A Christmas Carol: First Pass

Posted on by Thor

The first pass at A Christmas Carol poster for the Orlando Shakespeare Theater had Scrooge lifting Tiny Tim. I have been painting Christmas Carol posters for about 4 or 5 years, so I have quite a bit of reference piled up on my hard drive. On this pass, I decided that having Tiny Tim lifting his crutch was not needed. I originally had the title smaller so the crutch could be seen, then I enlarged the title knowing I would be changing the pose.

Bob Cratchit’s wife was cast so I needed to go in and repaint her. Tiny Tim was also would need to be repainted. I used a past actor for Bob Cratchit and there was doubt that he would reprise the role so he too would need to be changed.

Being a bald artist, I then felt uncomfortable that Scrooge was out in the snow with no hat. I needed to put a top hat on his head. I know that with no hat, the heat from a body will escape quickly upwards like a chimney if you are bald.  That is part of the reason I am still in Florida.

Many of the elements are similar to past Christmas Carol posters. The snow had just started falling and the gas lamps are blazing. Warm light emanated from inside a window hinting at a warm fireplace. This composition relies on a strong diagonal line from Tiny Tim down to this mom. The painting is super sloppy since I know that changes are needing to be made.

Christmas Carol ran from November 26 through December 24, 2025, at the Orlando Shakes, Margeson Theater.

A Christmas Carol: Final Poster

Posted on by Thor

For the final A Christmas Carol poster for the Orlando Shakespeare Theater had to revise Mrs. Cratchit and I think she turned out well. Tiny Tim was updated and I paid particular attention to how the leg braces were assembled. I pumped up the light shining from behind Tiny Tim to get him to pop out from the background better. Ebenezer Scrooge just needed a top hat. Cratchit was revised several times. He isn’t holding Tiny Tim as solidly so I think his intention is a little lost but overall the poster is working solidly.

If I were to assemble all the Christmas Carol posters together, both approved and not, it would make a fun collection. Many feature this dark snow filled gas lit street scene. For some reason A Christmas Carol for me is dark and brooding with bright sparks of light and hope.

I have been doing write ups for all these posters because I realized that I didn’t have time to do write ups at the time the shows were being performed. I am thinking there should be a category on this site for process images that show the evolution of any given concept. Illustration is seldom a one and done approval process. Changes are very much a part of the creative process. I am always searching for a way to express the idea behind a show as boldly as possible. Each poster has it’s own challenges. I started doing these posers after doing a painting every day during the height of the pandemic. I gather my thoughts and assemble the ideas in very much the same way I did then. Working digitally is a blessing. Changes can easily be made, especially if I plan ahead. If a character must be removed or replaced. I can often just turn off a layer in the painting program to make that happen at the flick of a switch. Another advantage is that the previous version remains in memory if I should want to refer back to it.

A Christmas Carol ran at the Orlando Shakes from November 26-December 24, 2025.

A Christmas Carol: 3rd Pass

Posted on by Thor

The third pass at A Christmas Carol poster was filled with light. Light equals drama.

I had a rather detailed room as the setting. The intricate mirror behind Scrooge was fighting with the credit type, so I had to blur it out in spots. Ultimately it was decided that it might be better to just get rid of the room details.

All the fruit also needed more painted detail. Things were still a bit sketchy.

Both actors portrayed in this poster reprized their roles for this year’s production. It is very rare that I get to include the actual actors since the posters are painted far in advance of the auditions for each show.

Since I rethink the design for A Christmas Carol poster so often, I am becoming very familiar with the Charles Dickens show. The possibilities are endless, from the depth of despair to the sheer joy of celebrating the holiday.

Since all the posters are painted at the same time, things often rough while changes are made and if time allows, each poster is refined where people will notice the most. It is a fun juggling act. Sometimes I hit the mark right away and other times I search blindly for what is needed. That is the fun of being an illustrator, it is seldom a linear path.