LETTERING + GRAPHIC
DESIGN LEARNING
I wanted to try something new this week! I thought it would be fun to show how to create something analog/traditionally, then how to recreate that same artwork in Procreate. Two tutorials in one 😉 For this video, we’ll create watercolor block lettering with some traditional methods, then we’ll move into Procreate after. Read on for the full tutorial!
A while back, I created this tutorial where I shared 10 lettering enhancements anyone can do. The responses to the video have been amazing, so this week I wanted to take things a step further with a lettering shadows version! Adding shadows to lettering can really takes things to the next pop-off-the-page level. The best part is they are super simple to implement! Today I’m sharing 10 lettering shadows anyone can do – I even included a free download with them all listed out below 😉 Read on to see the full video!
I remember sitting in my Color Theory 2 class at SCAD (12 years ago!) and we were given an assignment we had to use gouache for. ‘Gouache?’ I thought, “Can’t be that different from acrylics, can it?”
It was the first time I had ever heard of it, let alone had any knowledge of how to use it. Since sitting in that classroom that day, I learned that 1. yes, it is definitely different than acrylics and 2. it’s actually pretty amazing.
In this week’s tutorial, I’m taking you through gouache basics – how to mix colors, water ratios + what makes it so amazing to work with. Together, we’ll paint leafy gouache letters (or shapes!) that can be used for wall art, stationery or gifts! Read on to see it all!
In the US, Mother’s Day falls on May 12th this year. After giving birth to our daughter on December 28th, this will be my first Mother’s Day as a mom! I wanted to celebrate by creating artwork that can be used as a greeting card as well as wall art! In this week’s tutorial, I share my process on how to paint a watercolor floral initial. All you need is your favorite font, watercolors and some watercolor paper. No prior watercolor floral skills necessary! Read on to see how!
I got my hands on these watercolor brush pens a few weeks ago and I haven’t been able to put them down! One of my new favorite ways to use them is by making colorful feathers and adding in details using gel pens. Since they blend with water so perfectly, there are so many ways to create colorful patterns and blends. In this week’s tutorial, I’m sharing my process for creating your own colorful feathers using watercolor brush pens. Read on for all the supplies + details!
Last year, I bought myself a big pack of Coliro Colors FineTec metallic watercolors for my birthday. I had experimented with their gold collection earlier and couldn’t wait to have more colors to play with. The rest of the year, I obsessed with using them on new lettering pieces, custom greeting cards for friends and family – anything I could think of. The way they glimmer in the sunlight is so beautiful, I was constantly looking for ways to create other shiny outcomes 🙂 I broke them out again the other day and realized I never shared my blending methods in a tutorial, so it was time for that to change! These watercolors get thick + dry pretty fast, so blending can be a little more complicated than traditional watercolors. In this week’s tutorial, I walk you through 3 blending effects using metallic watercolors with all of my favorite, long-tested tricks 😉 Read below for them all!
We kept things all digital last month, so I thought we could start this month with some watercolor! Even if gemstones or jewels aren’t your thing, this is a great exercise on mixing colors and how those colors can inform the depth of an object. We also sketch out the geometry from scratch without using a ruler and you can use these methods for other geometric-based layouts in the future, too! Since we’re using water-based brush pens, this is something you can create on the go with limited materials. Read on to paint a watercolor jewel using brush pens!
Happy Tuesday! This Tuesday is one of my favorites because a new course just went live! I’m often asked how I created my watercolor leaves and florals kit, so instead of describing it, I decided to teach it all! All 4 hours of the *entire* process from painting to selling 😉 In Watercolor Florals for Graphic Design, you’ll learn how to paint, digitize, enhance and sell digital watercolor florals online. This week I wanted to share the course’s trailer and go over a summary of all the class details. The course’s clickable resources list is available as a free download below, so you have everything you need to get started. Read on to grab those details!
Next Monday, March 26th, I’ll be releasing my newest course titled Watercolor Florals for Graphic Design! I’m often asked how I created this watercolor leaves and florals kit, so I thought I’d share the entire process, from start to finish. In the course, you’ll learn how to paint, scan, digitize, enhance and sell digital watercolor florals. Part of creating florals meant to be used digitally (in Illustrator, Photoshop or templates you’d like to sell) require them to be created individually (vs. painting a full bouquet). Once they’re created and edited, you can then create an infinite number of arrangement and bouquet combinations using them. This makes painting just a few florals to start with really powerful, because they can lead to a large kit full of options.
Even though the course officially opens next Monday, today I wanted to share a video from the course on how to paint 4 loose style small watercolor florals. I’m giving away the course’s clickable resources list for free in this post, so you’ll have everything you need to get started. If you’re an Every-Tuesday subscriber, you’ll also receive a special gift in your email the day the course opens 😉 Read on for the full tutorial and free resources download!
This week, we’re returning to one of my favorite topics: watercolor textures! Ever since I received these brush pens in the mail, I have been swooning over all of the cool textures I’m able to create – and quickly, too! These are the most vibrant watercolor-simulated outcomes I’ve been able to achieve with brush pens, which makes the creation process that much more fun. Use these as backgrounds for your lettering, or even scan them in and make a digital texture or repeat pattern out of them! Read on to see 3 different watercolor texture tricks using brush pens below.
A couple weeks ago, I shared 3 tricks for creating unique grit textures. This week, I’m sharing how to create a gritty photoshop texture brush using a texture we created! This texture brush can be used for borders, backgrounds, illustrations and more (tutorial on those coming soon!). In the video, I share my scan settings and how I edit the texture before ever creating a brush with it. Once the texture is optimized, I share some of my favorite Photoshop texture brush settings. These are settings that you can easily implement into future texture brushes, too. This tutorial is perfect for beginners, so if you’re just getting started with Photoshop, be sure to read on to see it all!
Grit textures are one of the quickest ways to add a handmade feel to digital art. By adding a little texture to edges, borders, blocks of color or even shadows, simulated depth and an organic feel are created. What’s even better is that it only takes a little effort to create and apply them. In this week’s tutorial, I’m sharing 3 of my favorite simple tricks for creating unique grit textures. In the coming weeks, I’ll also be sharing how to digitize and apply them to artwork. Let’s kick this off by breaking out some ink and experimenting!
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