Postcards

Recently I found Ursula Markgraf who runs a swap for handmade postcards.  I signed up and set to work... 

I was very unhappy with the darker purple poppy (the stem is in the wrong place and the flower feels unbalanced) so I tried again on the paler poppy.  I'm still unsure about it and will keep trying until I master it (I have someone in mind you see, and she rather likes purple and poppies!) but here are the three I sent off in a bit more detail...

This is the first time I used watercolour markers.  I had intended the whole work to be watercolour markers but I ended up adding regular watercolour paint, acrylic paint, India ink and coloured pencil.  I learnt I need to practice with the watercolour markers!!

This one is mainly watercolour markers.  Instead of using them direct to the paper though I scribbled them on to my glass cutting mat and picked up the colour with a water brush.  I had to work really hard to get the paint to bloom on the leaf.  I expect most painters would like a medium that doesn't bloom easily but I love the effect of the bloom...

And this one started with watercolour markers but ended up being mainly India ink and pen doodles.  I had fun with this one and kept adding a little more white pen... and a little more black pen... and just a few more splatters!  I love how this one turned out - even if it didn't hep me get to know my watercolour markers!!

Thanks for stopping by...