Makings and Musings Community

I loved painting with you tonight. In this session we worked together on a gentle and festive project. We painted a reindeer in watercolour, with a calm wintry background and a few mixed media touches at the end. I guided you through each step so you could follow at your own pace.

We started with a simple sketch. I showed you how to place your reindeer on the page so there was enough space for those wonderful antlers. I talked you through light searching lines, looking at shapes, and using negative space to help you see the form more clearly.

Once our sketches were ready, we moved on to the watercolours. I showed you how to wake up the paints, how to work from large to small brushes, and how to build soft layers. We created a cool blue base to give the painting a winter feel, added shadows, and dropped clean water into wet paint to create a snowy, textured sky.

When everything was dry, we added details. I used coloured pencils for gentle texture, a fineliner for small accents, and a white pen to bring in little highlights.

You all worked so beautifully. Many of you mentioned that drawing animals can feel tricky, especially the antlers, and you still created such lovely reindeer. I enjoyed seeing each painting come to life.

Here are the simple materials for this class:

• Watercolours

• Watercolour paper

• Brushes

• A pot of water

• A cloth or tissue for wiping your brush

• A few coloured pencils for details at the end

I hope you enjoy the recording and take your time with it. It was a joy to paint with you.