Ingrid Sanchez - DIY Watercolor Christmas: Easy Painting Ideas and Techniques for Cards, Gifts and Décor

Christmas is a wonderful time of year to use watercolors for dcor, ornaments and gifts. We tend to think of watercolor for more summery themes and Im perhaps best known for my floral paintings that epitomize the heady delights of the garden, but there is so much fun to be had with Christmas-themed designs in watercolor and thats what Im excited to explore with you in this book.

Ever since I was a child I have loved painting in celebration of everyday joys and achievements, creating little notes to say thank you, congratulations or good luck. If you were sat at our table, it was not unusual to find one of my artistic gifts on your dinner plate, and my dad often found one of my painted surprises in his luggage when he was away on a work trip. As an adult I still enjoy creating cards and little paintings to surprise friends and family, and Christmas is the perfect time to make the most of that impulse to share and connect with others with our painting.

Even though I am a full-time artist, I still paint and draw in my free time. You can say that painting is both my job and my hobby, and I would love to share a little bit of this passion with you.

Well explore the basics of watercolors with a glimpse beyond to some of my favorite techniques, all done with the final purpose in mind, to create cards, wall art and decorations for one of the most magical seasons of the year Christmas!

I believe there is nothing more rewarding than creating something with our hands, but it becomes pure joy when we do it as a gift for others. Ive also discovered that by painting festive decorations, such as tree ornaments, table decorations and hanging garlands, we can be sure that our homes reflect our own personal style.

The way you approach your watercolor painting will be as unique as you are, so I encourage you to explore the different options I have offered for you to try. There are simple exercises to play and practice with to find out what works best for you. Be patient and enjoy the process.

Happy Christmas painting!

Due to its versatility, watercolor is by far my favorite art medium. With even the most basic beginners set you can experience its magic, but start collecting watercolor in all its available presentations and it gets really interesting. In this chapter I outline the basics you will need for painting on paper, but before going supply shopping, take a look through Basics and Beyond: Experimental Watercolor for more options to enhance your work, and Project Preparation for materials required to prepare non-paper surfaces for painting.

Watercolor paints are made from finely ground pigments held together with a water-soluble binder that fixes the pigment onto the paper. They come in solid, moist and liquid forms, and there are many quality brands to choose from; you can use them by themselves or mix and match between them. Lets start by looking at your options.

Solid formThese include pans, sticks and pencils, with pans being the most traditional, named for the small plastic boxes that contain the solid watercolor paint. They can be bought individually or in sets with the pans fixed into a palette box. Pans need water to be activated and I recommend you use a spray bottle for this purpose. When the water evaporates the pigment remains and can be used many times, and they can last for many years because the pigments are hard to dissolve. Watercolor pans are a great option for small paintings or illustrations, and for artists who like to paint while travelling.