Mary and Joseph gaze lovingly at the glowing baby Jesus in a warm, illustrative style.

A close-in portrait of Mary and Joseph holding the child Jesus. Simple background that compliments the figures but doesn't distract. Mary and Joseph have smiling, welcoming faces. Mary and Joseph are often depicted solemn and that’s not what I’m going for. But not an excess of emotion, should be “pleasantly surprised” rather than “ecstatic”. Imagine the face of a parent who is handed their child for the first time. The child is turned toward them, the viewer doesn’t see the child’s face. The baby is stretching out its arms outward, so it’s clearer to the viewer that it’s a baby and the baby is reflecting Mary and Joseph's joy. A soft glow of light comes from the child. See more