As they often say, less is more. This pared-down, Scandinavian style watercolor Christmas card of a Robin, and a second quick one of a Christmas tree, are ideal for those who like a neutral, linear and simple decor in their life.

I painted the Robin in only four colors, Burnt Sienna, Sepia Brown, Vermillion Red and Cobalt Blue. The amount of paint used was miniscule as I used pale washes wet in wet. Watch the video and get the information about the materials used from the description beneath the video on YouTube. We have links there to Amazon and Jacksons for easy purchasing.

I like to use Clairefontaine Etival paper for the cards, just simply scoring them in the middle for easy folding. But Strathmore greetings cards are good too as you can paint on them and they have a nice rough texture at a good price. You could also use Strathmore paper or any other cellulose 140lb paper, as for a card you don’t want to spend too much on the paper.

These Scandi Xmas Cards to Paint in Watercolor are a quick and easy project to help you create quick cards when under time pressure!

Scandi Xmas Cards to Paint in Watercolor

This video also includes a very simple, stylish Christmas tree motif in a semi abstract style using a waterproof pen, gold paint and sap green watercolor. This design would be easy to adapt to other birds and to do in more detail or more colorfully. It would also make a good project for a child, as there is a sketch available so you can avoid having to draw the outline. You could substitute holly for the pine sprig, with some nice red berries for example

Why not give them a try? You can download the sketch free of charge from here:

Here’s a link to the video!