Free coloring pages of Father Christmas and Mother Christmas

Ideas and tips for colouring Father Christmas and Mrs Claus

The outfits of Father Christmas and Mrs Claus are made from different fabrics: his suit is smooth and shiny, while hers can have a pretty floral pattern.

For Father Christmas’s red suit, use a strong, rich red and then add a slightly lighter red in the places where the light would hit (such as the chest and shoulders)
to make it look brighter and more vivid. For the white trim on the suit and hat, leave some of the paper white and then gently blend it with a
very soft grey in the shadowed areas. For Mrs Claus’s dress, if it has flowers, you can play with different shades: for example, red, green and yellow for the flowers, and a mix of greens for the leaves.

The brick wall is a great chance to practise texture. Use an earthy red or light brown and draw small rectangles, adding a slightly darker shade along the edges. You can also vary the colour a little: some bricks more reddish, others more brown, so it doesn’t look flat or all the same.

Colouring the festive background

The background has several parts: the brick wall, the curtains, the window and the snowy landscape. For the curtains, choose a warm colour like red, green or brown, and add folds with a darker shade.
Draw the shadows in the deepest folds and leave lighter areas where the light would naturally fall. The window shows a snowy scene: the sky can be light blue or a bluish grey, and the trees outside should be dark (dark green or brown) with snow on top (white or very light grey). For the snow on the ground, leave some areas white and blend white with a very soft grey for the shadows. The mistletoe at the top has green leaves and white berries: use a mid-green for the leaves and leave the berries white or with just a hint of grey to give them a bit of volume.

How to add volume with light and shadow

To stop Father Christmas and Mrs Claus from looking flat, it really helps to decide where the light is coming from. Imagine the light shining from above and slightly in front. On their faces, the forehead, cheeks and nose should be lighter. Their hair and Father Christmas’s beard have volume too: use white or a very light grey on the highest areas and a darker grey in the shadows. For the eyes, leave a tiny white dot to make them look shiny and full of life.

On Father Christmas’s red suit, the front of the chest and the tops of the shoulders should be lighter, while the sides and under the arms should be darker. The same goes for Mrs Claus’s dress: the areas that stick out more should be lighter, and the parts that fall into shadow should be darker.
This will make the characters look more realistic and give them a real sense of depth.

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