I started over on the design for the invitation. The plan was, this time, to go for more of a botanical illustration, and have it be ten roses. The party was for people with even decade birthdays at a park with a rose garden consisting of many types.

I went to the flower store to buy a rose or selection of roses. I ended up buying just one rose, a red one. Here’s  a photo of it:

I also got a selection of rose petals from the store. Here’s a photo of ten of them:

I drew the model rose ten times from various angles to make up the design. Here’s a photo of the partially completed drawing:

Here’s a photo of the finished drawing:

Next, I painted the drawing with watercolor. Here’s a scan of the finished painting:

I scanned in the watercolor and readied it for a quarter page note card. I ran off the cards on an inkjet printer. Here’s a scan of the front of one of the note cards:

-Troy Blum