Page 109 - The Decorative Painter Fall 2014

OIL
brush as you blend, so that the dark and light areas are not lost, but are well-blended where they meet.
Add highlights with a brush-mix of Light+Medium, followed by Light, and then a brush-mix of Light+Highlight. Refer to the Step-by-Step on page 101 and the Value Chart. Keep long edges of the crystal highlight very translucent.
With the no. 5/0 liner, apply Warm White around the crystal reflective areas. You can see that these highlights are applied mostly on the sleigh, but there are a few on the reindeer as well. Clean the liner, and then apply Low Dark shadows around the reflective areas.
METAL COLLARS
Use the Gray mixes. Basecoat the collars with Medium, and then apply Dark outlines.
Add highlights (shown by Xs on the Value Map) with Warm White. While still wet, use the flat to blend and soften where the colors meet. Apply highlights with Warm White to the light reflections.
BOWS
Use the Gray mixes. Notice that the bow and ribbon on the back of the sleigh are much lighter than those on the front. Basecoat both with Medium. Shade the darkest areas with Warm Black.
Highlight with Warm White. While wet, gently blend with the mop, taking care not to lose the light (reflective) and dark areas.
CHAIN/REINS
Use the Gray mixes. Basecoat the chain with Medium.
Highlight the areas that appear along the chain’s loops with Light+Warm White. Add a second highlight of Light. Outline the chain with Warm Black on the no. 5/0 liner. Finish by creating the brightest highlights at the top of the chain with Warm White.
SHADOWS
Use the Background mixes. This applies to all shadows on the piece, including candles, reindeer legs, etc. Each shadow has both light and dark areas. Basecoat the dark areas of the shadows (those nearest to the stars, rein- deer legs, etc.) with Warm Black+tch Winsor & Newton Blending & Glazing Medium. Basecoat the lighter areas of the shadows (upper legs, areas not immediately next to stars, etc.) with Low Dark+tch Winsor & Newton Blend- ing & Glazing Medium.
A hard line between the dark and light areas should not be visible. Avoid this by blending with a mop to soften the colors where they meet.
Where the shadows touch the objects, apply a line of Low Dark or Dark (depending on the darkness of the area). While still wet, blend the edge very lightly.
REINDEER
Sideload the no. 4 shader with Background Low Dark and create the lines that make the reigns and straps on the reindeer heads. If necessary, strengthen these lines with the no. 2 Kolinsky sable.
Basecoat the reflective areas and the reindeer’s spots with Warm White on the no. 2 Kolinsky sable. When these are dry, highlight the spots with Background Highlight.
NOSES
Basecoat the noses with Mix 1 and shade them with Warm Black. When this is dry, apply highlights of Warm White.
RED RHINESTONES
Using the no. 5/0 liner basecoat the lines of the rhine- stones with Lamp Black. Clean liner. Randomly apply highlights of White Wash. Allow to dry thoroughly.
Now apply Burnt Sienna+Cadmium Red+Winsor & Newton Blending & Glazing Medium (1:1:tch) over the en- tire jewel. Some areas will be darker than others, but keep this area transparent. Finish the rhinestones by randomly applying highlights with both Warm White and Cadmium Red+Warm White.
BRIGHTENING SHINES
Assess the entire painting. If any reflective area or highlight area needs brightened, do so with Warm White (or any appropriate highlight color). If any shadow needs strengthening, use Warm Black.
FRAME
Apply Mona Lisa Metal Leaf Adhesive Size to the en- tire frame. Allow this to dry until it is nearly transparent (approximately fifteen to thirty minutes). Apply the Mona Lisa Gold Leaf according to the manufacturer’s directions. With light pressure, use a mop brush to tap the Mona Lisa Gold Leaf down, securing it in place. When this is com- plete, turn the frame upside down so that excess Mona Lisa Gold Leaf will fall off. If any areas remain uncovered, reapply Mona Lisa Gold Leaf to those areas. The Mona
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The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 3, 2014 107