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.