I am on the biggest cactus kick lately.
It seems like every store I walk into has them in some form or another (statues, fabric, art, crafts, etc.)! I thought it would be fun to combine cacti with a favorite passion of mine – watercolor. I love creating art with watercolor because it’s really hard to mess it up. The beauty of this medium is that it’s supposed to look imperfect. You can get many different looks with it depending on how much water you use and you can create endless colors by combining and controlling your water.
If watercolor is something you’ve always wanted to try, then my goal is to show you how super easy it is to play with. Before you know it you will have a creation you love. The best part? It’s made by YOU and it’s your art! Let’s begin with the needed supplies…
SUPPLIES:
- watercolor set (found in the fine art supplies at Michaels)
- paper towels
- water (of course!)
- watercolor palette
- canvas (I used Artist Loft size 8X10 – got a pack of 10 for less than $15!)
- watercolor brushes (I used round size 8 and 10)
DIRECTIONS:
- First, draw the basic outline of your image with your brush by using your watercolor mixed with a few drops of water on your palette to give it a darker look.
- Fill in the shape by dipping your brush in plenty of water. The more water you use the lighter your color will be. Play around with the colors and water. If you mess up just add more color or water – I love how forgiving watercoloring can be!
- Next, I dipped my smaller brush into the color and drew dark lines. You can go over them with a little water to give them a smooth look.
- I used this same concept with the pot using the brown color.
- Finish with a flower on top (I just drew little “v” shapes and added water to make the color spread a little bit.
- You can stop here…or if you want to add texture, I drew random little “x’s” on the cactus.
- Let dry for a couple of hours and it’s ready to add to your home decor!
I decided to try a different cactus using the same concept so I would have a set of 2 to display!
This is a great craft for a ladies night or fun for a teen to add to their room decor!
Check out Michaels Make-a-Thon – 14 days of amazing deals, ideas & hands-on making!
POST BY: Kari Sweeten
This post is sponsored by Michaels. I was given compensation and free product for this project. All opinions are by U Create.
I’ve been waiting my whole adult life for SIMPLE watercolor tutorials like this. PLEASE CONSIDER DOING THIS REGULARLY???!!!!! I love how these cacti look DO-ABLE. I can’t draw, so to see this simple thing excites me beyond words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Day indeed. What do you think, could you do some lessons??? For people who are dying to paint with watercolor but who don’t know how to draw and don’t have the years it will take to learn!!!!!!!!
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kate,
Thank you for your feedback! How can I say no to that? lol
Sure, I can see myself doing a simple watercolor tutorial maybe once per month. Simple, small designs are my favorite.
Love the cacti. They’re a lot of fun to paint.