Designing stretcher frames with sayings: ideas with watercolor, hand lettering and brush lettering techniques

Spice up your decor and give the wall more character with a homemade painting. We'll show you how you can design a stretcher frame with sayings. So you start the day highly motivated and let yourself relaxWorking in the home officeinspire. Or you can display your artwork in the living room and amaze your guests. Be inspired by the ideas in the article and learn how to best implement watercolor, hand lettering and brush lettering techniques. By the way, you can also design stretcher frames with acrylic paints - we explain how to do it. The DIY suggestions are really uncomplicated and are good for getting started with the topic of “painting”.

The term “Watercolor” refers to the aqua painting technique. The word is derived from the English words for water and paint. This involves working with special watercolor paints, which are first diluted with water and then with a brushon a canvasor applied to a sheet of paper. The special thing about the technique is that, unlike acrylic or oil paints, they are slightly transparent and the surface shines through even after several layers of paint. Watercolor paints are easy to use and are therefore perfect for complete beginners. They are ideal for painting landscapes and abstract motifs. But if it needs to be more precise, experienced painters prefer to use oil paints.

The watercolor technique has been particularly popular recently. This is due to watercolor lettering, i.e. lettering, in which beautiful handwritten quotes are conjured up on the canvas using watercolor paints and various techniques. Of course there are a few tricks and we would be happy to tell you about them in the following lines. However, it is important that you prepare well before brushing the letters. Watercolor lettering is not primarily about letters written freehand, but rather about letters drawn in pencil. In many cases, you may even be required to prepare a template first. For this purpose you will need the following materials:

  • A pencil for drawing the outlines of the letters on paper
  • Smooth sheet of paper
  • A black fineliner with which you can trace the contours.
  • Discolored
  • Scissors, in case you need to make a template and cut out the letters.

Design stretcher frames with sayings: Make your own Wartercolor lettering picture

First we will explain to you how you can conjure up an abstract watercolor painting with a beautiful message yourself. You can use watercolor orUse watercolors. After the picture is finished, you should display it under a pane of glass to preserve the colors. Otherwise the colors may fade over time. You also need the following materials:

  • 1 covered stretcher frame or optional for beginners: sheet of paper
  • Matching picture frames and glass pane
  • Watercolor or watercolors
  • Paint brush
  • Cling film or self-adhesive transparent craft film
  • Maybe a template for the letters
  • Pencil
  • Fineliner
  • Scissors or better yet a craft knife

This is how the beautiful picture with saying is made:

1. First create the template. Choose a short, inspirational saying or quote. Paint the letters on a piece of paper and place the transparent film on top. Cut the letters out of the foil with the craft knife and position them on the canvas.

2. Paint inabstract image. A painting technique comes to the rescue. It's called wet-on-dry. The brush is moistened and the watercolor paint may be diluted and applied to the dry canvas. Layer several layers of each color on top of each other. This technique works best if you choose several tone-on-tone colors. This way you can easily create a nice transition between the different colors.

3. Allow the picture to dry completely before carefully and slowly removing the self-adhesive craft film. In the end, the font should remain completely white.

Design stretcher frames with sayings: brush lettering made easy

Do you have a stretcher frame at home? Then the next idea comes along. We will explain to you how to use the brush lettering technique. But first you should choose a longer saying or quote. It also looks very cool if you paint parts of the lyrics of your favorite song on the canvas. We will now explain to you how you can master the lettering.

The first step toa successful letteringis to find the right font. It goes without saying that decorations shouldn't be missing. If you only want to paint the letters with one color, then you should avoid 3D decorations. It looks much better if you choose a brush lettering style that is either completely devoid of decorations or you can paint light reflections on the letters. The rule of thumb applies: the shorter, the more decorated the text can be. And vice versa: the longer the text is, the simpler it should be. Otherwise it becomes unreadable and quickly tires your eyes.

Beginners can opt for the so-called “fake calligraphy”. The text is not actually painted directly onto the canvas, but rather the brush lettering look is only simulated. Choose a text and a lettering, draw the letters on the canvas with a pencil and then fill them in with ink and a brush. Connect the individual words with long ligatures. In brush lettering there are numerous ligatures that are usually used to connect certain letters.

Designing stretcher frames with sayings: hand lettering for beginners

In contrast to brush lettering, in which the letters are painted directly onto the canvas with a brush, with hand lettering the contours are first drawn with a pencil and then filled in with a felt-tip pen. There are only two rules you should follow. 1. The text should be easy to read. 2. The text should be written in cursive. As a rule, the hand lettering technique is much easier than brush lettering.

Below we offer a hand lettering craft idea that you can use to design a stretcher frame with sayings. You need the following materials:

  • Stretcher frame
  • Old road map
  • Paint brush
  • Mod Podge
  • 1 sheet of paper
  • black felt-tip pen
  • black fineliner
  • black pencil
  • Eraser
  • Pastel pencil in dark blue or black

First, you should practice hand lettering and choose a popular lettering. Choose an inspiring but short saying about travel. For example, “Traveling is an adventure” or “Your adventure is waiting for you” are suitable. Draw an arrow above and below the saying. Complete beginners can also download a template from the Internet, print it out and trace it. Experienced hand lettering enthusiasts can certainly manage the task without any help. After the text and arrows are finished, leave them aside and stretch the card onto the stretcher. You can also buy a covered stretcher frame, cut the road map to size and glue it onto it. Brush the road map with Pod Modge. Now place the piece of paper on the road map so that the lettering faces the map. Color the back of the leaf with the pastel pencil. Remove the paper from the road map - the outlines of the lettering should be on it. Color them in with black fineliner. The new wall decoration is ready.

Design stretcher frames with sayings: lettering with block letters

You want a stretcher framedesign with sayings, but don't have the confidence to brush lettering and have doubts about your ability to master hand lettering? Then lettering with block letters is ideal for you. It is an uncomplicated variant that can be quickly conjured up on the screen and which you can stage effectively with a trick. You need the following materials for your craft project:

  • Denim fabric, dark blue (optionally you can also use blue linen fabric)
  • Stretcher frame
  • Stapler and staples 24/6
  • Scissors or cutter knife
  • white crayon or white textile paint and brush
  • Lineal
  • Pencil

This is how the picture is made: First, cover the stretcher frame with the denim using the stapler. Trace the contours of the letters with the ruler and pencil and paint the letters over them with white textile paint or crayon. Write a beautiful message and surprise someone on a special occasion with a loving saying like: “Love is all we need”.

Design a stretcher frame: Paint a beautiful picture with acrylic paint and the bounce lettering technique

A picture as a beautiful memory of the first year with your baby. You can use acrylic paintcreate a beautiful picture. For this you need the following materials:

  • Acrylic paints
  • Self-adhesive film
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Covered stretcher frame or a sheet of paper
  • Freezer bag with a zipper that fits the stretcher frame or sheet of paper

When painting the letters, you can use the bouncelettering technique. The letters are usually painted in block letters, with the base line at the top or bottom serving as a guide. This makes the lettering much more interesting and automatically attracts attention.

How to make the picture: First you should paint your child's name. Draw the outlines of the letters on the self-adhesive film. Since the image will be very colorful anyway, opt for a simple print font. Arrange the individual letters above and below the baseline and cut them out. Glue the letters to the canvas or paper. Put blobs of acrylic paint on several places on the picture, place the stretcher frame in the freezer bag and seal it. Now it's the little artist's turn - give the picture to the baby and let him paint motifs with his fingers. When the child no longer feels like painting, take the picture out of the bag and let the colors dry completely. Then carefully remove the glued letters and display the picture.

Design stretcher frames with sayings: Make an abstract spray painting

Now we will explain to you how you can make an abstract spray painting. You need the following materials:

  • Old newspapers or foil to cover the work surface
  • Watercolor or watercolor paints
  • Self-adhesive letters
  • Old toothbrush
  • Disposable cups
  • Paint brush
  • black ink

First, stick the letters on the canvas and form a short and inspirational saying. It's best to choose a simple print font. This is how the spray pattern is made: Pour a little water into the disposable cup and dissolve the watercolor in it. Be careful not to dilute the paint too much. Dip the bristles of the toothbrush into the watercolor and hold it over the canvas. Then run a finger over the bristles. Continue until you have the spray marks evenly distributed across the canvas. Allow the paint to dry and then carefully remove the self-adhesive letters. Leave all but one word white. Color the selected word with black ink.

Lettering gives artists another opportunity to create exciting images. In the photo gallery below you can find more examples of how you can create beautiful lettering art yourself. Get inspired!

Stick newspaper over the covered stretcher frame and write a beautiful message on it using the hand lettering technique. Connect the letters with ligatures

The principle is the same as when making the stretcher frame with the road map, only in this case you need newspaper instead of the road map

Design stretcher frames with sayings: craft idea using the brush lettering technique

Form letters on canvas with glue

Handlettering: Using different lettering with decorations in one image

First paint the surface with acrylic paints, then paint the motifs and writing with ink and a brush

Beautify the children's room with homemade wall decorations

Watercolor image with hand lettering in various fonts