DrawWithMike.net

Now, for the finishing touches. I added a layer above the foreground grasses and snow to create that soft light we often see when it’s snowing. I used the Soft Airbrush again to just lightly spray some pure white on the centre of the drawing, over the pheasant and grasses. I set this layer to Overlay, and dropped the opacity to about 40%. You can play with these settings until it looks right to you. I love the way this decreases the contrast in the drawing and softens it considerably.

Then I used the calligraphy brush to add a little snow to the pheasant’s head, back and tail, as well as to some of the grasses. The falling snow was added using the Driven Snow brush, under Elements in the Classic Library. There’s no rhyme or reason to this. Just play with the size and opacity until you’re pleased with the effect. Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope you enjoyed following along with me as the seasons changed from autumn to winter!

As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Mike Sibley wrote: Mon Dec 29, 2025 7:54 pm This is looking rather more than splendid. I can almost see your mind working as you create your own world around the pheasant. And, to me, that's just as it should be. Only then does it all hang together and make sense, because when you create this way - adding what you expect to see - you're building a sense of reality based on your own actual knowledge.

I'm sat in my office making plans for next year, and at least one should be based around a set of thoughts that Jay sent to me three years ago on "Thinking like an artist". It's got me all fired up and ready to start writing a script.

So, from my viewpoint, this is a very timely post. And, of course, a delight to view.

Thank you so much Mike! My mind is swirling with snow scenes now. I’m already planning the next one!