Christmas countdown drawing: Yule Log with Robin
Ten Festive themed Drawings incorporating the shapes of numbers 10 to 1
Yesterday I started off this little sketchbook challenge by drawing a tree using this week’s #coloricombo colour palette and the number 10 as basic shape.
Today’s drawing starts off with the number nine that’s turned into a Yuletide log with a Robin perched on it. The four minute video recording is a without any sound, play your favourite tunes or carols whilst watching it!
In this demo I used one of my long term favourite materials: a black Inktense pencil made by Derwent, along with Inktense blocks for added colour. White Neocolor II crayons marks have been added to create the layered snow effect. The water soluble nature of these drawing tools are great to create strong drawn lines in combination with softer effects.
You can also read on to find out more about the Yuletide tradition that’s been part of the Winter Solstice for a long time.
The tradition of burning a Yule log dates back to medieval Europe with roots possibly extending to pre-Christian Winter Solstice celebrations. Families would select a large log, usually oak, ash or birch and would ceremonially burn it in the hearth during the twelve days of Christmas.
The log was meant to burn continuously throughout the celebration period, bringing warmth, light and good fortune to the household during the darkest time of year. People would save a piece of the charred log to kindle the next year’s fire, creating a symbolic connection between celebrations. The ashes were sometimes scattered in fields or kept as protection against evil.
Read more about the Yule log, from an ancient tradition to a festive dessert here.
Look out for number eight tomorrow. In case you missed number 10, it’s available here:
