12 Days of Christmas Cards, Snowy Woods
2015-11-30
I'd love to walk through these trees on Christmas
Pigment List
All paints I use are M. Graham transparent watercolors, except white gouache. Other brands I recommend are Daniel Smith and Schminke.
- Nickel Azo Yellow
- Burnt Sienna
- Cobalt Violet
- Pthalocyanine Blue
- Pthalocyanine Green
- Pthalocyanine Green
- White Gouache
Christmas Card Painting Steps
1. Paint Nickel Azo Yellow in the background. This will make it glow - but only if you let this layer dry completely now. I know there's practically no paint on there, but trust me. Walk away (or attack it with a hairdryer.) Let it dry.
2. Dash some pthalo blue on loosely. Let it dry. Yes, again!
3. Ok, now the real painting begins! Use nickel yellow and pthalo green to dash around the woods in strong verticals. The trick about this step is to allow more gold where the light is coming from.
4. Now start dashing around cobalt violet, connecting areas. Drop some azo yellow back in.
5. Get out your rigger and play!
6. Now it's time to add the snow. Use white gouache, but scribble it around with your rigger. You want a very loose effect!
Think about developing this into a real painting... hmm.. such a classic scene. Like it belongs on a Christmas card!
I ended the 12 Days of Christmas Cards with my favorite card. It's an easy one to paint, so I hope you do.
I've had so much fun planning and painting this series that I hate for it to end. But the holidays have started and my family plans are always at the center of this season. There's nothing like a child's smile at the joy of Christmas and I'm not going to miss a minute of it!
Merry Christmas and a Joyful Holiday to All!
Jennifer Branch
