Page 52 - The Decorative Painter Winter 2016

ENAMEL
PAINTING TIPS
n Always dip your dry brush in water and blot dry with a washcloth before you add paint.
n Use FolkArt Enamels Flow Medium to keep your enamel paint smooth and easy to apply. I keep a bit in a small Japanese ceramic soy sauce dish and dip the tip of my brush in it every few strokes – then wipe it back and forth on my palette to mix it with the paint, and I am ready to apply the paint to the glass.
n Run a hairdryer over your first coat to speed up drying time. Make sure your first coat is completely dry before you apply a second coat to the glass.
n If you ever have any sloppy edges that you don’t want, wait until the paint is dry, then gently scratch them away with a box cutter or craft knife before baking.
n When painting a light-colored petal over a dark green leaf, you can scratch away the green that would be behind the leaf with a box cutter or craft knife to keep the light color from discoloring when baking.
LET’S PAINT
STEMS
The stems appear in three places on the jar. Paint the stems using Burnt Umber in one coat only with your no. 2 liner brush. If you have any brush strokes showing, all the better, as your stems will look more realistic.
LARGE LEAVES
STEP 1: The large leaves appear in three places on the jar. Using a no. 12 flat brush, double-load with Thicket and Fresh Foliage, keeping the darker green on the outside of the leaf. You’ll do half of each leaf at a time. Using the chis- el edge, apply slight pressure and wiggle out and in as you create your leaf shape, working down to a point. Repeat the process on the other side. You might be more comfortable turning your jar upside down to paint the second half. Your first coat of paint on the glass will probably not look so great, but don’t despair! The beauty is in the second coat. Either wait for the leaves to dry or use a hairdryer to speed up the drying time. What you don’t want to
do is to apply a second coat to wet paint, as your brush will pick it right off. STEP 2: When the first coat is dry, repeat the process, making sure to com- pletely cover your first coat. Your leaves should now look vivid and opaque. To add the stem, using a no. 2 liner, mix a bit of Thicket with a few drops of FolkArt Enamels Flow Medium, then draw the brush from the outside toward the center of each leaf.
SMALL LEAVES
STEP 1: Double-load the no. 12 flat brush with Thicket and Fresh Foliage. Start at an angle at the base of the leaf and stroke upwards to a point, pressing down and then lifting up to a point. Repeat for all small leaves.
STEP 2: Repeat the process as you did with the larger leaves by letting the small leaves dry, then apply a second coat. To add the stem, using a no. 2 liner and Thicket mixed with a bit of FolkArt Enamels Flow Medium, draw the stem from the outside toward the center of each leaf. Add any thin wavy embellish- ments now with the no. 2 liner or you can wait until everything else is painted.
50 The Decorative Painter
• ISSUE NO. 4, 2016 DECORATIVEPAINTERS.ORG