Today's #SFDesignADay Challenge features the elegant beauty of watercolor by the always-inspiring Emily Sanford. Here she gives us quick tips on how to get started with watercolor design. Read on for ideas on how to incorporate white space effectively through an easy-to-use material you probably have around the house.
Emily: Watercolor painting brings depth, brilliance, and a soft organic touch to surface pattern design. Watercolor is also a clean, vibrant medium that can be challenging to master.
Emily: When first experimenting with watercolor, it's helpful to get acquainted with how pigment and water interact on paper. One of my favorite ways to play with watercolor is to lay down artist tape or washi tape in graphic patterns on paper. The tape acts as a mask for the paint, and gives the novice the chance to play with washes, colors and textures. After the tape is removed, the resulting design offers a nice balance of bold line to the playful transparency and texture of the watercolor paint.
Watch Emily's creative process with watercolor in the video below:
Watercolor Pattern Design by Emily Sandford
Inspired by Emily's tips and tricks for watercolor? We want to see! Be sure to tag your designs influenced by today's SpoonChallenge technique on your social media platforms with #SFDesignADay!
The only tape I have around my house is the clear kind that rips the paper when you remove it. I skipped that particular watercolor tip, and went for a simple leafy pattern. My finished design went through a few color changes as I tried to turn it into a seamless repeat on the computer. It ended up with two colorways that are incredibly different from the physical painting, and I absolutely love both of them.
sketch with a bit of watercolor
about a third of the way through painting Emma decided to help me
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