ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
Paper towel
Water Cup
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Select your reference. You can sketch on site or use a photo.
Sketch out your composition with the ballpoint pen. Lightly fill in the shapes and pay close attention to the negative spaces and tangents rather than adhering to a perspective grid. This makes the drawing more accurate the drawing more accurate.
Once you are happy with the drawing, add color.
We will practice vignetting for this sketch which means that the scene does not go to the edge of the paper. This technique gives a dynamic shape to the composition and when drawing on location especially, makes a composition look more finished even if portions are unrendered when you leave.
Block in the colors using the Museum Aquarelle pencils. Create a sense of depth by using blues in the shadows and yellows in the areas facing the sun. On images that will have lights, like the Christmas Tree, make sure to have a dark core to create contrast with the lights. For the sky, make the outline interesting and deliberate.
Paint over the blocked in areas with the ink and water, depending on how the values. The Infinite Grey is magic for architectural tones. The Delicate Green combines with the deep blue to create depth. Again, make sure it is dark enough to make the lights pop. The use darker tones to define lighter shapes.
Add the highlights. Use the white Luminance colored pencil to add delicate details and clean up edges.
Use the gouache to add the lights on the tree and other sparkly highlights. If the paint is too watery, it will not be opaque and will bleed a little. Don’t worry about them being different sizes. That gives depth of field to the lights.
Finish up any final details and add your signature.