Saturday, March 23, 2013

Marvelous Mugs

How to Paint a Marvelous Mug:


Here is what you need to paint these marvelous mugs:

I like the Americana Gloss Enamels.  I purchase them at my local Hobby Lobby shop.  Their paints frequently go on sale for 30%.  Otherwise, they always have a 40% off one regular priced item.  I pull it up on my phone in the store.  Notice the Razzle Berry was on sale for $1.00.  Nice!

There is an all purpose glitter paint by Martha Stewart.  Americana does have a glitter one, but Hobby Lobby was out. I bought this one at JoAnn's Fabrics.

As for the mugs, I have purchased them at our Dollar Store; however, they haven't been carrying them lately...no wine glasses either.  However, I found some nice sized ones with a nice "deign" for painting at Walmart.

Step 1:  Wash the mugs well. I use Dawn soap to rid the mugs of any grease and dirt from the store.

Step 2:  Rub the entire mug with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol.  Air dry for a few minutes. I frequently use my old hair dryer - I'm not very patient!

Step 3:  Paint!  The pouncers work wonderfully and leave a nice textured finish.

Step 4:  Air dry for 48 hours.

Step 5:  Place mugs on a cookie sheet in a cool oven.  Set to 325 degrees for 30-45 minutes.  Shut oven off, and let them cool in the oven.

Step 6:  Enjoy!  They are dishwasher safe, but I prefer to hand wash.  My dishwasher is a little aggressive...

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Go On - Brad Myers


Go On
by
Brad Myers


Special Order Painting

My youngest daughter had an orthodontist appointment this morning, which is near my old office.  One of my former co-workers just found out her husband has been diagnosed with cancer, so I wanted to sign the office card/donation.  It was so great to see everyone, and I was able to give her a hug and prayers.

One of my good friends (from my old office) sent me a picture requesting a special painting.  Here it is:

I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull it off.  But of course, I will try to paint anything..once. :)  In my years of painting, I have learned that what it looks like at the beginning isn't how it will look in the end.  It is best just to keep going....cause in the end with shading and highlighting it usually pulls together.

So first, I drew it on the canvas.  Usually, I paint the background color first, but this one was different.

The stained glass look made a nice "grid" for drawing it on.

Let's begin.
Okay, honestly, at this point I was a little worried...but I kept going.  I realized I would need to black lines for more guidance. :)
 
Now, I can see where to shade.


 Needs a few more highlights:
Okay, here we go:
Sides are painted, too.

All done!