Welcome to the workshop series brought to you by Mustard Seed Creations and Funky Junky Interiors! Are your spongy brains ready to soak in some DIY goodness?
Donna is currently leading you through getting your work area set up and getting organized and I'll guide you through the world of decorative painting. Come on, ladies, be brave.
Decorative Painting is not fine art and it's much easier than you think. Today, we're only going to cover what you need to get started. You can shop, right? OK, you can do this. Take a deep breath and head to your local Wal-Mart craft section. In my case, that's not so local, but it's worth the 30 minute drive.
I want you to start out with some cheap brushes that will work well for you. Nice artist brushes can get very expensive and there's no need to spend a lot of money when you're just starting out. This pack is available at Wal-Mart for less than $5.00. It has some brushes you'll probably never touch, but about 6 or 7 that you'll use regularly. If you can't find this set, look for white nylon artist brushes. Send me an e-mail if you need more specifics.
You also need some paint. Purchase any brand of acrylic craft paint (about $1.00-$1.50 for a small bottle.) You do not need to get one of every color you like, all you need is ten. A light blue, dark blue, light green, dark green, red, gold, light yellow, burnt umber, black, and white. Choose specific blues and greens that you like and use in your decor. You can use these ten colors to make just about any color you can imagine. If there are some other colors that you love and use in your home a lot, go ahead and buy those, if you want. Also, if money is super tight, don't worry about buying paint at all. Just use some latex paint that's left over from another project. You can purchase paint when there is something specific you want to work on.
Don't worry about buying pallets and a bunch of other "artist" tools. Just use paper plates, plastic cups, and paper towels.
You'll also need something to use as a glazing medium. This is a water-based product that helps your paint stay wet longer and makes it easier to work with. I use Minwax Polycrylic, but I do a lot of decorative painting and will use a large amount. You can buy glaze or floating medium in a small bottle that you'll find in the craft paint section. The nice thing about the polycrylic is it makes the paint more durable and it can be used as a protective coat as well. Again, if money is tight, you can just use a little bit of water to keep the paint flowing well.
The last thing you need is something to practice on. You can use a scrap piece of wood or even a piece of cardboard.
That is all you need to get started!
So, Donna, are you with me? Any questions?
Actually the set I suggested are the brushes I use most. Brushes, especially liners and small rounds get trashed pretty fast, so it's nice to have a cheap set I can buy whenever I need them. Keep in mind that brushes are one of those personal taste things, so try different brushes and see what you like. One other thing to keep in mind is that a "size 4" or "size 2" brush is not always the same size in different brands. A "size 2" can be huge or tiny, so if you're ordering online, make sure you know what you're getting. I order most of my brushes from Dick Blick. The picture below is of my four favorite brushes that I always have on hand.
Next week, I'm going to teach you a couple of basic strokes. I'm hoping to shoot some video to make it easier to follow. Wish me luck on that!
After you've left a comment, make sure you visit Funky Junk Interiors to learn how to create a work area with minumal space.
Recap Shopping List
* Pack of white nylon brushes
* 10 acrylic paints (black, white, burnt umber, red, light blue, dark blue, light green, dark green, gold, and light yellow.)
* Glaze, glazing medium,or floating medium
* Paper plates and plastic cups
*A practice board
* Pack of white nylon brushes
* 10 acrylic paints (black, white, burnt umber, red, light blue, dark blue, light green, dark green, gold, and light yellow.)
* Glaze, glazing medium,or floating medium
* Paper plates and plastic cups
*A practice board