ACRYLIC

ature provides this handsome horned puffin with an imaginative appearance that would be hard to improve upon.

aV ery Bright Guy

ACRYLIC

Painters Checklist
SURFACE

njoy painting this fun bonus project, and thank you for visiting the new SDP website!
PAINTING TIPS

Claire Marquis

The puffin is painted on a stretched 16x 20 canvas (40.64 x 20.8cm).

PALETTE

DECOART TRADITIONS ARTIST ACRYLICS Burnt Sienna Perinone Orange Burnt Umber Phthalo Green-Blue Carbon Black Pine Green Cerulean Blue Raw Sienna Dark Grey Value 3 Raw Umber Indian Yellow Teal Green Light Grey Value 8 Titanium White Medium Beige Warm White Medium White Yellow Deep Naphthol Red Yellow Oxide Naphthol Red Light

Work in the order given below, sealing each step with a coat of Glazing Medium+Multi-Surface Sealer+water (1:1:1) as you go. Allow this coat to dry well before proceeding. All color mixes are shown on page 6. Apply Extender & Blending Medium to the surface before applying shades and highlights, and then use the dome blender to blend the color toward the base color for the area.
PREPARATION

Mix to which Medium Beige Mix has been added. See steps 1 and 2 (page 3). Repeat again with Brown Mix. See Step 3. Finally, pick up Dark Green Mix, Medium Green Mix, and Beige Mix on the sponge, and create contours on the sides of the stone. See Step 4.
BASECOATS

BRUSHES

DECOART TRADITIONS BRUSHES Series TB33-B no. 8 flat Series TB34-B no. 10 flat Series TB35-B no. 12 flat Series TB38-B 1 flat Series TB51-B 3/4 oval Series TB91-B no. 8 dome blender Series TB113-B 3/4 blender mop Series TB131-B 1 red mop SCHARFF BRUSHES Golden Taklon Series 430 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 & 3/4 filbert combers Series 470 no. 2/0 red sable scroller

Apply one or two coats of Texture Medium+Light Primer (1:1) to the entire canvas. Sand lightly between coats. Basecoat the canvas with two or three coats of Turquoise Mix, drying between coats. Apply the design for the bird and rock, omitting details.
LETS PAINT BACKGROUND

Re-apply the design as needed, adding details. Basecoat the puffin as follows: Legs and feet: Orange Mix. Beak: Yellow Mix. Light feathers: Light Gray Mix. Dark feathers: Gray Mix. Basecoat the eye with Burnt Umber+touch Naphthol Red Light. The red ring at the top and bottom of the eye is Naphthol Red Light. Basecoat the small horn on top of the puffins head with Gray Mix. Also use this mix for the dark feathers that extend out from the top and side of the puffins eye. Basecoat the semicircular part of the puffins beak with Light Orange Mix. Basecoat the claws Raw Umber.
TAIL & WING

SUPPLIES

Basic painting supplies DecoArt Extender & Blending Medium DecoArt Traditions Glazing Medium DecoArt Traditions Light Primer DecoArt Traditions Multi-Surface Sealer DecoArt Traditions Satin Varnish DecoArt Traditions Texture Medium Small sea sponge

Apply Extender Medium to the background surface outside the design lines and follow this with a final basecoat of Turquoise Mix. Next apply Turquoise Mix, Light Turquoise Mix, and Dark Turquoise Mix, using a slip-slap motion and concentrating the light and dark mixes as shown in the final piece. Blend the colors together well using mop brushes. If you wish to strengthen the light or dark areas, allow the surface to dry thoroughly and re-apply the colors, blending them well.
LICHEN

Prepare the Beige, Dark Green, Medium Green, and Brown mixes. Basecoat the stone with one coat of Dark Green Mix. Wet the sea sponge and use it to apply Medium Green Mix, Beige Mix, and Brown Mix, working in the order given. Repeat this step with Medium Green

Refer to the Step by Step, page 3. If you havent already, add the feather details from the design to the tail and wing sections now. Apply the light sections of the feathers in the tail and wing with a sideloaded mix of Gray Mix+Light Gray Mix (1:1). See Step 1. Apply the shadows between each feather with sideloaded Carbon Black. See Step 2. Use the no. 2/0 liner and the gray mix used above to apply a fine, light line around each section. Sideload the same pale gray mix across the top of the wing. See Step 3. Thin this gray mix with five parts of Glazing Medium and use this as a glaze on the lower part of the wing. Make a final pale black line at the bottom of the wing with Carbon Black sideloaded on a flat brush. See Step 4.

The Decorative Painter issue No. 4, 2010 | bonus project

ACRYLIC
step by step
Lichen tail & wing on stone step 1

step 1

step 2

step 2

step 3

step 3

step 4

step 4

The Decorative Painter issue No. 4, 2010 | bonus project

step by step

step 1

step 2

step 3

step 4

step 1

step 2

step 3

step 4

The Decorative Painter issue No. 4, 2010 | bonus project

ACRYLIC

FEET & LEGS

Refer to the Step by Step, page 4. Prepare the Burnt Orange, Dark Orange, and Very Dark Orange mixes. Apply a coat of Extender Medium to the area to facilitate blending. Use the no. 12 flat to apply sideloaded paint and the no. 8 dome blender for blending. Begin by applying Burnt Orange Mix between the toes and at the back of the legs. Allow this to dry, and repeat, using Dark Orange Mix and covering a smaller area. See steps 1 and 2. Apply Very Dark Orange Mix to the darkest areas and covering a smaller part of the surface. See Step 2. Now prepare the Medium Orange Mix. Mix this with Extender Medium and apply it over the legs and feet to soften the different shades. Prepare the following highlight mixes: Light Orange, Yellow, Light Yellow, Very Light Yellow, and Warm White. Place the highlights in the same manner as the shades, beginning with Light Orange Mix and then Yellow Mix, allowing drying time between coats. Cover a smaller area with each lighter shade. Apply the Light Yellow and Very Light Yellow mixes on the lightest areas: along the top of the toes, for instance. Refer to Step 4.
CLAWS

Refer to the Step by Step, page 4. Re-apply the design for the claws and touch up the basecoat as needed. Place a line of Carbon Black at the base and tips. See Step 2. Prepare a mix of Burnt Umber+Beige Mix, and apply this over a coat of Extender Medium at the center of the claws. Blend this into the basecoat color with a dome blender. See Step 3. Use the same mix and the no. 2/0 liner to apply a comma-stroke to the center of the nails.
BEAK

Yellow, and Dark Yellow mixes. The shades and highlights are applied in successively small areas. Allow each color to dry well before proceeding to the next. Use a no. 12 flat to apply the colors and blend them using the appropriate dome blender. Use Extender Medium between coats to facilitate blending. Begin by applying the shades with Dark Yellow Mix and follow this with the Very Dark Yellow Mix. Before applying highlights, prepare a mix of Extender Medium+Yellow Mix and apply this to the entire beak. When applying the highlights to the beak, you may sideload the color on a flat brush or use a filbert of the appropriate size, depending on the location. Either technique will benefit from a little Extender Medium applied prior to the paint to help you blend. Apply the following colors, allowing them to dry well between coats: Light Yellow Mix, Very Light Yellow Mix, and Warm White Mix. Repeat these steps as necessary to achieve the desired depth of color. See Step 2. For the small oval between the beak and head, apply a coat of Extender Medium and, using the liner brush, tip in Light Yellow Mix and Very Dark Yellow Mix. Apply a fine line between the upper and lower beak with Very Dark Yellow Mix. See Step 3. For the colors at the end of the beak, prepare Carbon Black, Raw Umber, and Warm White Mix. Apply a coat of Extender Medium at the beaks end, and follow that with the colors listed above, applying them with the liner. Dry well. See Step 3. Apply a fresh coat of Extender Medium, and cover the entire end of the beak with Naphthol Red. Blend well and dry. See Step 4. Use the liner brush to re-apply the lines of Carbon Black, Raw Umber, and Warm White Mix. See Step 4.
DARK FEATHERS

and head, prepare the following: Dark Gray Mix, Gray Mix, Turquoise Mix, Very Dark Turquoise Mix, and Carbon Black. For the small feathers on the back, belly, tail, and head, use the 1/4, 3/8 & 1/2 filbert combers, depending on the surface to be covered. Pull the feathers from bottom to top. Dilute the paint in water as you would if using a liner, and dry between each color. Apply the feathers using these colors in this order: Dark Gray Mix, Very Dark Turquoise Mix, and Carbon Black. See steps 1 and 2. Allow this to dry completely, then apply highlights to the feathers using Turquoise Mix followed by Carbon Black. Repeat as necessary. See steps 3 and 4.
LIGHT FEATHERS

Refer to the Step by Step, page 4. For the light feathers, prepare Yellow Gray Mix, Gray Turquoise Mix, Gray Turquoise Light Mix, Titanium White, and Medium White. The technique is identical to that used for the dark feathers. Make a line of sideloaded Yellow Gray Mix behind the puffins left leg. Apply one coat of Medium White over the entire light feather area. Then sideload Grey Turquoise over the Yellow Grey and on the head. See Step 1. Use the appropriate filbert comber to apply a coat of Titanium White feathers over the entire light feather area. See Step 2. Where the feathers are darker, apply Light Grey Turquoise Mix. See Step 3. Follow these feathers with coats of Titanium White, repeating until the light areas of the head and body are as strong as you wish. See Step 4. Finally, use the 1/4 filbert comber and Carbon Black to apply some feathers between the light and dark areas, softening this line. See Step 4.
HORN & EYE

Refer to the Step by Step, page 4. Prepare the Yellow, Light Yellow, Very Light Yellow, Warm White, Very Dark

Refer to the Step by Step, page 4. For the dark feathers of the back

Refer to the Step by Step, page 4. Darken the horn with Carbon Black.

The Decorative Painter issue No. 4, 2010 | bonus project

ACRYLIC

Tap the same color in the center of the puffins eye. See Step 2. Highlight the eye with Warm White Mix at ten oclock. Apply a very small sideload of Light Turquoise Mix behind the horn.
FINISHIING

COLOR MIXES
BEIGE: TITANIUM WHITE+MEDIUM WHITE+YELLOW OXIDE (3:2:1) BROWN: BURNT SIENNA+RAW UMBER (1:1) GRAY: DARK GRAY+CARBON BLACK (1:1) YELLOW GRAY: RAW SIENNA+TOUCH LIGHT GRAY GRAY TURQUOISE: LIGHT GRAY+TURQUOISE (1:1) LIGHT GRAY TURQUOISE: LIGHT GRAY+TOUCH TURQUOISE YELLOW: INDIAN YELLOW+WARM WHITE (4:1) LIGHT YELLOW: YELLOW+WARM WHITE (1:1) VERY LIGHT YELLOW: LIGHT YELLOW+WARM WHITE (1:1) VERY DARK YELLOW: YELLOW DEEP+TOUCH NAPHTOL RED DARK YELLOW: VERY DARK YELLOW+TOUCH INDIAN YELLOW

Allow the surface to dry before finishing with several coats of Satin Varnish, following manufacturers instructions.t

ARTISTS SKETCH
A certified DecoArt Traditions teacher and a member of SDP since 2005, Claire Marquis has been teaching for ten years, and has authored many original design packets. Claire is committed to improving her skills and learning more about fine arts by working online with such teachers as Sue Pruett mda and Neadeen Masters cda, both of whom she greatly admires. You may contact Claire at info@chez claire.ca. To view more of her work, visit her website at www.chezclaire.ca.

ORANGE: PERINONE ORANGE+NAPHTOL RED LIGHT (2:1) BURNT ORANGE: ORANGE+RAW UMBER (1:1) MEDIUM ORANGE: ORANGE+INDIAN YELLOW (1:1) LIGHT ORANGE: ORANGE+YELLOW (1:2) DARK ORANGE: ORANGE+RAW UMBER (1:2) VERY DARK ORANGE: DARK ORANGE+TOUCH DARK GREEN TURQUOISE: CERULEAN BLUE+PHTALO GREEN BLUE+TITANIUM WHITE (4:1:1) LIGHT TURQUOISE: TURQUOISE+TITANIUM WHITE (1:2) DARK TURQUOISE: TURQUOISE+DARK GRAY+CARBON BLACK (1:1:1) VERY DARK TURQUOISE: CARBON BLACK+TURQUOISE (1:1) DARK GREEN: CARBON BLACK+PHTALO GREEN BLUE+PINE GREEN (2:1:1) MEDIUM GREEN: TEAL GREEN+DARK GREEN (2:1)

The Decorative Painter issue No. 4, 2010 | bonus project

Designs are shown at actual size.

The Decorative Painter issue No. 4, 2010 | bonus project