As you may know, Folk Art has been around for many years and there are many different variations. Each variation has its own differences, but they are all created using brushstrokes. How these brushstrokes are put together can create a multitude of beautiful designs and patterns.
In this blog post we will be creating a more traditional Folk Art design. Bringing together hearts and tulips, making it another perfect design for Valentine's Day.
In this blog post we will be creating a more traditional Folk Art design. Bringing together hearts and tulips, making it another perfect design for Valentine's Day.
To complete this design you will need:
A card and envelope (or gift bag)
No.3 round brush*
No.8 flat brush*
Medium Liner Brush*
DecoArt Americana Acrylic in the colour of your choice (we used Lamp Black, Warm White, Country Red, Hauser Light Green and Baby Blue available here)
Folk Art Masterclass for Beginner Painters
Transfer paper*
Dotting Tool*
*included in the Masterclass for Beginners complete set
I began by creating a basic template for you to trace onto your card that you can find here.
Begin by transferring your design on to your card. We tried this design in a variety of colour ways - white on black, black on white, red on white and mixed colour on white. The choice is yours, play with colour and see which you are drawn to the most.
Speaking from experience, begin in the centre of the design and work outwards to prevent smudges!
Using your Round Brush, fill the centre heart in the colour of your choice. When it is dry, add three comma strokes down the right hand side of the heart using the liner brush.
Paint your tulip using the round brush. Begin by painting the centre comma stroke. For the side petals, flick the tip in the opposite direction.
Optional: if you feel confident, side load your brush with a contrasting colour when painting your side petals.
If you wish, add comma stroke leaves using your Liner Brush to complete the tulip. We did this for some versions we painted and not for others - play with your design and see what you prefer.
Using your Flat Brush and the s stroke we teach in our Masterclass, add leaves around the heart. Using the Liner Brush, add branches through the centre of the leaves. Using a contrasting colour, connect each leaf with smaller branches (see below).
If you don't feel confident using your Liner Brush, draw the line using a paint pen in a matching colour. Then add two leaves at the bottom of the pattern.
Using your Round Brush, add two Bluebirds under the heart.
Using the small end of your Dotting Tool and your chosen colour, edge the larger heart with dots of paint. To do this, paint triangles of dots with the points facing outwards not inwards.
We hope you enjoy our take on a more traditional Folk Art design - perfect for a loved one this Valentine's Day.
Happy Folking xx