Vibrant Otomi-Inspired Watercolor Cupcake Illustration for Dulceria Bakery

Botanical Art Food illustration Kitchen Wall Art Magical Realism Travel

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration

CREATIVE BRIEF

Create a series of three different community-centered, half page, blog post watercolor illustrations to serve as collateral for Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA) for its Business Reflections program. These painted illustrations will help tell the story of the neighborhood and showcase its people, places, and shops such as Dulceria Bakery and two other local food shops.

CLIENT: Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA)

PROJECT TYPE:  Three (3) 1/2 page blog post illustrations for the organization's blog and print newsletter | Editorial Illustration

 

DESIGNER’S NOTES

This first case study focuses on Dulceria Bakery, a Mexican-American bakery. When I was in the research process for this illustration project, I met with the owner who was then planning the launch of her new bakery.

We chatted about the recipes, the new bakery, her family, their heritage and what she hoped for the future. During that one-hour plus conversation, I discovered their delicious cupcakes literally flew out of the door!

In my mind’eye, I immediately started seeing several concepts taking form. One of them was a whimsical and ethereal watercolor painting inside a floral pattern.

ILLUSTRATION DESIGN PROCESS

The resulting concept?  A cupcake illustration intertwined with botanical hand-lettering. Both integrated and reinterpreted into a tapestry of Otomi-inspired design (the pattern).

Mood Board

The overall mood and ideas for composition, came from specific visual details of timeless Otomi, Indian and Scandinavian designs that fueled my imagination for how to develop the drawing.

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration


Final Pencil Sketch Drawing

I played around with a few rough sketches at first then moved on to the final sketch, where I resolved the loose ends.

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration


Personal Color Studies

After I submitted the finished drawing, a black and white pencil sketch, the client reviewed it. Before moving to the watercolor painting phase, I sketched a rough color study for myself in Photoshop using flat colors.

Since I was playing with lots of vibrant colors, this step gave me a general idea of how the colors would play off each other.

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration

Watercolor Painting Final Art

Watercolor sure has a mind of its own. It requires lots of patience to work with especially as I’m painting the first layers.

However, I’ve learned over the years, that once I get over the “so-ugly-there’s-no-hope” stage of watercolor painting, the hauntingly beautiful ethereal results never fail to amaze me!

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration


 Bold Colorway Collection

On the heels of the resounding success of the Otomi-inspired cupcake illustration concept, I explored with other color versions of this pattern. This is what happened:

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration.

 

Before & After

 

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration

 

Published Illustration

The first of the illustrations series that started with the Otomi-inspired Cupcake Illustration, was later published on the PPNA blog, as the header illustration for a Business Reflection post about the bakery. The eye-catching illustration was spot on!

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration

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CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

  • The main client, Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association, had this to say:
Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration



  • Later on, Dulceria Bakery kindly expressed their delight on my interpretation of the bakery and its vibrant identity

-Dulceria Bakery Shout out (Original painting)

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration



Client Reaction to colorway option with black background:

Watercolor Illustration, graphic illustration, visual art, stylized, illustration, cupcake illustration, food illustration, botanical illustration, floral surface pattern, Otomi art, magical realism, freelance illustrator, authentic, deer, sunflower, bees, animal illustration, travel lover, wet wash watercolor, using ink with watercolor, editorial Illustration



Read the story about Dulceria Bakery.

Work With Me

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Other Related News

  •  Otomi-Inspired design selected for Minneapolis College of Art and Design Stationery.
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RESOURCES
  • To see what original art and art prints have been released and are available for sale, visit the art shop at United Wanderlust.
  • If this atmospheric watercolor travel illustration seems like something you’d want to create or license for your own projects (marketing, book, editorial, stationery etc.), simply submit a request in my contact form with what you have in mind and we can go from there.

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Patricia Jacques Illustration creates positive, atmospheric watercolor food and travel illustrations for individuals and commercial clients passionate about slow food, slow life and slow travel.


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