Tutorial Thursday

It is still Thursday here! Well, it was when I posted...

I thought I would show you some fun and easy ways to paint.

I have this belief that if someone wants to paint, they can.

Something that I do that helps me, is to doodle.  We all doodled on our books during school. The concept is still the same.

I doodle ideas on whatever I grab. I am going to make more of an effort to put them in a notebook, together by subject, or in one of those expandable plastic envelopes...we shall see!

Today, I took one of my doodles and put it on a 5x7 canvas panel.  No great talent was used--just some fun techniques. 

The great thing about mixed media, is you can use tools you feel comfortable using. I use paint, but many artists use various pens, and that is fine...just create!

I  gathered my favorite DecoArt products.  I use DecoArt Products, not simply because I am a helping Artist, and get some products free or at a discount, but because I think they are the best on the market for what I create.  I have used DecoArt Americana Paints for over 20 years.  I suggest that you give them a try if you haven't used them.

I covered the board with gesso, but I left it rough, for texture...it is all about the texture!

When the initial application was dried with the help of my hair dryer, I added more gesso with my pallet knife using punchinella as a stencil....then more drying. I kept this around the edges so I could paint my flower in the middle.

I based this with thinned Turquoise Blue.

This is what I call the ugly stage,  but oh, what fun!  In a perfect world, your background should have the colors that are in your design, but of course, that is what rules are for--to break! However,  I chose not to today. 

Just dry brush the colors on the background and keep adding to it until you like it. I  brushed the Turquoise Blue over the colors to tone them done.  

Just a note:  I used the Americana paints, which are opaque, for the most part.  IF I had used the Media Line, the look would have been totally different, since they are translucent, and you can build the colors on top of each other.  I love using them, but I wanted to use the products that most people have, or can find more readily to purchase.

The picture above shows that I used a chalk pencil 

to free-hand my design.  

I added the center with Mustard Seed.  It took 2 coats.

I added another coat of Mustard Seed to the center, 

and while it was wet, I added Country Red to to Bottom. 

 I rinsed my brush and added Titanium White to the top of the center.  This provides a highlight at the top and a shade at the bottom.  

The petals were added with 2 coats of Titanium White.

The stem and leaf were added with Foliage Green.  

Again, it took 2 coats.  

While the second coat was wet, I added Avocado to the 

edge of the leaf down the right side of the stem

and the center of the leaf.

I rinsed my brush and added Titanium White above the 

line in the leaf and on the left side of the stem.

Using Payne's Grey, I added lines around 

everything and added the lettering.  

This is something that can be done with a permanent marker 

and the lettering can be stenciled, 

but I like the imperfection of using my brush.  

This will sound funny, but when you are lining something, take a deep breath, and don't breath while you are lining.  Breathing will make your hand shake...I know, but it works!!

This is the finished piece.

I dry brushed Payne's Grey around the edge of the canvas and on the right side of the flower.
I also added some around the word and over some of the circles that were created with the gesso.  Just keep adding it until you like the look.  

I took an old credit card, and using the edge, drug it through Country Red and added it around the edge.
Next, I drug it through Marigold.
I finished by dragging it through some Titanium White.

Using an old top from a bottle of paint, I added circles with Foliage Green.
I finished with 2 partial circles in the bottom right with Titanium White and used the top from my Decoupage...

See...the colors of the flower were added to the background, and I think it ties it all together quite nicely!

In case you didn't know, Dry brushing simply means what the name implies.  Take a dry brush (I usually use an old flat brush that is dead) and add paint, but be sure to use VERY little paint, and wipe most of the paint off.  It is very similar to how you were taught to stencil.  More is less...You will be surprised how much paint gets into a brush.

I hope you will give some of these techniques a try.  You are more than welcome to ask me any questions you may have.  AND if you do try this, send me a picture of your project.  I would love to see it!

BLOOM...create something every chance you get...it feeds the soul!

I am simply blessed to create~~charlotte♡