Hello, creative souls! Welcome to my creative space in Lindy’s!
It’s Priss BlaFu (@artful.layers), and today, I’m bringing you a festive mixed-media project that’s perfect for the holiday season! 🌟 We’re going full Xmas mode with a beautiful Poinsettia— a timeless symbol of this magical time of year.
This page combines watercolor techniques with mixed media magic, using Lindy’s magicals, texture paste, and some fun details to create a vibrant and gorgeous Xmas piece. The best part? This project is easy to recreate with your favorite Lindy’s red colors and a few supplies you already have. So grab a warm drink, settle in, and dive into the tutorial!
Supplies you’ll need:
- Watercolor paper as support (I took a page from my watercolor book)
- Rice paper or book pages
- Background stamps and permanent ink
- A Poinsettia design (you can download mine here)
- Your favorite Lindy’s Magicals in red and green tones (at the end of the post you have the links to the ones I used)
- A paste with texture and a stencil
- Colored or watercolor pencils
- Some markers
Now, I will share some interesting step-by-step details about the creation process. Check out the video on our YouTube channel to see everything in action. You’ll love it!
Step 1. Create the Background
Begin by sticking pieces of fun collage paper onto a solid sheet of watercolor paper. This will give your background some cool texture and make it more interesting. Just remember to leave a blank spot as negative space, so the viewer’s eye has a place to rest and take in everything else on the page.
Gently coat the entire surface with a mixture of diluted white gesso, using smooth, even strokes. This not only helps to unify the various layers of your work but also serves as a protective barrier for the paper beneath. As you apply this layer, you’ll notice that the intricate design of the paper can still be seen, creating a beautiful, subtle interplay between the gesso and the underlying patterns.
Step 2. Add interest to the background
After taking the time to ensure everything was totally dry, I began to add some artistic touches to the paper. I selected one of my favorite background stamps, adorned with small textual elements. Using grey permanent ink, I carefully stamped them onto the surface in various spots, strategically placing them to create a layered effect. This added depth and visual interest to the overall composition, enhancing the background with subtle beautiful details.
Step 3. Sketch or Transfer the Poinsettia
Now is the time for the star of the show: the Poinsettia!
Once your base is dry, you have a few options for transferring the Poinsettia design to the page. If you love to draw, let your imagination flourish as you sketch a simple Christmas flower in your desired size on the lower left corner of the page. However, if you prefer not to draw, you can use tracing paper underneath to transfer my design or carefully trace each line after applying graphite to the entire back of the drawing.
Step 4. Add Texture
I carefully applied a texture paste, focusing on enhancing the sense of dimension. I used a delicate stencil with tiny leaves to add additional details inside and outside the leaves of my Poinsettia. The paste has a slightly rough consistency, which adds more interest to the touch. When we apply the pigments, they will interact in unique ways, creating varied effects in and around the textured leaves. This process not only enhances the visual interest of the piece but also invites viewers to explore the intricate interplay of light and shadow across the surface.
Step 5. Bring in Lindy’s Colors
Now the fun really begins! Grab your Lindy’s Magical products and use them as watercolors to bring your poinsettia to life. For the vibrant petals, I selected deep, bold reds like Queen of Hearts Red, which evokes a Christmassy feel, and Rizzo’s Rowdy Red, which adds darkness with the perfect crimson red. To balance these striking hues, I gently blended soft and rich hints of Greased Lightnin Green for the lush leaves, creating a beautiful contrast.
When the second layer of paint was dry, I took the opportunity to splash a few drops of water of different sizes, letting them reactivate the pigment for a few seconds and then I absorbed them lightly with absorbent paper. This allows you to create different textures on the leaves so they look more natural.
Step 6. Enhance with Shadows and Highlights
Bring your poinsettia to life with colored pencils or water-soluble crayons. Once we’ve established the initial tones with the Lindy’s, we need to create depth and dimension by adding shadows and highlights to both the red and green leaves. To do this we will use dark tones around the center and veins of all the leaves and lighter tones in certain areas where the light will hit. Also, we need to enhance the drawn lines with a black inktense pencil or black marker.
At this point, I must clarify that we are not attempting to create a realistic painting of the Poinsettia. Instead, we are aiming for a more expressive and imaginative interpretation that captures the essence of this vibrant plant.
Step 7. Add Details and Final Touches
Use a white gel pen or acrylic marker to highlight for a whimsy, bright look. Next, place the real Poinsettia flowers in the center of the red bracts with a yellow acrylic marker.
To complete the design, write or attach a holiday sentiment—I chose “Naughty or Nice.”
Finally, sprinkle delicate drops of Fairy Fluff throughout the page to add a magical touch and enhance the festive atmosphere.
Remember, this month we have an absolutely amazing color challenge that invites you to add magic to any project, just by using one of the products I used for my page, the lovely Fairy Fluff. If you’re eager for a burst of inspiration check it out, and don’t forget to share your awesome projects with us in our Facebook group.
Until next, happy creating time!
Hugs, Priss
Lindy’s Products
- Flat Magicals Sets: Mad Hatter and Go Greased Lightnin
- Shakers: Fairy Fluff