The first snow fell in London at the end of last month, though there wasn’t much to see in my area, just dampness and lingering humidity as if we were tucked somewhere between layers of fallen leaves. But by the next morning, autumn was draped in a delicate frost, hushing its vibrant hues and wrapping London in a lace of white. Everything, turned as crisp as the mingling scent of crackling wood fires in the air.
Hygge Christmas Illustration
The other day while flipping through my sketchbook in search of a blank page to draft ideas for a new project, something slipped free—a rough sketch I’d done last Christmas for the yearly book review in The Telegraph. It felt like a nudge from the past, the timing seemed perfect for thickening the mood for this month by sharing a bit more of this illustration with you.
Before the clean draft outline I shared in last December's newsletter, there was this little raw beginning where I came up with the idea—I listed things that make me feel christmasy and hygge, and as simple as the thin paper reveal, it didn’t take long to see the shape of it. Once the idea was settled, I drafted the outline digitally.
Aah, what a lovely job—even now thinking back on making this illustration still makes me happy! I spent a whole day immersed in Scandinavian Christmas inspiration research—all that earthy warmth wrapped in simplicity and handcrafts.
The trickiest part though, was the girl. I spent some time drawing and figuring out the tilt of her head, the curve of her back, and the way she settled herself so comfortably on the window seat. You can see below most of my mood board was posture references for her.
Then came the mockup to check if the text and illustration sat together and shared space harmoniously. Once the draft was signed off, I redrew the whole thing with a smaller brush to refine the lines.
One thing the Art Director asked to add was some people outside in the snow, so I drew two children playing in the snow—a detail that sounds so small but needs a bit of care. Tiny figures are tricky little things. They have to be simple but not too cute, or too stiff, or too loose, and at the same time look human and present their movement well, and, they have to belong in the space they’re in. After a few false starts, I ended up with two children building a snowman, and then, with a few more adjustments, their small movements finally felt clear but not over-explained, and fit naturally into the whole piece.
With that done, before starting the final art, I did a quick test on shading and colouring some objects. There were so many objects in this illustration, and more than just their shapes, I think it was their feel that would make the illustration feel cosy: the thickness of stitchwork throw and patchwork sock, the faint flicker of a candle’s glow, the cool condensation on the windowpane, the gentle grain on different woods, the layer of knitwear on the girl, the puffy velvet cushion, the softness of pine branches and needles, the earthy sharpness of mistletoe, pinecones, and twigs, etc.
I wanted it all to feel tangible, layering brushstrokes in ways that didn’t aim for strict realism, but rather to shape feelings with each one. That slow, deliberate building of something you can’t quite name, but know when you feel it. That’s the part I love most about working on an illustration. And all those little efforts gather together in this piece to contribute to a sense of hygge.
I always cherish it when an illustration makes me feel something—whether it’s a sense of touch or emotion—not just notice it, but have it settle into my body or stir something within me, I think that’s something special. And more than anything, I hope to create something like that.
Lastly, I animated it. Snowflakes fell slowly outside, candlelight flickered, steam rose from a hot mug, and faint reflections from the candlelight on the surrounding objects. It’s subtle, but makes the scene feel a little more alive. You can see it in the last December letter or a higher resolution on my website.
And last lastly — it was printed!!
Catmas x AR Advent Calendar
It’s that time of year again that I envelop the year with my Catmas tradition! (Though I’m still working on an animation project with a deadline of Christmas..) Just like last year, I’ve combined it with the AR Advent Calendar project, which is curated by @barbar_studio and @madebyfern. This is an Augmented Reality exhibition that pops up in different cities, and this year it’s happening in Leipzig, Helsinki, London, and Atlanta. If you’re in any of these cities, you can scan the banner to watch some fun, festive animations come to life! If not, no worries—you can still follow the countdown on Instagram!
My animation will be released on the 20th, but I’m sharing it with you now— because you’re my precious supporter and reader 🤍 Once again, the music and sound effects were beautifully created by Harm from Zing Audio, and I have to mention the purr-meow noise he created… it’s just perfect! (Thank you Harm for satisfying my weird request!)
You can see my last year’s animation in the last December letter too. I’ve also shared my animation process early this year:
Something Warm
My Taiwanese body still hasn’t quite adapted to European winters, even after all these years. I’m still terrible at tolerating the cold. Unlike my Taiwanese cat, who can stay glued to the radiator 24/7—she loves it so much she even grooms it (joking not joking! We still don’t know why she’s so obsessed with licking the radiator when it’s on, but that’s one of our theories)—I need a little extra warmth here and there to get through this freezing season. And I’d like to share a few with you:
I crave soup all the time when it’s cold. This mushroom soup has become a regular in my kitchen these months, I used the mushrooms I foraged and orzo pasta, and it’s been so simple, comforting, and perfectly warming for my Asian stomach.
Chocolate-Drizzled Black Tea
I’m not much of a sweet tooth, but a good chocolate drizzle is the perfect pairing with black tea in winter, especially with Earl Grey. Add a splash of milk, and it’s all cosy fuzzy!Hedgehog in the Fog by Yuri Norstein and Francheska Yarbusova
Back in high school, a friend shared this animation with me, and ever since, I’ve been in love with this artist couple’s work.
Without fail, I think of this animation every winter and rewatch it each year. And every time, I walk away with something, a small insight or a quiet reflection of that year. And somehow, it always brings me a little hope and strength for the year ahead. I think it’s the kind of artwork that grows with you, and I hope you’ll find something in it too. Also, it has picture book version, and I think it’d be perfect as a Christmas gift for all ages.
Ta Ta
I’ll be heading back to Taiwan for a short stay next month. I’m feeling a bit nervous, but I’m very excited about all the delicious food I’ll get to try. During my previous visits, I didn’t really have time to explore the new restaurants that have popped up since I moved abroad. So this time I’m hoping to visit them with family and friends. I also need to restock some art supplies there and thought it might be fun to share my favourite stationery and new finds with you.
Wishing you a warm and cosy fuzzy holiday season filled with snuggles, love, and plenty of little moments of joy. Thank you so much for being here with me this year—your support meant more than I can say 🤍 Rest well, and I’ll see you next year!
上個月底，倫敦下了第一場雪。雖然我住的地區沒看到雪，只有連綿降雨帶來的潮濕和揮之不去的濕氣，像被卡在層層落葉之間的某個地方等待腐爛。不過，隔天早晨的冷空氣給秋天披上了一層精緻的薄霜，柔化了飽和度，倫敦被鑲了白色的邊框，像空氣中不時能聞到的燃燒木柴的煙香一樣清晰焦脆。
Hygge聖誕插畫
前幾天，我在筆記本裡翻找空白頁來畫新案子的草稿時，一張去年的草圖掉了出來。那是去年為英國報紙《The Telegraph》的年度書籍回顧繪製的插圖草稿。感覺像是來自過去的提醒，時間點也剛剛好來分享這張插畫的過程，來增加這個月的節慶氣氛（雖然台灣不過聖誕）。
在去年12月的電子報裡，我分享過這張插圖的草稿。在乾淨的草稿前，還有這張小小的草草圖。當時我列出了最讓我感受到聖誕和 Hygge 氛圍的事物，然後，就和這薄薄的紙張透露的一樣簡單，畫面很快就浮現出來了（畢竟是自己喜歡的東西！）大致確定後，我就轉到電繪畫了較細節的草稿輪廓。
現在回想起來還是覺得這張畫得好開心。因為大部分物件會拿出來當報紙中的分隔插畫，所以需要畫比以往還多的細節，我快樂得花了一整天的時間泡在北歐的聖誕裝飾裡找靈感，所有自然樸實的溫暖都包裹在簡約設計和手工藝中，太美好！
比較困難的部分是女孩的姿勢。為了讓她看起來自然地坐在窗台上，我花了不少時間調整她頭的傾斜角度、背部的弧度、手腳姿勢，好讓她看起來愜意舒適地坐著。可以從下面的情緒板看到大部分是她的姿勢的參考。
接著，我用AD給我參考的歷年封面上的字樣做了mockup，以確保文字和插圖之間的排版和重疊是和諧的。草稿通過後，我用更細的筆刷重畫了一次線稿。
AD提出想在窗外的雪地裡加幾個人影，於是我畫了兩個孩子在推雪人。看似小小的細節，其實需要一點心思來設計。我覺得小小的人物其實很難畫！因為他們必須簡約，但不能太簡單、太可愛、太僵硬、也不能太模糊，能表現出它們的動作的同時，也要和整體的空間感協調一致。畫了幾個版本後，我最後選了兩個小孩堆雪人，再繼續調整了幾次後，這些小小的動作終於變得清楚自然，卻不過份細節並且能融入整個場景之中。
在開始最終成品之前，我快速測試了陰影和顏色的處理。這幅插圖中有許多的小物件，而比起單純的形狀，我覺得它們的質地會更能營造出舒適愜意的感覺：手工縫製的毯子和拼布襪的厚實感、蠟燭微弱閃爍的光暈、玻璃窗上的薄薄的冷凝水氣、各種木製品的紋理、蓬鬆的毛尼靠墊、柔軟的松木條、充滿粗糙自然氣息的槲寄生、松果和樹枝、女孩身上的針織毛衣層次等。
我希望畫出這些物件帶來的感覺，但並不拘泥於寫實的質感，而更像是透過不同的筆觸堆疊，去塑造出那些無法具體命名的感受的有形的質地。這是我在畫圖時最喜歡的部分。而正是每一個物件不同的微小的質地顆粒，匯聚成這件作品裡的Hygge的氛圍。
每次遇到能讓我感受到一些東西的作品都讓我很珍惜，觸感也好情緒也好，不僅僅是看見，而是這種感覺滲透到身體裡，或是觸動內心的某處散發出來，我覺得那種經驗很私密很特別，也希望能創造出這樣的作品。
最後，我加了簡單的動畫：窗外的雪緩緩落下、燭光閃爍、熱氣從杯中緩緩升起、周圍的物件也反射著柔和的燭光。和它們的質地一樣微小，但卻濃厚了整個Hygge的氛圍。
最後的最後～它被印出來了！
Catmas x AR降臨曆
又到了每年的尾聲，用我的Catmas小傳統來為一年畫上句號（雖然動畫上個月就完成了而且現在仍然在截稿另一個案子）。和去年一樣，我把它和AR降臨曆結合在一起，這個計畫由 @barbar_studio 和 @madebyfern 策劃，是一個擴增實境 （AR）的互動展覽，會在不同的城市中出現，今年的展點有德國萊比錫、芬蘭赫爾辛基、英國倫敦和美國亞特蘭大。
如果你在這些城市的話，可以用手機掃描這些大型海報看板，看看25個由不同藝術家創作的聖誕動畫！不在的話也沒關係，你可以追蹤在活動的 Instagram 並跟著這個計劃一起倒數聖誕，也可以看看往年的動畫！
我的動畫排在12月20日發布，但是～因為你是我寶貝的支持和讀者🤍，所以現在就提前和你分享！這次的音樂和音效和去年一樣由 Zing Audio 的 Harm 製作，一樣好喜歡，尤其是貓咪的那個特別的起床呼嚕喵聲（感謝音效師包容我奇怪的要求），融化好多次🫠
今年初的時候分享了去年Catmas的動畫創作過程，可以順便看一下：
暖呼呼的東西
雖然這麼多年過去了，我的台灣身體還是無法完全適應歐洲的冬天，一樣怕冷得最暖發熱衣可以穿兩層。雖然咚咚是台灣貓，但她可以24小時黏在暖氣旁邊，喜歡暖氣到甚至還幫它理毛（半～開玩笑～但我們還是不知道為什麼她這麼喜歡舔開著的暖氣，所以那是我們猜測之一😅）而我則需要在這裡那裏，到處有些小方法來讓自己在這個凍死人的季節裡保持溫暖。雖然台灣好像一點都不冷，聽說都還有20度以上，但是不管我還是分享一些暖呼呼給你：
蘑菇湯意麵
天氣越冷讓愛喝湯的我更想喝湯。這個蘑菇湯食譜是我最近的愛，用我自己採的野菇，加了一些形狀像米但其實是義大利麵的orzo意麵，最後撒上帕西里葉，簡單療癒，我的亞洲胃很滿足😋
巧克力紅茶
雖然我不愛吃甜食，但紅茶和巧克力好搭！尤其是伯爵茶，擠一點好的巧克力醬，加一點牛奶，好幸福！
霧中的刺蝟（by Yuri Norstein and Francheska Yarbusova）
高中時有朋友分享了這部動畫，那時開始我就愛上了這對藝術家夫婦的作品。從那以後每年冬天我都會想起這部動畫，然後重看一遍。尤其在國外的冬天，這個動畫一定會準時的在年末從回憶裡浮上來。也許是一年的結束和開始這個過渡交替的關係，每次重看這個動畫都讓我有新的小小反思或領悟，它也總是帶給我一點希望和力量來迎接新的一年，是那種讓我有陪伴和成長的感覺的作品。
這個動畫有繪本版本，也有繁中、簡中（簡中看起來和歐洲出版設計一樣），很適合拿來送禮！
Ta Ta
下個月我會回台灣待一小段時間，每次回去心情都有點忐忑，但同時好期待台灣的食物，有好多新開的餐廳我都不認識了🥹回去要好～好的吃（歡迎推薦）！還要補充一些繪圖用品，到時候再來分享我喜歡畫畫用具。
雖然台灣不冷也不過聖誕，但在年末這個時候，希望你有時間好好休息，和喜歡的人事物慶祝日常，然後迎來新的一年。
謝謝你今年的閱讀，這份支持比我能說出的話還要珍貴得多🤍我們明年見！
Love both of these wintry animations so much, you are magic!! Also thank you for including proof that your cat grooms the radiator that's hilarious!! Hope you have the best trip back to Taiwan 🥺🫶🏻