Imagine walking down a fabric aisle at Joann Fabrics or the scrapbook paper aisle at Michaels. The colors and patterns they choose are often brilliant. They pair questionable colors, yet when they interact in the design, it just works. These are the patterns and colors I like to think about when I design folk art cards.
When you create art cards, I encourage you to experiment with mediums - crayons, colored pencils, fine-tip markers, dual-tipped watercolor markers, oil pastels, etc. It's a good rule of thumb that if you are drawing a design with small spaces, you'll need a medium with a tip so you can reach them. Having a variety of tools offers you more creative freedom.
SUPPLIES: You'll need a 4.25" x 5.5" piece of white cardstock, a pencil with an eraser, and dual-tip watercolor markers, then outline with a fine-tip black marker. If you don't have watercolor markers, I recommend going over the pencil lines with a black marker first and then filling in the spaces with colored pencils.
Now, let's get started on the art project. Remind yourself this time is for you to breathe, experiment, and leave self-judgment at the door. To scroll between steps, look for these symbols (>, <).
Here are my completed art cards. I usually play around and create a couple of versions for fun. As you can tell, I try new things, even after following a basic outline. A couple of days later, I'll find a few minutes of quiet time, write a letter on the back of the card, and mail it to someone I care about. I hope you had fun with this project, and look for another one soon!
Click on this link if you'd like to download the PDF of this step-by-step Houses on a Patterned Hill project.