Spring Candle Sconce

A simple faux technique provides the soft, muted background for these beautiful spring tulips.

Rating

Medium: acrylics on wood

Materials

• Western Woodworks wall sconce and hurricane lamp
• DecoArt Americana Acrylics
• Brushes: Loew-Cornell Series 7300 Nos. 14 and 20 shader, and Series 7350 No. 1 liner
• DecoArt sponge roller
• Wood sealer
• Sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Tracing paper
• Transfer paper
• Stylus
• Palette
• Plastic wrap
• DecoArt Americana Matte Varnish

Preparation

Step 1. Seal and sand the sconce and hurricane lamp base. Wipe with tack cloth to remove dust. Step 2. Base surfaces with BUT using the sponge roller. Allow to dry. Dampen the surface with water using the roller. Make a mix of LI + PL (1:1), then scrunch up the plastic wrap and pick up some of the mix, removing excess paint onto palette. Pounce wrap on both surfaces. (Note: The surface needs to be wet enough for the colors to bleed when you pounce on the paint.) Allow to dry. Step 3. Redampen surface with water and apply PL using the same technique as for mix in Step 2 above. Allow to dry. Dampen one final time, and then lay some loose squiggles onto the surfaces using thinned PL and the No. 1 liner (allow edges to fade into the background). Allow to dry completely. Step 4. Trace pattern onto tracing paper and transfer onto surface using the stylus.

Painting

Step 1. The tulips are based TC and shaded first with AG, then RS, and finally with RS + (PL) tucked into the darkest shadow areas. Highlight with TW and accent softly with CR. Step 2. Base tulip stems HMG + TC (1:1) + (PL) (to tone down color), resulting in a soft dull green mix. Shade with BG and accent softly with CR. Step 3. The reeds are based HMG + (PL) (also a dull green mix, but darker than the mix for tulip stems). Shade reeds with BG and highlight with AG, accenting softly with CR. With thinned reed mix and the No. I liner, add some frayed edges to reeds. Float PL behind some of the reeds and tulips for background shading and to accentuate floral pattern. Step 4. Trim edges of candle sconce with PL + HMG. Allow to dry.

Finishing

Finish with three coats of matte varnish, allowing time to dry between each application.

Palette