Dress a Santa Art Challenge | Practice Drawing Clothes & Win Premium

Drawing, Painting

Paint Santa’s Clothes Challenge: Win a Free 1-Month Premium Subscription

Drawing and painting clothing is one of the most difficult skills for artists to master. Fabric folds, material weight, and believable lighting require practice and proper guidance. To help artists improve these skills, Artwod is launching a Santa Clothing Painting Challenge.

Artists are invited to paint clothing over a provided Santa reference. The winner will receive a 1-month Artwod Premium subscription for free, gaining access to advanced lessons focused on drawing and painting clothes (but not only!)

Step 1: Generate ideas

Look at the reference we've provided and think about 3-5 ideas of which outfit Santa may choose today. Something dressy and classy or more casual? Think about what personality will your Santa have and how will this reflect on his outfit.

Step 1: Dress Santa challenge

Step 2: Analyze the reference

Before painting, carefully analyze the reference:

- Where will the fabric stretch or compress?

- Where will the coat (if there is one) hang freely?

- How heavy should the clothing feel?

Step 3: Block In the Clothing Shapes

Start by defining the main shapes of the clothing:

- Focus on silhouette first

- Think about the form of the clothing first. Forget about the folds for now.

- Avoid details early

This step builds a strong foundation and prevents messy or unrealistic clothing later.

Step 3: Dress Santa challenge

Step 4: Add Folds, Volume, and Weight

Now it's time to add the folds! Remember the points of compression and tension that you've established in step 2, and start painting folds. Your drawing needs to reflect thickness of the clothing to make it look more believable.

If you’re struggling with this, check out our drapery course

Step 5: Paint Materials and Textures

Santa’s outfit is ideal for practicing material contrast. Use lighting to differentiate materials and avoid painting everything with the same texture.