Autumn Harvestby Cindy Mann Vitale

Autumn HarvestBy Cindy Mann Vitale

Palette: DecoArt Americana AcrylicsAlizarin Crimson #13179 Antique Gold Deep #13146Antique Green #13147 Avocado Dip #13248Black Plum #13172 Bleached Sand #13251Burnt Umber #13064 Cashmere Beige #13091Cranberry Wine #13112 Dark Chocolate #13065Graphite #13161 Light Avocado #13106Light Cinnamon #13114 Limeade #13206Moon Yellow #13007 Mustard Seed #13254Raw Sienna #13093 Rookwood Red #13097Spice Pink #13030 Tangerine #13012True Ochre #13143 Violet Haze #13514Warm White #13239

Surface: Framed Signboard #62319

Misc. Supplies:DecoArt DuraClear Varnish – Matte #87395DecoArt Wood Filler #83210Spatter ToolPermanent Pen, size .005 Black

Brushes: Papillon by the Artist’s ClubRound, size 2 #20158; size 5 #20162; size 8 #20164Liner, size 1 #20147Glaze Wash, size 1” #20103

Before We Begin:This is a note to encourage you, especially if you are trying my technique for the fi rst time!I never, never worry about being perfect! I gave that up years ago! Strive to create an acceptable result, keeping in mind that most errors and mistakes are never discerned by anyone but you!Relax, and have fun! Enjoy the experience, and give yourself permission to enjoy the painting as you learn!Good is Good Enough!

Tips for Shading: First, be sure to lay down a good base coat before beginning the shading application. A strong base coat will result in achieving good results throughout the entire painting process.I use diluted applications of paint for my shading, just as I do for basing. Begin with approximately a 50-50 ratio of water to paint for most colors, with the exception of deep colors like black or dark blue. Then a higher ratio of water would be needed, such as 95 % water to 5 % paint, to start. Once you become more familiar with the technique, the ratio of water will become second nature for correct results. Trial and error is the best teacher, with consistent practice.

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Shading is not completed in a one-step application, but requires several applications of the paint/water mixture to build to the desired fi nished effect. For some of the darker results, I apply up to 4 or 5 shading layers.I use a liner brush for basing in very small areas, and rounds for the remainder of the shading process. I fi ll only the tip of a damp, round brush with the paint/water mixture, and rub it into the wood by moving the brush back and forth over the surface. Moving from the edges of the area being shaded outward, allows for the brush to empty out as you move toward the center, and the shading color fades into the base color.

Using the sides of the brush is what creates the soft washes of color, with no harsh edges.Using only the tip of the brush will create stripes or streaks, and harsh lines.

Shading with this method will cause the brush to become frayed out at the end, but that is exactly what I want, because that gives me more brush surface to create the soft watercolor effect. My brushes have lasted for many years despite the rough treatment.I keep a set of rounds in original condition for painting fi ne points and details.

A Note about Brushes: Use a brush size that’s in proportion for the area in which you are working, and is the best fi t for you. I use round brushes for almost all of my painting, basing, and shading. The only time I use a fl at or wash brush is for very large areas of base coating, antiquing, and varnishing.

Preparation:Fill in holes, if needed, lightly sand, and wipe away dust.

I usually transfer the entire design onto my board, and paint the background and base coat around each design element. This is, of course, a tedious process. What can I say? It’s a “Cindy” thing!However, it is more reasonable to base coat the majority, if not the entire board surface with the primary background color, allow to dry, and transfer all the design elements.

If you are working with a pale or white background base coat, it works well to base in the entire surface, since painting over a very light and neutral color does not distort the next paint applica-tion.

If the surface becomes rough or raises during the basing process, then sand lightly with very fi ne grit sandpaper, or a piece of brown paper bag. Do not sand the surface until it become slick and shiny. This will prevent you from applying the shading with my technique, as the paint mixture will not adhere well as you move the brush over the surface. My shading process works much better if the surface is slightly rough, with “tooth” for the shading mixture to grab into the grain.

Transferring the Design:Transfer the pumpkin, leaf and stems, sunfl ower, sunfl ower bud, sunfl ower stems and leaves.Do not transfer the or the berry vine in the upper right hand corner until the background has been base coated. Do not transfer the berry vine on the pumpkin until the pumpkin basing and shading are completed.

Painting Instructions:Base in the background with Bleached Sand. Shade around the edges of the frame with Antique Gold Deep and deepen some areas with Antique Green.Shade around the pumpkin, stem, leaves, sunfl ower and leaves with Antique Gold Deep.

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The area under the pumpkin is based with Violet Haze, and shaded with Black Plum. Blend the purple shades and the Antique Gold Deep together for a soft transition.

The Frame:Base coat the frame with Avocado Dip. Shade the corners with Antique Green.

The Lettering:After the base coat has dried, transfer the lettering. Base in with Violet Haze.Apply Black Plum to shade in some areas of the letters to accent, maintaining the effect of the lighter base coat. Use a wash of Violet Haze to shade around the some areas of the letters.

The Pumpkin:Base coat with Tangerine. Use Rookwood Red as the initial shading color. Use diluted Black Plum as second shading application to deepen. Create contours and ridges in the pumpkin with both of the shading colors.

The Pumpkin Stem:Base in the stem with Avocado Dip next to the area on the top of the pumpkin and at the tip, and Antique Gold Deep in the center area. Blend the two colors together while the base coats are still wet for a soft transition. Shade the Avocado Dip areas with Light Avocado. Shade the Antique Gold Deep area with diluted Dark Chocolate. Use diluted applications of the shading colors to create line work on the stem to give the appearance of ridges. Soften the edges so all the colors blend well together.

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The Pumpkin Leaf and Leaf Stem:Base in the bottom half of the leaf with Avocado Dip, and top half of the leaf with Limeade. While the base coats are still wet, blend the two colors together in the center to soften.Shade with Light Avocado, leaving the top area lighter for contrast. Create veining with a thin wash of the Light Avocado. Deepen some areas to create dark contours with diluted Black Plum.

The Sunfl ower and the Sunfl ower Bud:Base coat the petals with Moon Yellow. Brush a wash of Mustard Seed over some of the petals to highlight and give contrast. Shade some of the petals with True Ochre, and some with Light Cin-namon.

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Base in the center with Raw Sienna. Shade with Light Cinnamon. Deepen some areas with Dark Chocolate. Paint on the edging around the outside of the fl ower center with Graphite with small short strokes.I used a short round brush that was frayed at the ends, which worked well to create the “fuzzy” effect at the ends of each stroke.

The Sunfl ower Leaves and Stems:Base coat with Avocado Dip. Shade with Light Avocado in some areas, and use Antique Green in other areas, for contrast. Use diluted Light Avocado to paint on the veining.

The Berry Vines:When the pumpkin and lettering are completed, transfer the berry vines. Base coat with Cashmere Beige. Shade with Dark Chocolate.Base in the berries with an undercoating of Warm White since you are working over dark colors on the pumpkin. When dry, paint on the berries with Spice Pink. Shade with Alizarin Crimson, and deepen some berries with Cranberry Wine. Try to create the berries in such a way that they are not all the same size or don’t look exactly the same in coloration.

Varnishing:When all the paint has thoroughly dried, brush on a thin, even application of matte varnish. Using a damp glaze/ wash brush, dip into diluted varnish ( approx. 50-50 varnish to water ) and brush on a light even coat. Allow to dry and repeat for complete coverage. The surface should be adequately sealed, so when the antiquing mixture is brushed on later, it will not grab into the grain of the wood resulting in too dark of a fi nish.

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Antiquing:Since this was a fall design, I wanted to create a darker effect, so I opted to apply an antiqued fi n-ish. Brushing on an application of diluted paint, over the varnished surface works well without using an antiquing medium. Dilute Burnt Umber paint, with a ratio of 95% water to 5 % water. Using a damp large brush, such as a wash or glaze brush, dip the tip of the brush to fi ll into the water and paint mixture and brush over the surface of the board. Suggested tips: Test the mixture fi rst on another surface, such as scrap board, or even a piece of watercolor paper, to be sure you are pleased with the ratio. Secondly, start at the corner of the surface, in a small area, so if the result is not pleasing, it’s easier to remove, and does not leave markings in the center of the design. For this reason, it’s wise to apply at least two coats of varnish, or even three, to make it easier to remove the antiquing application if you should want to do so.

Spattering:Spatter with Burnt Umber using a spattering tool, or toothbrush.

Finishing:Spray with the Americana Matte Spray Sealer for a protective fi nish. Follow the manufactures di-rections on the can.

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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 2011 Cindy Mann Vitale and Crafts Americana Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. #331579

No. *A331579*© Artist’s Club ®. All rights reserved. For private, non-commercial use only. Please see our web site for terms of use.