Dressed for the Party - Halloween Pillow!

Copyright by Deb Antonick

Paints and Mediums:DecoArt SoSoft Transparent Medium

DecoArt SoSoft Fabric Acrylics:Lamp BlackButtermilkWhiteBrownDark RoseRed PepperBaby Pink DeepCadmium Orange HueTangerineCadmium Yellow HueLavenderDioxazine PurpleIndian TurquoiseOcean BlueBright AvocadoOlive GreenGreen Apple

DecoArt SoSoft Glitter Accents:Autumn FlareAmethystPink IceBlue Twinkle

Surface:18” x 18” Natural Woven Pillow Cover # 847384 from Hobby Lobby

Misc. Supplies:Stencil – Personally Yours “Outlaw” PYU05-KPalette PaperDark Graphite PaperIdenti-Pen Black 10” x 5” Piece of cotton canvas to cut bannerE6000 Fabric Fuse adhesiveBlack thread

Brushes:Dynasty 620 Eye of the Tiger ½” and 3/8” Angular ShadersDynasty Large Mezzaluna drybrushDynasty 1827 Faux Squirrel #1 RiggerDynasty #8 200 Dome BlenderDynasty ½” Stencil Pro Brush

My Fabric Painting Techniques:

Drybrush method: I drybrush all of my highlights unless otherwise mentioned using the Mezzaluna highlighter

brushes.

The brush must be dry. When dry brushing, I load my paint from a dry surface, not a wet palette as the moisture will get into the brush and make the paint go on smudgy. I also keep an old towel handy; it is great for cleaning the brush between colors.

To start, load the brush by tipping it into the first color, wipe most of the paint off on a paper towel. Lightly brush the surface in a circular or side to side motion. The harder you press, the more color you will get. Start light to see how heavy you need to go. The first drybrush coat should allow some of the background to still show through.

Clean the brush as best you can on your old towel, then pick up the next color as required. Apply in the same manner using less.

Float / Shade: Float color with the angle shader. For painting on Fabric, I do not use water. Use the Transparent medium for all floating, shading, highlighting and blending. Dress the brush in cleanTransparent medium then load and blend the color as you normally would when shading.

Line: Unless otherwise stated, all lining is done with identi-pen.

Basecoat: Use the brush that best fits the area size.

The Painting Process:

Basecoat - Starting with the first color, take a clean ½” angle shader brush and dip it into the Transparent Medium then coat the starting area. This is clear so it is ok to go over the edges. Work on small areas at a time, i.e.: complete the head, and then move to the ears.

With the brush still wet with the medium, pick up a little bit of the basecoat color. Try not to cover any other elements that will be a different color. I also try not to cover up the inked lines, although you can go back when the project is completed and dry and touch op the lines if needed. The basecoat does not need to be perfect. It is ok for the background to show through, I think it adds to the finished look.

Shade - Once you have base coated the starting area, corner load the same brush with the shading color. Pat the shading in softly to blend.

Clean the brush with water and dry well with paper towel.

Highlight - Dress the brush with Transparent Medium, corner load into the highlight color, pat to blend.

Repeat this process for each individual element of the project.

Preparation:

The pillow that I used is all ready for painting. If you are unsure of your surface, it is recommended- ed that you wash and dry the fabric before use. Do not us any fabric softeners in the wash or the dryer as this will create coating on the fabric. Iron the fabric flat.

Trace the design onto the fabric with graphite paper; be sure to trace all the design elements.

Ink the design using a permanent marker. I recommend the Identi-pen, or a Fine Point Sharpie can also be used.

You are now ready to paint.

Painting Instructions:

Refer to the color photo for shading and detail placement.

To start with, it is important to not use water for this project. In place of water we are going to use the Transparent Medium. Your brush will be dressed in the medium during the whole painting process. The only

time I used water was to clean my brushes between colors.

The project is painted using the wet on wet process so you will be painting (basecoat, shade and highlight) each element separately. Starting with the head, then an arm etc. Very little paint is required – a little goes a long way.

Let’s get started.

Pumpkin Body –

Starting with the first (of 5) pumpkin section, take a clean ½” angle shader brush and dip it into the Transparent Medium then coat the whole area, this is clear, so it is ok to go over the edges.

With the brush still wet with the medium, pick up a little bit of Cadmium Orange Hue and basecoat the entire section. Try not to cover any other elements that will be a different color. I also try not to cover up the inked lines although you can go back when the project is completed and dry and touch up the lines if needed.

The basecoat does not need to be perfect; it is ok for the background to show through, I think it adds to the finished look.

Once you have base coated the pumpkin section with Cadmium Orange Hue, corner load the same brush with Red Pepper and shade along the right side and under the ruffle. Pat the shading in softly to blend.

Clean the brush with water and dry well with paper towel.

Dress the brush with Transparent Medium, corner load into the Tangerine and float the highlight on the left side of the section, pat to blend.

Drybrush the pumpkin section with Cadmium Yellow Hue.

Repeat this process for each pumpkin section. The middle section of the pumpkin has the shading on the top and bottom and around the 3 buttons. On the 2 right sections, the shading and highlights are reversed.

Use this technique and color palette for the spider’s pumpkin.

** Using the process listed above, paint the remaining design elements as follows:

Cat Head –

Paint with Lamp Black. Drybrush with Indian Turquoise.

Paint the ears with Dark Rose. Shade with Red Pepper. Highlight with Baby Pink Deep.

Paint the mouth and the white of the eyes with Buttermilk. Shade with Brown. Highlight with White.

Paint the blue of the eye with Indian Turquoise. Shade with Ocean Blue. Highlight with White. Paint the pupil with Lamp Black. Dot with White.

Line the stitching with White.

Hat, Ruffle, Buttons and Bow –

Paint the green ruffle, stripes and the bow with Bright Avocado. Shade with Olive Green. Highlight with Green Apple. Dot the ruffle and the bow with Cadmium Yellow Hue.

Paint the blue stripes, polka dots and button with Indian Turquoise. Shade with Ocean Blue. Highlight with White.

Paint the purple stripes, polka dots and button with Lavender. Shade with Dioxazine Purple. Highlight with Baby Pink Deep.

Paint the pom pom and pink stripes with Dark Rose. Shade with Red Pepper. Highlight with Baby Pink Deep.

Float the scallops around the buttons with White.

Dot under the hat with Cadmium Yellow Hue.

Tail –

Paint the white stripes with Buttermilk. Shade with Brown. Highlight with White.

Paint the black stripes with Lamp Black. Highlight with Indian Turquoise.

Spider –

Use the dome blender to stipple the spider body with Lamp Black, picking up a little Indian Turquoise to softly blend.

Paint the white stripes with Buttermilk. Shade with Brown. Highlight with White. Dot with Lamp Black.

Line the mouth and paint the fangs with White.

Paint the purple hat with Lavender. Shade with Dioxazine Purple. Highlight with Baby Pink Deep.

Paint the pink Bow with Dark Rose. Shade with Red Pepper. Highlight with Baby Pink Deep.

Paint the legs alternating with Lamp Black and Indian Turquoise.

Dot the candies in the pumpkin with Lavender, Dark Rose and Cadmium Yellow Hue.

Candy Corn Banner –

I cut the banner from pieces of cotton canvas.

Paint the orange stripes with Cadmium Orange Hue. Shade with Red Pepper. Highlight with Tangerine.

Paint the yellow stripe with Cadmium Yellow Hue. Shade with Cadmium Orange Hue. Highlight with White.

Paint the white stripes with Buttermilk. Shade with Brown. Highlight with White.

Stencil the BPP letters first with Indian Turquoise. Move the stencil slightly to the left, then stencil with Lamp Black. This will allow some of the blue to show.

Add Glitter!

Brush on the coordinating glitter to add a little sparkle.

Finishing:

• Once the project is dry you should be able to see all your lines again. If not, you can all ways re-ink some of your lines.

• Adhere the banner with some thread and a little fabric glue to hold in place.

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