When two friends announced that they were each pregnant I wanted to send them cards to congratulate them on the good news. I used the opportunity to make them something personal while also working on my illustration skills.
A trio of potted succulents: mom, dad, and baby
I love the fresh and casual look of a simple graphite pencil with washes of watercolor. When the watercolor covers the pencil lines, it makes them stable so they don’t rub off, and I like the sketchy quality. Keeps it from looking too serious and measured.
 |
| Graphite pencil and watercolor on Fabriano Artistico cold press watercolor paper |
Woodland flora and fauna
My concept with this illustration revolves around a strong pine tree with a little baby pine tree next to it. Allover patterns were on my mind, so I filled the card with a variety of plants and critters from the forest. I kept the color scheme muted, and a slight alternative to the typical blue, pink, and yellow color palette for babies.
 |
| Gouache lines painted on with a fine brush and a dip pen, along with black pigment fineliner marker, over a solid gouache background on Arches hot press paper |
Both cards were rewarding projects to work on. I feel like the style of the succulent trio was more of a natural stylistic fit for me because as I worked in it I felt more flow and less stumped by what to do next.
