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How to Draw Snowflakes on a Cozy Mug
I like having a variety of seasons, and I’m lucky enough to live in a part of the world that allows me to taste a touch of each season. This year, we are having a very winter kind of winter, much like the white winters I grew up with close to the snow belt. I think this is the first winter that rivaled my childhood winters since I moved away 20 years ago. If you’re like me, winter makes you want to hunker down, find a warm (preferably soft) blanket, and sip a hot drink. I search out and claim coziness, especially on the coldest, windiest days. But, let’s get…
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How to use Heart Drawings with a pun on a DIY Valentine
We are getting close to Valentine’s Day now. It’s the time to celebrate our special someone, but for me, it reminds me of my whole family, the laughter we share, a few sweets and a little together silliness plopped right in the middle of a cold, brown, possibly snowy winter. There are a couple of times a year when it’s absolutely necessary to get a little punny: Valentine’s Day and April Fools’ Day. Oh! And birthdays … and Father’s Day … and … okay, it’s just fun to get a little punny. We always need another laugh around here (even an eye roll and a groan will do). Yes, our…
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5 Heart Drawings to Mix and Match for Valentine’s Day Cards
I’m not a super mushy person. I can be a little sentimental and movies often make me cry, but I tend to want to give silly, funny or just plain punny valentines. Maybe because it’s become more about my kids and an excuse to celebrate … and eat chocolate, of course. Or maybe it’s because April Fools’ Day is my real holiday. Whatever the reason, I’m giving up the punny for this tutorial, but beware, it may return for the next one. This week, we’re creating five watercolor heart backgrounds and five calligraphy heart drawings that you can mix and match for your Valentine’s Day cards. Maybe we’ll even put…
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How to Paint a Watercolor Abstract for Thank You Cards
After a big holiday season like Christmas and New Year’s, this stationer starts thinking of Thank you cards. Just think of all of those gifts exchanged. I’m always grateful for the gifts, and I can usually say “Thank you” in person. But occasionally, I get an unexpected gift that warrants something extra. Or I just need to send a note of appreciation for all of those people who work so hard to help my kids grow up. I have numerous designs to pick from, but some of the designs feel a little feminine to send to the coach of a boys’ soccer team. The coaches I can think of wouldn’t…
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How to Paint a Recipe Card for Holiday Recipes
So, I have to admit something, just to get it out there. I have another passion … you know, more than art and design. I love food. There. I said it. I’m not a perfect cook because I don’t usually like to be confined by a recipe. It’s so hard to do what I’m told. Recipes are more like guidelines anyway … right? I do collect and use recipes, but I hardly ever cook without changing something on the list. It works for me. It’s kind of how I paint too, leaving the rules behind. Anyway, around the holidays, maybe you, like me, will find yourself with a new recipe…
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How to Draw a Christmas Tree with Watercolor and Calligraphy
Sometimes, these tutorials come together weeks ahead of time. And sometimes, they’re reinvented during the planning process. This one was both. I had a plan in October, I think, for a lovely Christmas tree tutorial. I really did like it. And I really did draw it. But it was also time-consuming. In this space, I try to keep the tutorials simple and non-threatening, so as I readied to record the process for you, I changed it. Completely. Welcome to the new Christmas tree drawing tutorial. I hope you enjoy it.
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3 Easy Christmas Drawings for Gift Tags
Hello, Christmas! Yes, it’s officially the acceptable time to celebrate and prepare for Christmas. No more “It’s too early grumbles allowed.” Our house is decked in fa la las ... since the day after Thanksgiving. Only a few things went up (ahem … were left out after photo shoots) before that. But in all honesty, I think most of November was spent creating designs and projects for Christmas. I don’t mind. It helps get me in the mood for the season. And it makes everyone a little more jolly when they start humming Christmas carols after they subconsciously hear me doing it. Where are you on the spectrum? Are you…
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Create a Cute Fall Drawing with a Fall Saying
Here we are, on the brink of the great holiday season. Somehow, Halloween never quite feels a part of the thrill of Christmas, but Thanksgiving always does. I’m guessing that’s because we always picked out our Christmas tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving when I was a child. Some things just stick. This week’s tutorial feels like a transition for me too, not quite fall, not quite Christmas, but still a little bit of both. You’ll also get to see a little bit of my silly side. Go ahead, have a laugh at it. It’s me, I don’t mind. Yep! As the weather turns crisp and I start wearing jackets or…
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Fall Drawing on Loose Watercolor
We’ll learn how to create a fall drawing on loose watercolor featuring a pumpkin in a cornfield. Use it as a backdrop for fall quotes or as the beginning of exploring more fall pumpkin drawings. It seems as though I have pumpkins on the brain this fall. I mean, I can hardly help myself. The ideas just keep coming. I blame it on the long and brilliantly colored fall we are having. The beauty is truly awe-inspiring. Yes! Too many fall ideas for tutorials and not enough fall to give them to you. So, we’ll go with another pumpkin drawing and give you one or two more fall ideas before…
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Fall Quotes, Calligraphy Styles, and Watercolor Backgrounds
We must have had the perfect mix of hot and cold, wet and dry this summer because we are having one beautifully colorful fall. We needed an amazing fall this year. I needed it as a reminder that good things exist in the midst of difficult times. Today, I want to capture some of that beauty … some of that reminder ... in color and sentiment and style, in other words, watercolor, quotes, and calligraphy. We’ll paint a watercolor background using two different methods. Then, I’ll show you three of my favorite fall quotes, each written in a different calligraphy style. After that, it’s up to you to put them…
