Page 94 - The Decorative Painter Winter 2015

Once upon a time...
I stayed at a resort where the bed was simply ‘delicious!’
It was so remarkably comfortable, in fact, that the hotel provided its guests a recipe for recreating the same bed
at home. The princess in Hans Christian Anderson’s Danish fairy tale couldn’t sleep on a stack of 20 mattresses and 20 featherbeds because of the irritating pea hidden beneath—she was that sensitive! It’s no fairy-tale that the bedrock of your painting will affect what lies above. In our previous FUNdamentals article we detailed proper surface preparation. Once your surface is prepared, it’s ready to
be decorated. Here is a recipe for you to create beautiful paintings from the bottom, up.
We call the bottom coat of paint a ‘basecoat.’ Our deco- rative painting evolves in layers, like a carefully made bed. ‘Basecoat’ might be a noun or a verb. Painting instructions may tell you to ‘basecoat’ or ‘base’ an area in a specific color of paint.
When basing a surface, it’s relatively easy to do the whole thing in one color. Keeping it smooth, avoiding ridges and bubbles is the goal. To do this, be sure your prepped surface is dust-free and work with thin enough paint, but not too runny. Gauging the proper consistency comes with practice. Be sure your paint is well mixed from the tube or bottle before applying to your surface. Some paints may need added water or medium while oth- ers are just right when dispensed. Use a large brush or ap- plicator and pay attention to the edges of your surface to catch drips. Dry between coats to prevent lifting previous layers of paint or creating an undesirable texture.
If you get an unsightly ridge of paint, sand it smooth before applying your second coat. A folded blank paper may be the right grit for the job. Don’t assume that another layer of paint will cover up a problem in the basecoat—fix it before moving on.
You may want several different basecoat colors over the first basecoat. These will eventually be layered upon
by Nanette Hilton
with more paint. Remember: You can basecoat in acryl- ics and apply oils atop, but not the reverse. Acrylics dry faster and are less expensive than oils, making them a basecoating mainstay.
We often apply a pattern, template or cartoon to guide us in these color applications. Graphite, chalk pencils and transfer paper are tools for creating guidelines.
Transfer papers allow us to trace guidelines and have a removable line appear on our prepared surface under- neath. Transfer papers come in many colors of graphite, chalk or wax.
Some of my favorite tools include General’s Charcoal White Pencil, which has been around since 1889, and Stabilo’s Aquarellable All Pencil, which comes in eight colors and disappears with water. Transfer papers in my collection include Saral’s graphite paper because it contains no wax or oil to prevent ink or paint from adhering and Mona Lisa’s Super Chacopapers in blue and white because they disappear with water. Experiment to find what works for you.
Once you have a guide for applying your basecoat colors, use the largest brush you can manage and fresh, flowing paint. (Old, gloopy paint creates a terrible basecoat.) Don’t outline as you paint but rather, begin at the center of an area and work your paint to the outer edges gradually; you’re less likely to create an edge-ridge this way. Maintain shapes as you base in an area. Don’t let them grow-as-you-go by trying to smooth down ridges. If you’re getting ridges, use thinner and less paint in your brush.
Some people find basecoating relaxing. Other people, like me, find it a Cinderella-chore. (My kids feel that way about making their beds, too.) But really, the quality of your basecoat will be seen in every layer and stroke of paint you apply on top. So, treat yourself like a princess; set up a base- coating station with music, audio book or TV and snacks fit for royalty. Follow this recipe for basecoating basics and you’ll be painting happily ever after!
92 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 4, 2015
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