Page 32 - The Decorative Painter Fall 2016

ACRYLIC
Coat the plaque with DecoArt Americana Drying Time Extender using the large flat blender. Refer to the color picture on page 27 and placement guide on next page to rouge the outer edges of the plaque. Apply Antique Green, Antique Green+Burnt Umber, Burnt Umber (1:1:1), and Teal Green with the 1" oval wash, blending between col- ors. Use the 3⁄4" flat wash to place Teal Green in the upper center of the plaque. Use the 1" oval wash to slip-slap Sea Glass in the central right third close to where the bird will be placed. Soften these areas by pulling the color from the outer edges toward the middle using the 1" mop. While the extended background is wet, use a toothbrush loaded with water-thinned Snow (Titanium) White to lightly spat- ter the surface. The spatters will gently bloom because of the extender and should subtly fade into the background. Allow to dry.
Trace the pattern. Transfer only the bird and branches to the surface using a stylus and white graphite paper.
BASECOATS
I use a combination of round and filbert brushes to basecoat. Use as many coats as needed for opaque cover- age allowing sufficient drying time between coats. Refer to the area reference guide to identify individual sections of the bird before basecoating.
Head, Back, Mantle, Breast, and Underwing Coverts:
Terra Coral
Side under Wing: Slate Grey
Lower Flank and Lower Belly: Snow (Titanium) White+ Slate Grey (2:1)
Wing, Tail and Beak: Mississippi Mud
Inside of Beak: Terra Coral+Snow (Titanium) White (1:1) Pupil: Lamp (Ebony) Black
Berry Branch and Stems: Mississippi Mud+Heritage Brick (1:1)
Full Berries: Persimmon
Partial Berries: Heritage Brick
Pine Branches: Burnt Umber
LET’S PAINT
STEP ONE
BIRD: Use the large flat blender to extend the bird. Apply shading to areas using the 1⁄4" angled shader. Apply Heri- tage Brick shading on the head next to the beak, on the nape of the neck, on the throat next to the breast, above the top half of the eye, along the lower breast next to the gray area and on the underwing covert. Use Burnt Umber to shade the left of each beak section, the upper and lower wing coverts, the top and tip of the back and primary wing, along the upper edge of the underwing coverts and along
the upper edge of the tail. Pat shad- ing onto the lower belly using a no. 8 filbert loaded with Slate Grey+Lamp (Ebony) Black (3:1). Mop all areas. Al- low to dry.
BERRY BRANCH:
Coat the area with
DecoArt Ameri-
cana Drying Time
Extender. Use the
1⁄4" angled shader to
apply Burnt Umber
shading along the outer edges of the branch.
FULL BERRIES: Use the 1⁄4" angled shader to apply Pri- mary Red shading to the lower half of each berry. Soften with a mop.
PARTIAL BERRIES: Use the 1⁄4" angled shader to apply Heritage Brick+Lamp (Ebony) Black (2:1) to shade the ber- ries where they fall behind another berry. Soften with a mop.
PINE BRANCHES: Shade the branches in the same manner as the berry branches using Burnt Umber+Lamp (Ebony) Black (2:1).
PINE NEEDLES: Load a no. 1 script liner with thinned Antique Green and establish the curved needles, allowing the background to show between each needle.
STEP TWO
BIRD: Coat the bird with DecoArt Americana Drying Time Extender. Apply shading using either the 1⁄4" or 1⁄2" angled shader depending on the location. Use Primary Red+Burnt Umber (1:tch) to deepen shading on the head along the beak, on the nape of the neck, on the throat next to the breast, along the lower breast next to the gray area and on the underwing covert. Use Burnt Umber to deepen the shading above top half of the eye and along the left side of each beak section. Shade the left third of the inside of the mouth with Terra Coral+Heritage Brick (1:tch).
Place a Snow (Titanium) White stylus dot as a reflec- tion in the upper left quadrant of the pupil. Place a dash of Slate Grey as a secondary reflection in the lower right quadrant of the pupil. Using the no. 10/0 liner loaded with thinned Lamp (Ebony) Black, place a nostril on the upper beak.
Using the no. 2 round brush, tap small splotches of Slate Grey on the mantle area and the upper central area
30 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 3, 2016
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