Page 87 - The Decorative Painter Winter 2014

OIL
COOL LEAVES
Light Value: Mid Value+Titanium White
Mid Value: Oxide of Chromium+Titanium White+Ivory Black
Dark Value: Mid Value+Ivory Black
Basecoat the leaves with a thin coat of Mid Value, blending it softly. Wipe the
brush well on a paper towel. Apply the Dark Value and then the Light Value, blending well. The Dark Value is also applied across the leaves where the veins will be painted.
Next, strengthen the Light Value by adding the Titanium White highlight. Wipe the brush very well on a paper towel. Pick up Titanium White alone, and apply this to the center of the Light Value, blending well.
PAINTING TIPS
Carefully review these tips before painting, and refer back to them as you progr from step to step.
n When creating a mix, pull the first color listed down from a puddle. Pick up the next
color in the same way, and mix them with your brush. The first color described for the mixture is the predominant one. Use a smaller amount of paint for the second color, and just a touch of the last color listed.
n When working with oils, use small amounts of paint. When a color change is called for, gently wipe the brush on a paper towel, removing as much paint as is possible. Clean the brush with brush cleaner only at the end of your painting day.
n Basecoat the objects by blocking them in one at a time (for example, paint each petal one at a time). The different values are applied side by side on each petal. This basic step allow you to easily create the entire object (for instance, the rose) without having to search for the drawing lines. It is much easier to blend and to create depth within each section. Making sure that there are no hard lines between
the values will allow the color to appear soft and natural when blended.
n Begin painting with three values: Mid, Light, and Dark. Blend only where
each value meets the other. When the values are blended, add the high- lights and the darkest values using a very small amount of paint. Wipe the brush well in a dry paper towel, and then blend again at the darkest and lightest values’ edges. These color mixes are listed in the instructions.
n The last step is adding tints. These accent colors give balance to the overall painted
piece. Pick up a very small amount of color from one object, and apply in specific areas on the other objects to create balance.
n A wet-on-wet technique is used when the basic values are applied to blend the colors. With a light and
gentle motion, blend the colors (while wet) only where each value meets another. Wipe the brush on a dry pa- per towel and continue until the edges of the values transition smoothly from one to another. Do not over-blend, or the colors will become muddy and lack variation.
n When the blending is complete and the painting process is done, allow the piece to dry completely.
n With a dry-brush technique, add more paint to strengthen the values. Use a circular motion to blend them to- gether. The paint is only applied to specific places, where the darkest and the lightest areas appear. The blending is done on the dry surface as well, limiting the value to precise areas. This technique reinforces the darks, the
highlights, and the accent colors.
n To create more harmony on the overall painting project, add the accent colors from one object to another, randomly.
dEcOratIvEpaINtErS.Org The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 4, 2014 85
ess