12 Days of Christmas Cards, Santa Moon
2018-12-01
Paint a fun Christmas card with Santa against a full moon.
Materials
Cards
Strathmore 105-210 Watercolor Cards, Full Size Cold Press, 50 Cards & Envelopes
Pigment List
All paints I use are M. Graham transparent watercolors. Other brands I highly recommend are Daniel Smith and Schminke.
- Nickel Azo Yellow
- Pyrrol Red
- Cobalt Teal
- Ultramarine Blue
- Quinacridone Rust
- Van Dyke Brown
Noodler's Black Waterproof Fountain Pen Ink - Bulletproof,3 ounce
Noodler's Ink Nib Creaper Standard Flex Fountain Pen - Max Emerald
Click to get printable of the Santa Moon Card!
Christmas Card Painting Steps
I want a very warm gold moon, not a cool white moon. So I begin by a warm wash of mostly Nickel Azo Yellow. I let this dry a tiny bit before I do my next layer of sky.
I begin painting the night sky while the moon is still slightly wet, since I want it to blur into each other. I use an initial wash of cobalt teal. I then darken it with Ultramarine Blue.
I began with Santa and the reindeer very red for a warm glow. As soon as that wash had dried slightly, I attacked it with Van Dyke Brown and Ultramarine Blue, mixed. I wanted very strong darks for the silhouettes.
Christmas card of Santa Moon finished!
This should be such an easy, fun little sketch! If you want to play with pen and ink, go for it!
I think you'll love using a fountain pen, if you choose to try it. The Noodler's Nib Creaper has a very flexible nib, so it's the closes to a dip pen I've been able to find. It's a lot of fun to do.
However, if you're feeling like painting but not drawing, just print out the tree on cardstock on one of these watercolor cards and you're ready to go with a relaxing afternoon project!
Whichever method you choose, have fun!
This card only takes a few minutes so it's a quick, fun way to show someone you're thinking of them at Christmas!
Merry Christmas and a Joyful Holiday to All!
Jennifer Branch
