Painted Princess with ColourArte

It's been an inky, painty, creative-filled weekend.  I thought I would share with you how I made this mixed media portrait  from a piece from a vintage linen tablecloth.

 

I've used fabulous paints from ColourArte, so I am submitting this piece to try out for their design team (so wish me luck!). You will probably recognize some of this company's products including the Silks Acrylic Glazes, Twinkling H2O's, and the Radiant Rain.  If you don't know about them yet, be sure to check our the ColourArte Blog for more inspiration and education.

 Tear a piece of vintage linen tablecloth to approximately 16" x 16".

Layer vintage laces over parts of the cloth, and adhere with a thin layer of Venetian Plaster and a large putty knife.  Allow the plaster to dry completely.

 Lay the stencil over the cloth. 

 Trace around the stencil with a Stabilo-All pencil.

 Paint a base of a flesh color over the stencil.

 With a brayer, apply (Rustic Rose) Silks Acrylic Paint to areas of the background.

 

Apply a layer of Venetian Plaster through the stencil and allow to dry.  Sponge on ink to make the image easier to be seen, lining the stencil back up on the cloth and using an InkBlusher to apply the ink.

 Fill in white areas of the background using Twinkling H2O's watercolors (Golden Opal)

Begin to use the Silks paints to build shadows on the face.  Start with a gray layer using Warm Grey. As you build the shadows, start adding  more reflective shadows with Olive Vine; Teal Zircon, Black Emerald, Snapdragon and Autumn Leaf.  As the layers are added, paint over the inked outline as well.

 

Paint the lips and cheeks with  Rustic Rose and Spiced Pumpkin.  Add highlights to the face with Emperor's Gold.

Paint Teal Zircon around the face to create a shadow, and blend with your fingertip.

With a brayer, apply Vintage Mint over parts of the background, to make the image more harmonious.

Paint a thick coat of paint on the back of a crown mask, with Sky Blue.

 

Apply to the canvas. Use a brayer to really press the paint onto the fabric.  Leave the mask in place, and spray over the area with Radiant Rain in Sunburst.

Remove the mask.  If you over-sprayed onto the face at all, use a paper towel to blot up the excess.

Use an InkBlusher to apply a light coat of paint through a stencil. Use random bits of the stencil over the canvas.

Using the same method, apply leaves and vines with the Olive Vine paint.

Continue layering stencils to achieve the desired background.

Paint several coats of the Teal Zircon over junk metal earrings. 

Glue the earrings to the canvas to finish.

ColourArte Supplies:

Silks Acrylic Glaze: Rustic Rose, Spiced Pumpkin, Emperor's Gold, Autumn Leaf, Snapdragon, Olive Vine, Teal Zircon, Black Emerald, Black Ice, Warm Grey, Sky Blue, Vintage Mint

Radiant Rain: Sunburst

Twinkling H2O's - Yellow Rose

Stencils: StencilGirl, Joggles, Layers of Color, Tattered Angels, DCWV

Opaque Paint: Golden - Titanium White

Venetian Plaster - Behr