Page 97 - The Decorative Painter Summer 2014

ACRYLIC
fer paper under the pattern, and transfer the main lines. Do not transfer small details or the eye and brow line at this time; they will be created later.
STEP 2: After the design is applied, it will be necessary to make the lines more visible by applying paint. Do not thin the paint with water or apply water to the brush. Water- thinned paint will seep through the barbs, possibly caus- ing them to unzip.
LET’S PAINT
FEATHERS
Throughout this project the eagle’s wings will be re- ferred to as the right wing and the left wing. It is neces- sary to specify that right wing refers to the bird’s right wing, and is the one that appears on the left side of the design facing you.
STEP 1: Using the no. 10/0 liner, paint a thin line of Snow White over the pattern lines of the beak and head.
Clean the brush, and then outline the wing and breast feathers with very faint lines of Antique Gold. The breast feathers are fewer and fainter than the feathers on the left wing. The feathers on the right wing of the bird are even more faint than the breast feathers, and blend into the background. Allow to dry.
If the Antique Gold outlining the feathers is too bright, tone iy down by using the no. 8 shader to stroke Burnt Umber across the lines. The coverage should not be solid, and the paint should be applied in the direction of the barbs. Since the feathers on the left wing are more numer- ous and distinct than those on the breast and right wing, do not tone them down quite as much.
STEP 2: This step refers to shading the feathers. Refer to the Step-by-Step picture, and its accompanying shad- ing diagram on page 93. Lightly moisten the brush by quickly dipping it in water. Do not allow the brush to absorb so much water that it reaches the ferrule. Gently squeeze out excess water from the bristles between layers of a paper towel.
Corner-load the no. 4 shader with Lamp Black. A small amount of this color goes a long way, so use it sparingly. Shade each feather one-third of the way down, starting at the top of each feather. Allow the color to fade as it extends downward, leaving the remaining two-thirds the actual feather color.
The feathers on the left wing fade into the background, so it is not necessary for each one to be distinct. Moisten
and then squeeze out excess water from the no. 8 shader and lightly brush on Burnt Umber. Deepen that with Lamp Black. Any Antique Gold lines that remain should be very faint.
Using the no. 8 shader with Burnt Umber, shade the area under the left wing and the area of the breast next to this wing. With the no. 8 shader, deepen these shades with Lamp Black.
If the Antique Gold lines fade too much, lightly reapply a few of them.
STEP 3: This step refers to highlighting the feathers, com- pleting the breast, and painting the rachis.
Refer to the photo of the finished piece on page 91, and the diagram mentioned in Step 2. The breast highlights are indicated with Os.
Make sure there is a visible separation between the left wing and the breast. After moistening the brush and squeezing out the excess water, load a small amount of Antique Gold on the chiseled edge of the no. 4 shader, and wipe off excess paint. Lightly apply a highlight to the out- side edge of the feathers on the left wing (those that touch the shaded breast area). The coverage should not be solid.
With the no. 8 shader, gently add a highlight of An- tique Gold to the center of the breast, again using very little paint on a slightly moistened brush. This will not be solid coverage, and should not cover the background. Do not leave hard edges of paint. Using the flat of the brush, move diagonally right and then diagonally left, overlapping the strokes. Using the no. 8 shader, continue coverage of the rachis and remaining breast area with a light application of Burnt Umber. The rachis will require several coats of paint. Let the paint dry between coats.
BEAK
Shadows and highlights can be painted on top of a basecoat if the float is not too wet. Moisten the brush, and then use an index finger to gently press the bristles against a paper towel. The bristles will retain a bit more moisture than when squeezed between layers of a paper towel, but not as much as when floating on other more traditional surfaces.
STEP 1: Do not thin the paint or moisten the brush. With the no. 4 shader, apply a solid Snow White basecoat to the beak.
STEP 2: Clean the brush and tap dry between layers of pa- per. Then apply a solid coat of Moon Yellow to the beak.
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The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 2, 2014 95