Grinning Squirrel on a Christmas Tree Branch

A gentle color plan to get started — mix in your own anytime.

• burnt orange
• light amber
• christmas red
• forest green
• cream
• golden yellow
• chocolate brown
• medium gray
• coral pink

A suggested order, zone by zone — skip around as you like.

1. 1Start with the squirrel's fluffy tail, head, body and ears in burnt orange, leaving the eye shines and the white background untouched.
2. 2Fill the squirrel's face and inner ears in light amber, and color the belly and inner ears in cream.
3. 3Color the pine branches and needles in forest green, and add a medium gray shadow under the branch near the squirrel's tail.
4. 4Color the pinecone in chocolate brown, then fill the nose in coral pink.
5. 5Color the round ornaments and bead garland in christmas red, and add golden yellow bands and caps on the ornaments.
6. 6Optional: Add a little extra shading in the darker parts of the tail and the pinecone, and leave the eye shines white at the end.