Free Art For All - Handmade Christmas Cards in Watercolor

Click here for Free Art Tutorial 

We design simple cards to send for Christmas.  We will be using watercolors to make beautiful evergreen trees, holly, and Christmas ornaments.  This is a beginner starting place that is perfect to build your watercolor skills.  You can refer to our other free tutorials by clicking these links  Watercolor Throwing Paint and Watercolor Using Washes.

 

Supplies:

  1. Daniel Smith Watercolor
  2. Strathmore 140# 11” x 14” watercolor paper
  3. Canson watercolor paper 9” x 12” 
  4. Strathmore Creative Cards Ivory with Deckle 3 1/2 x 4 7/8
  5. Strathmore Cold Pressed Watercolor Cards 5 x 6 7/8
  6. Size 10 and size 2 watercolor brushes
  7. Staedtler protractor, compass and triangle rulers
  8. Helix 360 degree protractor
  9. Scotch double sided tape
  10. Sakura white Jelly Roll gel pen #10 
  11. PaperMateUS mechanical pencil
  12. General Pencil kneaded eraser
  13. Michaels Brand Washi tape

We talk about the difference between watercolor paper and the notecards.  We then cut watercolor paper to fit the notecard and will be adhered to the blank notecard and signed.  We start off with the Christmas ornament.  Using 2 colors and a wet wash we let the colors do their work.  We move on to pine trees.  We talk about how they need space between the branches.  We put a pine tree on white paper and then one on an indigo wash.  We finish with a simple holly and berries sprig.  After the paintings are dry they are mounted to the card using the double sided tape.  

Be creative with the ornament colors and let the air drift through the pine branches.  Please share your work on social media #GazingThroughGlass.