Page 63 - The Decorative Painter Winter 2015

WATERCOLOR
you may need to help it a little with a brush. It may look dark enough now, but if it dries too light you can reapply the color when the first layer is dry.
Keep working each stripe. As you get near the mane, dampen the Burnt Sienna area and let some of the Ivory Black wash go into that area.
Keep referring to step five of the Step-by-Step on page 59.
In the nose area, Burnt Sienna is applied above the nose area and then goes into Ivory Black. Tap the bottom of the nose with a wet paper towel so that it blurs into the grass area. The nostrils are straight Ivory Black softened toward the bottom.
The right zebra is done the same, except Burnt Sienna is also worked into the sides of some of the stripes.
EYES: The whites of the eyes are actually a wash of Payne’s Gray. The iris is first based in with Burnt Sienna and then gone over with Ivory Black. When dry, the highlight is scraped out with the point of the X-acto knife.
Reinforce the dark areas with a drybrush of Ivory Black Look at the final painting as a reference. FOREGROUND: Reinforce with washes of Burnt Sienna and Burnt Sienna+Payne’s Gray. Blades of grass can be
pulled up with the same colors using the liner brush and thinned paint.
Designers Gouache Permanent White can be mixed with Raw Sienna for lighter blades of grass.
Designers Gouache Permanent White can also be dry- brushed in any stripe areas that need lightening. Spritz the ground with Burnt Sienna using your toothbrush and thinned down paint. Dry completely.
FINISHING
Lay your mat over the painting and decide where you would like it to be. Sign your piece with a sharp soft pencil. Trim off excess paper about a half inch to one inch smaller than the mounting board.
With acid free tape, or blue tape, hinge the painting from the top to the back of the mat. Never tape the paint- ing completely down to the board or the mat. If the paper swells or shrinks depending on the humidity, it will buckle if securely taped down.
Place in a frame with glass.
Cover the back with a dust jacket made from a piece of brown craft paper. Then attach wire with screw eyes stretched taunt one-third of the way down from the top.
Designs are 40% of original. Enlarge 250% for actual size.
For a free design at actual size, af- fix two first-class stamps to a #10 SASE and send to:
The Decorative Painter
Attn: GRAZING ZEBRAS ISSUE 4 - 2015
393 N. McLean Blvd. Wichita, KS 67203-5968. Allow four weeks for delivery.
artist’s sketch
Carole Sheftic is an artist and published author of an instructional book on acrylic canvas painting, with 40+ years of instructional experience, as well as a lifetime of painting experience. Before moving to Florida, Carole and her husband owned Carole‘s Craft Corner in western Pennsylvania for 20 years. She shared with her stu- dents the joys of oil, acrylic and watercolor painting. She currently teaches out of her studio two days a week and for SDP chapters in the area. You may write to Carole at csheftic@bellsouth.net. Visit her website at www. caroleshefticartist.com.
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The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 4, 2015 61