Pine Country Decor, Painting

Custom Cutting

Custom Wood Cutting is available through Pine Country Decor. Just send a copy of your pattern along with cutting instructions and we will send you a free estimate. Send you patterns to:

The Shop In The Pines & Pine Country Decor

23685 Co. Rd. 9

Bemidji, MN 56601

or email to: countrydecor101@yahoo.com

Craft Blog

Click here to go to the Craft Blog: www.theshopinthepines.com/craftblog.htm

Tips, Techniques & Terms

On this page you will find Tips, Terms and Techniques for American Folkart Painting and Decorative Painting with acrylics.  Visit this page frequently to check for new information.

Steps to Completing a Painted Project

Sand wood piece, if needed.
Stain wood piece, if desired and let dry.
Seal wood piece, let dry.
Base coat the project in the colors specified in the pattern instructions and let dry. When the paint is dry, sand with eversand or a paper bag. Apply a second coat of paint, if needed.
Trace and transfer pattern on to wood piece.
Follow painting instructions on the pattern to finish the painting.
Sign and date your project.
Varnish your project, if desired, to finish it.

Base Coating

Base coating is applying one or two coats of paint onto your project. (This is the first painting step.) This may be the same color on the whole project or it may be several colors. Each pattern will instruct you on which color(s) you should base coat in.

If you need more than one coat, be sure to let the first coat dry completely before applying the second. Use a large enough brush when base coating to spread paint evenly. Many times a 1" sponge will work, although a small piece may require a small flat brush. Using a brush bigger than your project could result in uneven and running paint. If your pattern calls for you to paint the sides of your project, do them (the sides) first. When the sides are dry, you can then paint the front.

Transferring a Pattern

To transfer a pattern on to your project you will need tracing paper, transfer paper, a stylus and a pencil. Using the tracing paper, trace your pattern off of the original. Place the tracing paper over the top of your piece/project and adjust it to fit the appropriate places. Holding down a corner of the tracing paper (making sure it stays in the exact place where you aligned it), slip the transfer paper underneath. Be sure the shiny side of the transfer paper is down towards your project when you put it between your tracing paper and project. Using the stylus or pencil, trace over the pattern, pressing hard enough for it to show up on the project.

There are 4 colors (that I am aware of) of transfer paper: Black, White, Yellow and Red. Choose the color that will show up the best on the paint color you are using. If you make any accidental markings on your project, use a rubber eraser to erase them.

Lining/Linework

Use a liner brush when lining. Make sure you have fresh paint on your palette to work with. If the paint is too thick, thin it out a little at a time to make the paint "flow" easier. Do not dip the line brush in the paint, but instead pull the brush out from the paint, turning over for each time you load the brush. Hold your brush straight up and down, if possible, when painting. The lighter your touch with the brush, the thinner your line will be. The harder you push down on the brush, the thicker your line will be. Always remember to pull the brush toward yourself while painting. Practice on your palette or a practice piece until you get the "hang" of it.

Dotting

Use the end of your paint brush for making dots. The larger the end of the brush, the bigger the dot will be. For small dots, use a stylus. Be sure you have fresh paint when dotting. Paint that is starting to dry will make sloppy dots. There are also tools you can purchase that have differend sized ends on them for different sized dots. There are two kinds of dotting: "dot-dot-dot" and "dip-dotting". With "dot-dot-dot", your dots will gradually become smaller--this is dipping in the paint once and dotting on your project until the paint is gone and/or the right number of dots are made. With "dip-dotting", you will dip into fresh paint for every dot -- this way the dots stay very close to the same size. Practice on your paint palette first to decide on which size of dot you need for your project.

Ovals and hearts can also be made from dots. To make and oval, put your dot on the palette and pull toward yourself. To make a heart, place two dots of the same size ("dip-dot") right next to each other with edges touching. While the paint is still wet, use your stylus to pull the wet paint down from in between the two dots to form the point of the heart.

Storage

To store your painted projects, wrap each piece separately in bubble wrap or a plastic bag. Do not use paper, paper towels or fabric because any humidity can make you paint or varnish stick to them. Store in cool, dry place.

Questions? Suggestions?

If you have any questions, suggestions or tips you would like to share with us, contact us at:
countrydecor101@yahoo.com

Craft Ideas

Click here to return to the main "Craft Ideas" page.

The information on this page is presented in good faith and every attempt has been made to make all information clear, concise and correct, but no warranty is given, nor  results guaranteed.
 
The information on this page may be used on websites and in ezines as long as a live link back to this site is included with the information.  Teachers may print this information for classes/students as long as www.pinecountrydecor.com is included in the information/printouts.