Art How-Tos Halloween

Create A Halloween Witch Postcard

Sunday, October 18th, 2009 by Alyice

Last month, I joined Swap-bot; an online community of hobby and professional artists who enjoy challenging their artistic abilities by signing up for a themed art project, then swapping their creations with others from around the globe. Personally, I think I’m a little out of my league when it comes to some of the swaps, but nevertheless, I opted to join. My goal is not to be the best, but to push myself beyond my comfort zone—and in the process, improve as an artist.

So with that in mind, I attempted to create a little folk art witch and thought I’d share the process with you as it would be a really fun project to do with your kids—ages fourteen and under, of course. And as you can see, no real artistic talent is necessary!

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9 x 12, 90 lb. watercolor paper
8.5 by 11 matte photo paper or cardstock
pencil
glitter
paint brushes
white gesso
modeling (or molding) paste
thin tipped putty knife
acrylic paints
(black, orange, purple, flesh, white, brown, green, yellow)
computer program
(like: Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop Elements)
sealer (Mod Podge matte)
stamps

To create this folk art witch postcard, follow the instructions below:

Cut watercolor paper in half.
Paint the watercolor paper with a thin coat of gesso.
Let dry.
Paint the background a nice shade of green.
Let dry.
Sketch the witch, broom, and moon onto painted surface with a pencil.
Grab a small amount of molding paste with putty knife.
Fill in the design with a thin layer of molding paste—this creates a 3-D effect. (Tip: I like to fill in one area and etch into the design, then move to a non-touching area of the design and fill in that area. When those areas dry, I go back and fill in the touching areas. That way, I can see where one aspect of the design begins and the other ends.)
Let dry—depending on humidity, dry time can be anywhere from a few hours to overnight.
Go over raised design with acrylic paints. (Tip: to create streaks in hair, use a small-tipped paint brush to add black paint, leaving gaps to later be filled in with purple paint. Once dry, dip paint brush into orange paint and add a few random streaks of color.)
Let dry.
Add Halloween text: Happy Halloween, Boo!, Trick or Treat, etc.
Let dry.
Scan the image into your computer using the highest level.
Open computer software program and fix contrast and clarity.
Once you have the desired colors, add texture and/or a picture frame.
Resize the image to 5.6 x 4.25—just the perfect size for a postcard —and use the unsharp mask. (Tip: in Paint Shop Pro, click on image, then resize. Next, unselect “lock aspect ratio” so that you can manipulate the size correctly. Then under “print size” insert the correct size.)
Save image—make sure you save as 300 dpi for best picture clarity.
Print the image on cardstock.
Let ink dry.
Paint a thin layer of Mod Podge over image. (Tip: If you live in a really hot area of the country, spray a light coat of varnish over the Mod Podge once dried to prevent it from getting tacky during transit.)
Optional: while Mod Podge is still wet, lightly sprinkle gold glitter specks on the green background area.
Let dry.
On the back side of the card, put a thin line down the middle of the postcard.
On the right side, place the address and stamp.
On the left side, write a quick note and sign your name.
Place in mailbox.

When you’re done with this Halloween project, you’ll have a small 3-D artwork suitable for framing and several print copies ready for mailing!

Keep Creating

Posted in Art How-Tos Halloween, The Cards | Comments Off

AlyiceEdrich.com
I'm a mixed media artist and freelance writer. Need web content? Want to commission or license art? Let's Talk.

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All material on this blog belongs to Alyice Edrich, unless otherwise noted. No project, artwork, or text may be reproducted without the consent of the creator. That includes making derivative works for resale. Please use project tutorials for personal use and/or gifts only.