Beach Drawing and a Happy Birthday Lettering Printable

Learn how to make a beach drawing for a birthday card with one of the style options on a Happy Birthday Lettering Printable.

Most of the designs I make are created around flowers or colorful backgrounds, but occasionally, I like to come up with cards or designs that show off a scene with a touch of humor. These cards are created while thinking of the men in my life and usually involve sleeping and mishaps (ex. A hunter falling asleep in a tree stand while a big buck looks on or a fisherman sleeping while a large fish thinks about nibbling his fingers). 

With the approach of my dad’s birthday, I’ve been trying to come up with a good design for him. I want it to represent something he loves to do with a little joke. My dad has never been one to relax much, but when he goes on vacation, he goes to the beach and is completely off. So, I knew right away that the drawing had to be a beach drawing. What if he fell asleep in a book (also something he loves) on the beach and while he slept, the sun moved his umbrella shade … you guessed it … sunburn.

Follow along to give it a try yourself.

Beach Drawing

Gather your supplies!

For the drawing …

• Sumi ink
• Calligraphy pen and Nikko G nib

For the watercolor …

• The basics – water, watercolor paper, watercolor brush, paper towel
• Colors in this tutorial (from the Winsor & Newton Cotman sketcher’s pocket box)
  • Sand – Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber
  • Water – Ultramarine and Intense Blue
  • Sunburn – Alizarin Crimson Hue
  • Umbrella – Cadmium Red Pale Hue and Cadmium Yellow Hue

Happy Birthday Lettering Printable

If you want to practice these styles with a worksheet, there is a Happy Birthday Lettering Printable in the Resource Library, free for Blots & Jots email subscribers.

Here are a few of the styles in action to get you started.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! I wonder what other funny scenes you could dream up to send to the men in your life.

Thanks for reading … and Happy Creating!

If you want a more minimal card design, try using one of these birthday styles on a watercolor background. Learn more about how to make one with this tutorial: How to Make a Watercolor Background for Lettering.

As always, you can also find me on Instagram and Pinterest.