Page 37 - The Decorative Painter Fall 2017

branches. The spider webs, bat, blackbird, and cat are Car- bon Black with small highlights using Warm White. Spider has Vermilion and Hansa Yellow decorative markings. Cat eyes are Medium Green with a touch of Hansa Yellow. Bat eyes are small touches of Hansa Yellow and Warm White. Just define enough to give shape; these are secondary ele- ments.
HEADSTONES: Brush Extender sparingly onto the plate to wet the design. Using a no. 6 filbert brush, use Extender in brush and paint puddles. Double-load filbert brush using Carbon Black and Prussian Blue Hue or Carbon Black and Light Grey Value 8. Outline the outer edge of tombstones varying the color of the edge. Inner sides of tombstones are painted using Extender in brush and side- loading brush with Light Grey Value 8 just on the outlining edge of the tombstone. Pull slight color from top to bot- tom of each tombstone just to give a wisp of color. Back- ground will show through.
SCROLLS: Paint in scroll lines with Dioxazine Purple. Over-stroke on edge using Light Violet and sharpen outer edge of scroll using Carbon Black and/or Dioxazine Purple. LETTERING: Use a no. 10/0 fine point liner brush to do the lettering. Carbon Black is thinned using water. Using Light Grey Value 8, give touches of highlight to the letter- ing. The “Don’t Lose Your Head” lettering also has wisps of True Silver, Dioxazine Purple, and Light Grey Value 8. Dry thoroughly.
HIGHLIGHT VALUES
ON ENTIRE PLATE
STEP 1: When plate is thoroughly dry, using large wash brush, apply Extender to the entire plate. Plate should be wet and Extender should not puddle. With no. 6 filbert brush, dab Hansa Yellow onto moon. With 1" wash brush loaded with Extender, softly pull Hansa Yellow highlights down from moon into plate. With no. 6 filbert brush, dab Warm White and Titanium White into upper part of moon. With 1" wash brush loaded in Extender, blend Ti-
tanium White into previous painted moon areas so there is not a visible line, then softly pull highlight strokes from the moon into the plate to create moonlight streaks.
STEP 2: With no. 6 filbert brush, add dabs of Hansa Yellow to pumpkin and soften/blend. Add smaller touches of Hansa Yellow and Titanium White into center of pumpkin; soften and blend. While the yellow and white areas are still wet, pull strokes of Vermilion and Hansa Yellow into right side of plate.
STEP 3: On rim of plate, there is the illusion of fog or apparitions. This is painted by ensuring the rim has Ex- tender on the surface. With large wash brush dressed in Extender, brush-mix and thin Light Grey Value 8 and/or a touch of Titanium White together and really thin to a very wash glaze. Apply glaze using a large wash brush and zigzag from the bottom up and from the top side down to the bottom. May have to repeat to give more depth. Use a mop to soften but do not obliterate the zigzag motions of the brush marks. Dry thoroughly.
OUTER RIM
Using an old filbert brush or stipple brush, add wisps of color to the rim. Alternate using Prussian Blue Hue, Dioxazine Purple, Naphthol Red, and finally add wisps of True Silver. Just dab here and there—soft wisps of dry- brushing will do the trick.
FINISHING
Final touches may be required to enhance the highlights on the trees using True Gold, True Silver, and a touch of Hansa Yellow. Eye holes in tree can be reinforced using Carbon Black. If required, additional moonbeams and pumpkin highlights can be reinforced using wet-on-wet technique of Extender and glaze washes.
Dry thoroughly and finish with a protective coat of DecoArt Satin Varnish.
artist’s sketch
Jan Ozolek’s art journey began in the 1970s. As an Army wife, much of her early training was self-taught
from magazines and books she could order through the mail. Army life took her around the world many times
and allowed her to study and practice the techniques, styles, and media of decorative and ethnographic art
of the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Jan completed a Masters of Tourism in 2000,
and retired from full-time civil service work in 2003. She has contributed as an art instructor and decorative arts travel writer for an online art school and magazine as well as teaches locally. She has been a member of SDP since 2003 and currently is a member of the Old Dominion Decorative Artists in Richmond, Va. She resides in Williamsburg, minutes from one of the nation’s best folk art museums. You can reach her via email at ozolekj@cox.net.
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The Decorative Painter • FALL 2017 35