First of all, thank you Liz, this class was such an inspiration to me and really gave me the push to start a project and finish it. I had so much fun finding inspiration, creating a color palette and drawing these top hats.

I think the best part was drawing all these pieces and trying to keep them cohesive throughout the series, I tend to draw one thing and then change for the next thing. I learned a lot about what I like and don’t like, but I love that I finished the whole series in more or less the same style.

The other thing that was really great and difficult at the same time was choosing the color palette, which I really loved to begin with, but to not be tempted to change it halfway through. Choosing a color palette for my pieces is really something I struggle with with every piece I create, I tend to love it when I start and hate it when I finish. With this palette I combined some palettes I found on Pinterest, I chose a few colors I love and a few I don’t. Sticking to this palette really helped me to think a little outside the box when I was coloring the pieces to get the look I wanted. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.

I’m sure reading this you can hear how much I enjoyed this class and how much I got out of it. I will definitely be creating more illustration series’s.

Here is the inspiration I found for the series and the color palette I created with the two “practice” drawings:

Christmas Top Hats - image 1 - student project

I shared one piece a day on Instagram (missed a few when I had visitors, but jumped back in when they were gone):

1/10 - Penguin

Christmas Top Hats - image 2 - student project

2/10 - Elf Suit

Christmas Top Hats - image 3 - student project

3/10 - Christmas Gift

Christmas Top Hats - image 4 - student project

4/10 - Santa in the Chimney

Christmas Top Hats - image 5 - student project

4/10 - Christmas Tree

Christmas Top Hats - image 6 - student project

6/10 - Snowman

Christmas Top Hats - image 7 - student project

7/10 - Another Elf Suit

Christmas Top Hats - image 8 - student project

8/10 - Rudolph the Reindeer

Christmas Top Hats - image 9 - student project

9/10 - Santa’s Suit

Christmas Top Hats - image 10 - student project

And on on the final day I shared all the pieces on one image:

10/10 - Christmas Top Hats

Christmas Top Hats - image 11 - student project

And then to see what it looks like printed I printed it on my home printer and took a photo on my balcony. I’m pretty happy with how it printed, so I’ll be buying some good quality paper/photo paper and printing some for Christmas labels:

Christmas Top Hats - image 12 - student project

And that’s a wrap as they say. I’m so incredibly happy with how this turned out, but mostly I’m happy that I finished a project that I’m really proud of.

I still have so much to learn, but this taught me so much, I feel like I took ten steps forward and that is really exciting.

Thank you thank you thank you Liz! This class was exactly what I needed to push me to create daily and to practice and to share.

Happy creating, Riëtte

Riëtte Cawthorn

Illustration, Design and Lettering

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