Embrace the enchantment of the Holidays with handmade watercolor cards!

On Friday, December 6th, 2024, during our LIVE with John Cogley, we kicked off our Holiday-themed paint-along sessions, and our Brand Ambassadors brought the MAGIC!

Cards by Silva Trad

Brand Ambassador Silvia Trad from Brazil dazzled us with these magical holiday cards made using simple table salt and some of our favorite Daniel Smith Watercolors! Follow this fun tutorial inspired by Silvia’s demo to create your own 4” x 6” greeting cards!

You will need:

• Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors: Cobalt Teal Blue, Lunar Blue, Rose of Ultramarine, Indigo, and Prussian Green
• Daniel Smith Extra Fine Gouache in Titanium White for “snowy” splatter
• Table salt
• Paintbrushes
• Water, OF COURSE!
• Paper towel/kitchen roll
• Watercolor paper cut into 6” x 8” pieces
• Masking tape

Preparation:

• Cut your paper and fold it in half. Tape to a board or your work area to minimize buckling/warping and create a nice white border.
• Prepare your watercolors. If they’ve dried on a palette, spray them down or put some wet tube paint onto a plate or palette.
• Have salt at the ready!

Step 1:

• Using a large brush, wet the surface of the paper.

• Starting with cobalt teal blue, brush it in a zig-zag motion across the center of your paper, wet into wet!

• While wet, add a bit of Rose of Ultramarine to some of the card fronts where you made the zig-zag/streaks, for variation.

• Next, while wet, add Lunar Blue to the sides and corners and just a touch to the zig-zag/streaks.

• Finally, add the Indigo just to the corners.

• Wait 30 seconds, then add salt.*
  *timing the addition of the salt has to do with the wetness level. If it’s too wet or too dry, you won’t get the effects. We found that between 30 seconds and one minute after applying paint was the prime time. But your humidity, temperature, and water amount will determine paint drying time.
• Let dry naturally.

Step 2:

• Once dry, remove the salt by gently scraping the surface with a credit card or palette knife. Make sure all of the salt is removed.

• Add another layer of water and begin to add your trees using Prussian Green or Indigo, wet into wet. Let dry.

• Next, add more trees wet on dry. Play around with the placement and see what kind of effects you can get! Let dry!

Step 3:

• It’s time to add snow! Using Titanium White Gouache mixed with a small amount of water, use your brush to splatter the white paint onto your cards!

• Once dry, remove the tape and enjoy your cards!

For more inspiration and ideas using our products, we invite you to join us for our Thursday and Friday “LIVE with John Cogley” each week. Speak directly with John and engage with fellow artists from around the world. Laugh, learn and be globally inspired!

Weekly Live Demos

Silvia Trad