Painting Santa Prep:
Base the entire Santa, include arms, Tomato Red. Add pattern for fur areas, beard to include face.
Base boots – Zinc.
Base gloves & cart – Blue Mist.
Shade and Highlight: (See video below on shading & highlighting Santa)
Shade Santa suit and hat first – Deep Burgundy add Black Plum to darken if necessary.
Highlight – Bright Salmon.
Shade gloves – Deep Midnight Blue, highlight – Whispering Turquoise.
Shade boots – Black, highlight – Gray mix (Zinc plus Black) or Slate Grey.
Base face and beard area – Warm White.
Note: Use painter’s tape to get a nice straight float on front of coat and between boots for both shading and highlighting.
Shading and Highlighting Santa:
Sculpting Santa:
Face – transfer outline of face. Mix 2” of QW and roll into a ball then into an oval. Lay in center of face and begin pressing and patting to fill in space. This should be a dome shape so put more pressure on outside edges. Use flat of palm to shape. Allow to cure.
Nose – mix ¼” of QW and roll into a ball. Roll into 2 ½” cone. Lay in center of face about 3/4″ – 1” above bottom of face to allow room for mustache. Gently press into place. Using blade either cut off bottom of nose or press up against to square off bottom of the nose. Allow to cure.
Coat and hat trim – For the bottom of the coat trim mix 2 ½” of QW and roll into a coil about 5” long. Lay in center of trim and begin pressing and patting to fill in space. Clay should go to edge of wood or slightly over the edge. Use palm of hand to flatten and smooth. If needed use a little extender to smooth. Allow to cure. For the hat trim mix 1 ½” of QW and roll into a coil about 3 inches long. Then roll pointy cone shape on each end. Lay on space with points going to bottom edge of space. Press and flatten to fill in space making sure clay goes up to nose and face. Allow to cure.
Mustache – Mix 1” of QW and divide into 2. Lay parchment paper over pattern. Roll each piece of clay into a cone 4” long making the end thinner. Lay fat ends in place under nose and gently pat in place. You will want the mustache to come to the bottom of the face. Position clay into place following pattern. Allow to sit 5 minutes. Pick up each side and place on face. Gently pat into place. Lift ends and hold into place until cured.
Finishing trim – Mix 1” of QW and pinch and flatten. Lay on parchment paper and flatten with hand. Using medium clay cutter cut 2 hands. Let sit. Divide remaining clay into 3. For the ball on the hat roll one piece into a ball and lay on center of pattern. Then pat with hand to create dome shape. For each cuff pick up piece of clay and shape a rectangle with hands. Place on wood and press and pat to fill shape with clay going over outside edge. Allow to cure. Your holly leaves should have been sitting about 5 minutes. You can shape and place on hat or to make it easier to paint shape and let dry. You can then glue in place. Pinch back of each leaf so that they stand up a little and ruffle ends. Press back of leaves together. Mix 1/8” of QW and pull off three balls about 3/8” each and position in center of leaves for berries. Divide remaining clay in two and roll each into a cone about ¾” each and position on each side of nose below hat. If eyebrows are larger than you would like use a little less clay. Continue adjusting holly leaves. Allow to cure.
Buttons – You can position them right on your Santa or on a piece of parchment paper, paint and then glue on Santa. Mix ¼” of QW and divide into 4. Roll each piece into a ball and position on coat. Gently flatten with hand. Use eraser of pencil, end of dowel or finger and press in center of each button. Using point of pencil or tool press two button hole in the center of each button. Allow to cure.
Painting Santa:
Before painting don’t forget to give the QuikWood areas a coat of paint mixed with Adhesion medium 1:1. I usually mix it with Oyster Beige. I usually mix a batch and keep it in a little jar with a covered lid.
Fur – Burlap, checks – Black. Shade – Espresso.
How to paint checks:
Face – Warm Beige, shade – Burnt Sienna plus Warm Beige, cheeks mix – Bright Salmon plus Tomato Red.
Eyes – black, I usually put theses on after I add Quikwood eyebrows.
Beard and eyebrows add a coat of Warm White to clean up if necessary. Shade with – Zinc.
Buttons – Base Indian Turquoise, shade – Wedgewood Blue, highlight a tad Warm White plus Whispering Turquoise. Glue to coat.
Holly on hat – Leaves – Hauser Medium Green, shade – Plantation Pine, Highlight – Foliage Green.
Berries – base Bright Salmon, shade – Deep Burgundy, highlight – Bright Salmon plus Warm White.
Glue holly to hat.
