Tips, Terms, Techniques and Tutorials
*TO WATCH THE VIDEO ON TRACY'S MOPPING TECHNIQUE SCROLL TO BOTTOM OF PAGE*
Definitions: "Decorative painting is a diverse art form utilizing a variety of techniques and media to decorate functional and non-functional surfaces. Because of the systematic methods employed, contemporary decorative painting is a highly teachable art form. The patterns or freehand designs allow a high degree of success without academic training or inherent drawing ability. Approached with creativity, discipline and craftsmanship, contemporary decorative painting offers opportunities for artistic self-expression and creative satisfaction." (for more on SDP visit www.decorativepainters.org )
Decorative Painting: According to the Society of Decorative Painters (SDP)
Lesson Packets: A Lesson Packet is assembled by the designing artist as a guide for others to re-create the design featured in the packet photograph. A Lesson Packet generally includes Written Instructions, Photographs & a Line Drawing. The Written Instruction sheet lists the supplies needed for painting the design, and the step by step instructions, including techniques, colors used and the order of process. The photographs allow the student to see the finished project and often (but not always) include close-ups of harder to see areas. The line drawing allows the student to trace and transfer the design to the surface, eliminating the need for free-hand drawing abilities.
* A very important tip that I can give you is to "take your time." Slow down, enjoy the process as you look toward the end result. The slow process of layering your shadows and highlights will produce a much nicer painting than applying heavy coats to just get the painting done. Part of painting is learning, and every time we paint we can learn something if we slow down and work through the painting. My packets require layer after layer of applications. If I begin to mop a shadow on and it is too light, I don't stress and wipe it off, instead I let it dry and apply it again & again. My paintings are worked, not just painted. Constant evaluation is key for this approach. Painting is fun, not just the finishing of a painting is fun.......so slow down and enjoy. * Apply a coat of Jo Sonja Clear Glaze Medium to your painted surface before varnishing. This creates a barrier between the painting and the varnish. Varnish has properties in it that can re-activate paint and cause the paint to move or smear. Just one coat of Glazing Medium prevents that from happening. *this product is available in Tracy's web store.
* Creating Form and Depth with painting techniques. Refer to the sample board below. 1 2 3 4 The branch needles were done using a script liner brush starting with a medium color and then continually adding more needles with darker colors, and then lighter colors, until the branch is full and has shaded and highlighted variation.
TIPS: Listed here are tips for successful results when painting Tracy's Designs. The tips apply to the use of Acrylic paint.
FLOATED COLOR
Floated color is achieved by following specific steps in side loading a shader brush. There are two types of shader brushes; a flat shader and an angle shader; I prefer a flat shader.
To side-load the brush and float the paint; first completely wet the brush and blot all of the water out. Be sure and wipe any water off of the metal ferrule as well so that it doesn’t drip down into the bristles and give you more water than you want.
Next go back and dip your brush into the water about 3/4 of the way up the bristles. Lightly blot the bristles on a paper towel, turn the brush around and lightly blot again. Now dip a corner of the brush into a puddle of paint on your palette. Bring the brush over to a piece of disposable palette paper or a piece of wax paper and work the paint into the bristles by stroking the brush flat on the paper. Go over the same spot a few times, turn the brush over and work the paint into the bristles on the other side in a different place on the wax paper. Now apply the paint to your surface by putting the full width of the brush down and pulling. This is a basic and most common technique in decorative painting but takes some time and practice to master.
Since the idea is to use the water in the brush to help float your paint across the bristles for a tapered stroke I use and recommend a larger size shader brush such as a 10, 12 or 14. For a smaller float, you can still use a large shader brush just load a smaller corner, or in other words, apply less paint to a tiny piece of the brush corner.
Common Mistakes - Too much water blotting: If you blot the brush on the paper towel too long you will remove too much water from the bristles and you need the water to make the paint bleed across the bristles properly. You end up with a dry drag across the painting instead of a smooth stroke. Not enough blotting: too much blotting takes too much water out of the brush whereas not enough blotting will leave you with too much in the brush and the paint will bleed all across the brush and give you a ghost line of paint where it should have tapered off to clear. Not staying in one place: When working the paint into the bristles on wax paper by repeating the stroking in the same spot you are picking the paint back up, if you don’t repeat the stroking in the same place then you are leaving the paint behind in different places on the wax paper and it will be dry when you try to apply it to your painting surface. Letting the paint cover the whole brush: When working the paint into the bristles on the wax paper, do not bring the water side of the brush into the paint on the wax paper. You want the paint to start strong on the end you dipped into paint but then to taper into plain water over to the other side of the brush. If paint touches the side of the brush that is to be only water it won’t taper off properly. Wrong use of brush: Applying the paint by only pressing down on the brush corner instead of the whole width of the brush won’t provide the desired effect. If you don’t put the full width of the brush down to stroke it on your surface you are not using the water to help the paint float and taper across the brush. A wash is paint that has been watered down with water which lightens the intensity of the color making it lighter or less vivid. When creating and using a wash; add water to paint on your palette. Once the water is added to the paint and the wash is created, completely blot your brush out on a paper towel. Go back and pick up a tiny bit of the wash in your brush and apply it to the painting. This will allow you to apply the wash with control instead of a blob of watery mess that bleeds all over. Building layers is to apply paint and let it dry and apply again and let it dry, etc. By building layers you will create a softer, smoother finished painting than trying to accomplish shadows and highlights with one heavy application. Layers are recommended when using any technique such as floated color, mopping, dry-brushing, etc. Load a stiff bristle brush with paint and wipe off excess on to paper towel. Now tap the bristles on to the painting surface turning the brush in different ways as you release the paint so that you don't repeat a pattern but instead have a varied area. This will create an airy painted affect on your surface which can resemble tree foliage, fuzzy fur or mottled snow.
Using a dry brush or a brush untouched by water, pick up very little paint in the bristles and rub excess out on a paper towel. Next rub the paint on to the painting surface until it releases a small amount of paint. The amount of pressure used with this technique will determine how much paint is applied allowing either lighter or stronger areas of color.
Because my mopping technique requires the constant use of water, I actually paint with a blow-dryer in my lap so I can dry the painting surface thoroughly between applications. Please watch my video on mopping.
WASHES
BUILDING LAYERS
STIPPLING/POUNCING
DRY BRUSH
MOPPING
Video Tips
Mopping/Shading Technique by Tracy Meola
© 2010 Designs by Tracy Meola All Rights Reserved
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