Tropical Fish
Try a new technique: Create the look of stained glass using texture paste and a high-gloss varnish.
Materials
MDF or Agglomerate board (15-1/2″ x 10″ and 4mm thick), MDF or Agglomerate board frame (18-3/4″ x 13″), MDF or Agglomerate squares, four (111 x 1″ x 3/8″)
DecoArt Americana Acrylics: Antique Cold, Asphaltum, Blue Green, Burnt Orange, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Cadmium Yellow, Desert Sand, Desert Turquoise, Georgia Clay, Hauser Light Green, Hauser Medium Green, Khaki Tan, Lamp Black, Lilac, Marigold, Milk Chocolate, Mississippi Mud, Navy Blue, Olive Green, Orchid, Pansy Lavender, Payne’s Grey, Petal Pink, Pineapple, Plantation Pine, Prussian Blue, Raw Sienna, Red Violet, Salem Blue, Sapphire, Slate Grey, Tangelo Orange, Tangerine, Terra Cotta, True Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Viridian Green, Vivid Violet, White Wash, Yellow Light
Silver Falcon Brushes Golden Taklon 1/2″ and 3/4″ angular shader (Series 160), #2 detail/ round (Series 250), #10/0 and #6 short mini liner (Series 585), 1″ wash/glaze (Series 700); Natural Bristle 1/4″ deerfoot stippler (Series 780)
DecoArt Americana Decorating Paste; DuraClear Gloss Varnish
Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Marker, Black
Aleene’s Tacky Glue
Miscellaneous: black transfer paper, palette knife and spatula, palette paper, paper towels, plastic knife and fork, retarder (optional), sandpaper, soft cloth, stylus, toothpicks, tracing paper, water basin
Preparation
Note: Follow all manufacturers’ label instructions for proper product usage.
Basecoat the smaller board with White Wash.
Transfer the design using black transfer paper.
Basecoat the wooden frame with Lamp Black. Let dry. Sand, and use a soft cloth to remove dust. Apply another coat of Lamp Black.
Use Decorating Paste to add texture to both the fish and the bottom of the ocean. Use the spatula to apply Decorating Paste to the ocean sections, creating texture as you work. To create the different textures in the sections, use the tip of the plastic knife to make small lines (Fig. 1), the tines of the plastic fork to make larger lines (Fig. 2), the point of the toothpick to make circular marks (Fig. 3), and the deerfoot brush to work in a speckled pattern (Fig. 4). Create texture in the fish sections in the same manner (Fig. 5). Allow to dry for two hours.
Techniques
Flat painting. Use a flat brush to place layers of color, one on top of the other, until you obtain a defined and homogeneous tone. Use the brush size that best fits the area you wish to cover.
Floating. Use floats of color to create volume and depth and to shade a color that is already dry. Wet an angular or flat brush, wipe excess water on an absorbent paper towel, and immediately load one end of the brush with paint; stroke back and forth on the palette until the color is blended on the brush. Rest the brush on the surface, and slide softly over the design in a continuous manner, avoiding interrupted movements.
Dropping. Dilute acrylic paint with water or retarder (1:1). Use the # 2 detail/round brush to apply the diluted color drop by drop to the area you wish to color. Let dry well. Do not use a dryer, since this will damage the effect of the technique.
Painting
Note: The sections are labeled for ease in applying the colors. Refer to the Worksheets on pages 32 and 33 as guides throughout the painting process.
Ocean backgroundUse the #2 detail/round brush to apply two layers of Prussian Blue in the channels of the ocean background, allowing the paint to dry between each layer (Fig. 6).
Apply color to the ocean using the dropping technique. Dilute colors with water (1:1). Use the #2 detail/round brush to apply the color drop by drop in the order numbered on the pattern. Fill in the numbered sections with the colors listed below.
Section 1: Salem
Section 2: Salem Blue + Desert Turquoise
Sections 3 through 12: Desert Turquoise
Sections 4, 5, 6, and 17: Desert Turquoise + Ultramarine Blue
Sections 7, 9,14, and 19: Ultramarine Blue
Sections 8,11,15, and 27: Ultramarine Blue + Navy Blue
Sections 10,16, and 22: Navy Blue + Prussian Blue
Section 13: Desert Turquoise + Viridian Green
Section 18: Viridian Green + Ultramarine Blue
Sections 20, 21, 24, 29, and 37: Viridian Green + Navy Blue
Sections 23, 33, and 30: Viridian Green + Plantation Pine
Section 25: Navy Blue + Plantation Pine
Sections 26, 32, and 35: Plantation Pine
Section 28: Plantation Pine + Ultramarine
Blue Section 31: Navy Blue + Viridian Green + Desert Turquoise
Section 34: Navy Blue + Desert Turquoise
Section 36: Plantation Pine + Navy BlueOnce the ocean colors are dry, use the tip of the spatula to scrape over the textured areas to improve the luminosity (Fig. 7).
fig. 7 (fig. 6)
Use the 1/2″ angular shader to float shading color into each ocean section to create depth.
Shade any Ultramarine Blue (or Ultramarine Blue combination color) section with Prussian Blue.
Shade any Desert Turquoise (or Desert Turquoise combination color) section with Payne’s Grey.
Shade any Navy Blue (or Navy Blue combination color) section with Payne’s Grey.
Shade any Plantation Pine (or Plantation Pine combination color) section with Blue Green.
Shade any Salem Blue (or Salem Blue combination color) section with Desert Turquoise.
Use an angular shader to apply the base colors to the fish sections. Apply the colors in the alphabetical order labeled on the pattern. Fill in the sections with the colors listed below.
Sections A: Cadmium Yellow
Sections B: Marigold + Burnt Orange (4:1)
Sections C: True Blue
Sections D: Burnt Umber
Sections E: Yellow Light
Sections F: Hauser Light Green
Sections G: Georgia Clay
Sections H: Orchid
Sections I: Vivid Violet
Sections J: Khaki Tan
Sections K: Lamp BlackAllow the surface to completely dry. Use the tip of the spatula to scrape over the textured areas to improve the luminosity.
Use the 1/2″ angular shader to float highlights and shading on each of the fish sections. Highlight and shade the sections with the colors listed below (Fig. 8).
Sections A: Highlight = Tangerine + White Wash (1:1)
Shade = Terra Cotta
Sections B: Highlight = Tangerine + White Wash (1:10)
Shade = Burnt Sienna
Sections C: Highlight = Sapphire
Shade = Prussian Blue
Sections D: Highlight = Milk Chocolate
Shade = Asphaltum
Sections E: Highlight = Pineapple
Shade = Raw Sienna
Sections F: Highlight = Olive Green
Shade = Hauser Medium Green
Sections G: Highlight = Tangelo Orange
Shade = Burnt Sienna
Sections H: Highlight = Lilac
Shade = Pansy Lavender
Sections I: Highlight = Petal Pink
Shade = Red Violet
Sections J: Highlight = Desert Sand
Shade = Mississippi Mud
Sections K: Highlight = White WashUse the Black Fine Point Permanent Marker to outline all sections of the tropical fish (Fig. 9).
Large fish. Base eye with White Wash. Base the iris with Burnt Umber.
Use a short mini liner and Payne’s Grey to apply small dots over the sclera (white part of eye) to shade. Wash the brush with water, and place the brush over the dots to dissolve some of the color and create cloudiness in the sclerotic area of the eye.
Use a short mini liner and Antique Gold to apply three small dots on the bottom part of the iris. Wash the brush with water and put water drops on top of the paint to create a foggy effect. Let dry well.
Use the handle end of a paintbrush to dot Lamp Black in the center of the pupil. Let dry. Use a short mini liner to apply a small White Wash shine dot on the pupil (Fig. 10).
Small fish. Follow the same eye procedure as used on the big fish, except change the colors. Apply the iris with Ultramarine Blue. Apply dots to the sclerotic area with Slate Grey. Apply dots to the iris with Salem Blue. Dot the pupil with Navy Blue.
Finishing
When dry, apply two layers of gloss varnish over the painting.
Frame mounting. Glue the 1″ x 1″ pieces of board (mounting squares) in the corners on the back of the painting. Apply glue to the mounting squares and mount the painting onto the frame, applying pressure until the glue adheres.
