Celebrate the season with colorful—not to mention wearable

Project | beginner
Acrylic
C elebrate the season
with colorful—not to
mention wearable—
pumpkin patchwork.
Doxie Keller TDA
hese patches will be the correct
size on medium to 2x sweatshirts, but you may want to
reduce the size of the patches
and designs if using a smaller shirt.
Wouldn’t these patches also look
cute on pillows or a denim jacket or
jeans?
T
SURFACE
The gold-colored sweatshirt is
available from Angel Thyme Designs,
14005A Midland Road, Poway, CA
92064, phone/fax (858) 486-7588.
PALETTE
DECOART SOSOFT FABRIC ACRYLICS
Cadmium Orange
Christmas Green
Christmas Red
Green Apple
Hauser Dark Green
Lamp Black
Primary Yellow
Tangerine
Ultra White
BRUSHES
LOEW-CORNELL INC.
Series 796 nos. 8 and 10 white
nylon shaders
Series 798 1⁄2- or 3⁄4-inch white
nylon flat wash
Series 800 no. 1 or 2 script liner
Series 1040 Checkerboard
Double-Time no. 10 brush
DECOART SOSOFT SHIMMERING PEARLS
Light Teal
DECOART SOSOFT FASHION SEQUINS
WRITERS
Festive Red
Lime Fizz
Turquoise Sparkle
Orange Blaze
SUPPLIES
1
⁄2 yard permanent press muslin
Assorted buttons (black, lime
green, orange, and yellow)
Black embroidery thread
Crewel needles with large eyes
DecoArt SoSoft Transparent
Medium
Design shown at actual size.
Project | beginner
Acrylic
Color Step by Step
BASECOAT
SHADE
AND
HIGHLIGHT
DETAIL
Freezer paper
Maple tree leaf (fresh, not dry)
Paper towels
Sakura Identi-Pen (black)
Water container
PREPARATION
Wash and iron the muslin, then
cut into the following sizes: 71⁄2 by 16
inches, 9 by 10 inches and 43⁄4 by 7
inches. Place the patches over the
designs and trace using a single line
of the permanent marker. (The double-line is optional and should be
done after the paints are completely
dry.) Iron freezer paper to the back
side of each patch.
CHECKERBOARD
Paint the checkerboard and let dry
before painting the pumpkin and leaf
motifs. Practice painting the checkerboard on paper before applying to the
muslin. Load the Checkerboard brush
in Lamp Black. Paint the checks from
side to side, keeping the brush perpendicular to the surface. Apply no
extra pressure to keep the checks consistent. Repeat the checkerboard pattern on a second row, as illustrated on
page 55.
USING TRANSPARENT MEDIUM
Paint the pumpkins, flowers and
leaves by generously loading the 1⁄2- or
3
⁄4-inch flat brush with transparent
medium. Apply the medium to the
object being painted, saturating the
fabric, and then pick up color with the
transparent medium and apply to the
patch. If the transparent medium
dries, apply more. You must complete
the entire painting process of an
object in one sitting; you cannot, for
instance, add shading later. I recom-
mend painting all the leaves in one
sitting, then all the flowers, and so on.
LET’S PAINT
CURVY LEAVES
Apply transparent medium to the
leaves. Touch the corner of the brush
into Green Apple and quickly spread
onto the left side of the leaf. Add
Christmas Green to the middle of the
leaf and Hauser Dark Green to the
right side. The transparent medium
makes the blending quite easy and
fast. Blend where the two colors
meet. You can add touches of Christmas Red or a touch of Christmas
Red+Christmas Green (1:1), a dark
brown. Complete all leaves and let
dry for about 30 minutes while you
paint the flowers and pumpkins.
Add glitz by applying a string or
narrow outline of Fashion Sequins. I
used Turquoise Sparkle on the dark side
continued on page 56
The Decorative Painter
Issue No. 5, 2006
53
Design shown at actual size.
54
The Decorative Painter
Issue No. 5, 2006
Project | beginner
Acrylic
Loew-Cornell’s
Checkerboard Double-Time
no. 10 brush makes
painting checks a breeze.
The Decorative Painter
Issue No. 5, 2006
55
Project | beginner
Acrylic
place a clean paper towel
over the leaf and gently
rub. Remove the leaf and
let dry. Add glitz by using
the Fashion Sequins product. Outline with single or
double lines using the
Identi-Pen.
FLOWERS
Now apply transparent
medium to the flowers.
Dip a corner of the 1⁄2-inch
flat brush in Light Teal.
Add Ultra White to the
Light Teal for the light side
or allow the fabric to be
the highlight area. For the
dark area, add Hauser Dark
Green to the Light Teal. Let
dry for about 30 minutes.
Outline the darker areas of
the petals with Turquoise
Sparkle. Brush out, leaving
a heavy application of the
glitter sequins. Add Lime
Fizz to the light side.
and Lime Fizz on the light side. Pat
and gently pull the Fashion Sequins
paint from the edge toward the center.
This may look like a heavy application, but it will settle as it dries.
STAMPED MAPLE LEAF
Place a fresh leaf, wrong side up,
on a paper towel and dab on a lot of
paint (without transparent medium).
I used Green Apple, Christmas Red, Primary Yellow and Cadmium Orange.
Slightly blend the colors. Place the
leaf, paint side down, onto the patch,
56
The Decorative Painter
PUMPKINS
Use the large flat brush
to base the back pumpkin
with transparent medium.
Paint the entire pumpkin
with Primary Yellow. Add
Tangerine for the next
value, and then use Ultra
White+Primary Yellow for
the lightest areas in the
center of the pumpkin.
Darken the edge of each section
with Christmas Red. Use Christmas
Red+Christmas Green (1:1), a brown,
for the darkest values.
Paint the front pumpkin in a similar fashion, but keep the entire
pumpkin a bit lighter in value. Refer
to the photo and step-by-step color
worksheet.
OUTLINING
When the paint is dry, use the
Identi-Pen to finish outlining, if
desired.
Issue No. 5, 2006
STITCHING
Pin or baste the patches in place
using a light color of sewing thread.
Thread the crewel needle with six
strands of embroidery thread and sew
a running stitch all around the
muslin patch. Optional: Cut off the
bottom of the shirt just above the
double-stitched line. Fold over
1
⁄2 inch and sew a black running stitch
all around the bottom of the shirt.
BUTTONS
Add buttons to the pumpkins to
help hold the patches in place as
well as to add a funky look. You
could also sew a running stitch over
the unpainted part of the patch to
hold it in place.
FINISHING
No heat-setting is needed on
DecoArt fabric paints. For pressing
shirts after washing, place a paper
towel or press cloth between the
ironing board and the shirt and
between the paint and the iron. Be
sure to press with the wrong side out.
To launder, turn the shirt inside out
and wash on gentle cycle with a gentle detergent. Hang to dry. y
Artist’s Sketch
Doxie Keller TDA has
been painting since
1964. She teaches all
levels but is especially
interested in sparking
the interest of beginners. Doxie has served
twice as SDP President and is
currently a board member-at-large.
One of her accomplishments as
president in 2000 was to appoint
and guide a task force in the creation
of the Teacher Development Program
(TDP), which helps new and experienced decorative painting instructors
improve their teaching skills.
You may write to Doxie at 127 W.
30th Ave., Hutchinson, KS 67502-3459
or e-mail doxie@southwind.net.
is the
brand of choice.
WHY?
Because it's used by
more painting teachers
and published artists
than any other brand.
Excellent Quality
Premium Pigmentation
Superior Coverage
Beautiful Colors
Stanford, KY 40484
www.decoart.com
U se an intense black
background to assist
in shadow making
and to add drama
to a simple still life.
Diana Mercado de Biolé
resh-picked peppers, like all
fresh produce, add enormous
flavor to homemade dishes. In
this painting, you’ll experience vibrant color, bright highlights and high contrasts to match
the intensity of peppers.
F
SURFACE
You may purchase this exact surface by contacting the artist at
+54-353-4950324 or dianamercado@infovia.com.ar, or use a
framed wooden or masonite panel
with an interior frame opening of
113⁄4 by 171⁄4 inches.
PALETTE
DALER-ROWNEY GEORGIAN OILS
Alizarin Crimson
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Yellow
French Ultramarine
Ivory Black
Raw Umber
Titanium White
Yellow Ochre
BRUSHES
SILVER FALCON BRUSHES
Series 585 no. 5/0 liner
photos/Steve Gerig
Series 730 no. 8 Soft Mini-Mop
Series 3155 nos. 4, 6 and 8
Pure Sable short shaders
SUPPLIES
1
⁄2-inch Scotch Magic Tape
400- and 600-grit sandpaper
DecoArt Americana Sealer/
Finisher (matte)
Delta Ceramcoat Black acrylic
Fine-pore sponge roller
J.W. etc. Right-Step Varnish
(satin) and First-Step
Wood Sealer
Metal spatula
Mona Lisa Super Film
sanding paper
Odorless brush cleaner
Paper towels
Tracing paper
White transfer paper
Winsor & Newton Blending &
Glazing Medium
PREPARATION
Seal the wood with a waterbased sealer. Using the sponge
roller, paint the background and
molding with two coats of Black
acrylic. Move the roller in every
direction without lifting it until
you feel resistance. This will pre-
vent the formation of bubbles.
Remove any particles that are on
the surface. Let dry, then sand.
Let dry for several hours, then
lightly spray with Americana
Acrylic Sealer/Finisher. Let dry for
at least 15 to 20 minutes. Attach the
design to the surface using Magic
tape, slip a piece of white transfer
paper between the design and the
surface, then transfer the design
using light pressure.
PAINTING TIPS
■ The scale of values will help
create shape and volume in the
objects, thus helping to create realism of a three-dimensional object.
■ When preparing a scale of values, start with the medium value by
setting it in the middle of the
palette. When you prepare the
light values, add the dark values to
the light ones in small amounts
so that you avoid adding more
paint than necessary. When
you prepare the dark values,
add the light colors in small
amounts as well.
■ Clean the spatula every time
you add a new color or mix colors to
preserve the integrity of the colors.
Project | intermediate
Picka
Pepper
Oil
sweep a mop brush over the tissue to
remove the excess. Remove the
paper and sweep the mop again.
■ Due to the high contrast
between highlight and background
values, you may need to apply the
corresponding values twice in order
to achieve a good coating.
LET’S PAINT
STAGE 1
RED PEPPERS
Create the following mixes:
Light: Medium value+Titanium
White+touch of Yellow Ochre
Medium: Cadmium Red+Alizarin
Crimson+touch of Yellow
Ochre
Dark: Medium value+Alizarin
Crimson+French Ultramarine
Referring to the Value Placement
Guide and using the no. 6 brush,
place on the values of the red peppers. Apply from the lighter values
to the darker values, loading the
brush with small quantities.
Every time you change the value
remember to unload the paint on a
napkin. And when applying color,
you should position the brush half on
the first value and half on the next
value in order to achieve an intermediate value.
Use short brush strokes in different directions to help integrate the
values. Position the brush no more
than 30 to 40 degrees to the surface
in order to allow even paint distribution without leaving brush strokes.
Should the surface have an excess of
oil paint, place a single ply of tissue
paper on the paint and then gently
60
The Decorative Painter
YELLOW PEPPERS
Create the following mixes:
Light: Medium value+Titanium
White
Medium: Cadmium Yellow+
Yellow Ochre+Titanium
White+touch of Raw Umber+
touch of Ivory Black
Dark: Medium value+Raw
Umber+Ivory Black
Again referring to the Value Placement Guide and using the no. 6
brush, place the values of the yellow
peppers. Use the same painting methods as you used for the red peppers.
STEMS
Create the following mixes:
Light: Medium value+Titanium
White
Medium: Cadmium Yellow+Ivory
Black+Titanium White
Dark: Medium value+Ivory Black
Referring to the Value Placement
Guide and using the no. 2 brush,
place the values of the stems. Use
the same painting methods as you
used for the peppers.
STAGE 2
Apply acrylic sealer/finisher to
accelerate the drying of the oils and
to create a soft texture. This also prevents dust from settling onto the
paint. Let dry for 15 to 20 minutes. If
you don’t want to spray the painting
with the acrylic sealer, store the
painting in a dust-free environment
until it is fully dry. Note that this
method will take more time.
Very gently apply a thin coat of
Blending & Glazing Medium over
the painting elements, one at a time.
Note that even if you used the
acrylic sealer spray, the oil paint is
not fully cured.
In Stage 2 you will intensify the
lights and shadows, as well as add
shadows. Use the brush you used for
Issue No. 5, 2006
each element in Stage 1. If possible,
use separate brushes for lights and
shadows. If you must use the same
brush, load it with the color you have
to continue painting, unload on a napkin until you can’t see any trace of the
previous color and then load again.
In this stage you’ll notice that as
an object comes closer to the source
of light, it becomes lighter, brighter
and warmer. As the object moves
away from the source of light, it
becomes darker, murkier and colder.
Reflected light is a light or highlight that manifests itself on a shadow
area. We know that an element does
not capture only one beam of light.
First the light strikes with a higher
intensity at the object area that is
closer to the source of light (highlight
area). Then, this light is filtered,
rebounds in the background and
reflects itself on the same object that
is opposite from the source of light.
This is where we have to be careful
and consider that the reflected light
strikes on a cold shadow area; therefore, we add blue pigment to the
white. It should never be brighter
than the primary light.
RED PEPPERS
Intense Lights: Light value+
Titanium White
Intense Shadows: Dark value+
Ivory Black
YELLOW PEPPERS
Intense Lights: Light value+
Titanium White
Intense Shadows: Dark value+
Ivory Black+Raw Umber
STEMS
Intense Lights: Light value+
Titanium White
Intense Shadows: Dark value+
Ivory Black
CAST SHADOWS
Paint the cast shadows on the
peppers with Ivory Black.