Preparations

“What's up little buddy? Want to help daddy before bedtime? Here you go, you can put the star on top if you want. Up you go, wheee!”

Hey you guys, here's the newest project fresh out of the oven!
I went fullspeed on it to ensure it'd be done before the 24thdespite rl-stuff rapidly creeping up on me, and I am SO happy that I actually managed to do it! Huzzah!

So here we have Benny, enjoying the evening in the lovely home of Great Dane Dad, helping him out as much as he can (Possibly wondering whether it's the right moment to ask for a change).

I associate a very particular type of lighting with this holiday, and I did my best to recreate it in this painting.
A combination of dark shadows, bright warm lights and the soft glow of a cold winternight really brings to mind some extremely nostalgic, cozy memories for me, and even the furniture is inspired by some ancient family moments I still remember.

Honestly, mood-wise, this is probably my favourite pic among all the ones I've ever done. I experimented around a lot and had some worrying moments, but in the end I'm just insanely pleased with how everything came together, and in my mind, the atmosphere is spot on, exactly the way I remember it.
Also learned a few new tricks, which always feels nice. I think I'm getting closer to a style I actually embrace ^^

I hope you're all staying safe and cozy, thanks to each and every one of you for getting me this far, for giving me a chance and, ultimately, keeping me alive.
Hopefully this little scene will help you spend a comfy night or two, for once.

I'll be busy with family shenanigans now, but I'd still like to do a keyword-scramble before the end of the month, so, I'll probably put that up tomorrow and get straight to work on it once I'm free again! 

Thank you all so very much <3