Opening Thoughts

This is the stage where the painting stops being an idea and starts becoming a character. The oil pastels bring weight, glow, and personality in a way nothing else quite does. Everything underneath was about structure and mood. This phase is about presence.

The Sky Becomes the Story

As I moved into the oil pastels, the night sky was the first place I leaned in. The swirling movement behind the elf connects this piece directly to my Santa painting. It is the same winter energy moving through both scenes. I wanted the sky to feel alive, almost like magic passing overhead. Once I saw that connection clearly, I followed it and let the color carry the motion.

Finding the Elf Inside the Paint

The elf really appeared once the oil pastels touched his face. A few warm notes in the cheeks and nose suddenly gave him emotion. His expression is quiet and hopeful, like a kid imagining who he might become. I love when a character reveals themselves slowly, not through detail, but through light and color choices.

Letting the Floor and Boots Ground the Magic

With so much movement in the sky, I needed the lower half of the painting to feel solid and warm. The floor strokes became looser but heavier, grounding the scene. The boots are oversized on purpose. They are not just Santa’s boots. They are a symbol of aspiration. Standing in them changes the story.

Closing Thoughts

This stage is always my favorite. The painting starts talking back. I listen, adjust, and try not to over explain. From here it is about restraint, highlights, and letting the glow do the work. The elf does not need to say anything. He is already dreaming.

Thanks,

Ken

Studio Notes Entry No 2

Color Light and Shadow

Opening Thoughts

Once I finished the loose blue pencil drawing, I moved into the acrylic pastel underpainting, and this is always the moment where the piece starts to wake up a little. The structure is there the gesture is there but now I’m painting the feeling of the scene. This is where the color and movement start finding their rhythm.

With this elf I wanted something warm playful and a little magical. I kept thinking about that sweet idea of a young elf trying on Santa’s enormous boots, a kid who adores his hero so much he wants to step into his world for a moment.

The Eyes Were an Accident and I Love That

One of the first things that surprised me at this stage was the elf’s eyes. They weren’t planned. They weren’t refined.  They just… happened. A quick stroke and suddenly the eyes had this soft innocent expression that set the entire tone of the piece. I love when that happens, when something small clicks on its own and gives the painting a direction I didn’t expect. It made me realize this elf really is a kid playing dress-up. That unexpected moment helped guide everything else.

The Swirling Night Sky Begins Here

The background swirl behind him is my way of connecting this piece back to the Santa painting.

That same soft circling movement in the sky creates a shared world between the two pieces, like the same winter magic is flowing through both scenes. Even in this rough underpainting stage you can see the first hints of that swirling energy. Once I noticed how well it tied the two paintings together, I leaned into it even more. This is how a series starts to form, small decisions that create a visual language.

Painting the Feeling of a Child Trying to Be Their Hero

The thing I love about this whole idea is the emotional core a child elf who adores Santa so much he wants to step into his boots even if they’re way too big. That feeling guided a lot of my color decisions here; the warm floor glow, the soft reds in the coat, the gentle light around his face all meant to support that sweet moment of hero-worship. It’s the heart of the piece and the underpainting is where I start building that feeling.

Letting Color Carry the Story

During this stage I let the colors stay loose and expressive. Warm and cool areas start claiming their space. The strokes have motion and shape, but nothing is pinned down yet. It’s messy in the best way.

It’s the part of the process I try not to overthink because this looseness gives the later layers something to breathe against.

Preparing It for Glow

Once the color relationships feel right, I let the underpainting dry and then seal it with a matte coating. This keeps everything in place and gives me a surface I can push the oil pastels into. This is where the real glow starts but the feeling begins right here in the underpainting.

Closing Thoughts

This stage always feels like the painting is taking its first breath. Unexpected moments like the eyes little hints of worldbuilding like the swirling sky and the emotional core of a kid stepping into Santa’s boots all start revealing themselves here before anything is finished.

The next entry is where the glow arrives. Studio Notes No 3 explores the oil pastel layer and the moment this elf truly steps into the light. Don’t miss it.

Thanks,

Ken

Welcome to Studio Notes my ongoing journal where I break down how I use color, light and shadow to bring characters and worlds to life. My goal with this series is simple to let you inside the studio with me and share not only the finished painting but the thinking, layering, and decisions behind the work. 

For Entry number one I am starting with a holiday piece a young Christmas elf trying on Santa's boots. It is a warm light filled scene and the perfect way to explore how I move from loose gesture to full cinematic color.