Project | intermediate Acrylic & Oil Color Step by Step CALLA LILY ...

Color Step by Step 

CALLA LILY 

CALLA LILY 

LEAVES 

HOLLY AND 

BERRIES 

RIBBON AND 

BELLS 

Project | intermediate Acrylic & Oil 

The Decorative Painter Issue No. 6, 2006 101

out the putty into a slight slope. 

Moisten a cotton swab and wipe 

along the edge of the stem. 

OPTION 3: NOT USING 

MOTHER-OF-PEARL/PAUA 

If you do not have mother-ofpearl 

you may still paint this design. 

First, basecoat the areas that are in 

mother-of-pearl with three coats of 

Titanium White. Make sure the coats 

are thin, as you do not want any 

edges; it needs to be a smooth, even 

coat. Then recoat with Pearl White. 

Paint the paua in matching colors. 

Continue with the following instructions. 

LET’S PAINT 

CALLA LILIES 

Using the no. 6 filbert, pull out 

Raw Sienna oil to make a loading 

zone. Thinly load the paint on to the 

brush, and lightly paint in the shadows 

on the calla lilies. Soften with a 

mop so that there are not any hard 

edges. Mix Permanent Alizarin Crimson+touch 

of Burnt Umber oil and 

reinforce shadows with this mix. 

Again soften any hard edges with the 

mop. Using a 1 ⁄8-inch deerfoot loaded 

in Burnt Umber acrylic, stipple in the 

stamen, then lightly stipple over 

with Raw Sienna, Cadmium Yellow 

and a little Titanium White. 

CALLA LILY LEAVES 

Keep the background calla lily 

leaves transparent by using very thin 

paint. Mix Sap Green+Phthalo Blue+ 

Raw Sienna+Cadmium Yellow Pale 

Hue (3:1:1:1), and add a touch of 

Titanium White to create a mid mix. 

Using a no. 4 filbert, lightly base the 

102 The Decorative Painter Issue No. 6, 2006 

leaves from the outside edge, pulling 

in to the center. Wipe the brush 

clean. 

Thinly load the no. 4 filbert in Permanent 

Alizarin Crimson+Burnt 

Umber; deepen along both sides of the 

vein and along the stem. Add a touch 

of Titanium White to the mid mix and 

lightly pull this color in from the outside 

edge to lighten one side of the 

stem. Loosely outline the leaves with 

Emperor’s Gold. Add a touch of the 

mid mix to the bottom of the calla 

lily and soften with a mini mop. 

RIBBON 

Load the no. 3 round in Berry Red 

and paint the ribbon using S-strokes. 

When dry, paint a second coat. Using 

a no. 4 filbert sideloaded in Berry 

Red+Burnt Umber (1:1), float the 

shadows on the ribbon. Add a little 

Pearl White to Berry Red, and load 

this mix on to the no. 3 round. Wipe 

lightly on a paper towel to remove 

excess paint and dry-brush on the 

highlights. Add a touch of Titanium 

White to this mix and dry-brush on 

extra highlights. Using a liner, outline 

the ribbon with Emperor’s Gold. 

PAUA BERRIES AND PAUA LEAVES 

Outline the leaves and berries 

with Emperor’s Gold, and add Pearl 

White highlight dots to the berries. 

BELLS 

Sideload the no. 4 filbert in a 

water-mixable oils mix of Burnt 

Umber+Permanent Alizarin Crimson 

(1:1) and shade the bells. Soften 

with a mini mop. Using Burnt Umber 

acrylic, paint the lines and holes on 

the bell. Add a touch of Pearl White 

highlights to the Burnt Umber lines, 

and add Pearl White highlights on 

the bell. Outline the bell with 

Emperor’s Gold. 

FINISHING 

You may use your favorite varnish 

to finish the piece, but I prefer Envirotex 

Craft Smart Liquid Gloss, 

which comes in two bottles—a hard- 

ener and a resin. Thoroughly mix 

exactly the same proportions of each 

bottle in a clean container with a 

Popsicle stick. Unless coating a large 

surface, don’t mix very much at a 

time, as the mixture needs to be used 

within approximately 30 minutes 

before it starts to set. It is difficult to 

achieve a smooth finish when this 

happens. 

With the item on a flat surface, 

carefully pour a small amount of varnish 

on the item. The mixture 

should level out, but you can help 

spread the varnish with an old bristle 

brush. If you use too much it will run 

over the edges and possibly stick the 

item to the surface. Don’t pour on 

too much at first; you can always add 

more if needed. 

To get rid of the small bubbles in 

the varnish, I use a small butane 

torch. A short sharp tap from this 

torch will eliminate any bubbles 

immediately leaving a clear smooth 

surface. Leave overnight to harden; it 

should take 24 hours for it to completely 

set. You can purchase a 

cleaner or use acetone for cleanup. y 

Artist’s Sketch 

Karen Brouwer 

teaches eight classes 

a week to more than 

70 students from her 

home studio in Australia. 

She loves to 

travel-teach and has 

been lucky enough to have taught all 

over Australia, New Zealand and the 

United States. She is known for her 

designs using mother-of-pearl and has 

taught at a number of SDP Conferences. 

She will teach two classes at 

the SDP Anaheim Conference. Along 

with her good friend Karin Parson, they 

founded True Blue Decorative Artists 

Inc., which became an SDP affiliated 

chapter in 2006. 

You may write to Karen at 30 

Wellington Rd., Tyabb 3913, Victoria, 

Australia or e-mail brouwer@ 

netspace.com.au.

Project | intermediate Acrylic & Oil 

Design shown at actual size. 


SURFACE 

The porcelain bell (item no. 88032) 

is available from Romamerica, 20 

Spurlin Drive, Somerville, AL 35670, 

(888) 982-2640, www.romamerica.com. 

PALETTE 

DELTA CREATIVE AIR-DRY PERMENAMELS 

Fuchsia 

Harvest Orange 

Hunter Green 

Light Burgundy 

Mediterranean Blue 

Paradise 

Tangerine 

Ultra White 

DELTA CREATIVE 

IRIDESCENT GLASS PAINT 

Ivory/Gold 

BRUSHES 

LOEW-CORNELL LA-CORNEILLE GOLDEN 

TAKLON 

Series 7040 no. 2 round stroke 

Series 7050 no. 0 script liner 

Series 7300 nos. 4 and 6 shaders 

Series 7350 3 ⁄4-inch Glaze brush 

SUPPLIES 

Delta Ceramcoat Paint & Toss 

Sponges 

Delta Surface Conditioner 

Palette paper 

Scissors 

Tracing paper 

Transfer paper 

Water container 

PREPARATION 

Take a moment to review all 

instructions on product packaging 

before beginning any project. Apply a 

liberal coat of surface conditioner to 

each bell using the glaze brush and 

allow to evaporate. This will make the 

glass appear milky. Trace and transfer 

the designs. 

LET’S PAINT 

HOLLY LEAVES 

Using the no. 6 shader and Hunter 

Green, float along the outside edge of 

the holly leaves and inside each scallop 

where a flower will be. 

BERRIES 

Lightly apply Fuchsia to all the 

berries using the no. 4 shader. Wipe 

out the tops to highlight. 

FORGET-ME-NOTS 

Stroke the forget-me-nots with Paradise 

using the no. 4 shader. Using the 

same brush, float in shadows with 

Mediterranean Blue. Float highlights 

with Ultra White+touch of Paradise 

using the same brush. 

TURQUOISE RIBBON 

Using the highlight mix from the 

flowers and the no. 4 shader, basecoat 

the light turquoise ribbon. Float shadows 

on the ribbon with Paradise. 

Ornaments Acrylic 

Porcelain 

ORNAMENTS 

Pastel porcelain 

dainties really 

ring a bell. 

designed by Chris Thornton 

ROSES 

Basecoat the roses with Fuchsia 

using the no. 4 shader. Using the same 

brush, float shadows with Light Burgundy. 

Float highlights with Ultra 

White+touch of Fuchsia using the same 

brush. 

PINK RIBBON 


roses, basecoat the pink ribbon with 

the no. 4 shader. Float shadows on the 

ribbon with Fuchsia. 

DAISIES 

Stroke the daisies with Tangerine 

using the no. 2 round stroke. Using the 

no. 4 shader, float shadows with Harvest 

Orange. Float highlights with Ultra 

White+touch of Tangerine using the 

same brush. 

PEACH RIBBON 


daisies, basecoat the peach ribbon and 

loop of each bell using the no. 4 

shader. Float shadows on the ribbon 

with Tangerine. 

TINY LEAVES 

Using the no. 2 round stroke brush, 

add the tiny leaves with Hunter Green. 

Using the no. 0 liner, add stems with 

the same color. 

FINISHING 

Dab the center of each flower with 

Tangerine and Ultra White using the no. 

0 liner. Using a wedge sponge, apply 

an even coat of Ivory Gold Iridescent 

to each bell. Paint in an up-and-down, 

patting motion. y 



Roses 

Forget-me-nots 

Daisies 

Designs shown 

at actual size. 

Ornaments Acrylic 

Artist’s Sketch 

Chris Thornton has 

always felt her artistic 

ability was greatly 

influenced by being 

raised in Alaska. “It 

was dark when we 

went to school and 

dark when we came home,” Chris 

says. “My mother always kept us 

occupied at the kitchen table with a 

variety of art projects—this she claims 

saved her sanity.” 

Since 1968 Chris has written 38 

how-to decorative painting books with 

a number of publishers. When SDP 

launched its Learn to Paint program in 

2000, she was honored when her 

design was chosen to be taught to 

50,000 people throughout the United 

States all in one day. Now the fun 

really begins, she says, being chosen 

to work with Disney. 

You may write to Chris at P.O. Box 

617, Douglass, KS 67039.

Easy 

Faux 

and 

Design 

Part 5 

Martha Kenton TDA 

This is my final article in the 

series on incorporating specialty 

treatments with decorative 

designs. I hope the articles 

provide you with inspiration to create 

interesting backgrounds for your 

artwork or home décor. Holiday decorating 

is very inspiring. Shiny ornaments 

and rich colors provide relief 

from the starkness of winter. Combining 

old with new is something I 

enjoy. I thought using a faux metal 

patina would provide a nostalgic setting 

for delicate roses. 

I must thank Murry Eckles for 

teaching me all the important aspects 

of stroke roses, having faith in my 

work and sharing encouraging words. 

I have painted thousands of roses 

using many techniques. My method 

has helped many of you create successful 

roses in much less time than it 

took me (many times on your first 

attempt!). Practice before you paint 

roses, and give yourself permission to 

make mistakes. My roses are never 

perfect, but they make me happy. 

SURFACE 

The 12 1 ⁄8-by-17 1 ⁄4-inch wooden oval 

tray with insert and antique brass handles 

(item no. TBB 20002) is available 

from Craine’s Cutouts & Crafts, P.O. 

Box 306, Haysville, KS 67060, (316) 

522-8689, www.crainescutouts.com. 

PALETTE 

DELTA CERAMCOAT ACRYLICS 

Alpine Green (TCS BG-9-6-8) 

Apple Green (TCS YG-6-2-3) 

Autumn Brown (TCS BR-2-2-6) 

Black Cherry (TCS RE-6-4-8) 

Black Green (TCS GR-5-3-9) 

Chocolate Cherry (TCS RE-7-2-9) 

Flesh Tan (TCS BR-2-2-2) 

Ivory (TCS WH-8-2-6) 

Seminole Green (TCS YG-4-3-6) 

White (TCS WH-5-1-1) 

BRUSHES 

SILVER BRUSH LTD. 

Series 1511S Silverwhite 1-inch 

stroke brush 

Series 2407S Ultra Mini 

no. 20/0 script liner 

Project | beginner Faux 

Series 2502S Ruby Satin 

nos. 6 and 10 flat shaders 

SUPPLIES 

4 round antique brass cabinet 

knobs for tray feet (optional) 

Cheesecloth 

Delta Ceramcoat: All-Purpose 

Sealer, Exterior/Interior 

Varnish (satin or gloss), Faux 

Finish Clear Glaze Base 

E6000 Multi-purpose adhesive to 

attach feet to tray 

Fine-grit sandpaper 

Foam plates or water media 

palette 

Krylon 18kt Gold Plate 

spray paint 

Natural sea sponge 

Paper towels 

Screwdrivers to attach hardware 

Stylus 

Tracing paper 

Water containers 

White transfer paper 



PREPARATION 

Sand all parts of the tray. Apply 

sealer. Dry. Lightly sand again. 

Remove sanding residue. Paint all 

portions of the tray with two or three 

coats of 18kt Gold Plate spray according 

to the manufacturer’s instructions. 

This paint provides a wonderful 

metallic shine from beneath the faux 

treatment. Metallic acrylic paint 

could be substituted but may not provide 

the same luster. Set aside to dry. 

Trace the rose design onto tracing 

paper for future use. 

FAUX TREATMENT 

Cut a piece of cheesecloth large 

enough to form a comfortable size 

ball in your hand. Pull the cut edges 

to the middle and create a ball 

shape. This is done to keep fibers 

from shedding. Set aside. 

Mix Black Cherry+glaze (1:1) and 

mix Black Green+glaze (1:1). 

Dampen the sea sponge with water. 

Dab the sponge in the Black Cherry 

mix and stipple randomly over the 

insert surface. Repeat using the Black 

Green mix. Leave some areas of 

metallic gold unpainted. Dab the 

cheesecloth ball over the wet paint 

to soften the colors. Mingle colors 

together in some places for color 

variation. More red or green may be 

added, if desired. Repeat the finish 

technique for the frame. For variation, 

try mixing Black Cherry and 


Black Green together on the sponge 

as you work. Dry. 

ROSE LEAVES 

Trace the design onto the insert 

using white transfer paper and a stylus. 

Create all shading and highlighting 

with a sideloading technique. Use 

the no. 6 brush for small leaves and 

tight design areas, and the no. 10 

brush for large leaves and areas such 

as vein shadows and highlights on 

large leaves. Mix colors on the brush 

as you work for color variations. 

■ Step 1: Basecoat the leaves with 

Seminole Green. Shade Black Green 

down the vein area, under the rose 

petals or other leaves and under the 

leaf curls. 

■ Step 2: Highlight the leaves with 

Apple Green+a little Seminole Green. 

Apply highlights opposite the vein 

shadows, on edges of the leaf curls and 

on the outside leaf edges. 

■ Step 3: Add brighter highlights by 

adding a little Flesh Tan to the Apple 

Green mix. Apply veins with the no. 

20/0 script liner using Apple 

Green+Seminole Green. Brighten veins 

in some areas with Apple Green 

mix+Flesh Tan. Add accents using 

Autumn Brown+Black Cherry for the 

warm areas and Flesh Tan+Alpine 

Green for the cool areas. 

HOLLY LEAVES 

■ Step 1: Paint the holly leaves 

using the same method as the rose 

FAUX FINISH 

leaves. Basecoat the leaves with 

Alpine Green. Shade Black Green 

down the vein shadow, on leaf curls 

and under overlapping areas. 

■ Step 2: Highlight as before using 

Apple Green+Alpine Green. Add leaf 

veins using highlight colors and the 

script brush. 

■ Step 3: You may need to add 

brighter highlights to the leaves 

using Flesh Tan+Apple Green+Alpine 

Green. Add a little Ivory to the mix if 

you need lighter highlights. You may 

add accents as directed for the rose 

leaves using the same colors. 

HOLLY BERRIES 

■ Step 1: Add Flesh Tan dots on 

the berries. Dry. Shade using the no. 

6 brush loaded with Autumn Brown+ 

Black Cherry. Dry. 

■ Step 2: Float an Ivory highlight 

opposite the shade. 

■ Step 3: When dry, add tiny White 

dots to the lightest side using the 

back end of the brush handle large 

enough to fill the berry size. When 

dry, apply a small dark dot using your 

color of choice. Add the stems using 

the leaf vein mix and the script 

brush. 

STROKE ROSES 

A stroke rose needs to contain 

contrast between the lights and 

darks. Some colors need more contrast 

than others. For example, white 

or cream roses could have greens,


ROSE LEAVES 

HOLLY LEAVES 

AND BERRIES 

STROKE ROSES 

ROSE BACK VIEW 

Step 1 


Project | beginner Faux 


Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 


Painting Tips 

■ Reload the brush often. 

■ Always blend paint well whenever 

fresh color is applied to the brush. 

■ Keep colors concentrated on the 

brush. Watery paint makes it difficult 

to achieve solid coverage and strokes 

will be difficult to control. 

■ Turn the piece as you work for better 

stroke angles. 

■ Position the multiloaded brush so 

that darks are always in the middle of 

the flower and the lightest color is 

toward the outside petal edges. 

■ If you find the need to repaint a rose, 

it’s fine to stroke petals over that rose 

without applying new basecoating 

over it. The underlying painting could 

then be used as a petal guide. 

—M.K. 


golds or pinks. Therefore, you must 

control the values and paint blends 

to keep the rose white or cream. 

My process involves multiloading a 

flat brush with two or more colors at a 

time (many times four or more). I do 

not premix colors; I prefer variations 

provided by working colors mixed on 

the brush so I can adjust as I work. 

Beautiful color variations are created, 

which provides more interest when 

several roses are present in a design. 

I find it easier to layer one rose 

over another instead of trying to 

paint a petal around the designs, 

especially when only small portions 

are visible. 

LET’S PAINT ROSES 

■ Step 1: Load the no. 10 flat 

brush with Flesh Tan. Pick up a little 

Autumn Brown on one side of the 

brush and blend on the palette. Add 

a small amount of Black Cherry to 

the Autumn Brown side of the brush 

(add a little Chocolate Cherry to the 

same side if a darker color is desired). 

Blend to provide smooth color gradation. 

Begin at the upper back on 

the rose. It’s fine if the stroke is 

choppy; this creates lacier petal 

edges. Pick up a little Ivory on the 

tan edge of the brush. Blend. Establish 

a few smaller petals at the upper 

back of the rose. Keep these small 

and layered. Paint the bottom petal 

to establish the length of the flower. 

■ Step 2: Add side petals, loading 

the brush as described previously and 

as shown in the step-by-step color 

worksheet. You can add a little Ivory 

to help distinguish petal layers. 

Darks could also be adjusted, if 

desired. Turn the piece to allow the 

strokes to be pulled freely. 

■ Step 3: Close up the front of the 

rose by attaching the beginning of 

the stroke at the upper back petal. 

This may be achieved in one continuous 

stroke connecting to the opposite 

side or in two as shown on the 

worksheet. Add a little White to the

Project | intermediate Acrylic & Oil Color Step by Step CALLA LILY ...

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