General Painting Information

Paints, Mediums and Finishes
DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paints and Gel Stains
DecoArt Americana Wood Sealer
DecoArt Americana Matte Finish Spray
DecoArt Americana Easy Float
DecoArt Americana Control Medium
DecoArt Americana Magic Brush Cleaner

Brushes:  Loew-Cornell
“La Corneille” Golden Taklon
Series 7000 Round #2, 6
Series 7050 Script Liner #18/0
Series 7300 Shader #2, 4, 8, 12, 16
Series 7350 Liner #0,2
Series 7550 Wash/Glaze # ¾

Basic Supplies

Graphite Paper
Tracing Paper
Small Silk Sea Sponge
Sponge Brushes (for applying wood sealer)
Sand Paper (120, 220 grit)
Loew-Cornell Brush Bin #383
Painter’s Tape
Palette Paper

Paper towels - I like Brawny
Cotton Swabs
Wood Putty
Tack Cloth
Stylus
Wood Glue
Circle Template
LC Fabric Brush series FAB #8, #10, #12

Terms and Techniques

Transferring the Pattern:  Trace the design pattern onto tracing paper.  Align the tracing on top of the surface to be painted and tape it in place.  Slip graphite paper, shiny side down, between tracing paper and the surface.  Re-trace the design using the end of a stylus or a pencil.  Press hard enough to transfer graphite, but light enough as not to indent the wood.  Initially, only transfer basic outlines.  You will transfer details after base painting.  I like to place the wood pieces where they will go on the main surface and lightly trace around their outline.  You will later shade or highlight next to these lines.  I also like to use a circle template to make sure the eyes are nice and round.

Basecoating: Always use the largest brush possible for each area to be base painted. Paint a nice even coat of paint, lightly sand with the 220 grit paper, then tack and paint again.  Depending on the color, you may need more than 2 or more coats.

Sponging: Wet your sea sponge and then squeeze out all moisture.  I squeeze mine in paper towels to pull out as much moisture as possible.  If you use a dry sponge, the paint will stick and dry on it and ruin it.  Dab the sponge in the paint and then pounce it on a dry paper towel to take out excess paint.  Sponge the area referred to in the specific instructions with a light pouncing motion.  Let some of the base color show through.  It is okay if the sponged paint gets onto other based areas. Since you will be doing all of the sponging first on each piece, you can touch up those areas with fresh paint before continuing.  When you are finished with your sponge, rinse it out immediately.

Floating (Shading/Highlighting):  My designs require a lot of floating to achieve the depth and dimension without outlining everything.  Practice, practice, practice.  And remember, the basic concept is the same, but your technique may vary from mine.  If it looks good, keep doing what you are doing.

I use a #14 shader or a ¾” wash/glaze brush for most of the shading.  The size of the float doesn’t necessarily depend on the size of the brush, but on how much paint you put on the brush.  Experiment with different sizes, but avoid using anything smaller than a #12 shader.

Dip your brush into the water, and drag it across the lip of the brush bin.  This will take out quite a bit of water, but leave it wet enough to help blend the paint.  Now dip a corner of the brush into the paint puddle.  Stroke your brush back and forth on the palette paper, in the same spot, to blend the paint across the brush. Let the bristles bend a little as it moves.  You should have color on one side, fading to no color on the other side.  You can achieve a wide float or a tiny float depending on how much paint you dip onto the brush.  Sometimes your brush may seem too wet after blending the paint.  Simply touch the blended brush lightly onto a paper towel then re-blend on the palette.  I sometimes pinch the ‘no-color’ side of the brush to pull out extra water.  If you make a mistake, quickly wipe off paint with a moist cotton swab and try again.

Stippling:  The stippling helps add depth and dimension to the floating.  I love the Loew-Cornell Fabric Brushes.  Choose the proper size for each area.  Touch the brush into the paint, and then pounce it on a layer of paper towels to pull out most of the paint.  You want to achieve the desired look through light layers, not one heavy coat.  Lightly pounce the brush on the painted surface creating a soft, airy look..  Pounce more where you want more paint, fading to almost nothing as you move away.  Study the photographs for help in stippling placement. 

Linework:  This with a liner brush.  Thin the paint with water to an ink consistency.  Drag and roll your brush through the paint, keeping it to a point.  Pull the bristles of the brush towards you.  By lifting up or pressing down, you can vary the thickness of the line.  Your hands might be shaky at first, but with practice you will find this to be quite simple.

Watercolor Technique:  Transfer your pattern onto any watercolor paper or even cardstock with a permanent, waterproof pen.  Let the pen set for a couple of hours, then lightly mist the paper with your matte spray finish.  This keeps the thinned paint from absorbing too fast.  Place one drop of paint on your palette and then drip several drops of water onto it and mix it up.  You want this to be very thin and transparent.  Dip a #5 round brush (or smaller) into the paint mixture, lift the brush and lightly touch a paper towel to pull the excess moisture out of the brush.  Now simply paint on the watercolor paper just like you did when you were a kid doing 'paint-by-number'.  It's that easy!  To shade your design, use the same color you based with, full strength, using the floating technique.  When your all done,  lightly mist the paper again with the matte spray.  Now you can transfer any pattern from this book, paint it, mat it, frame it….and you have a work of art!

Project Assembly:  Remember to sand the areas that will be glued together to ensure a good bond.  Use a wood glue or try E-6000.  You might want to use a small wood screw through the back into the second piece for added durability, especially for the larger heirloom pieces.