DIY watercolor ombré menu cards
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DIY watercolor ombré menu cards
Hey guys! It’s me Zakkiya of Inkstruck Studio and I’m back with a fun and easy to create watercolor tutorial. Yipppeee! Today’s post will help you create watercolor ombre backgrounds in two different ways. And to make things simpler for you, I have the template for free on my blog.
I’m of the opinion that anything ombré looks fabulous. It’s one of the simplest things to create yet it creates such a lasting impact. It’s no wonder that ombré inspired wedding invitations, place cards and menu cards are so popular. This tutorial will focus on two methods of create a watercolor ombre background.
Materials required:-
- Watercolor paints – I recommend this or this.
- Watercolor paper- I like the texture of cold pressed paper.
- Watercolor brush-Neptune quill brush is my preferred choice because it can hold lots and lots of water.
- Tape
1.The blended watercolor ombre background
Tape down your paper and press firmly to remove bubbles. Start with a light wash of watercolor throughout the paper. While the paint is still wet, add pigment to the bottom part of the sheet.
Keep adding pigment and wash it down as you move upwards. Remember that watercolor dries lighter, so don’t be hesitant to go strong. To get the pigment moving upwards, tilt the paper as shown in the image below and let water do its magic. If you’d like to learn more about blending, hop over to the link below.
BLENDING TECHNIQUES IN WATERCOLOR
Once the paint is dry and the tape is removed, you’ll end up with something like this. Remember that this effect works best when the paint is still wet. So don’t be scared to get enough water on your paper.
After scanning the watercolor ombre background, pop it on a software like Photoshop, Illustrator or even Canva and create your menu card. I used Photoshop and added a little laurel at the top to give the menu card focus. The calligraphy font is Laurence Script which is available on Creative Market. The sans serif font is Futura Medium.
2.The deliberate watercolor ombre background
As the title suggests, in this technique you’ll need to purposely let each layer dry instead of blending. Starting from the bottom, add a really deep pigment.Let it dry. If you’re short of time, use a hair dryer. Wash out some pigment and paint the next layer above. Let it dry. Keep repeating the process by washing ou the pigment each time till you reach the top.
You’ll see in the final image below that each layer is prominent but it still has an ombré quality in them. I love how a slight change in technique can produce completely different results.
I hope you enjoyed today’s post. If you loved creating this, don’t forget to share it on Instagram with the hashtag #makeinkstruck. I’d absolutely love to see. If you’d like to download the free template for these menu cards, hop over to the link below.
FREE WATERCOLOR OMBRÉ MENU CARD TEMPLATE
Loved this tutorial? Check out some more amazing ones over at my blog. And if you have any questions, ask me away in the comments below.
Watercolor recipe illustration // Starry night in watercolors // DIY gift wrap
Zakkiya @ Inkstruck Studio
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