The making of an invite

I am lucky enough to live with a little artist in my house. Our 14-year old has quite the talent and when I asked her to help us make our invitation for our annual summer party she couldn’t resist the theme. Sitting at the patio table on these beautiful summer days she hand sketched and colored the perfect poster for our party. This is just a look at the before and after, from rough idea to final creation.

It started with the van. The essence of freedom and no ties wanderlust living.

A few modifications were made to make it more beach-y including replacing the emblem with a seashell and adding surf boards. It was important to me to give her a sample of what I was picturing but also let her run with her own ideas. If she was considering a career in the arts this would be a great way to think about graphic design and what goes into layout.

Color is everything! This could have gone dreamy and pastel. It could have been funky and vintage. But the vision she had for it was bright and punchy! It makes a statement and I love the way it leans towards Hot Wheels from our childhood era.

This will all end up outlined in black to give the colors an even bolder look.

While this might not come as easy to every teen, it was a great way to involve ours in an annual tradition and to let her influence a piece of it. Our party is running later than usual this year so check back in September to see how it all turns out, and to see the final print!

EDIT: ADDED NOVEMBER 8th 2023

Another successful graphic for our collection of summer theme party invites. Only this one feels even more special considering who created it!

ADDED SEPT 15th, 2023: How to throw a Summer Beach Party even if you don’t have a beach!