"Christmas Tree" Completed

I felt stuck for a long time and left the painting alone. It felt like it was time to add the metallic gold, but I knew once I did that I would be limited on the changes I could make… so I did nothing. Finally bit the bullet and did it. (Used mainly Daniel Smith’s powdered gold watercolors.) Santa was looking good but I felt I had to separate him from the rest of the painting to make him pop. So I darkened the area surrounding the ornament. I lost some of the subtle colors that I thought were really beautiful, but it was the right thing to do. I am pleased with the way Santa turned out.

As I mentioned at the start of this painting, it will be this year's Christmas card from Ken, Cameron and me. I have cropped the image for the card. The card card is available online at zazzle.com.

"Christmas Tree" Stage Six

Building up the tree – brightening already defined areas and adding branches to fill out the tree. Also working on Santa’s face.

Deepened colors on Santa. Removed masking.

"Christams Tree" Stage Five

Added more masking to the sparkling bits and deepened colors on the ornament.

"Christmas Tree" Stage Four

I have been mainly working on the tree. Parts of the tree are drawn in detail, but I have left much loosely defined. I want to get it sorted out before I focus on Santa. I have a tendency to include everything & I don’t want to do that here.

"Christmas Tree" Stage Three

I used Daniel Smith quinacridone gold and Winsor & Newton Scarlet Lake on the Santa ornament. Added more masking fluid to areas that have been painted to reserve more highlights on the ornament, to help create the look of glitter. Besides the ornament being covered in glitter I am faced with the challenge of working with my kitten in my lap. He has to learn to be a good artist’s cat, which means keeping his paws off my brushes!

"Christmas Tree" Stage Two

Mainly working on the background, wet into wet. Also worked on the orange light bulb, a little Santa’s face, and a bit on the tree.

"Christams Tree" Stage One

Every year I do a painting to use as our Christmas card. This year I am painting a wonderful Santa ornament hanging on the Christmas tree. My inspiration is last year’s tree at my Dad’s house. The tree was beautifully lit by the winter sun streaming in through the picture window.

I began this painting with a light overall yellow wash. I used both cadmium yellow pale and cadmium lemon because the subject needs both warm and cool yellow. When the wash was dry I used Schmincke masking fluid to protect highlights on the Santa ornament, the light bulb and a little bit on the tree. Next I deepen the cadmium yellow pale on areas of the light bulb and the ornament and put down pale washes of Schmincke scarlet red and Winsor green on the ornament.