Crisp Apple Accents

Pattern

Instructions

Transferring Patterns
Lay tracing paper over pattern and draw the basic lines. Lay this tracing on the surface to be painted. Slip graphite paper between the tracing and the surface and secure. Trace with a pencil or stylus to transfer the design. Do not trace details until after basecoating has dried.
Preparation
1. Clean plates and glass jar candle with 1:1 mix of vinegar and water.
2. Place pattern under plate; apply glue to tree trunk, branches and roots on plate front. Use toothpick to streak glue vertically to create dimension.
3. Remove cotton from swab. Apply glue to foliage; use clean swab stick to stir and tap glue to create dimension. Let dry.
Painting Instructions
Plate:
1. Use #10 flat brush to paint branches, trunk and roots Gloss Black. When dry, dry-brush* with Sable Brown.
2. Paint foliage Avocado with #10 flat brush. Mix Clear Medium and Hunter; apply over foliage and wipe back with paper towel.
3. Dry-brush Cadmium Yellow over foliage.
4. Paint 7 hearts Christmas Red with #6 flat brush; glue in place.
5. For grass, use dry deerfoot brush to tap Avocado onto plate front. Randomly tap in Hunter for shading and Cadmium Yellow for highlights. Use liner to bring up Hunter grasses.
6. Paint letters Gloss Black with liner on front of plate. Use handle end of brush for dots.
7. Transfer pattern for apple and leaf to sponge; cut out. Dampen sponge; remove all water.
8. Apply Christmas Red to apples with 3/4" brush and Cadmium Yellow to stem. Stamp apples onto front of plate.
9. Paint surface of leaf sponge Avocado; apply Hunter to lower edge and Cadmium Yellow to top edge. Blend color slightly; stamp into place.
10. Outline apples and leaves with Gloss Black and liner.
11. Use deerfoot brush to dab Baby Blue sky on back of plate center.
12. Cut 1" square from sponge. Dampen and remove all water. Paint sponge Williamsburg Blue. Stamp checkerboard onto back of plate edge.
13. Load liner with Cadmium Yellow; border each square with shaky Cadmium Yellow line.
14. Use dampened sponge to dab several coats of Gloss White over back of plate.
Candle
1. Cut 3/4" X 1/2" rectangle from sponge.
2. Stamp checkerboard two rows deep around top and bottom with Williamsburg Blue. Outline with shaky line of Cadmium Yellow.
3. Referring to plate instructions, stamp four apples around middle area.
Note: Follow label instructions for air curing. Do not oven-bake pieces. Plate is for decorative use only.
Techniques
*Dry-brush: Touch tips of brush bristles into paint and wipe excess color off onto a paper towel. Using light pressure, skim brush over surface, building up color gradually.