I made this card for my daughter’s first birthday. I painted it in watercolor first, and then went over it with diluted Noodler’s Eternal Luxury Blue ink in my flex nib pen.
I wrote a message inside the card and sealed it. I am planning on making one every year and then giving them to her on some later date. I am generally not a sentimental person, but I think it will be an interesting thing for her to open when she is older, and also a good way to document how my artwork changes over the years.
A few weeks ago, I painted this abstract painting (thinking of leaves) on a blank watercolor card. I thought it was fitting to post, as I just showed you the blue and green abstract colored pencil drawing I made in my last post.
I have also done another watercolor painting (more in my regular style) in a similar color scheme. I will post it soon.
A family friend saw my last sketch of the mini petunias and requested a similar style drawing of poppies for her husband. Not having any reference photos on hand, I used this photo I found online as a reference. Although I strive to use my own material whenever possible, advanced search in flickr is a great way to find creative commons licensed photos if I need to use someone else’s photo.
By Carolyn A Pappas, Poppies. Ink and Colored Pencil on 5 x 7 inch greeting card.
My sister frames almost all the art I give her. These are original paintings on blank greeting cards given as birthday gifts over the years. The framer cut apart the cards and glued the inside to the back of the frame so you can read the date and message.
At my recent botanical illustration class, the teacher had us close our eyes for about two minutes and then open them and notice what drew our attention. She wanted us to see if we were drawn to the lighter areas or the darker areas of the room first. I noticed the light filtering in through the window and then the contrast of some white antlers against the wall.
Then she explained her theory that people who are attracted to the dark areas first find it more natural to work in oil, acrylic or pastel. People that prefer the light areas first tend to enjoy watercolor, colored pencil, graphite and pen and ink. I felt like my own instincts were confirmed! I had never before heard someone explain this theory, but in my case I think it definitely applies.
I am attending a wedding later this summer. Instead of buying a generic card, I decided to paint my own, making it a part of the gift. I feel that it is a big risk and also an imposition to give someone artwork unless you are positive they will love it. Painting a greeting card, on the other hand, is pretty low risk because the recipient will not feel obligated to display it.
That said, most people really love a handmade card. My sister has framed the birthday cards that I have given her over the years. Now she has a nice collection hanging on her wall. Later on this year, I am going to have some of my paintings printed onto cards, so I have some already on hand. Also, it is more economical than painting an original every time.
For this painting, I used this photo for reference. I don’t normally use other people’s photos, but I did in this case.
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