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by Janice Tingum
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Easy Greeting Card Demos

 

Christmas Gifts

Acrylic on YUPO synthetic paper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sketch with watercolor pencil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Christmas Gifts
Acrylic paint on YUPO synthetic paper
 
Supplies:
 
* One sheet of YUPO synthetic paper 10" x 5".  I used a sheet from a 9x12 inch 74 lb. smooth finish YUPO 10-sheet pad and cut it down to card size after the painting was completed.  Paint the image on your sheet so that when the paint is dry the paper can be folded in half to create a greeting card.
 
* Red, blue, yellow and green acrylic paints. I used Holbein brand Acryla paints in the following colors: Flame Red, Katsura Blue, Cadmium Yellow Light and Hooker's Green. The paints will be diluted with water, so only a small amount is needed.  I used acrylic paints because, once they are dry, they are permanent and will not be disturbed by future handling of the card.
 
* Half-inch flat brush
 
* Round brush with a sharp point - about size 6
 
* Red watercolor pencil
 
* Table salt
 
* Water
 
Procedure:
 
1. Secure paper to flat painting surface with removable tape. Trace or sketch the drawing shown on the left with the watercolor pencil. If you want to embelish the packages with ribbons or designs, you can sketch these, too.  I didn't draw in every branch and needle, but just enough to guide the overall design.
 
2. Paints - squeeze out a small amount of each color of paint and spritz with water. Dilute the paint to match the intensity of color you desire.
 
3. Bottom package: With a clean brush, moisten the inside of the bottom package with water. Then, pick up blue paint with the brush and dap the paint onto the wet package. Use the brush to work the paint to the edges of the package. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle with a little table salt.  Since acrylic paints dry quickly, don't wait too long to apply the salt.  After the paint is dry, brush off the excess salt.
 
4. Middle package: If you want to embellish this box with ribbons and a design, lightly sketch those onto the package. I chose to create a pattern of small white shapes and white ribbon.  This is a good way to allow the brightness of the YUPO paper to shine through and become part of the painting. Using the red paint and a round brush, paint around the ribbon and design. Allow to dry before going to the next step.
 
5. Top package: First, paint the ribbon pattern and bow on top with red paint. When this was dry, paint the yellow area.  Let dry.
 
6. Tree branches: Primarily use green paint on the branches, but apply blue paint in select areas to add variety and depth to the branches. Paint branches over and between the sketched branches to achieve the desired amount of fullness.
 
Other options: Allow different colors to blend, wet-in-wet, on the packages. Experiment, first, on a separate sheet of paper.
 
This same design works with watercolor paints on traditional watercolor paper.  
 
Want to learn more about painting on YUPO synthetic paper?  Go to the YUPO paper demo page.
  
 
 Christmas Tree
Greeting Card Demo
 
     Art Supplies:
  • One package of white Strathmore 5" x 7" Blank Cards and Envelopes
  • Your choice of three to five transparent watercolor paints. I recommend Winsor & Newton Cotman and Artists' tube paints.  This example used violet, green and red paints.  As the colors blend into each other, more colors will emerge.  
  • A half-inch flat brush.
  • Water container
  • Water                                          
  • A toothbrush for spattering paint.
  • Paint palette 
    
Procedure:
  1. Paper - Secure one blank card to a flat painting surface with removable painter's tape.

    2. Paints - Prepare each color in a separate well on a palette using only a small amount of the paint (about the size of a little fingertip). Moisten the paint with water and mix with a brush to an inky consistency.  Clean the brush well before mixing the next color.  After the paints are ready, refill the water container with clean water.


    3. Using a clean half-inch flat brush, dip it into the clean water.  Holding the wet brush perpendicular to the paper, "draw" the tree design onto the paper.  Start at the top of the tree and work downwards in a zig-zag motion, leaving a few gaps between lines.


    4. As soon as the water drawing is in place, dip the brush into one of the pre-mixed colors and then gently tap the brush at various spots on the wet tree design.  The paint will immediately start to run along the water design.  Quickly rinse the brush and dip it into another color.  Again, tap the brush onto the wet tree design.  Repeat the process with the selected colors.  To assist the blending, gently tip the card in different directions.


    5. Spattering.  When the tree painting has dried, dip the bristles of a discarded toothbrush into one of the paints. With the bristles facing the paper, scrape the bristles with a finger or small object.  Allow to dry.

    6. Experiment with different color combinations and tree patterns with the rest of the blank cards.
 
          Strathmore® is a registered trademark.
             Winsor & Newton™ is a trademark.
              Cotman is a registered trademark.
 
 
  

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