Little One looks forward to Christmas and can’t wait till the big day! Continuing to dress up in that kawaii Santa outfit, she wonders what it’s like to ride a reindeer like real Santa does. Next to her are her little friends again, Teddy and Bunny of course! So I made a little painting about it. Watercolour was the best choice for this dreamy theme.
Pencil Sketch
I used my sketchbook, Strathmore’s Visual Journal for Watercolors for this. Using a mechanical pencil, I drew away, making the image as cute as possible. The reindeer is an anime chibi version and hence the short legs and round head. And of course, Little One looking happy with her Teddy and Bunny!
Background
For the background, I went for some liquid watercolour. Payne’s Grey by Dr. Ph. Martin’s Hydrus was used here, giving a wonderful wintery grey/blue tone. In attempt to add some snowy effect, I sprinkled on some table salt whilst the paint was still wet. It’s no easy task! The salt must be added whilst wet , but too wet then the salt dissolves. Unfortunately, the effect worked on a few areas. I should next time use the more coarse sea salt which I normally do. Still, the painting is still far from ruined so can’t complain!
Colouring them Cute
Although I continued using my Hydrus liquid watercolours for the reindeer, I used my favourite watercolour pan, Kuretake Gansai Tanbi, for the rest. Yes, it’s the Japanese watercolour with the natural ingredients! For the white bits, I went for the iridescent pearly shade which unfortunately is not too visible on the photograph.
Finishing it All Up
This time, I resisted going for pens, even watercolour pens, to add the fine details. Fine thin brushes were used this time. I feel that pens could make the details appear too harsh. I could have gone a bit more heavier handed with the colours, but I preferred to keep it light and simple. Perhaps in a future, I may go back to it, but I do like the dreamy effect. So here it is!
It’s so much fun using various mediums for the Christmas theme. First some acrylic, then mixed media, then some soft pastels and now watercolour! All give a different mood. My next challenge is markers and/or coloured pencils. I look forward to churning out some more, especially as painting (when I have the time) helps me relax during this hectic period!
My Kawaii Quarter 