Spring Blossoms!by Cindy Mann Vitale

Spring Blossoms!By Cindy Mann Vitale

Palette: DecoArt Americana AcrylicsAvocado #13052 Avocado Dip #13248Baby Blue #13042 Blue Harbor #13283Camel #13191 Cashmere Beige #13091Citron Green #13235 Espresso #13261Grape Juice #13236 Hauser Dark Green #13133Honey Brown #13163 Lamp Black #13067Light Buttermilk #13164 Limeade #13206Moon Yellow #13007 Navy Blue #13035Pink Chiffon #13192 Poodleskirt Pink #13257Raw Sienna #13093 Razzle Berry #13266Red Violet #13140 Spa Blue #13267Warm White #13239 Wisteria #13211

Surface:Framed Signboard #62319

Misc. Supplies:Deco Art Staining/ Antiquing Medium #84126Dura Clear Matte Varnish #87395Americana Matte Spray Finish, optional.005 Black Sakura Micron 6 Pen Set #70131

Brushes: Papillon by the Artist’s ClubRound, size 2 #20158; size 5 #20162; size 8 #20164Liner, size 1 #20147Glaze Wash, size 1” #20103

Preparation:Before We Begin…This is a note to encourage you, especially if you are trying my technique for the fi rst time!I never, never worry about being perfect! I gave that up years ago! Strive to create an acceptable result, keeping in mind that most errors and mistakes are never discerned by anyone but you!Relax, and have fun! Enjoy the experience, and give yourself permission to not be perfect!Good is Good Enough!

A Note about BrushesUse a brush size that’s in proportion for the area in which you are working, and is the best fi t for you. I use round brushes for almost all of my painting, basing, and shading. The only time I use a fl at or wash brush is for very large areas of base coating, antiquing, and varnishing. My Technique for Painting on WoodI almost always paint on unsealed, or raw wood. The only exceptions would be wood that is damaged, or stained. 1

In that circumstance, I would use a sealer, and possibly even gesso, to conceal the fl aws. As a rule, I paint on new wood, but with a bit of prep you can use older items for a trash to treasure theme! In fact, I love to collect antique and vintage items! These old fi nds are perfect to create a unique painting surface.

Since I use so much water in my applications, the raw wood absorbs much of the moisture, and this will often cause the wood grain to raise during the painting process. If this should happen, lightly sand with a piece of Kraft paper, (or brown grocery bag), to smooth down the surface again. This technique can be used during the base coating, shading, or varnishing process as long as the applica-tion is completely dry. If you are uncomfortable painting on the raw wood, then use the method that is most familiar for you.

Tips for Basing I use diluted applications of paint for base coating, approximately 50-50 water to paint as a start point.I gauge this according to the thickness of the paint, and the color I am using. Diluting too much gives a poor base coat, and yet, the paint should glide smoothly over the surface with no drag. Using diluted applications of paint is how I achieve a soft watercolor effect. It’s necessary to create a strong base coat to maintain the color and to support the shading appli-cation. To duplicate my results you need to create a balance of base color and shading. Otherwise, the base color is weak, and can be distorted, giving an undesirable result for the entire design.If you choose to use antiquing as an option for fi nishing, then a weak base coat will affect those results as well.

You may need to increase the ratio of paint to water, or apply more than one application, to build up the basecoat color to be strong enough to support the shading applications. If you are unsure of the base coat test a small area with a shading application. If the color looks weak, then quickly remove by washing off the area with a clean brush fi lled with water, and allow to dry. Apply another application of base color to deepen, allow to dry. Don’t be concerned if the shading area is slightly stained. The next application of shading will conceal that area. Never apply another coat of basing or shading until the previous application has thoroughly dried.Each step or application must be thoroughly dry before moving on to the next step. This is also true for varnishing and antiquing.

Tips for ShadingI use diluted applications of paint for my shading, just as I do for basing. Begin with approximately a 50-50 ratio of water to paint for most colors, with the exception of deep colors like black or dark blue. Then a higher ratio of water would be needed, such as 95 % water to 5 % paint, to start. Once you become more familiar with the technique, the ratio of water will become second nature for correct results. Trial and error is the best teacher, with consistent practice. Shading is not completed in a one-step application, but requires several applications of the paint/water mixture to build to the desired fi nished effect. For some of the darker results, I apply up to 4 or 5 shading layers.I use a liner brush for basing in very small areas, and rounds for the remainder of the shading process. I fi ll only the tip of a damp, round brush with the paint/water mixture, and rub it into the wood by moving the brush back and forth over the surface. Moving from the edges of the area being shaded outward, allows for the brush to empty out as you move toward the center, and the shading color fades into the base color.

Using the sides of the brush is what creates the soft washes of color, with no harsh edges.Using only the tip of the brush will create stripes or streaks, and harsh lines.

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Shading with this method will cause the brush to become frayed out at the end, but that is exactly what I want, because that gives me more brush surface to create the soft watercolor effect. My brushes have lasted for many years despite the rough treatment. I keep a set of rounds in original condition for painting fi ne points and details.The liners are for the fi ne detailing, and the glaze/wash brush for varnishing and antiquing.

Tips for AntiquingThe antiquing is a fi nal step to dull down the paint for an aged effect. For a more primitive result, consider sanding the edges of the board, and use a heavier fi nal application of antiquing, which will stain the ex-posed wood, and give a worn appearance. The colors will lose their crisp, clean effect.

In the antiquing process, a weak base of color will allow the antiquing to grab the wood grain and dominate the fi nal effect. If the base coat is too light or weak, the project will have a darker brown, or even a muddy appearance. Now we’re ready to actually begin painting…Fill in holes, if needed, lightly sand, and wipe away dust.

Base coat the entire interior surface of the board with Light Buttermilk. Allow to dry.

Transfer the lettering, outer shape of the birds, fl owers, stems, leaves and cornucopia basket.Do not transfer the eyes or beaks of the birds, the veining or detailing of the fl owers, or leaves, and the polka dots on the basket. All interior details should be added after the base coating and/or shading are completed.

Painting Instructions:As you paint the design, pull out some of the shading colors onto the background to co-ordinate with the adjacent areas.

The LetteringBase in with Poodleskirt Pink, then shade with Razzle Berry. Apply the shading so that some of the original

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base color shows through, and there is a defi nite variation from dark to light on each letter.

The BirdsBase in the face and breast with Warm White.Use Baby Blue to paint a thin line of color around top of head, and base in the wings and tails.Shade the blue areas with Navy Blue, and use diluted Navy Blue to shade under the face to defi ne.Transfer or freehand the eyes and beak.Paint in the beak with Moon Yellow. Shade with Raw Sienna.Paint on the eyes with Lamp Black. Try to avoid painting them perfectly round.Eyebrows and feet will be drawn on later with pen.

The Cornucopia BasketBase in the center area ( with the polka dots ) with Light Buttermilk. Shade with Honey Brown.Freehand or transfer the polka dots, and base with Warm White. Shade with Honey Brown. The stripes: Base the white stripes with Warm White.Base in the brown stripes with Camel. Shade all with Honey Brown.Base in the curly tail with Camel. Shade with Honey Brown.Base in the trim with Cashmere Beige. Shade with Espresso.Transfer or freehand contrasting bands. Paint on using Camel. Shade with Honey Brown.

Tulips, Stems and LeavesBase in fl owers with Pink Chiffon. Shade with Poodleskirt Pink. Use Razzle Berry to add a third layer of shading to create deeper accents between petals, and also to paint on thin veining in varying lengths from the base of the petal out toward the petal tips. Use Warm White to shade over the tips of some of the petals to lighten. If this seems too light in contrast to the Light Buttermilk background, the inking will defi ne the edges. Base in the stems, and the two large tulip leaves with Limeade. Shade with Hauser Dark Green.

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The Purple Flowers and LeavesBase in the fl owers with Wisteria. Shade using Red Violet and Grape Juice alternately so that each fl ower is slightly different in color for variation and interest. Base in the leaves with Avocado Dip. Shade with Avocado, and paint a vein down the center. Base in the stems with Cashmere Beige. Shade with Espresso.

Blue Flowers and StemsBase in the petals with Spa Blue. Shade with Blue Harbor. Add a third layer of shading using Navy Blue for additional contrast, only at the base of a few pet-als.Paint on thin line of veining on all petals with Navy Blue, from base out toward the tips, in varying lengths. Base in the stems with Citron Green. Shade with Hauser Green Dark.

Finishing:When all the paint has thoroughly dried, brush on a thin, even application of varnish.Using a damp glaze/ wash brush, dip into diluted varnish ( approx. 50-50 varnish to water ) and brush on a light even coat. Allow to dry and repeat for complete coverage. I do not like a heavy, shiny fi nish. The surface should be adequately sealed, so when the antiquing is brushed on later, it will not grab into the grain of the wood and cause dark staining.

Allow the varnish to completely dry, and then apply antiquing using the same size of brush.Mix antiquing Deco Art Staining/ Antiquing Medium with some of the Espresso in a ratio of 50-50.Mix a small quantity to be sure you are satisfi ed with the results. Test on a scrap surface, and if this seems too dark, use a lighter brown. Keep in mind, that you will use a smaller amount of antiquing because you only apply what is needed, and then brush out for maximum coverage. There is little to no waste with this technique.If mixture seems too thick, add a small amount of water to the brush before loading.

Work in small grids, brush mixture over the surface, pulling out as far as possible to empty the brush. Refi ll brush, and repeat until entire surface is covered, blending the edges as you work, for even coverage. Allow to completely dry. The process can be repeated, if needed, to darken if needed. You can add extra antiquing to accent certain areas, such as the corners, with the glaze brush, or a small round brush for smaller areas.

As an option, you can outline the fi nished design with the .005 permanent ink pen.This technique pulls out design elements and is an easy way to add fi ne details that would be dif-fi cult with a brush and paint. Outline all shapes and designs. Add swirls inside the polka dots, and to the purple fl ower sprays, accent the veining on the leaves, add eyes to the birds, and any other design element you would like to accent can be enhanced with the pen.

Spatter using a spatter tool, or a toothbrush. Spattering for a design such as this could include a lot of color choices, such as black, dark brown, dark green, or even a wine or dark blue color. Any of these choices would pick up colors from the design palette. For this project, I spattered with Espresso.

As an option, for a protective fi nish I suggest using Americana Matte: Spray sealer.Brushing over the inking can cause bleeding.I usually apply two very light coats, allowing ample drying time, in between coats. Refer to direc-tions printed on the can to ensure results.

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To display the board, attach a saw tooth hanger. Thanks for painting with me!

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Pattern at 100%

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Pattern at 100%

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1” x 1”

To ensure your

pattern is at 100%,

this box should

measure 1” x 1” when

printed.

Pattern at 100%

Copyright 2011 Cindy Mann Vitale and Crafts Americana Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. #331542

No. *A331542*© Artist’s Club ®. All rights reserved. For private, non-commercial use only. Please see our web site for terms of use.