Easy Zhostovo Style Box

Pattern

Instructions

General Instructions:
Base the entire box with Black Green, using the Sponge Brush. When dry, trace pattern onto tracing paper and transfer pattern using graphite and a stylus to keep the lines thin and easy to cover.
Helpful Hint #1: The stroke of Zhostovo can be compared to an aircraft taking off the runway. It is a gradual lifting of the brush and lifting completely off the surface about 1/3 of the way into a petal.
Hint #2: Glorious Gold. For an added accent, lightly touch your finger to the Glorious Gold, then touch some of the leaves and the flowers. Let dry.
Painting Instructions
1. Scalloped edge of design is based with Glorious Gold, using the #10 Flat
Brush.
2. Flowers: base the top half of flowers with a brush mix of Titanium (Snow) White and Alizarin Crimson to a soft pink using the round Sure Stroke Brush. Start the stroke at the tip end of the three petals, pulling the center stroke first. Buds are the same brush mix pulling the strokes from the stem end. The bottom half of the flower is a brush mix of White and Cadmium Yellow using the same Round Brush and starting at the tip end, pulling towards the flower center. Do the side petals first, using just one stroke for each petal. The front petal is done using two strokes, making it just a little wider.
When dry, dampen one flower only with Brush 'n Blend - a smooth, even coat with the Flat Brush. Fill the Sure Stroke with Alizarin Crimson and pull a stroke from the center top petal lifting up and off the surface about 1/3 of the way into the petal. Repeat this same stroke of pulling and hitting on each of the tip ends of the bottom half of the flower. This same shadow is also applied at the stem end of each bud.
When dry, dampen the top half of flower with Brush 'n Blend and apply two lighter strokes of a brush mix of White and Alizarin Crimson on top of each of the right and left strokes. When dry, dampen again on the bottom half with Brush 'n Blend and apply White strokes using the Sure Stroke Brush. There are stamen dots of Cadmium Yellow in the very center of the top half of flower strokes. Strokes along the edge of the petals are White, using the 5/0 script.
3. Leaves and stems - fill the Sure Stroke Brush with Antique Teal, making the brush flat. Use one flat side of the brush to pull just a little Cadmium Yellow from the edge of the puddle. Use the chisel edge of the flattened brush and apply the leaves, pulling from the tip end into the stems.
Strokes around edge of design are a brush mix of equal amounts of Alizarin Crimson and Antique Teal over the gold areas and Glorious Gold on the black areas using the 5/0 brush.