Painting a Winter Scene

Working on a winter painting, I have to admit that l am not a fan of the cold and l hate driving in the winter, but something magical happens in the winter when the snow starts to fall. I love knowing that the snow is falling outside and l have no plans but to stay indoors, in my studio with a warm cup of coffee while l inhale the aromatic scent of sweet Vanilla.  l stare at the falling snow and the shimmering trees. Painting a winter scene can be quite challenging, l always assumed it would be easy, but there is a lot to remember when laying down your paint colours. You can’t just use white.
I thought l would share with you some helpful tips to create a dreamy and better snowy winter scene. Really look at your shadows and highlights, and remember snow is not straight white. The snow will reflect the colours around it. Evoke the wintery magical feeling in your painting, so get some really good reference photos and examine them, study the snow and play around with your paint colours.

• Snow is not just white, you can see the snow reflect the colours around it, you can create array of colours around the snow when you paint it.
• You can darken the snow with shades of blue when shading
• Paint snowy areas on thicker, it will come forward and appear brighter
• You can use gel mediums or modeling paste to add texture
• Remember that the white near you will have a bluish hue
• You can also flick your paint onto the surface to create a snow fall effect.

 
Have fun creating!