Merry Christmas 💛

If you find yourself picking up your pencils at any point over the festive period – even just for a few gentle minutes – I thought I’d share a few cosy little ideas to add some seasonal charm to your drawings.

From Santa hats to snug beanies (or something delightfully daft), these festive touches are a simple way to bring personality and warmth to your animal drawings. And the best part? You don’t need to be an expert. Just a little curiosity and a willingness to play.

Festive drawing isn’t about perfection – it’s about enjoyment, softness, and letting yourself have a bit of fun.

If you’d like to give festive hats a go, here are a few gentle tips to help everything feel manageable and relaxed.

🎅 Start simple

Begin by lightly sketching the main shape of the hat. Keep it loose and soft at this stage – details can come later. A simple shape is more than enough to get started.

🧣 Build your colour with light pressure

Use gentle, circular strokes for your first layers of colour. Light pressure keeps everything smooth and helps prevent colours from going muddy, especially if you’re working on Pastelmat or similar surfaces.

❄️ Create fluffy trim by lifting highlights

For soft, fluffy edges, flatten your kneadable eraser and gently dab to lift colour. This creates lovely fuzzy textures without needing lots of detail.

🎨 Mix warm and cool shades for depth

Instead of relying on one flat red, try adding a touch of sepia or a hint of blue into the shadows. These subtle shifts make festive hats look more natural and three-dimensional.

🐾 Let the fur overlap the hat

Finish by drawing tiny tufts of fur over the edges of the hat. It’s a quick trick that helps the hat feel like it’s sitting on the animal rather than floating above it.

And most importantly – remember that festive hats are meant to be playful.

They don’t need to be perfect. They don’t need to be realistic. They’re simply a joyful way to add a bit of Christmas cheer to your drawings and enjoy the process without pressure.

If you draw for five minutes, that’s enough.
If you don’t draw at all, that’s fine too.
Your creativity will still be there, waiting for you when you’re ready.