Hello, all! Kristina Werner here with a simple, fun envelope mail art idea! I’ve been doing mail art for many years and let me tell you—It can become addictive! This easy tutorial is a great way to dip your toes into mail art and send a colorful envelope to a loved one.

Supplies

• 90 lb. Mix media paper (or any thinner watercolor paper, which will be easier to fold into an envelope)
• We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board or envelope template to create envelope
• Strong tape adhesive to assemble envelope
• 1” masking tape
• ¼” masking tape
• Watercolor paints
• Paint Brush
• Black Pen
• White gel pen
• Scissors
• Distress Micro Glaze
• Paper Towel
• Postage Stamps

Step 1

Use an envelope punch board or envelope template to create a watercolor paper envelope. Do NOT assemble the envelope. It is easier to paint and work on the envelope when it in flat.

Step 2

Use 1” masking tape to block off the outer edges of the envelope (just past the folds)....

Hi!  I’m Jamie.  An illustrator who likes to paint with watercolor and ink.  And if you’re here, you and I already share one thing in common --- a love for plants.  I hope this will be a creative time where we can have fun painting these 4 easy watercolor cacti. 

Some recommended materials

• Watercolor paper (cold press 140 lb/300 gsm)
• Watercolor paint
• Round brushes -  small (size 2) and medium (size 6 or 8)
• White gel pen
• Paper towel or rag
• 2 jars of water (one for clean, other for dirty)

Now, let’s paint!

The Bunny Cactus

Step 1

Start with a pencil drawing to outline shapes.  Now paint the main body by using an oval shape that’s slightly wider at the top with your lightest green.  Drop in a darker green at the bottom. Leave some white space.

Step 2

Next while it’s still wet, add “ears” using the same shape but a little smaller on the left and right side. Drop in a different green where...

Supplies

• Coffee
• Mug with the approx. diameter of the mug that you’re painting
• Shallow dish
• Watercolor paper
• Pencil
• Waterproof fineliner
• White gel pen (optional)

Step 1

For this project we only need a little bit of coffee, about 3 or 4 tablespoons. You can use either instant coffee, filtered, brewed - it doesn’t really matter as long as it’s strong. Different types of coffee will yield different shades of colors. If you don’t have coffee you can also use black tea (the outcome will be more red though).

For the coffee mug, take a pencil and draw a circle with the help of a compass or a bowl. Draw 2 more circles within this one. Add the handle of the cup and a few scattered coffee beans.

Step 2

Trace your pencil outline with a waterproof fineliner. Please make sure it’s waterproof, otherwise the coffee will dissolve the outlines! If you don’t have a waterproof fineliner, skip to step 4 and add the outlines after the coffee has dried.

Tip:...

Hi! I am Esther Peck, @estherpeck on Instagram, and the author of Lush & Blooms and A Guide to Floral Watercolour. I also hold online classes on Skillshare and Teachable.

I am so excited to share how to compose your watercolour florals with you.

I found that while many of my students have no problem with painting the florals and foliage after the lessons, they struggle with floral composition or how to even get started. I want to share 7 main elements on how to paint a successful floral wreath or painting:

1. Focus
2. Balance
3. Unity
4. Contrast
5. Rule of Space
6. Rule of Thirds
7. Rule of Odds

1) Focus

First, our painting needs to have a focal point as our eyes will lead us to the most important thing or focal point in the painting. Without that, the viewers will be lost and quickly lose interest in the painting.

When you look at this bouquet, what catches your eyes? The details of the large peachy English Rose will first draw your attention towards the bouquet, and then the other filler...

You know those days when you wake up and just for once would love to see a little jar of flowers blooming on your desk? A little jar nestled right next to your pet fish and the headshot of your fur baby that your mum developed for you? (we all have one, no shame here)

 Well, I’m about to make your little jar of blooms dream come true. 

I’m Simela, otherwise known as @pizzlepaints and im serial-daydreamer and lover of all things creative. I’m bursting out of my Pizzle seams to teach you this project and I cannot wait to see what you create. 

In 4 simple steps, you will have a little jar of pure joy ready to frame or make into a card orrrr to blow up and make into wallpaper - the possibilities are endless. Here goes!

Material List:

All you will need is… 

• Pencil
• Eraser (In Aussie we call them a Rubber, which seems super inappropriate)
• Any waterproof black liner pen (0.5, 0.6, 0.7) 
• Watercolour paper (250-300gsm… I use...

Hi there! Camilla from Camilla Damsbo Art here to go floral with you today. Flowers are my absolute favourite motif and all the shapes and colours just make me smile. So I hope I can put a smile on your face with an easy 5 step bouquet of cornflowers.

Tools and materials

 For this project you need:

• Watercolour paper (I used Coldpress)
• 2 Round brushes - a small one for details and a medium sized brush
• Tissue and water
• Palette for mixing
• Watercolour paint. I used Prussian Blue (Winsor & Newton), Sap Green (Daniel Smith), Quinacridone Rose (Daniel Smith), Paynes Grey (Schminke)

You don’t need the exact colours I use, you can use whatever blue, cold red, green and dark color you have nearby.

 
A little tip for holding your brush:

Instead of holding the brush super tight and close to the bristles, try to loosen your grip and hold it higher on the handle. That way you get at a looser stroke that moves more freely. 

Step 1: Paint the first layer of the...

Watercoloring is one of the most loved art forms because it’s so versatile. There are many styles and variations that people adapt to create unique works of art. To help you learn the basics of water coloring and give you inspiration to paint this spring, FTD has a tutorial on how to watercolor flowers.

First, try your hand at beautiful roses that you can add to any card. Next, take a look at their tips and tricks for painting pansies, asters, lavender, palm leaves and eucalyptus. By the end of this tutorial you’ll know how to paint a complete spring garden.

To help get you started, we have a tutorial to teach you how to paint watercolor flowers. Read through the tips and techniques and then try your hand at these beautiful floral designs. Try adding this simple painting to a place card or thank you note that accompanies a bouquet to make the sentiment that much more special! 

Watercolor Techniques and Tips

Use a Variety of Brushes

To paint...

Hello there! My name is Jessica and I am a watercolour artist born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. My passions are painting galaxies, pets and anything pop culture related. I have been painting my whole life but started to take my art seriously about 2 years ago, when I discovered watercolour GALAXIES!

Materials:

• 1 light and 1 dark watercolour paint (I’ll be using Purple and plus Payne’s Grey)
• Bleed Proof White (or White Gouache)
• Cold Pressed Watercolour Paper at least 140lb/300gsm
• 2 Round brushes (I’m using The Pigeon Letters Studio Cruelty-Free Round #8 and #2)
• Tape (washi/masking/painters)
• Board
• Jar of Water

OPTIONAL

• Flat brush
• White gel pen
• Heat gun
• Toothbrush
• Adorable Brush rest 

Step One: 

Tape your paper down to a board, we will be using a lot of water so this step is crucial to prevent your paper from buckling!

Step Two

Using a large round or flat brush, wet down your paper. Make sure there are no puddles of water and there is a nice...

Hi Makers! I am Julie Malizia of @harp_and_crow and I am going to share with you how to recreate my absolute favorite project: a Floral Galaxy Moon.

Materials:

• Watercolor paper
• Pencil and eraser
• 3 watercolor colors (I chose dark gray, dark blue and turquoise)
• Opaque white watercolor/paint
• Watercolor brushes: Round 6 and Round 1
• Compass (or circular object to trace)
• Black ink pens
• Salt
• Water

Choose your three colors and swatch them on a piece of scrap paper to see how well they blend. I typically choose a dark gray or black and then two colors that will play well with each other. Have fun with this part! Choosing the colors and flowers is a perfect opportunity to customize this piece and make it your own! I often reference Peggy Dean’s “Botanical Line Drawing” and Alli Koch’s “Modern Florals” when choosing my flowers.

Step 1: Sketch 

First, you will sketch out your moon. Use a compass, bowl or mug to trace a...