Get Arty with Cath Kidston: How to Paint Seaside Shells
Show of hands who had a prized collection of seashells when they were younger? Who held them up to their ears – even the tiny little ones – to see if they could hear the sea? We’ll be honest, we still can’t help but crouch down when something shiny catches our eye during a beach walk. In fact, it’s what inspired our Seaside Shells print.
“We were on holiday last summer and my daughter and I picked all these shells out of the water. We came home and my husband pulled them out of his pocket and there was a hermit crab in there! Searching for shells is a memory shared by all generations. There’s such a sense of discovery and it’s such a joyful way to spend time. Every shell is a treasure, every shell is a win.” – Christine, our Print Director.
If actual seashells by the seashore doesn’t look likely for you today, then why not paint your own? Our Senior Print Designer, Emma show us how to recreate our Seaside Shells print in a helpful step-by-step. Don’t forget to show us your hand-drawn shell collection by tagging us on social media.
Start of by making sure you have everything you need:
-White paper
-Medium sized paint brush
-Small paint brush
-Pencil
-Rubber
-Paint palette or plate
-Cup of water
-Gouache, Acrylic or Watercolour paints
Step 1
Start by sketching your shell shapes, then draw in some details. It’s great if you have some real life shells to look at for inspiration!
Step 2
Mix up the paint colours you want to use. I’ve used blue, pink, red and yellow, but you can pick any colours you like! Using a medium sized paint brush fill in the shapes with your favourite colours- leaving the details white for now. Let this dry.
Step 3
Start to fill in the white details with a darker colour of your choice, a darker shade of the colour you have already painted works well.
Step 4
Using the smaller paint brush add in the finer details to each shell.
Step 5
Carry on adding delicate line work to each shell and add a fine outline to each shell.
Finsihed
You will now have a completed Seaside Shells painting!
