Watercolor Love

Watercolor isn't a technique I usually associate with graphic design, and it doesn't always have to do with graphic design. But it can be used to make great design. It's one way that design can be accomplished in an "outside the box" kind of way. Not every logo, brochure, invitation, etc. must be designed completely on the computer, and sometimes I like seeing examples of more handmade graphic design. Watercolor designs fall into that category. I like the watercolor look so I wanted to share some nice watercolor pieces with you.

I've mentioned Sasha Prood before, and I really like her work. She does excellent watercolors, and also some great digital design (see her portfolio for more). Here are a few of her lovely watercolor projects.

I love the bright colors - they have that soft, quiet watercolor look but they're also bold and colorful. I also like the mix of precision (look at those super straight lines!) and wonderful imperfection. This is done with wonderful technique, but it also has a personal look. Not every orange triangle in the last picture is exactly the same shade or has exactly the same amount of paint. And that's okay. That's what makes it lovely.

This 2012 calendar from Oh My Deer (via Oh So Beautiful Paper) has a wonderful soft watercolor look.

I like the stripes of watercolor wash and my favorite part is the pretty handwritten font. It's so whimsical and lovely. The white type on the blue watercolor looks nice, too. There's enough contrast that it's readable, but it also keeps the soft, calm look.

I love Social Proper's collection of watercolor notecards (also via Oh So Beautiful Paper). Here are a couple of favorites.

These designs aren't only watercolor, as the ones by Sasha Prood are, but even with some digital elements (like the typography), they still have that wonderful imperfect look to them. I like the variety of patterns that watercolor can achieve, from a gradient (first image) to a bold, joyful stripe (last image). View these cards and more here.

One more watercolor wonder I ran across lately is this menu for a vegetarian dessert shop (via Art of the Menu). It's so happy and whimsical looking!

The variety of hand-drawn typography is such fun! I love all the bright colors on this menu. It sure would be fun to order from, don't you think? I'd love for you all to share what you think of these watercolor designs, and of the watercolor style in general. What's on your mind?