Happy Holidays!

 

On this occasion, I've decided to share my drawing process for creating a dream Christmas dinner.

 

My ideal Christmas dinner is a romantic dinner with my partner by candlelight. Even when we grow old, I wish for that space for love and magic to continue to exist…

 

And you, what do you prefer? A family Christmas, a party Christmas, or a more private and meaningful Christmas? I have opted for the latter, but you can use these methods to portray whichever you desire!

 

With this idea in mind, I moved on to the next step.

 

I conducted a small research on what I wanted to draw, especially my priorities. Since I want to create a loving Christmas dinner, what do I associate with Christmas? What colors evoke holidays and romance for me? What symbols awaken in me what a dinner of love and peace is?

 

After searching many reference images, I selected those that I naturally associated with Christmas and the romantic ambiance I wanted to capture. I discovered that for me, Christmas symbols are those that provide a warm atmosphere. Christmas tree lights and the color red are excellent for this purpose. I associate the atmosphere of love and peace with the fun companionship generated during dinner.

Draft

I focus on the characters' actions and spatial perception. I define what I want to capture in a few strokes. I usually make more than one draft and also color them to see if it will look good in the end.

Refinement

Once the draft is done, I start to define the volume of the characters, expressions, and objects present in the scene.

I have used 3D models to help me create the scene faster. The Christmas tree is very complex to do by hand, so a 3D model integrated into the scene can be very useful. The 3D models of the plates and the bottle help define spatial perception and perspective. Once the characters are defined, I proceed to draw the background.

 

I'm sharing the 3D models I used for the scene.

Background

The background is very important. One can draw beautiful characters, but without a good context, there is no place for them to tell their story. It must be set accordingly so they can shine! And Christmas is always full of stories, isn't it?

The background is defined before the characters for 2 reasons:

1- It provides a reference base for defining lighting and shading

2- I get the background out of the way sooner [laughs]

 

I manually added color to the Christmas tree. On a new layer, I set the layer blending mode to Multiply and started coloring only the tree's leaves with green. I used the same method to color all the decorations.

 

Shading and Details

Here one must be aware of the light sources within the drawing to shade well.

 

Although it's not explicitly shown, I know that my Christmas tree, the fireplace, and the candles will provide a lot of illumination, as will an off-scene lamp to see the characters.

 

For shading, you can use lighting references or your imagination if you have more experience.

 

I dedicated myself to rendering, shading, and detailing simultaneously and without a series of steps. I'm not always organized with my work, but I understand my own thought process. You can work however is most comfortable for you!

 

For the blurred lights in the scene, I used this material from the Clip Studio Paint ASSETS store.

I integrated this material into my image, then changed its layer [Blending mode] adjusting it to the scene, resulting in image 3.

Small Details

Here I focused on correcting elements that looked out of place even with the illustration finished. For example, I changed the woman's face with the liquify tool.

I also added highlights to the food and my character's eyes.

 

As a final detail, I added my signature.

 

And voilà, here is my dream Christmas dinner!

 

When you go to draw a table with dinner, remember that (in the case of large festivities), centerpieces and a main dish are often used in the center.

I've included some examples with chicken, turkey, ham, and pork leg, but remember that festive dinners vary from region to region!

On one hand, it will force you to search for references… But on the other hand, your imagination will have no limits when you want to portray your own night of peace and delicacies!

Farewell

For the dates I am making this tutorial, several festivities are being celebrated. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!

I am happy to have provided this information for your learning process.

You can check my social media if you wish to see more of my work.

 

Thank you very much!