Page 18 - The Decorative Painter Spring 2014

acrylic
Using your no. 10 filbert, create soft lights in the vase by dry-brushing with Warm White. Referring to the photo on page 12, dry-brush reflected accent colors: Dragon Fruit, Sea Breeze, and Sap Green. Using the no. 8 filbert, add glints with pulled strokes of Warm White.
FLOWERS
Work the flowers from dark to light. Your light source is from the upper right; therefore, your lightest area and most distinct petals will be in the upper-right quadrant of the flower. Some flowers are shaded by other flowers or leaves, so refer to the photo on page 15 for light placement.
WHITE FLOWERS
Load the no. 8 filbert with Black Green+DecoArt Amer- icana Glazing Medium. Loosely tap in the flower shape moving around the flower. While the flower is wet, begin to create four-petal flowers. Always start in the lightest area by picking up Warm White on your dirty brush. Do not reload your brush so the petals will gradually mix with the glaze and softly fade. Wipe your brush on a dry paper towel (do not wash it), pick up more Warm White, and again starting in the lightest area, create more four-petal flowers working in a smaller area. Picking up accent colors of Sea Breeze or Dragon Fruit on your dirty brush, add a few more petals or four-petal flowers. Allow to dry. Shade the lower left with a sideload of Black Green on a no. 16 flat. Allow to dry. You can glaze your flower with Cobalt Blue Hue, Dragon Fruit, or a mix of the two colors, plus DecoArt Americana Glazing Medium, for a purple accent.
BLUE FLOWERS
Using the techniques from the white flowers, tap in a glaze of Cobalt Blue Hue. Pick up Cobalt Blue Hue+Warm White and begin adding four-petal flowers. Wipe the
brush and add Warm White petals in the lightest area. Add Sea Breeze and Dragon Fruit accent petals. Allow to dry. Shade with a sideload of Cobalt Blue Hue+Black Green with a no. 16 flat. Allow to dry. Accent with a glaze of Cobalt Blue Hue or Cobalt Blue Hue+Dragon Fruit.
For a purple variation, use Cobalt Blue Hue+Dragon Fruit+Warm White to begin your four-petal flowers. Glaze with more Cobalt Blue Hue+Dragon Fruit.
LEAVES
Some of the leaves are on the design, but feel free to add a leaf here and there if it will help your design.
Starting with a full load of Sap Green on a no. 10 fil- bert, pull from the outer edge of the petal toward the vein on a diagonal in the direction of the secondary veins. As you work toward light areas on the leaf, pick up Olive Green to lighten. Allow to dry. Sideload a no. 16 flat with Black Green and shade the bases of the leaves. Using a no. 1 liner with thinned Olive Green, add veins. Allow to dry. With a sideload of Sea Breeze on the no. 16 flat, add some reflected light on the back edges of some leaves, as well as a highlight of Olive Green+tch Warm White on the light edge.
TABLETOP
Using a no. 16 flat, shade behind the left side of the vase with a sideload of Cobalt Blue Hue. Sideload a no. 16 flat and add a few accents on the tablecloth with Dragon Fruit, Olive Green, and then Sea Breeze. Allow to dry. Add a few petals or four-petal flowers, mostly on the left side of the vase.
FINISHING
Seal with your favorite varnish, following the manu- facturer’s instructions.
artist’s sketch
Liz Miller cda has taught decorative painting in the Raleigh, N.C., area since 1985 and became a member
of SDP and the Heart of Carolina Tolers chapter in 1988, serving as chapter president and in other capacities.
She is currently active in the Capital Area Decorative Artists chapter. Although she usually paints in acrylic, she
enjoys creating and experimenting with mixed media and watercolor. Teaching all levels of acrylics in her studio,
as well as for local chapters, Liz drives distances to travel-teach. She has been a DecoArt Helping Artist for many
years. Since 1995 Liz has owned Artful Endeavors, where she teaches weekly classes and workshops, and hosts
seminars with some of decorative painting’s finest national teachers. Liz has taught at SDP Conferences and is
known for her graceful leaves and leaf study workshops. You can find her online classes at Creative Workshops (creativeworkshops.me). “Our classes are about sharing our love for art and the fellowship that comes from sharing a common interest.”
You can reach Liz at Artful Endeavors, 200 Sawmill Rd., Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27615, or artfulendeavors@raleigh.twcbc.com. Visit her website at artfulendeavors.net.
16 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 1, 2014
decorativepainters.org