Step-by-Step Simple Watercolor Holiday Tree Card

Hello Beautiful Friend! 

Let's paint a watercolor holiday card! 

This one is quick and beginner friendly, and fun for everyone!

Here's What You'll Need:

• Some watercolors (two or three colors will do)
• One watercolor brush
• Water
• Paper towel (for blotting your brush or errant paint splatter)
• Gel Pen (optional)
• Watercolor pencil or soft lead pencil

Start with lightly sketching a triangle for your tree shape. Here I used a colored pencil that will blend in with the watercolors in the next steps.

Next, use your brush to fill inside the pencil triangle with clean water.

Make sure to get right into the corners, but not outside the lines! (I know, this is usually not a rule in art, but for this, make sure to stay inside the lines)

Next, get some color on your brush and randomly drop it into the wet triangle. The paint will go where you have water and spread, which is why we don't want water outside the lines.

Proceed with dropping your next colors into the triangle, making sure to wash your brush out with clean water before reaching for a new color.

Choose colors that will go well together, such as yellow and blue, or blue and magenta, or gold and magenta, etc...colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel will turn a bit muddy.

Here is a great site to get acquainted with the color wheel. 

In my example above, I used Daniel Smith Watercolors in Quinacridone Gold, Thio Violet, and Prussian Blue. Notice how three colors actually looks like more, as the gold and blue created shades of green, the violet and blue created a lavender purple, etc.

The more you paint with YOUR supplies, the more you know how they will react with each other.

Next, wait for the entire tree to dry before adding optional gel pen embellishments. The washy watercolor tree should stand on its own, or you can add an extra touch.

Suggestions: 

• Outline the whole tree in ink
• Add a trunk for your tree
• Add ornaments, swirls, garland, a holiday message, anything! 

If you are feeling extra creative, finish it off with a little paint splatter and let it dry completely before you place it in an envelope.

Happy Christmas Crafting!

Do you love the look of a hand-painted card but just don't have time to paint one?

Find my cards available here!

 Peace, Love, and Creativity, 

Jodi