The Light Came Down
A Christmas Nativity Double Exposure Collection by Pearlywinks
 
Step into the story of Christmas with The Light Came Down, a beautifully atmospheric Nativity collection created as part of the Pearlywinks Double Exposure range.
Rather than simply giving you finished Nativity artwork, this collection has been designed to let you create your own interpretation of the story. Dark, dramatic character silhouettes provide the perfect canvas for layering landscapes, stars, florals, celestial light and other imagery through the figures, giving every finished design the opportunity to look completely different.
At the heart of the collection are Mary, Joseph, shepherds, Magi, angels and beautifully composed Nativity groups, all created in the distinctive low-key Double Exposure style. Deep shadowed robes, soft rim lighting and carefully retained facial detail give the characters plenty of usable dark space for adding your own images while still keeping them full of expression and character.
You’ll also find a selection of finished Double Exposure examples, showing just some of the ways the different parts of the collection can be combined. Bethlehem landscapes, star-filled skies, desert journeys, shepherd hills and celestial imagery flow through the figures, creating dramatic artwork while still leaving plenty of room for you to take the idea in your own direction.
The Nativity story is carried through a series of dramatic focal scenes, from the journey to Bethlehem and the search for somewhere to stay, through to the stable, the arrival of the shepherds and Magi, and the quiet light of morning. Alongside these are softer, less dominant backing scenes with ancient streets, olive groves, desert roads, distant mountains and gentle starry skies. These quieter scenes work beautifully as traditional backgrounds, but they are also ideal for placing inside your Double Exposure silhouettes.
A collection of Nativity animals adds even more flexibility, with donkeys, camels, sheep, lambs, an ox and doves all created in the same rich, dramatic style. Their darker colouring makes them especially useful for layering with scenes and light effects without losing their natural detail.
The scene-building section gives you a wonderful selection of objects inspired by the world of the Nativity, including rustic manger pieces, ancient lanterns, oil lamps, pottery, woven blankets, shepherd’s crooks, scrolls, celestial charts, an astrolabe and ornate vessels inspired by the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
To soften the collection and open up even more creative possibilities, you’ll also find beautiful natural elements and winter florals. Olive branches, hellebores, paperwhite narcissus, date palm foliage, desert grasses and elegant white floral arrangements can be used normally in your cardmaking, or exposed through the darker character silhouettes for a completely different look.
The celestial section brings the whole collection together, with Bethlehem stars, star clusters, sweeping trails, soft glows, heavenly light, celestial dust and constellation-style overlays. These can be layered over scenes, used behind characters, or placed inside the silhouettes to create anything from a very subtle glow to a full dramatic night sky.
The collection is finished with themed word art and framed Christmas sentiments, all designed to complement the same elegant palette of deep midnight tones, warm ivory, muted natural greens and antique gold.
Phrases such as The Light Came Down, Follow the Star, A Child Is Born, Peace on Earth and Heaven Touched Earth help carry the story through your finished projects, while the framed sentiments give you ready-to-use greetings for Christmas cards and keepsake projects.
The Light Came Down has been designed to work beautifully for traditional cardmaking, layered digital crafting and, most importantly, for creating your own Double Exposure artwork in Atelier Go.
Use the pieces exactly as they are, mix different sections together, or build something completely new.
One person may place Bethlehem inside Mary’s robes.
Another may fill her silhouette with hellebores and starlight.
Someone else may combine a Magus with an ancient celestial chart, desert scenery and a trail of gold light.
The same collection can produce completely different artwork every time.
The Light Came Down is not simply a Nativity pack. It is a Nativity story you can build for yourself.