DIY- Watercolour Quotes

This is the first of my DIY posts for Christmas gifts! These will all be fairly simply DIYs; nothing that requires any elaborate or difficult to obtain supplies, and nothing that requires any in-depth skill or experience. We’ve all seen those Pinterest DIY posts that “are so easy that a blind dog could do it in three easy steps” but in reality require four adult artists twenty four hours and about a hundred steps. I personally love receiving hand made gifts, I very much appreciate the time and energy that goes into them. Today is a simple picture that won’t take very long but allows you to personalise the gift for the recipient!
This DIY requires very little materials. All you need is:
-Watercolour or Sketchbook Paper
I don’t recommend using regular paper, it won’t hold firm when the watercolours are applied! It also won’t hold up as well over time.
-Watercolour Paints
The paints that you use don’t have to be expensive! I specifically bought and used a $3 set to prove that you don’t have to go high end.
-Watercolour Brushes
Again, you don’t need anything special for brushes, a cheap set from Michaels will do.
-Brush Markers
I would recommend buying a decent brush marker; Faber-Castell makes fantastic markers at about $3.5 apiece. You don’t need a ton of them, though- theoretically you could stick with one colour to save money!
-Frames
I am currently still on the hunt for frames, they will most likely be from the dollar store or IKEA.
Instructions
1. Lay out as many pieces of notebook paper as possible.

2. Mix up your colours in your palette; I would recommend starting with a weaker colour for the background, and slowly mixing in more colour as you go to enhance the watercolour effect.

3. With a medium width brush, cover the paper with colour. Try create some distinct strokes for dimension! Keep all of your strokes in the same direction; don’t feel like you have to cover the entire sheet.

4. Let dry and weight it to lay flat.

5. When fully dry, use brush marker to write your chosen quote. I would recommend finding a script/font that you like beforehand and practising until you feel comfortable freehanding it. Remember that it doesn’t have to absolutely perfect; imperfections give it character!

6. Crop and frame! (I will post an update to this when I have them framed, hopefully within the next few weeks)

Sure, this will take a little bit of practice beforehand to make sure that you’ve got your script down pat, but I think it’s worth the effort! Now, they don’t look like a print but I’ve received quite a few compliments on the ones I have at work. What I love about them is the freedom to pick the perfect quote for the person receiving it. Yes, “Stay Sexy, Don’t Get Murdered” is an odd thing to say, but the person it is for loves to listen to the podcast “My Favourite Murder”.
What DIY Christmas gifts are you going to be making? 
Until tomorrow,
The Historian!