Hello, all! We've made it to the end of yet another Digital Dozen week and I have to say, on the whole, I've really liked what I managed to come up with this week! I'm also proud of myself for staying on track with the challenge and getting my posts up on time (I've struggled with this in the past!).
For my final day, I've gone for something a bit more cutesy than my usual manis. I'm sure I am not in the minority when I say that one of my bucket list items is to see the Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights) in person some day. Around this time last year I painted my first take on the Northern Lights, and when I saw this adorable painting on Pinterest, the idea of doing another (cuter) take on them would be perfect for Winter Wonderland.
I was really intimidated to attempt this mani, but I felt really inspired and figured that is the best motivation around. While these turned out a bit more cartoony/illustrative than my usual (I was hoping for something a bit more painterly), I do like the final result. Bear (hehe) with me on the fact that a penguin and polar bear would not likely be hanging out together under the northern lights ;)
I started with a base of OPI's OPI...Eurso Euro then sponged on different shades of blue and teal acrylic paints to start the background of the lights. Next came the vivid green that you so often see in pictures of this natural wonder. With acrylic paint, I made my first swirling lines of green, then quick came back with a brush dipped in water to gently spread the semi-dry acrylic paint down and away from the harsh green line. This helped to give a more realistic look to the scene.
Next came the tricky part with the glacier butting up against the dark water and the cute little penguin and polar bear! The penguin was definitely the easier of the two to paint, though I'm not entirely happy with either of them. It's hard to paint that tiny ;) I just love imagining the friendship that these two might have while they spend a night under the beautiful sky!
I also added a little penguin guy on my thumb and I think I like how he turned out more than the main one.
Overall, I'm pretty pleased with these. It pushed me out of my comfort zone which is what Digital Dozen week is all about. What do you think of these? Winter wonderland-y to you? Have you seen the Northern Lights in person before?
Happy polishing and don't miss out on the other Day 5 manis below! :)
