Flora and Fauna Summer Suncatcher
Posted by DecoArt on Apr 3rd 2014
Add summer color and sparkle to any surface in a glass suncatcher made with Americana® Gloss Enamels.
SUPPLIES
- water container
- paper towels
- rubbing alcohol
- tape
- #4 round brush
- #6 filbert brush
- palette knife
- 1" deer foot stippler brush
- #4 filbert brushes
- hair dryer
- bubble pallet
- frame
- 11" square sheet of plain glass
- #10/0 liner brush
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preparation: Clean glass with rubbing alcohol; wipe dry with paper towels. Using tape, secure pattern onto the reverse side of the glass to show pattern lines facing you when viewing plate right side up.
- Using Black 3D Opaque Writer, trace all the black pattern lines onto glass surface.
- Allow to dry well overnight or use a hair dryer to speed up drying process.
- To make water lilies: Basecoat all open water lily blossoms and buds Pink Crystal. (I found that using stippling or dabbing method with a #4 round brush for smaller pattern parts and a #6 filbert brush for larger ones works best.) First coat of paint may appear light in color. Allow to dry a bit and repeat with the same color to darken.
- To shade parts of flower petals, use a bit of Red Crystal and Purple Crystal.
- To highlight flower petals on open blossom and buds, use White Gloss Enamel.
- For leaves and calyx on flower buds: Basecoat by stippling or dabbing Green Crystal over the entire surface within Black 3D Opaque Writer outline.
- To darken or shade, go over the area with the same color or a small amount of Black Gloss.
- To highlight, use Yellow Crystal and a small amount of White Gloss. Highlight lines can be added with a liner brush and Bright Yellow Gloss and White Gloss.
- Dragonflies: Dab or stipple White Crystal over the wings, staying within Black 3D Opaque Writer outline. Allow to dry and apply a second coat.
- Basecoat the body Green Crystal; highlight with Yellow Crystal.
- Fine detail lines on eyes and body are done with a liner brush and White Gloss.
- Fine detail lines within wings are created with Black Gloss on a liner brush tip.
- Allow painting to dry well before going to next step.
- To give the entire glass surface a frosted glass look, lay thoroughly dry glass painted side down. Apply a thin layer of Texture Glass to the reverse side. (I used a palette knife to take it out of the jar and a bunched-up paper towel or large stippling brush to distribute it evenly over the entire back side of the glass.)
- Allow to dry overnight.
- Secure painted and frosted glass piece into the frame.