Christmas card wordshop

Welcome to our workshop! 

Welcome also if you happened to find this page - feel free to have a go. I'd love to see what you create!

I've put a few images together to help you see close up examples.

First of all, relax and have fun!! We will practice drawing a variety of Christmas doodles with ink and watercolour, then mount some of them onto a greetings card blanks with a hand written message.

Top tips!

Pencils - please use them sparingly and with a light touch. You will need to rub out your pencil marks, so the less there is the better.

Lettering - you can use a variety of styles. I'll talk you through them in the workshop. These images might help you get the idea!

Paint - please make a puddle of colour in the lid of your tin so that you aren't applying a paste, and add sparingly to your paper. 
If you accidentally add too much, or have a spillage, you can lift paint off with the edge of kitchen paper. Call me if you have an emergency!

Designs

I base my designs loosely on real things and add a big dose of artistic licence!

You don't need to copy me exactly - I advise you not to! Try to create a balanced composition. This could mean using a specific pattern of lights on your trees, or it could mean casting your eye over your design and look for busier and quieter areas, and then seeing if you happy with what you have. 

You can add lights, branches or decorations to fill gaps, but it's not so easy to take them away (especially if you've used ink!), so take your time!

Here are some examples. Each page shows the steps and elements that I've used - you can copy them, or be inspired to go in another direction.

Baubles 

Trees 

Round robins

There's so much potential for different characters here!

Changing where the arms wings are, the direction of the legs... 

Snowpeople

Baby Jesus under a star

I'll show the finished image at the workshop

If you like, you could adapt this wreath to include holly, ivy, berries and mistletoe 

Layout

Here are two options for how you can mount your final design on a card: choosing to include a message on the same piece of paper as your main design, or use a separate piece, stuck on lower down the card blank.

You don't have to be constrained by this - use any layout you wish!

If you like you can use off cuts to make little gift tags or book marks