continued from yesterday

Granite Stone

This is a non-fired, textured paint that is thick. After stirring, you can apply it with a brush or palette knife. It leaves a rough texture on your piece. After dry buffing with a sponge or rough cloth will bring out the hidden metallic sparkles.

In January, Duncan Ambassador Larry Knight came to our MVCT meeting and taught the Duncan University class called Nature’s Skyscrapers. First we applied several colors to the sky streaking it  horizontally over the entire piece. Then we traced the design on using tissue and permanent markers. After applying the granite stone according to pattern, we detailed with a liner brush and black stain.

Fashenhues

Ruth Ann Jackson Butler teaches Fashenhues at the Ohio show and other places throughout the country. She is a Fashenhues distributor and traveling teacher and we purchase our paints through her. The color chart here is the translucent colors. We have the entire collection of colors.  In the studio you will find the small jars of translucents in a flat box on the shelf. We also have totes that hold base coats, brushes, towels, and Q-tips.

This is a document that was created for a presentation at the MVCT February Retreat given by Jen Williams.

Learning to use Fashenhues products is easy and fun! We firmly believe there is no right or wrong (well, almost no wrong) way to use Fashenhues products. Each of us is an artist in our own way and we each will find more success in some techniques over others. Here, we offer only a guideline for you to begin finding your own methods and techniques.

Materials needed:

• Fired Bisque piece
• Cut up t-shirt pieces and/or VIVA paper towels (They do not shed as much as others.)
• Cream Basecoat and/or White Basecoat
• S-182 Brown (Or any other color or colors you would like to use in the antiquing process.)
• AS-1 Antiquing Solution and BL-1 Blending Media
• Baby wipes for keeping hands clean and removing mistakes
• Fashenhues Flat Matte Spray
• Assorted Fashenhues Translucent Stains

Choose from any of our 48 Fashenhues Translucent Stains to paint your piece (Colors are oil based for easy application and use but are water soluble for an easy clean-up.)

ALWAYS STORE COLOR BOTTLES CAP UP

Bottles should only be bottom up while you are working on a project to make it easier to see and choose colors.

(*We recommend having a flat bisque surface available to test your colors.  Colors often look very different when wiped back than when applied.)

1. Remove all dust from the entire bisque piece with a slightly damp sponge (allow to dry completely), compressed air or soft brush.
2. Shake and apply one coat of Cream Basecoat. Allow to dry and apply second coat (we prefer white to make it easier to see).  To read why base coat is necessary, please see FAQ page. Be careful not to use too much basecoat.  You do not want to fill all the crevices.
3. Always shake each bottle prior to using the color to ensure thorough mixing. Start the antiquing process by placing a small amount of S-182 brown (or whichever color(s) you are using to antique) translucent pigment onto your palette.  Using a stiff brush of your choice, begin to brush color into an area about 2 or 3” in diameter. Immediately wipe back using a lint free paper towel or t-shirt like material. (Viva paper towels or old tee shirts make excellent wipe away materials.) Continue until entire piece is antiqued and wiped back.  (Most people prefer to also do the bottom or back)
4. Decide what additional colors you would like to use and begin applying one color at a time. In order to extend the “workability” of your translucent color, try placing a small drop of BL-1, Blending Media, onto your palette. Tip your brush lightly into the media, VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED, then “swirl” it into your colors prior to applying them to your piece. This will permit your brush to move smoothly as you add color and will eliminate virtually all brush marks. Since all products are very concentrated, it’s easy to add too much media. Adding too much will prevent the color from drying. If you find that you would like to wipe back more color than your t-shirt piece will allow, you may want to place a small amount of AS-1, Antiquing Solution, in a clean cloth as you wipe back the color or use a baby wipe. Generally, the natural look can be achieved by having the most concentration of color deep into the cracks and crevices of your piece creating the effect of natural shading, and highlights or lighter hues on raised areas. Additional details can be added by using other Fashenhues products; Acrylic Stains, Metallic colors, Luminescent colors, the Pearls or by adding gold or silver Powder to the translucent colors. Try using the P-1 White, or P-2 Gold White or Gold pearl like colors over top of your translucent colors for a beautiful sheen.
5. Seal and protect your finished piece by using Fashenhues Flat Matte. This spray is not only water resistant; it protects your piece from UV light. You can also use GG-1 Gloss Glaze for a wonderful deep look, particularly when used on eyes.

You now have a finished piece you’ll be proud to display!

Painting Tips

When painting a smooth area, for instance a sky scene, the color wipes unbelievably smooth, especially when you add a second color over the base colored sky. A good base color for a sky would be S-7, Blue Gray, or for a lighter base, S-42, Morning Glory. For a darker sky, you might use S-44, Denim as a base. When adding a second color with a cloth, the color just blends into the base sky color.

When painting flesh tones, antique with S-2, Mocha, or S-9, Gray. Load brush with Blending Media as explained, apply and wipe with t-shirt like material as you would normally do. It may be necessary to moisten your cloth with a bit of Antiquing Solution, AS-1 and lighten the antiquing color(s).

If desired, you can “set” each color with a light coat of Matte Spray to minimize the possibility of removing other colors from adjacent areas, if desired. (If you scrub hard enough, you can remove any color, sprayed or not.)

Extras

• Metallics: The finishing touch on any piece might be the addition of metallic details in gold, silver, copper, or brass. Both Duncan and Fashenhues carry these colors. These colors are NOT wiped back.
• Metallic colors: both companies also make metallic colors. Duncan has red, green, and blue. Fashenhues metallic colors are shown in the chart above.
• Luminescent colors: also shown in the chart are what Fashenhues calls luminescent. Duncan used to make a product called Pearls and we have some discontinued bottles on the shelf. Both brands have the effect of a soft sheen and give the appearance of ribbon or satin fabric.
• Glitter: Duncan has a brush-on glitter in gold, silver, and crystal. It is actually just glitter in glue and should be painted over a base color. Wash your brush immediately after use as it is difficult to get the glue out after it hardens. We also have dry glitter in a variety of colors. Just brush on glue where you want the glitter to stick and shake on. It is a messy process but produces a nice result.
• Snow: Duncan has a non-fired snow that comes in two types, regular and with glitter. We have found that the glitter snow does not stick well on glazed trees but the regular snow works well. You can use either on trees that are stained. Sometimes you might add snow to winter scenes or on the clothing of a winter figurine. You can always paint crystal glitter over the snow if you want a more sparkly effect. Snow produces a texture and you can paint over it with other colors if it is the texture you want, rather than the white color.

Carol’s Carousel
Where having Fun is why we come!

Wow! So many things we can do with non-fired products.
We have covered most of the types
But there are more techniques.
And we will talk about he pros and cons as well.
Stay tuned.