Page 55 - The Decorative Painter Fall 2016

Umber, and the stocking with Dioxazine Purple. Highlight with Cool White. Using the no. 5/0 liner, paint the buttons Mustard Seed and dot with Cool White.
Using the no. 0 and 2 shaders, paint the soldier’s face Natural Buff, his jacket Tuscan Red, the hat Lamp (Ebony) Black and the shoulder caps Mustard Seed. Using the 1⁄8" angular brush, shade the face Boysenberry Pink, the cheeks Cinnamon Drop, the coat Lamp (Ebony) Black and high- light the hat with Cool White. Using the 10/0 liner, dot the eyes Midnite Blue and the coat buttons Mustard Seed.
The candy cane is painted the same as for the girl.
Stipple the top of the stocking using the dome stencil brushes and Purple Rain tipped in Cool White. Highlight us- ing Cool White only. Dot the stippled cuff with Cool White.
SNOW AND ORNAMENT BALLS
Use the 1⁄2" angular to float the snow into place using Cool White, starting with your brush on the chisel edge and opening up as you come to each scallop mound. Apply more white as needed.
Paint the ornament balls using the no. 2 shader. Shade and highlight with the 1⁄4" angular, use the following colors for each ball and highlight all with Cool White. Don’t for- get the snow friend and Santa’s buttons!
PINK: Basecoat Boysenberry Pink, shade Cinnamon Drop. LIGHT PINK: Basecoat Poodleskirt Pink, shade Vivid Violet.
BLUE: Basecoat Winter Blue, shade Turquoise Blue. Shade behind each ball on the ground slightly with Mid- nite Blue.
When dry, frost the snow caps with a little stippling of Cool White using the larger dome stencil brush.
HOLLY AND FIR BOUGHS
Using the no. 4 shader and the 1⁄4" and 3⁄8" angular brushes, paint the holly Avocado Dip, shade with Planta-
ACRYLIC
tion Pine, tint the opposite side of each shade with Boysen- berry Pink, and frost the tips with Cool White.
Using the no. 10/0 liner, loosely outline and paint the veins with slightly thinned Plantation Pine and then Cool White.
The holly berries are painted Cinnamon Drop; shade slightly on the bottom edge of each with Lamp (Ebony) Black and highlight with Cool White.
Using the no. 10/ 0 liner, paint the fir branches first with a stroke of thinned Raw Sienna. Paint the needles coming off each branch with thinned Plantation Pine; highlight with Avocado Dip and frost with Cool White. Dot the fir branches with Cinnamon Drop and Cool White.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Use the snowflake stencil with the dome stencil brush- es to lightly stencil Cool White snowflakes here and there. Using the no. 5/0 liner, paint tiny Cool White stars up
in the sky. Lightly dry-brush Cool White around the stars using the smallest dome stencil brush. Using the stylus, randomly dot Cool White flakes falling out of the sky and around the holly leaves.
To create the frosted look around the edges of the tree, use the sea wool sponge loaded with Cool White and sim- ply touch the side edges with the paint.
When completely dry, use the wash brush to varnish the pieces with DecoArt Americanan Satin Var- nish. Remember to avoid the insert cuts, and while setting, sprinkle lightly with Glamour Dust. When dry, glue sparkling Swarovski crystals in the sky. Slip the two tree pieces together. Paint the candle cups Cool White, varnish and sprinkle heavily with Glamour Dust while still wet. I used beeswax birthday candles for my tree.
Slide the candle cups onto the tree branches and you’re ready for a frosty, sparkling Christmas season!
artist’s sketch
Kim Christmas was born in British Columbia, Canada, and now resides with her husband, John, and two chil-
dren, Johnathan and Ashley, in Vernon, BC. Her love for decorative painting began in the front store window of a
decorative painting shop. Window shopping became browsing, browsing became shopping, shopping became
painting and so the story goes! Art was always a focus in her family growing up. With most of Kim’s family origi-
nating in Europe and bringing their talents in pastels, oil and watercolor, the influence was there from a very young
age. Her love of the seasons and festive décor was the catalyst from that point forward. Kim’s first book, Holly
Berries & Twigs, was published in 2003 and she has eight books published to date. She has also been published
in a wide range of magazine articles over the years and had the honor of being published in the 100 Angels col-
lection of hand-painted angels presented by The National Museum of Decorative Painting. Kim occasionally teaches at her home studio and various other places internationally and throughout North America. Kim’s entire line of instructional packets, kits, books, and online classes are available at www.kimchristmas.com. You may contact her at kimchristmas@shaw.ca or www.kimchristmasdesigns.blogspot.com.
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The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 3, 2016 53