Hello friends! I’m Smitha, and today let’s create a summer postcard using the Maruman USA New Soho Series Sketchbook, B6 and Tombow Dual Brush Pens that are so easy to carry around while traveling to create vibrant hues on paper! This is a great way to document your summer travels while trying something new like urban sketching on the go.
What you will need:
- Maruman USA New Soho Series Sketchbook, B6
- Watercolor Sketchbook
- Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, Landscape, 10-Pack
- MONO Drawing Pen
- MONO Graph Mechanical Pencil
- Masking Tape
- Paint brush
Step 1:
Using the MONO Graph Mechanical pencil, start by lightly sketching out your drawing. Think of the city or state you want to document. What are the landmarks are that are popular and come to mind readily? What is the city famous for? List and choose 4 to 5 items to add to your summer postcard. I chose a photo I took in downtown Minneapolis as my starting point, and then added details onto it.
Once you have sketched out everything, using pretty typography, pencil out the city name onto the card too.
Step 2:
Now it is time to add color. I am using my Tombow Dual Brush Pens and creating watercolor effects. I also taped off the edges of my page to create a thin white border.
To create a vibrant retro look and feel to your postcard, start with just two or three colors of markers. Apply the color to different areas of the postcard.
Do not overthink, add quick bold strokes of color. Blend everything with a small amount of water needed.
Step 3:
To completely fill in my postcard, I chose to use just 4 or 5 colors, thus creating a bold vintage press like feel. You could try using even fewer colors as a challenge and see. Also make sure to create a focal point to your postcard- like this pop of red I added to the cherry on the spoon.
Step 4:
Once all the color has been filled in, let it dry for a few minutes. Try not worry too much about keeping lines neat and straight with your marker color. Because once it has dried, go in using the 005 MONO Drawing Pen. This pen has a great black ink that draws fine detailed lines. This helps define the elements of your summer postcard and is a great way to finish off your postcard.
Step 5:
The final step is to use the brush tip of your Dual Brush Pen to carefully letter the name of your city or state in a bold manner. The pencil markings we started with will help guide where you marker needs to go. Go slow, as the watercolor paper will have texture.
Here is my finished summer postcard featuring Minneapolis! I love how the colors make it look unique and have a retro vibe to it.
ALSO READ: Travel Journaling with Irojiten Colored Pencils
I hope you enjoyed this Summer Postcard Tutorial and are inspired to create something yourself today friends! What city/ state would you feature? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy Crafting!
Smitha