PAINTING THYME NEEDFULS: Betty Caithness

I am sitting here in my STUDIO thinking about SPRING!

It is only the beginning of February so we could still have a lot more WINTER coming our way!

The good thing is I live on Cape Cod and when we do get SNOW it usually does not last long.

I can spend my thyme painting projects that make me think about

SPRING and better yet SUMMER!

Step inside my STUDIO and I'll show you the latest project that I have been working on.

Today I wanted to show you a project

called

Porter Sailboat.

Design

is by

Betty Caithness

The sail boat measures 20 3/8" x 3 1/8" x 19 1/2" tall

My Pallette

DecoArt Americana Acrylics

*The original pattern packet was done using DELTA paints.

I converted them to DecoArt Americana Acrylics

DecoArt has conversion charts available HERE to make this process easier!

Asphaltum, Black Plum, Brandy Wine, Brown Iron Oxide, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Camel, Charcoal Grey, Cool Neutral, Deep Midnight Blue, Dove Grey, Dried Basil Green, Driftwood, French Grey Blue, Honey Brown, Khaki Tan, Midnite Green, Milk Chocolate, Neutral Grey, Primary Yellow, Taffy Cream, Traditional Raw Sienna, Titanium White

Let's get started!

The sails for this project came already cut. There is a dotted line for folding. Next make a crease along the fold line and insert your cut string . Glue the "seam " shut. Make sure you leave the ends long enough to attach the sail to the mast when your project is complete! You can trim any excess string at that time!

I mixed Cool Neutral with Titanium White 2:1 to paint the sails

After my initial base coats were dry on the sails I mixed a very thin and watery mixture of Burnt Umber and H2O.

This mixture should be as thin as H2O.

I used a crumpled up piece of plastic wrap to "stipple" the sails. Continue stippling until it appears lighter and dry.I then mixed my background colors Cool Neutral, Khaki Tan and Driftwood 2:2:1together. This should be thinned to a watery mix as well. Take a clean crumpled piece of plastic wrap and pat into this new mix and then onto the sail. This process is necessary because you are working with such a watery paint mixture that the binder is diluted, and the second and third coats could reactivate the first coat if brushed on. Let second coat dry, then apply the third and last coat using a mix of White and H2O in the same manner you applied the last coat.

I began by painting the upper sky. This is done by building several washy floats using French Grey Blue and Deep Midnite Blue 1:1. I walked this color down and faded it about 6" from the top of the sail

I transferred some of the main design then did a washy float of Raw Sienna to establish the horizon line. I was careful to fade my color out before reaching the blue area that I had just painted in the sky. You don't want your colors "mixing" as you are using washy floats!

I based the sun using Camel. I then added some highlights and shading. The sun rays were very transparent floats of Taffy Cream, Snow White Titanium, Primary Yellow 3:2:1

I moistened the area behind where I would paint the clouds

with

Traditions Extender and Blending Medium.

I worked one cloud at a time!

I mixed Charcoal Grey Dried Basil Green and Neutral Grey 2:2:1

Take a wet deerfoot brush double loaded with Titanium White on the TOE of the brush and the mix you just made on the HEEL of the brush. Tap on the first cloud. Immediately soften with your mop brush! Begin on the uppermost cloud and work your way down.

Use a light touch!

Next I painted in the landscape lines.

I have now added the water.

I will now begin work on the cliffs and road.

Your transfer lines should be kept light as we are working in floats!

I'm working on the trunks and branches.

I moistened the foliage area first with H2O.

I used thinned paint and a sea sponge to do this area.

Dry and re-moisten sponge between colors of paint.

I used my Silver Micron Mini detail brushes to paint the foliage on the smaller trees.

I have now started to paint the houses.

I began with the red house which was a mix of Rookwood Red and Deep Burgundy.

Next I painted the small White lighthouse.

I then began work on the stone lighthouse.

I worked with a dirty brush adding various values to get the desired look for the stones on the lighthouse.

The lighthouse is complete.

I put the sails aside and began some of the work on the boat.

I began by painting the hull and deck with two coats of Camel. Let dry!

Working in a small area I brushed on thinned Raw Sienna. I poured a small amount of alcohol in a glass dish. I used a palette knife and a stencil brush to spatter the alcohol on the area that was still wet with the thinned Raw Sienna. I let this dry well and repeated the process with thinned Burnt Sienna. Although it is hard to see in the photo this process gave the deck a wood grain effect.

Next I began painting the herringbone pattern on the deck.

I worked one side at a time with a float of Burnt Umber.

I painted the masts the same as the sides and stern.

I used tape to section off the area that remains a lighter wood.

I continued the spattering process with alcohol in this lighter area,

I lined the top and bottom of the lighter area on the sides with thinned Lamp Black

I then separated the lighter area into vertical sections matching the lines that I had already made on the deck.

I did a float of Burnt Umber along these lines.

Now back to the sails! I began work on the ship.

To complete the first sail I painted the reeds and stroke bush at the bottom of the sail.

I have now started the second sail.

I checked often to make sure the design would line up once the two sails were attached to the mast.

Working on the houses and trees.

Almost done!

I'm adding windows, doors and shading to the houses.

Painting the Blue house.

One last house left to paint!

I have now begun work on the large stone house.

I am working on the doors, windows, roof and chimney.

I have also based in the road between the houses.

I have added the reeds at the bottom of the second sail.

I think I am finally ready to varnish the sails!

I applied two coats of DecoArt Dura Clear Matte Varnish to the sails.

I painted the flag for the ship.

I painted the ship with two coats of Dura Clear Matte Varnish as well.

I then glued all the pieces of the mast together.

I then tied my sails to the mast and glued them in place. I trimmed the excess string. I used thinned Burnt Umber paint to stain the string.