers to the stems to create a filler flower like Baby’s Breath. To make the
white flowers stand out against the background, I used a pencil to draw just
below the bud to give shape and shadow.
I used pink plaid patterned paper from 6051 and white embossed cardstock
to cover the card base. I also added some sheer white ribbon and pink baker’s
twine. I added twine to the framed painting and popped it up with foam squares.
For the interior of the card, I die cut the sentiment from pink cardstock
using the Thank You die from 5811 – Gift Card Pocket Dies and adhered to the
white cardstock mat. Again, I added a strip of patterned paper to the bottom
edge for a pop of color.
And there you have it, a quick, yet elegant Thank You card ready to send!
That’s all for now—thanks so much for
stopping by for Watercolor Weekend! Until next time, Happy Painting!
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