Behind-the-Scenes: How I Gave My Ornament Painting a Makeover

Sometimes, paintings don’t work out the way we want them to. That’s exactly what happened with one of my ornament paintings, part of a “painting from life” challenge I did with Strada Easel. I felt rushed and wasn’t happy with how it turned out, so it sat in my pile of unfinished projects for months. It wasn’t until after Christmas, while putting away decorations, that I felt inspired to give it a second chance.

Here’s a step-by-step behind-the-scenes look at how I gave this painting a makeover. Hopefully, it helps you in your own artistic process when you’re looking to salvage a painting that just doesn’t feel quite right.

Step 1: Identifying What Needed Fixing

When I first looked at the painting again, the problems stood out:

• The ornament looked lopsided, like there was a dent in the top.
• The background felt like it was competing with the ornament for attention instead of supporting it.

The first step was to fix the drawing. Sometimes it’s easier to see where something is off if you trace the shape, so I took a piece of tracing paper and carefully traced the ornament from my painting. Comparing the tracing to my reference photo helped me pinpoint the asymmetry. I folded the drawing in half so I could compare the sides. You can see how it is far from round.

Step 2: Correcting the Drawing

Once I could see the areas that were out of balance, I used burnt umber and a small brush to adjust the drawing. Burnt umber is great for this because it’s neutral and easy to blend into the new color.

Here’s a quick tip: working with a small brush lets you make fine adjustments without overcorrecting. It’s better to go slow and steady here!

Step 3: Mixing the Right Colors

After fixing the drawing, it was time to work on the values and colors. I mixed:

• Three warm gray values
• Three cool gray values
• Three green values

Organizing my palette this way helped me stay consistent and avoid muddy colors.

Step 4: Placing and Blending Values

Next, I placed each of the values where I needed them based on my reference photo. This step can look a little messy at first—it’s all about getting the right color and value in the right spot before worrying about blending.

Once the values were in place, I blended them to smooth the transitions. This is where the painting really started to feel more cohesive!

Step 5: Adding Highlights and Glazes

To make the ornament shine, I added highlights to three key areas:

• The cap
• The reflector area
• The silver part

This helped bring the ornament to life and gave it that subtle sparkle it was missing before.

Finally, I toned down the orange cast in the background by adding a transparent glaze of green earth. Green earth is naturally transparent, so it worked perfectly for this without overpowering the other colors.

The Final Touches

After all these steps, I stepped back and looked at the painting with fresh eyes. It felt balanced and polished—so much better than before! Sometimes, all it takes is patience and a willingness to go back and rework something to see the potential it had all along.

Why Reworking Paintings Matters

As artists, we all have pieces we’re not happy with. It’s tempting to shove them aside and move on, but there’s value in revisiting them. Reworking this ornament painting reminded me that even “failed” pieces have potential—they just need a little extra love and care.

So, don’t give up on those unfinished projects. You never know what beauty is waiting underneath a few thoughtful corrections.

Lina Ferrara is an accomplished artist, teacher, and writer with over 40 years of experience. Known for her approachable teaching style and ability to inspire confidence, Lina’s workshops empower students to express themselves and grow in their craft. Her work has been featured in prominent collections and institutions worldwide.