Creating a watercolor wedding invitation

Last spring, I was commissioned to create an original watercolor wedding invitation featuring a bouquet of peonies. The couple who asked me to paint this special invitation wanted a one-of-a-kind card to announce their small, socially-distanced ceremony.

After discussing colors, style, layout and other options with the couple, I gathered images of peonies for inspiration. I started with a pencil sketch which I sent the clients to confirm it was what they wanted.

Once the outline got their approval, I proceeded to ink the lines with a Sakura Pigma Micron pen (a very thin liner with water-resistant black ink).

This is a slow, detailed process, as these lines will define where the color is applied. Once that's done, I erase the pencil lines with a soft kneaded eraser so as not to damage the surface of the watercolor paper.

Peonies are not the easiest flower to paint. They're a delicate flower, with layers of fragile, ruffled or silky petals which present very subtle changes in color.

After the line drawing comes the long process of applying layer after layer of watercolor. Starting with the lightest shades, I build up the color little by little, to create vibrancy as well as shading. The first steps always look flat and dull, but as I add deeper shades of watercolor, the vibrancy and form start to develop. This part of the process takes between 20 and 40 hours, depending on the size and complexity of the illustration.

The final watercolor wedding invitation was complex and colorful, and the clients were very happy with the result. We left some empty space on the top right for the wedding details.