Page 58 - The Decorative Painter - Fall 2019

STEP 2
Repeat the above process for each petal working from the uppermost top petal to the furthermost bottom petal.
CENTER POINSETTIA – SMALLER PETALS
Base: QM+RR+(TW) with No. 4 or No. 6 brush Shade: QM+BC-BC
Overstroke: RR
Bottom Vein Area: QM+BC
Highlight: CL+W-W
Follow the same steps as you did for center poinsettia –
larger petals, just use small petal colors.
RIGHT AND LEFT DARK POINSETTIA PETALS
Base: QM+RR+(TW) with No. 6 brush Shade: QM+BC-BC
Overstroke: RR
Bottom Vein Area: QM+BC
Highlight: CL+W-W
Follow same steps as you did for center poinsettia – larger
petals, just use right and left dark poinsettia colors.
LEAVES
Apply OC+IB at the base and up the vein area of the three leaves on the right and the leaf protruding from
the center poinsettia using whichever brush is more comfortable. The colors hugging together on the palette make it easier to load the brush with the color, working back and forth until you achieve the desired color and value.
See Step 1. Don’t use too much paint. Tip: If paint drags too much, dip the brush into the walnut medium, blot, then load the brush with the desired color.
• Paint each leaf at a time following each step before going on to the next leaf. Load the brush with OC+IB+CL+TW and fill in the rest of the leaves on the right, working from the top of the leaves down into the previous color application. Wipe the brush often and blend softly. See Step 2.
• Overstroke the leaf with OC+IB+CL+TW. Begin at the tip of the leaf and work down the narrow side of the leaf. The angle of the brush should be about 45 degrees; flatten out as you move down the leaf.
See Step 3. You may need to reload after you do a couple of strokes. Apply with more pressure on the outside edge and lift off as you drag the brush toward the center vein area. Repeat on the wider side of the leaf. This represents the growth lines in the leaf.
• Wipe off the brush and apply CL+TW-W highlight. This mixture should be a light ivory color. Apply
as desired, blending and wiping the brush often to control the highlight. Strengthen the dark value with BC+(IB) at the base of the leaf and up the vein area just a little. Soften the color wiping the brush.
See Step 4.
• Wipe off the brush. Drag the chisel edge of the brush up the vein and then on both sides of the leaf following the lines of the over-stroke. Don’t use too much pressure, or these lines will be too thick. See the finished painting. Repeat the above process for each of the leaves on the right side.
56 TheDecorativePainter • FALL 2019