How to Make Greeting Cards with Your Art

You have many great options when it comes to making cards with your artwork on them. The easiest one is outsourcing the whole process through a print-on-demand website (FineArtAmerica.com, Society6.com, RedBubble.com, Imagekind.com, etc). If you want a larger run of the same image, a printer like VistaPrint is probably your best bet. All of these services will give you a good quality, albeit generic-looking card. Now, what if you want to be a little more personal? I, for example, love having my signature on my cards. It's like a stamp of approval. It's me holding it in my hands, liking what I see, and saying so to my collector (because yes, even those who buy a card from me become my collectors :)). So this is how I do it:

handmade fine art card

1. The print

Let's assume you already have a nice, high-resolution, color-corrected digital image of your artwork. I scan most of mine, photograph those that can't be scanned and then adjust the color using Photoshop.

I use the same printer (Epson Stylus Pro 3880 Color Inkjet Printer) and paper (Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Paper MATTE) that I do for my open edition prints. Probably not the most cost-efficient choice, but the quality of image is superb and I like the fact that these cards are "frameable." I suspect that a regular home office printer capable of printing color photos should be able to do the job. I print the images a bit smaller than the dimensions of the card, so that I have space for the signature and the border.

2. The blank cards

Once again, lots of choices here. I tried about ten different kinds and found that I like Avery Personal Creations Textured Heavyweight Note Card and Envelopes, 4-1/4 x 5-1/2, 50 per Box (3379). They have a nice watercolor-paper-like texture and you can print on them using a desktop printer. I printed my information on the back of the cards before I began using stamps (see below).

3. The tape

For attaching the print to the card, I use ATG Tape. I also happen to own an ATG Tape Dispenser, which is not a requirement but it definitely speeds up the process.

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4. Your artist signature

I sign the card on the front under the image. Right now, I use an HB or H pencil (harder pencils don't smudge and pretty much emboss the signature into the card). I tried black and colored ink pens, permanent markers in different colors, and I just find anything but a pencil too distracting. It is a personal preference, and you should find your own :)

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5. Your back of the card info

On the back of the card, I put my artist information. This can include the artist's name, the painting title and medium, website, email address, phone number, and even your photo and artist statement or bio.

making-cards-1

I use a stamp I ordered through Vistaprint.com with just my name, phone number, and website address. I find it a whole lot easier than printing on the cards using a desktop printer.

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6. The envelope

Don't forget the envelope! It goes inside the card :)

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7. The packaging

I package a finished card in an acetate envelope that is a tiny bit bigger than the card. I buy those through Clearbags.com but they are also available at art supply stores and even Amazon.com.

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Voila! All done and ready to be sold, gifted, and in general shown off :)

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Questions? How do you make your cards? Leave me a comment below!

Yevgenia Watts checks, address labels and checkbook covers

Are $3 off the whole week! I am the featured artist at CheckAdvantage this week, which means they will let you add even more of (my) art in your life at $3 less :)

Guess who's in the paper!

  In April, I visited an art club in Phelan, CA, spoke a bit about myself and my art and did a watercolor painting demo of a little girl. It was a pleasant visit! I am often amazed at and very grateful to people who show interest in my art, and even more when they are willing to spend hours watching me paint. And, of course, my collectors, who spend their hard-earned money on a piece of art that I created. It's humbling.

Anyway, soon after the demo, I was thrilled to find a copy of Mountaineer Progress in my mailbox, forwarded by the club's president. Inside, there was an article about me! Other than calling the capital of Romania "a typical European village," it looks pretty good :)

Adora - watercolor portrait of a little girl

Some time last year, I was approached by this little girl's dad who asked me if I would be interested in participating in their project. The essence of the project is this: artists and illustrators are invited to create artwork based on or referencing photos of Adora, a 3.5 year old girl. At the time, I was not interested (partly, due to the fact that I would be doing this essentially for free). But it has been in the back of my mind since then, and when I was asked to do a painting demo for a local art club, I found a photo of Adora that inspired me and used it in the demo. I really liked the quality of light in the photo and how intense the little girl's expression was. It was fun to paint it.

I skipped the drawing and jumped right into it, painting directly. I was working from a black and white printout of the photo and pretty much made the colors up, referencing also my impression of the original photo. I was talking the whole time and answering questions, which was remarkably easy for me. It is pretty interesting how such an introverted and private person as myself can be so comfortable doing public speaking. It could be just the art-related public speaking, I guess. Something I am passionate about and happy to share :) I am doing another demo for a larger group on May 29th. Hope it goes well!

New Video! Ink and Watercolor Sketch Demo

Another video! Yay! This time, I show how I do my ink and watercolor sketches. It's a bit different than most of my sketches because 1) I use a pen with non-waterproof ink (that's why you see it move when I touch the lines with a wet brush) and 2) It's a fairly detailed sketch. It took me about 40-45 minutes. Don't worry, the video has been sped up, so that it's less than 10 minutes. Questions? Comments? Please let me know what you think!

Blue Tram - Virtual Paintout Pastel Painting

9x12" pastel on Pastelbord.$175. Buy here.

The painting today is another result of my participation in the amazing Virtual Paintout. It's a charming blue tram on the street of Sofia, Bulgaria. I usually look for some interesting architectural features (and sometimes, spend hours trying to find the perfect view) but this time, I spotted a tram in the distance and chased it until it was close enough :). I took quite a lot of liberty with color and added reflections. You can see the reference image here. I will also have a step-by-step post later on!

We're Expecting!

Yep, just like that, we're expecting. Totally unexpectedly and against all odds (may the odds be ever in your favor ;)).

Incidentally, this is also the youngest baby I've ever painted :). Two months of gestation!

Step By Step Watercolor Portrait of a Child

Another step-by-step! This little guy is my son's best buddy (on most days :)) The portrait painting was a Christmas gift to his dad.

I had a choice of several very good photos to work from. I love it when collectors trust me to make a recommendation, or even decision, on what photo would make a better painting. At this point, I can work from unimaginably bad snapshots but it's always easier to begin with a good photo reference. Out of the photos I was given, I liked the one I ended up painting right away, and the collector also suggested one with the classic looking-straight-at-the-camera pose.

thumbnail sketches of portraits

Step 1. I made two thumbnail sketches based on the two photos we chose. The sketches help me get more familiar with my subject and also kind of test out my initial feelings about the reference photos. I definitely liked the one on the right more, and after a discussion with the collector, she agreed with me. The sketch on the left is your standard kid picture (minus the usual toothy grin). Any kid. The one on the right is definitely a particular kid, the one with the attitude and his own thoughts in his head, and it's Vaughn.

drawing for a child portrait

Step 2. Drawing using the grid method. Since I had both a tilt and a turn to his head in this portrait, it was important for me to double-check the grid drawing with a few ellipses connecting the facial features of the boy. If you have no idea what I'm talking about or want a refresher course, I recommend the free YouTube videos by Stan Prokopenko. Good stuff!

beginning a watercolor portrait

Step 3. I jumped right in! Beginning with the eyes (I felt that they were the most important part of the painting).

Closeup of the eyes at the beginning stage

Closeup of the eye.

watercolor portrait in progress

Step 4. I like to integrate the figure and the background (vs. painting them separately), so here is what it looked like after one wash. At this point, I let it dry.

painting of a boy in progress

Step 5. The background is left as it is. I concentrate on the face, defining the main light and shade patterns. It helps to know where your light is coming from. In this case, it's on the top left. This means, for example, that the left side of the boy's head will be a bit lighter than the right.

hispanic boy watercolor portrait painting

Step 6. More detail on the face and arms. I also decided to define the edge of his farther shoulder by placing a light background wash next to it.

child with his portrait painting

Watercolor painting on Aquabord - March Virtual Paintout

In the last couple of months, Virtual Paintout visited a few of Eastern European countries. It is making me more and more homesick. In March, I spent hours virtually walking the streets of Vilnius (Lithuania), which is remarkably like a large Ukrainian city.

I liked using the red ink last time (in "Coffee in Bratislava") and decided to go with it again here. After painting the sky and the church, I felt that I needed some of the red or orange to continue on the left, so I gave myself the liberty of changing the season a bit and painting the trees in fall colors.

My Watercolor Painting Demo This Saturday

I will be doing a watercolor painting demo at a local art club this Saturday, April 6, at 11:30 am. If you live close, please come and say hi! For details, contact Maryann of Silver Arts Club. There is also a Facebook event you can RSVP to! :) I'm probably going to be doing a portrait demo, if I have enough time for that. Exciting! :)

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Oro Grande Antique Shops Sketch-out

I recently created a Facebook group to help local artists to organize meetups and get together (High Desert Art Meetup). On Saturday, we had our first sketch-out! I chose the location on Route 66, around the local antique shops. The place turned out to be a gold mine of things to sketch! Everyone enjoyed the outing.

I was pleasantly surprised when five people (not counting me) showed up. When I moved to the high desert three years ago, I was quite disappointed with the apparent lack of culture or any interest in art here. Since then, I have discovered a small community of people who share my passion. Some of the discoveries came though the Eclipse Art Gallery (which I watched develop and grow by leaps since it opened in 2010). Some people found me through the classes I teach in Apple Valley and now, Helendale.

I got to use my brand new handmade (by me!) watercolor sketchbook. It was fairly easy to make and performed beautifully. I might write another post just about the making of the sketchbook - meanwhile, help yourself to this video on coptic stitch that I learned from.

Vintage toy tractor sketch

We spent about two hours walking around the place and sketching. Some people took photos. The weather was pretty close to perfect, and after the sketching session, we went to a nearby pizza restaurant for lunch. I was hoping to sketch the outside view of the restaurant itself (it has a colorful uhm...statue of a cow on its roof) but ran out of time while trying to take in as much of the antiques place as possible.

vintage kerosene lamp sketch

Overall, the sketch-out was a success! I'm happy that I went ahead and organized it and I was glad to spend some time doing what I love with (or, rather, in proximity of :)) people who share my passion for art. I hope we will do it again soon!

antique telephone sketch

Venir en France avec moi! Come to France with me!

I have to trust Google Translate for the French portion of the title, so please forgive me if it doesn't sound completely French :) Now, what it's all about. A few weeks ago, a lady contacted me asking about the watercolor batik process that I used to make my French Windows painting. She was intrigued by the end result and, of course, by the labor-intensive process. So much so that she asked me if I would fancy running a workshop teaching this technique. In France! It turns out that she organizes and runs "painting holidays" at her part 12th-century monastery, part 18th-century farmhouse home in Bandouille, France.

I would very much like to run a painting holiday! As a matter of fact, I will learn French for this opportunity :) Now, if I can only find people to come and spend their vacation in France while taking a workshop from me, we're good to go! Check out France Painting Holiday and let me know if it's something you would like to do. Meanwhile, I want to create some videos on the watercolor batik technique to get you even more excited ;).

I think a Yupo workshop would be fun, too.

Watercolor Classes in Silver Lakes

Do you like learning new things in a warm and friendly atmosphere? Have you always wanted to try watercolor painting but heard that watercolor is hard? Come and have fun! My classes are for beginner to intermediate painters and include step-by-step introduction to painting with watercolor. You will learn all about the tools and materials for watercolor painting, different ways to apply paint, and will make a few paintings of your own! Bring a friend to make it even more fun!

• When: Mondays 11:30 am - 2 pm, March 4 - April 8

• Where: Helendale Community Center Suite C (by the Thrift Store): 26540 Vista Road, Helendale, CA

• Cost: $99 (for a limited time). For a suggested supplies list, click here. A basic supply kit will be available for purchase at the first day of class for $35.

• Save 10% when you register on my website. Enter discount code SilverLakes at checkout.

• Senior Discount! Email me or call (916)749-6066 for details.

[button link="http://yevgeniawatts.com/intro-to-watercolor-helendale/" type="big" color="green"] Register Now[/button]

Foggy and Clear Ocean Watercolor Painting

A little while ago, I painted a series of 6x6" painting with an ocean theme. It was an enjoyable challenge. Enjoyable because I passionately love the ocean, even more than I have once loved the Black Sea. I really miss living in Oceanside and seeing all the different moods of the big water from my window. Of course, in Oceanside, I missed living in Berkeley, and in Berkeley, I kind of missed Ukraine. The grass-is-always-greener effect.

Anyway, these seascapes were also a challenge. First of all, because I don't paint many landscapes in general (I see a potential for another 30-day challenge here) and because of the simplicity that I had in mind and was able to achieve. I had to force myself to stop and walk away. If you're an artist, you know how hard it is to stop (unless you hate the painting, of course! :)) I think I was mostly successful and I wouldn't mind keeping these little gems for myself. They remind me of all the wonderful places in coastal California: San Diego, Monterey and Carmel, Point Reyes, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Ventura.

On Impressionists, Cellists, and Cool New Website

Okay, I'm back from the break that I had to take after the intensity of the 30x30 challenge and daily blogging! If you are following me on Facebook, you know I haven't really fallen off the edge of the Earth :).

I did drive to Sacramento to visit my family, with both kids...An 8 hour drive, which was not as horrible as it sounds. I have pretty well-behaved kids :). The trip was good. The week I spent not cooking or doing housework or even watching the kids that much was worth it. The grandparents and all the other relatives got to enjoy the babies, I got my fix of art stores. I even slept in on most mornings! Really, this was as close to a vacation as I've been in a long while. I did have plans to go to San Francisco and see the Vermeer exhibit at DeYoung but Elijah (my 3.5-year-old) got sick, so I had to adjust my plans. Instead of going to San Francisco, I stayed in Sacramento a few extra days and caught one of my favorite events - 2nd Saturday Art Walk.

As in most similar events, the majority of the art was so-so, some was blatantly bad, but a few pieces were pretty great. I visited a couple of places new to me and enjoyed the work of a wide range of artists. I noticed that, even though I am drawn to abstracts, particularly color field ones, they seldom keep my attention for longer than the initial few seconds. Oils and acrylics dominated, as usual; not much watercolor.

I also visited a used book store, Time Tested Books, and got two art books. One is on the Russian Symbolist artist Vrubel (in Russian, which is extra cool), the other on the Impressionists (The New Painting: Impressionisms 1874-1886. ). This second book I liked for the pictures but it turned out to be quite entertaining to read, too. It documents eight of the original exhibitions of the Impressionists, with painting images, descriptions, and essays. I think the best parts of the book are, however, the quotes from the contemporary reviewers of the exhibitions.

For example, this famous painting by Gustave Caillebotte is criticized for its odd composition (I don't really like that lamppost in the middle, either), unimaginative treatment of figures, and ABSENCE OF RAIN :). Caillebotte is also praised for his drawing abilities, which, apparently, few Impressionists possessed. It seems like not very much has changed in the last 130 years and that even the Impressionists were your normal everyday artists.

While browsing the books, I enjoyed listening to a duet of cellists who were performing at the book store. I semi-discreetly snapped a couple of photos with my phone and last night, made the sketch on top of this post. Look out for the video of me making the sketch. Speaking of videos, I will soon be launching a new website dedicated to my how-tos, step-by-steps, videos, tutorials, and all that educational stuff. Eventually, it will become the platform for my online painting courses. Yay!

Walking the Dog

For additional information about the prints, please visit our product info page.

My artwork is now on checks!

In early December last year, I was approached by a check printing company, CheckAdvantage, to see if I was interested in creating several sets of checks with my artwork on them (shout-out to Skinny Artist, I was found through their artist directory!). So I said, sure, and last week, we launched my CheckAdvantage products. I am tempted to buy my own address labels and checks :) (good sign, right?). There are nine themed sets with four images each, featuring my favorite artworks. Seascapes, cityscapes, flowers, trees, California, Europe, and even a separate set of sunflowers :). I'm pretty excited about all this. I always look for something artistic and, preferably, unique when I order checks and I love writing a check and thinking of the person receiving it and how they would say, "Oh, this is a very cool check! She has a great taste." Or something like that :). I can't wait to run out of my current boring checks!  

Yevgenia Watts Checks

Yevgenia Watts Side Tear Checks

Yevgenia Watts Address Labels

Yevgenia Watts Checkbook Covers

A look back at 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge

It's over now. 30 days of experimenting, and brainstorming, and creating, and daring, and pushing through the daily life, and seeing just how much mom and house work I can get out of before my family hates me. It was intense. I want to step back now and reflect. Analyze. One of my favorite things to do, analysis. You know the phrase "paralysis by analysis"? It's about me. It's how I never had my projects in architecture school done on time. There was just so much more to do with them.

Anyway, back to 30x30. Here is what I think about it:

1) It was great to try new (or just forgotten) things and experiment. It definitely freshened me up after non-stop commission painting. I should do it more often. Maybe, something like first five days of every month, I get to play with whatever art supplies strike my fancy.

2) I loved the virtual presence of all the other artists who participated in this challenge. I found some extraordinary artwork, followed about a dozen of blogs, and connected with quite a few awesomely talented people. Artists are such a friendly bunch.

3) It was also very cool to have a buddy closer to home. One of my former students did the 30x30 challenge with me! He doesn't have a blog yet, so we kept in touch on Facebook.

3) I had very little difficulty coming up with stuff to paint. It may be because I opted out of having a theme or limiting myself in any way.

4) It was a fragile balance of pushing through with the daily painting and not being too tough on myself.

5) The "work-life balance" did not work at all. I felt very frustrated. I need to be "in the zone" when I'm making art and it's impossible with the kids and lunches and dinners. I only have a few hours a day after the kids go to bed and I'm usually wiped by that time, so...need to figure something out here.

6) I liked blogging every day and seeing increased engagement both here and on my Facebook fan page and Google Plus. It made me feel loved (or at least liked :) ) and motivated me :)

7) I did not make 30 paintings. And I'm fine with that. I lowered my expectations at the very beginning of the challenge. I still pushed myself, but when I had days when I just couldn't fit a painting time, I let it go. No reason to stress yourself out, you know? :) I liked Crystal Cook's setup, with scheduled weekends off. Smart thing to do.

8) In the middle of the challenge, I took an online Right Brain Business Plan course. It should be a 30 day challenge in itself. I spent quite a lot of time on it and two of my "painting days" turned into collaging-for-RBBP days. My work on the business plan is in full swing now.

That's pretty much all. Would I do it again? Oh yes. But not this month :)

Last Day of 30x30! Tub Animals and Crabbiness

Yesterday was a bit of a crisis. Not a huge midlife crisis (any day now! ;) ) but one of those "I'm-exhausted-and-frustrated-and-I-don't-need-extra-helpings-of-stress" kind of crisis. I seriously wanted to paint a crab because I was feeling very crabby. I even looked at photos of crabs but couldn't find one that would inspire me. So, instead, I tried to work on a scene from this month's Virtual Paintout location (Isle of Man). I was going to paint the Laxey Wheel. In bits and pieces throughout the day, I did paint it. And it looks bad. Unblogably bad. I am probably going to throw it away.

When I realized there wasn't much to do about it, I put it away, made myself a cup of tea, wasted a few minutes on Facebook and Google Plus, and decided to switch gears and work on my Right Brain Business Plan instead. I could probably have spent the whole night doing that (it's pretty exciting at this point, and my head is about to burst from all the ideas). But then my kids would be up, all bright-eyed and energetic, and with no rest for me, it would be the beginning of another crabby day. So I took a bath instead. I love my jet tub. It's my favorite place in the whole house :). So there I was, lying in the tub, letting the hot water relax and de-stress me. Not reading, as I usually do, just letting go. And then I noticed that my kids' tub animals were arranged in an aesthetically pleasing composition on the other side of the tub. I had to sketch them.

And that's how I almost painted a crab.

Day 28 of 30x30 - The Kiss

For you, romantic souls :). Happy Valentine's Day ahead of schedule! This little painting did not cooperate at first. It can be a bit hard to draw things with a pen and get them right on the first try. So this was try number 3. Interestingly, I am used to drawing with a pen, and when I did a portrait sketch with a pencil recently, I just couldn't get it right. I kept erasing. It took me four or five tries to get a decent sketch. I think a pen makes you bolder. You know there is no turning back (other than starting a whole new drawing) and so you 1) draw better and 2) accept minor mistakes.

Here is the reference photo for this painting. Have a go at it if you'd like, with a pen :).

Oh, and I think I feel like giving away a card with this image. To enter the drawing, leave a comment below. I'll announce the winner this Friday noon-ish.