Imaginary Flower by Judi Kauffman for The Queen’s Ink

Anybody up for some simple drawing? Imaginary flowers are always a good subject. Based on real flowers in that they can have leaves, stem, and petals, they nevertheless have unrealistic proportions and exaggerated elements. 

This card began with a scrap of smooth watercolor paper on which I drew my imaginary flower, pot, and tiny table. I used two black pens, one with a fine nib and the other one bolder. Instead of a square or rectangle around the drawing, I cut away all of the background.

When I adhered the drawing onto the top-fold 7” x 5” landscape-style card base I let part of the flower grow beyond the edge, my way of making it seem like the flower might continue to grow! For dimensional accents I chose a strip of corrugated cardboard and three little buttons that are the same size as the polka dots.

TIP: If you’re not confident about drawing without some guidance, sketch first! Use lightly drawn pencil lines that can be erased when the inked lines are completed.

Not into black and white? No problem - Before adding the embellishments color the drawing with pencils, pens, paint pens, markers, watercolors, or a combination.

Don’t feel like making a card? Adhere the fussy-cut drawing to a square piece of dot- patterned cardstock, mat and frame in a shadow box that accommodates the dimensional embellishments. 

Supplies:

• Pigma Micron pens in black (Sakura of America)
• Smooth white watercolor paper
• Polka dot cardstock (10” x 7”, folded to 5” x 7”)
• Three buttons or oversized brads
• Strip of corrugated cardboard
• Scissors
• Adhesive
• Optional: Soft drawing pencil, eraser