Frosty Friends de Deb Malewski

Palette:

Decoart Americana Paint: Buttermilk, Sable Brown, Avocado, Hauser Dark Green, Burnt Orange, Deep Burgundy, Antique Rose, Deep Midnight Blue, Honey Brown, Moon Yellow, Light Cinnamon, Lamp Black, Country Red, Williamsburg Blue, Payne's Grey, Snow White, French Vanilla, Black Plum, Bittersweet Chocolate.

Brushes:

Royal Soft Grip Gold Taklon Series SG150 #8, #12 flat; Series SG250 round #2, SG930 1/2" Filbert Comb; soft stencil brush for blushing cheeks, stiff stencil brush for flyspecking

Supplies:

Wood: 8 1/2" x 11" wood available from Eaton Crafts, 5456 Durfee Rd, Eaton Rapids, MI 48827 (517)663-4507 eatoncrafts@aol. com; white transfer paper, stylus, sponge brush for base coating, Decoart Matte Varnish, 20 gauge wire for hanging

Base coat:

Paint entire board with Deep Midnight Blue. Apply pattern using white transfer paper and stylus.

Snowman--Buttermilk, shaded with Sable Brown. Nose is Burnt Orange, eyes, brows, mouth and buttons are Lamp Black. Cheeks are blushed with Country Red, applied with the soft stencil brush very sparingly in a circular motion. Hat is Avocado, shaded with Hauser Dark Green and highlighted with Avocado + Moon Yellow. Wide lines on hat are Moon Yellow, highlighted in the center with Buttermilk, shaded at top and bottom with Honey Brown, and lined on each side with Honey Brown. Pompom on hat is Buttermilk, made with round brush. Scarf is Deep Burgundy, shaded with Black Plum and highlighted with Deep Burgundy + Antique Rose. Stars are Buttermilk.

Bear--Paint using filbert comb brush and slightly thinned Honey Brown. Do not base the bear with any other brush, such as a flat, or you will get harsh lines where you stop. You won't get the same effect with other brushes. You want the wispy edges the comb brush will give, not a harsh line. Use only the wispy ends of the brush to give a nice furry look to the bear. Work in a circle, starting at the outer edges, pulling the strokes out away from the center. Fill in the circle, and then the ears, and the body. Most of it isn't straight lines, but soft curves.

Without cleaning the brush, and even while the basecoat is still wet, pick up some Moon Yellow. Create the muzzle by making a smaller oval in the center of the face by patting the Moon Yellow, pulling the strokes out from the center. With the Moon Yellow still in your brush, add some highlights to the rest of the bear, using the same method. Don't attempt to fill it all in, just randomly. Think "wispy", light strokes following a natural hair pattern. To add more highlights, pick up just a touch of French Vanilla and repeat very sparingly. Add a few light curls here and there.

Shade around muzzle and in ears with Light Cinnamon using the comb brush. Shade by stroking, not your traditional side loading and floating. Pull out the dark shadows with the comb brush. Still no need to clean your brush, unless there is a lot of the Moon Yellow in it! After shading you may want to pull more lighter hairs out over the shading. Add shading under scarf with Light Cinnamon.
When the fur is dry, blush the cheeks with a circular motion using Country Red on the soft stencil brush. Eyes, nose and mouth line are Lamp Black. Eyes are highlighted with a tiny dot of Buttermilk in the upper right.

Intensify shading under vest, in top part of inner ear, under star, and under chin with Bittersweet Chocolate, using the traditional side-loading method of shading. Pull a few hairs over the shading with Honey Brown.

Scarf is Williamsburg Blue, painted with a flat brush, and is shaded with Payne's Grey and highlighted with Williamsburg Blue and Snow White. Plaid is made on scarf with the comb brush and thinned Payne's Grey, making wispy horizontal and vertical lines. Fringe is Williamsburg Blue and a touch of Buttermilk. I used my flat brush, held straight up and down, to make the fringe.

Lettering is Buttermilk. Snowflakess are Buttermilk. Fly speck with Buttermilk, using a stiff stencil brush.

Varnish. Attach wire.

http://countrycolours.homestead.com/teddybirdhousefreepattern.html