Below are three designs for the holidays, the Northwood's Santa, Wreath Angel and Packages. I hope you enjoy coloring them as much as I did. All coloring was done using my collection of Prismacolor © pencils. For more information about my favorite pencils, go to Tips & Techniques 1.

New for this holiday season is our Northwood's Santa. Colored pencils are a perfect medium to capture the texture of fabrics, metal and leather for this snowy fellow. All Prismacolor© pencil colors are shown in bold text.

First Layer
My color plan is layed out with Lime Peel on the trees, Sand on the twigs, fur trim and sack of toys. Caribbean Blue for the sky, snow and beard, Kelly Green on his vest and pants, Grey on his boots and Pink on his coat. Add a little Chartreuse to the copper lantern.

Second Layer
Start to build interest with more Caribbean Blue on the sky, Kelly Green to the trees and Dark Green to the clothes and Scarlet Lake to the coat and hat. Add a bit of Pumpkin to one edge of the lantern to represent copper.

Third Layer
The last layer is the most fun. Add Dark Brown to the fur and sack of toys. Santa's boots get Black with Dark Green added to his pants and vest. Finish the trees with more Dark Green, add more Pumpkin to the lantern if needed and finish with a candle glow of Spanish Orange. Clean up any areas that need a touch up and you're done!

The Wreath Angel is one of my favorites. All Prismacolor© pencil colors are shown in bold text.

Step 1
This step is your "color map." It helps you determine what your final work will look like. I started with Chartreuse on the wreath, followed by Sand on the hair, wings and bow and a bit of Pink on the toes, face and hands. Fill in her dress with a light touch of Caribbean Blue.

Step 2
In this step more depth is added with additional color. I added Lime Peel to the wreath, Golden Rod to the wings, hair and bow. Then I added more layers of Caribbean Blue to her dress, adding more interest.

Step 3
The last step adds the real punch to your colored pencil work. Dark Green is added to the wreath, Terra Cotta to her hair and Denim Blue for her dress details. For my finishing touch, I add touches of glitter with my Sakura Stardust © pen.

It couldn't be easier. Once you understand the layering concept there is no limit to the variations that are possible with color and a good stamp image. Have fun and experiment with your own colors and finishing techniques.

Just for fun, I thought you would like to see some of the coloring possibilities for the Packages stamp. Prismacolor© pencil colors were used exclusively for these images.