Backyard Buddy

Instructions

PREPARATION - Clean planter with a stiff brush, then wipe with rubbing alcohol.
PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS
(Hint: Use Clear Coat as a medium for floating color.)
1. Basecoat as follows: basket Pinecone Brown; chicken Patio Brick; beak Sunflower Yellow; comb, wattle and eye area with 3:1 mix of Geranium Red and Woodland Brown; and eye Wrought Iron Black.
(Hint: It may take two coats to get the necessary coverage.)
2. Highlight comb and wattle with Geranium Red, using several coats to get brightness.
3. Float shade of Golden Honey next to face on beak. Highlight tip of beak with float of Daisy Cream. Float a highlight on each side of the black in the eye with Daisy Cream. Think of the round of the eye as a clock face and place your highlights from one to four and seven to ten.
4. Stipple entire body of hen, starting with tailfeathers. Brush a mix of Pinecone Brown, Sunflower Yellow and Daisy Cream. Leave Patio Brick showing in crevices of the feathers and make each individual feather tip the brightest with Daisy Cream. As you make your way to head and chest of bird, keep checking each side to make sure intensity stays equal. The chest and head area need to be the brightest and lightest in color. For these areas, use only Daisy Cream, a touch of Sunflower Yellow and a touch of Sunshine Yellow.
5. With #6 brush, start behind beak and pull feather strokes of Daisy Cream, following the carved lines of the hen. You will have to do this a couple of times to get solid coverage.
6. On the basket, paint every other stripe Geranium Red and Daisy Cream. Be careful to leave rolled edges of the basket and the stays Pinecone Brown.
7. Basecoat flag field Deep Waterfall Blue.
8. Stencil stars with stipple brush Daisy Cream. With #12, pull Woodland Brown out from the stays on the red and Daisy Cream stripes. Flick it softly to give the effect of basket weave.
9. With large filbert,coat entire piece with a heavy coat of Clear Coat.
10. Using an old scruffy brush, spread Woodland Brown a section at a time on the entire piece. Wipe each section with a damp towel or sponge. Wipe to desired level of antiquing.
FINISHING INSTRUCTIONS - For a glossy finish, coat with Clear Coat again. For matte finish, use Dura Clear Varnish. Let cure. You may put outdoors after 72 hours.