Create a "blooming" springtime canvas with Americana® Multi-Surface Acrylics.

SUPPLIES

• water container
• palette or plastic plate
• paper towels
• transfer paper
• pencil
• #3 round brush
• 1" flat brush
• 1/4" flat brush
• #1 liner brush
• stencil brush
• fan brush
• canvas

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES:

Allow paint to dry completely between coats; keeps paint from lifting.

To paint swirls: Thin paint to ink consistency and practice making them on paper first.

1. Basecoat the entire canvas with Lemon Zest using a 1" flat brush. Let dry. Once dry, transfer the pattern for the vase and flower with transfer paper and a pencil. Paint the entire flower, stem, and vase with Cotton Ball using a 1/4" flat and #3 round brushes.

2. Paint the center of the flower Orange (Neon). Using the handle end of the paintbrush, make dots in Poppy throughout the flower petals.

3. Paint the stem and petals with Apple Green. (Be sure to paint them inside the vase using a lighter coat of paint on the reflection (right) side). (Refer to photo.)

4. Add more dots to the petals using Pink (Neon) and the handle end of the brush.

5. Add a swirl to the center of the flower, using a #3 round brush and Cotton Ball. Using the handle end of the paintbrush, add Cotton Ball dots to the center of a few of the Poppy dots.

6. Paint the vase with Pink Cadillac. (Refer to photo.) Allow to dry thoroughly, then add the reflection in Cotton Ball (the little streak) onto the front of the vase.

7. Brush rough strokes of Pink Cadillac, Pink (Neon), and Cotton Ball around the entire border using a fan brush. (To avoid any thicker spots, touch the tip of the brush into the paint and then dab the brush onto a paper towel before touching to the canvas. Always drag the brush from the outside inward.)

8. Continue to build up a border around the canvas, as well as pulling lines inside near and around the design. (Be sure to keep all lines going only horizontally and vertically to maintain the look.)

9. Position the butterfly stencil from the DecoArt Personally Yours Urban Ink Spirited stencil pack to the right of the flower. Using a #3 round brush and a small stencil brush, stencil the body in Cotton Ball and the wings in Pink Cadillac, Pink (Neon), and Orange (Neon). (Refer to photo.)

10. Fill in the rest of the butterfly with a #3 round brush with Cotton Ball, Pink (Neon), and Poppy. (Refer to photo for color placement.) Use the very tip of the brush handle to add a dot of Cotton Ball for the eye.

11. Place the DecoArt Personally Yours Initial Impressions Quirky Stencil sheet on the canvas, and stencil out the word "Bloom" across it in Poppy with a stencil brush. (For added whimsy, this does not have to be done in a straight line.)

12. Using the handle end of a paintbrush, randomly place dots of Cotton Ball inside of the stenciled letters. Allow to dry. Using the #3 round brush and Sky Blue, free-hand swirls to the entire background of the canvas. Outline the vase in Sky Blue, using a #1 liner brush. (Refer to photo.)

13. Once again, randomly use a fan brush to add Poppy to the border of the canvas. Drag additional lines into the design area, as desired. Outline the flower in Poppy using a #1 liner brush. Outline the greenery with Green (Neon).

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