Christmas Card Star

This Christmas card reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus.

This is a great little sketch for learning how to paint strong darks.

Materials

Cards

Twinrocker paper, 6" x 8"
Twinrocker also makes lovely handmade cards.

Pigment List

All paints I use are M. Graham transparent watercolors. Other brands I highly recommend are Daniel Smith and Schminke.

• Nickel Azo Yellow


• Quinacridone Rust


• Pthalo Blue


• Ultramarine Blue


• Cobalt Violet

Christmas Card Painting Steps

First, I dull the whites down a little with nickel azo yellow. I let this dry.

Next, I paint around eveything but the start with quinacridone rust.

While the previous wash is wet, I bleed in my pthalo blue.

I cool down the edges of the blues with ultramarine blue and cobalt violet.

My final step is to blur some of the star edges with water, using a stiffer sable brush.

This is a great little sketch to practice painting the night sky. You'll learn to do deep, clear darks with it.

I love having the true Christmas meaning on this card. Paint it and think of a star over Bethlehem 2000 years ago. It's a long time ago, but we still celebrate the birth of Jesus with joy today.

Merry Christmas and a Joyful Holiday to All!
Jennifer Branch