Every dog must have his day, and he (or she) can in this whimsical mixed media portrait.

SUPPLIES

• tracing paper
• transfer paper
• pencil
• #3 round brush
• 1" flat brush
• #2 round brush
• 1/4" flat brush
• palette knife
• 12" x 12" canvas
• cosmetic sponge
• assorted scrapbook paper
• small polka dot stencil
• stencil with various size dots
• numbers stencil

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES:

Let dry completely between painting steps.

1. Rip up some scrapbook paper to decoupage to the canvas front. (Use fairly neutral colors because the paper will show through slightly.) You don't have to cover the whole canvas. (I used paper with handwriting on it.)
2. Use White Modeling Paste and the palette knife to create texture around the edge of the canvas front. Where the Modeling Paste is a little thick, carve into it with the handle of a paintbrush.

3. Use the Kaleidoscope Accent Stencil, Modeling Paste, and the palette knife to apply stencils in about four places on the canvas. (Avoid the middle where the dog will be.)
4. Double-load a 1" flat brush with Titanium White and Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide and cover the canvas face. Make sure the brush is wet so that you don't completely cover the scrapbook papers. Paint the sides of the canvas. Add a little English Red Oxide to the brush and paint around the edge of the canvas face.
5. Print out the pattern and transfer it to the canvas with tracing and transfer papers and a pencil.
6. Mix (1) part Burnt Umber with (2) parts Titanium White. Fill in the dog face and body with mixture using the 1/4" flat brush. Dip the brush into English Red Oxide and shade lightly on the edges of the dog with it. Add a little Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide and repeat. Keep shading until you like the effect.
7. Add more Titanium White to Burnt Umber/Titanium White mixture from step 6 and use it to stencil some Kaleidoscopes onto the dog with the cosmetic sponge, placing six or seven of them randomly. Mix (2) parts Titanium White with (1) part English Red Oxide and use the cosmetic sponge to stencil a Kaleidoscope on the dog. (Refer to photo for placement.)
8. Mix (1) part Burnt Umber, (1) part Titanium White and a dab of Carbon Black. Use mix and the #3 round brush to fill in the ears and cheeks. Add more Carbon Black to make a darker color to shade the cheeks. Add a little more Carbon Black and fill in the nose. Give a highlight to the nose with Burnt Umber/Titanium White mix from step 6.
9. Mix (1) part Quinacridone Violet with (3) parts Titanium White to fill in the eye spot with the #3 round brush. Add a little more Titanium White to add a dimension. Use original Quinacridone Violet/Titanium White mix to fill in the tongue.
10. Use a little Hansa Yellow Medium and the #2 round brush to add a few color accents on the dog.
11. Fill in the crown with English Red Oxide and the 1/4" flat brush.
12. When it's dry, lay a portion of the Brocade Motif Stencil over the crown. Add a little more Titanum White to English Red Oxide and use the cosmetic sponge to stencil the pattern onto the crown.

13. Use the #2 round brush and Burnt Umber to add the line work around the dog and crown. Add a few motion lines where you want them, freckles to the cheeks, and lines of dots on the canvas. (I did this in three places. Refer to photo.)
14. Lay the numbers stencil on the canvas in about three places near the edge. Dab over stencil with the cosmetic sponge and English Red Oxide.

15. Use the small polka dot stencil and the various size dots stencil to add interest to the background, stenciling with the cosmetic sponge and Burnt Umber. (Don't use a lot of paint so the stencils are very light.)

16. Using the #3 round brush, paint scallops around the sides of the canvas with English Red Oxide.
17. Use the #2 round brush and Burnt Umber to outline the scallops and add a dot to the center of each one.

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