Page 96 - The Decorative Painter Summer 2014

ACRYLIC
PREPARATION
FEATHER REPAIR
STRAIGHTENING THE FEATHER: A bowed rachis (the feather’s spine) can be straightened by using a clothing iron on the steam setting. Straighten the rachis before oth- er repairs are done, as the steam will loosen any glue that has been applied. Lay the feather on the ironing board so that the bow bends upward toward the ceiling. Begin near the bottom of the rachis (being careful not to destroy the downy feathers) and move upward to the tip of the feather. A bit of pressure may be necessary, but never linger in any area. The rachis may need to be ironed more than once. If this is the case, make sure that the feather does not get too hot.
REPAIRING BARBS: Separated barbs can usually be zipped together easily. Zipping is what a bird does when preening. The bird uses its beak, but you will use your thumb and forefinger or middle finger. Holding the feath- er by the quill (the bottom of the rachis), locate the area to be zipped. In this area, gently place a thumb on the front of the feather, and a forefinger or middle finger on the back, both near the rachis. Placing gentle pressure on the feath- er, glide the fingers in the direction of the barbs, extending past the outer edge of the feather. Several attempts might be necessary to zip the barbs. If they do not zip, repair the slits from the back of the feather using Aleene’s Tacky Glue. Carefully apply a thin line of glue to both the left and right sides of the slit, and then gently nudge the slit togeth- er. Do not apply too much pressure or other barbs might be separated. Let the glue do the work. If a small amount of glue seeps through to the front of the feather, it can be painted over after it dries. If glue has seeped through to an area on which the design will not be painted, simply mix paint to match the feather’s color and apply it, duplicating the pattern of the feather.
REPAIRING HOLES: Holes can be repaired with Aleene’s Tacky Glue in almost the same manner as separated barbs. From the back of the feather, carefully fill the hole with glue. Do not push the glue too far onto the front of the feather. After the glue has dried, paint over it with which- ever paint color will be used in that area.
If a hole or slit appears while painting, repair in the same manner described above.
By inserting the quill in a 2" (5.08cm) ball of Loctite FunTak Mounting Putty, stand the feather upright while the glue dries.
SURFACE PREPARATION
After all necessary repairs have been made and the glue is dry, apply one coat of Krylon Clear Acrylic Matte Spray Finish to each side of the feather—the surface should not become wet with the finish. With the feather still in the mounting putty, allow it to dry for thirty minutes. When the first coat is dry, apply a second coat to each side. Allow this to dry for thirty minutes.
With the clip side of the clipboard turned away from you, place two rubber bands horizontally around the clip- board. These will hold the feather in place as you paint. Carefully place the feather on the clipboard (vertically), with the front of the feather facing up. Gently lift the rub- ber bands, securing one over the top of the feather and the other over the bottom. Allow enough space between the rubber bands for the composition. While securing the rubber bands and positioning the feather, adjust the bands as little as possible. Too much movement could damage the feather.
TRANSFER THE DESIGN
Transferring the design can be the most challenging part of creating on a feather. Saral Wax Free Transfer Paper is best for transferring a pattern onto this sur- face. Graphite or white tracing paper will not work if the design is being transferred directly onto the feather; however, it does work if a basecoat has been applied first (for example, the pattern for the eye and brow will be transferred over a basecoat).
Saral paper often leaves powdery smudges, in ad- dition to the line drawing. Do not attempt to erase the smudges, or to remove them with water. Mix a paint color that matches that of the feather, and gently paint over the smudges.
Transfer the design with a fine-point stylus. Using a thick stylus, or tracing too widely around the pattern lines, will result in an oversized design.
Do not use heavy pressure; this could cause barbs to separate, or cause the Saral to leave smudges.
You have one try to transfer the pattern, so make it count. If the first attempt is not completely successful, it might be necessary to paint in the missing lines using your own drawing abilities.
STEP 1: Place the pattern in the desired area. As you work, avoid repositioning the pattern, as this can cause the lines to smear and become unusable. Carefully place the trans-
94 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 2, 2014
decorativepainters.org