CHRISTMAS PALETTE
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by Barbara Bunsey
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Christmas Palette by Barbara Bunsey
PALETTE:
DecoArt Acrylics Buttermilk #13003 Cadmium Orange #13508 Cadmium Yellow #13010 Cocoa #13253 Light Buttermilk #13164 Milk Chocolate #13174 Plantation Pine #13113
Primary Blue #13200 Primary Red #13199 Sand #13004 Traditional Burnt Sienna #13223 Traditional Raw Sienna #13222 Traditional Burnt Umber #13221
SURFACE: Large Painter’s Palette #63162
MISC. SUPPLIES: Brush ‘N Blend Extender JoSonja Clear Glaze #83106 ½” mop small sea or hydra sponge Dazzling Metallics White Pearl
Star Lite Topcoat #83197 snowflake stamps #70895 wet palette FM Black Gold 3/8” foliage wave.
BRUSHES:
Papillon by the Artist’s Club Papillon by the Artist’s Club 10 Piece Resin Brush Set #20191 4 Piece Highlighter Set #20173
5 Piece Deerfoot Set #20167
Loew-Cornell
Maxine Thomas Mop sizes ¼” #27180, ½” #27179
Since this design is painted on a palette, I thought it would be fun to paint most of it using just the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. Color mixing can be fun and you will amaze yourself at the wonderful colors you can create! If you prefer not to mix, however, I have included color conversions for the mixes I used.
MIXES & CONVERSIONS: Greens: (Medium) Primary Blue & Cadmium Yellow (1:1) (Light)_Base mix + equal amount of Cadmium Yellow (Dark) Base mix + equal amount of Primary Blue (Dark Green/Yellow) Dark green mix + a titch Primary Red
Hauser Medium Green Hauser Light Green Hauser Dark Green Plantation Pine
Purples: (Dark) Primary Red + Primary Blue (1:1) (Medium) Base mix + equal amount of Primary Red (Light) Medium mix + light Buttermilk (1:1)
Black Plum Napa Red Antique Mauve
Oranges: (Medium) Primary Red + Cadmium Yellow (1:1) (Dark) Medium mix + Dark Green/Yellow mix (1:1/4)
Cadmium Orange Burnt Orange
Greys: (Dark) Primary Red + Primary Blue + Cadmium Yellow (1:1:1) (Medium) Base mix + Light Buttermilk
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Charcoal Grey (Light) Medium mix + Light Buttermilk
BACKGROUND: Base Cocoa. Apply thin coat of extender to surface. Pick up Cocoa in damp sponge, tap out excess on palette, pick up Sand in same area of sponge, tap out excess, and begin applying to center area of palette, keeping it brighter in the center and using less pressure and paint as you work toward the outside edges. Pick up more Sand, tap out excess, and add more color to center, leaving a “halo” of first color around outside edge. Repeat using Buttermilk. Dry. Dampen outside edge and around finger hole with water and float Traditional Raw Sienna, using ¾” brush, walking color toward center; soften with mop brush. Dry. Repeat, using Milk Chocolate, but not walking out as far.
PINE BRANCHES Add Faux Glazing Medium to Traditional Burnt Umber to thin and line in branches. Keep this very light so it fades into the background. Add Faux Glazing Medium to Dark Green/Yellow mix (Plantation Pine) and add needles to branches.
BERRIES Darkest berries are based Dark Purple with #2 round brush. Pick up Light Buttermilk on dirty brush, blend, and tap in highlight; pick up more Light Buttermilk and add another smaller highlight. Next berries are Medium Purple; add highlight as above; shade Dark Purple. Next berries are based Medium Purple + Light Buttermilk; highlight as above; shade Medium Purple, then Dark Purple. Reflected light is Light Green.
BLUE ORNAMENT Undercoat Primary Blue + Light Buttermilk; base Primary Blue. Using #8 dry brush, pick up Primary Blue and a little Light Buttermilk, tap on palette to blend, and add highlight to top right of ornament, keeping color brightest in the center of the area and using less paint and pressure toward the outside so it blends into the background. Pick up more light Buttermilk on dirty brush, blend, and add more highlight, using same technique as above, keeping a small “halo” of last color showing around the outside edges. Repeat as needed to brighten highlight. Final highlight is a touch of Light Buttermilk. Shade around entire ball with Medium Red. Shade on left side with Dark Red. Reflected light is Light Green. Top: Base Medium Grey. Highlight Light Grey, then add more Light Buttermilk to mix if necessary for more highlights. Shade Dark Grey.
TREE Using 3/8” foliage wave, pick up Dark Green/Yellow mix and tap in shape of tree, keeping it loose on outside artistsclub.com | 3
edge, angling brush down. Pick up Medium Green mix on dirty brush and start tapping in highlight on right, using less paint and pressure as you move toward left. Pick up Light Green on dirty brush and add more highlight, not as far over to left as previously. Clean brush. Pick up Primary Blue and add more shadows to left side. Also add touches of pinks to shadow side of tree.
STAR Undercoat Cadmium Yellow + Light Buttermilk; base Cadmium Yellow. Using #12 dry brush, pick up Cadmium Yellow, then Light Buttermilk, tap out excess, and add highlight to center. Keep picking up Light Buttermilk in dirty brush to make highlight brightest in the center, keeping a “halo” of the previous color around the new one. Shade tips with Cadmium Orange, then Dark Orange. Add more shading with Dark Purple on points to the left. Add more highlights as necessary to brighten.
BELLS Base Dark Orange. Using #8 dry brush, highlight tops and bottoms of bells with Cadmium Orange, then pick up Cadmium Yellow in dirty brush, blend to mix, add another highlight on top, leaving a “halo” of Cadmium Orange around the Yellow; add more Cad Yellow, then Light Buttermilk to dirty brush, with technique as above. Re-paint center ridge and handles with Cadmium Orange. Pick up Cadmium Yellow in dirty brush and add highlight to centers; repeat, using more Cad Yellow, the Light Buttermilk. Shade with base mix + Dark Green/Yellow above and below ridge, on forward bell at the left top of the bottom area and right bottom of the top area, at bottom of handles, and to separate bells; add Dark Purple to darkest areas.
POINSETTIA Base underneath petals with Medium Purple. Add Light Buttermilk to Medium Purple to highlight tips of these petals and add veins. Shade with Dark Purple. Base next layer of petals with the above highlight mix. Add more Light Buttermilk to this mix to highlight tips of petals and add veins. Shade with Medium Purple. If these petals look too purple, wash Primary Red over them. Undercoat next layer of petals with Primary Red + Light Buttermilk; base Primary Red. Highlight tips and add veins with Undercoat mix. Shade with Medium Purple, then Dark Purple in the darkest areas. Add tiniest petals in center with the Primary Red + Light Buttermilk mix; shade at base with Primary Red, then Medium Purple. Centers are dots of Dark Orange and Cadmium Orange with the liner brush. Add dots of Cadmium Yellow to highlight. Shade left bottom of these, lightly, with Dark Purple. 4 | artistsclub.com
BRUSH Bristles are a brush-mix of Dark Purple, Dark Orange, and Cadmium Yellow. Highlight tips with Cadmium Yellow; shade at base with Dark Purple. Ferrule is based with Medium Grey. Highlight Light Grey, then add more Light Buttermilk to mix if necessary for more highlights. Shade Dark Grey. Handle is Medium Purple + Light Buttermilk. Add highlights with Light Buttermilk in dirty brush. Shade on both sides with Medium Purple, then Dark Purple.
SNOWFLAKES Mix Pearl and Glitter on your palette. Using small sponge, apply pearl/glitter mix to snowflake stamp and place on surface as desired.
FINISHING With clear water, dampen to the left and beneath each object and, using ¾” brush, lightly shade in these areas with Dark Grey. artistsclub.com | 5
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Pattern at 100% 1” x 1”
To ensure your pattern is at 100%, this box should measure 1” x 1” when printed.
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Copyright 2017 by Barbara Bunsey and Crafts Americana Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. #332191
No.
*A332191*
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