chickadee window toppers

8/17/2019 Chickadee Window Toppers

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April 2011 • EXCLUSIVE ONLINE PROJECT • www.paintworksmag.com

Chickadee Window Toppers Anita Morin

Tweet! Chickadees are enjoyable to watch throughout the season. Display these banners in the wintermonths, and then flip them over and paint the other side with a summer theme.

PAINTWORKS® | © All American Crafts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Supplies• Coyote Woodworks(www.coyotewoodworks.net)

Window Toppers with Stars,

No. WT310 (13" x 7-3/4")

• DecoArt (www.decoart.com)

Americana Acrylics: Asphaltum,

Burnt Umber, Charcoal Grey,

Fawn, Hauser Dark Green,

Hauser Light Green, Lamp Black,

Milk Chocolate, Mink Tan, Warm

White

Drying Time Extender Medium

DuraClear Matte Varnish

Easy Float

Wood Sealer • Dynasty (www.dynasty-brush.com)

Black Gold #6 and #10 chisel

blender (Series 206CB); #12

filbert (Series 206FIL); 1/4", 1/2",

and 1" flat wash (Series 206FW);

#20/0 mini fan (Series 206MFN);

#10/0 and #1 script (Series

206SL); #20/0 and #10/0 shader

(Series 206S)

Decorator 1/4" and 5/8" mini mop

(Series 400)

• Eversand Sanding Pad, fine/

extra fine

• Masterson Art Products(www.masteronart.com)

Sta-Wet Palette

• Miscellaneous: crafty wire (10" length),

decorative metal beads (9), fine-grit

sandpaper, gray transfer paper,

paper towels, pencil, ribbon

(1-1/2" x 5’), scissors, stylus, tack

cloth, tracing paper, water basin,

wire cutters

PreparationNote: Follow all manufacturers’ label

instructions for proper product usage.

1. Sand any rough edges from the

surfaces. Remove dust particles with the

tack cloth. Use the 1" flat wash to apply

sealer over the toppers and stars. Let dry

overnight to cure.

2. Basecoat the fronts of the toppers

and stars with several coats of inky-

co n si ste n cy Fa wn u si n g l o n g , e ve n

brushstrokes; let dry. Smooth the surface

between each coat using the sanding pad.

3. Float around the outer edges of the

b a n n e r s a n d sta r s wi th A sp h a l tu m.

Darken the corners and a few sections

Pull fewer needles with Hauser Light

Green. Clean brush. Pull even fewer

needles with Warm White.

3. Chickadee. U s e t h e f i lb er t t o

basecoat the entire body with Warm

White. Let dry. Transfer details. Base top

of head, bib, and wing with Lamp Black

(Fig. 1).

4. Stomach. Apply Extender Medium

under the wing and on the stomach. Use

the #6 chisel blender to blend Mink Tan

from under the wing down to the side,

working from dark to light. Float inky-consistency Charcoal Grey lightly along

the bottom of stomach above the feet.

Use the #10/0 script to stroke fringe along

the edge of the neck with Mink Tan, Burnt

Umb e r, a n d Ch a r co a l G r e y ( F i g . 2).

Stroke Warm White fringe at the bottom

of the stomach and over the top edge of

the brown feathers.

5. Tail. Float Charcoal Grey + Lamp

Black (1:1) along the base of the tail,

down the upper edge of the tail feathers,

and around the tips of the tail feathers

(Fig. 3).

6. Back and wing. Load the bristle tips

o f th e # 6 ch i se l b l e n d e r wi th a ve r y

sparse amount of Mink Tan, and apply to

the base of the wing. Add a second layer

using the dirty brush with Burnt Umber

(Fig. 4). Pull in lines of Burnt Umber + a

touch of Charcoal Grey. Dirty the #10

chisel blender with Lamp Black. Use the

dirty brush to pick up Warm White, and

layer feathers on the wing. Pull lines of

Warm White feathers along the top of the

back and bottom of the stomach (Fig. 5).

Stroke Lamp Black feather lines along the

base of the wing and down the top of the

wing. Pull lines of Warm White feathers

from the side of stomach onto the wing

and along the top of the wing.

7. Beak. Base the beak with Charcoal

Grey. Pick up Lamp Black on the dirty

brush, and apply along the opening on

th e u p p e r h a l f o f th e b e a k to cr e a te

separation. Highlight the top of the beak

with Warm White.

along the outer edges with the same

color, applying a wider float to some

areas. Let dry.

4. Trace and transfer the pattern. Note:

To accommodate a longer window, create

a fourth banner of branches.

PaintingNote: Refer to the Color Worksheet

while painting the chickadee. Unless

otherwise indicated, use the brush best

suited to the area being painted. All fine

details are painted with the #10/0 script.When using the script brush, use inky-

consistency paint. Roll the tip on the

palette to thin the tip for finer lines. Make

sure to hold the brush handle straight up

and use the wrist for long strokes.

Add a few drops of Easy Float to the

clean water to assist with the shading and

the highlighting.

Wet the areas to be shaded or high-

lighted with Extender Medium for the

chickadee and branches. Use a mini mop

brush in a pouncing motion to remove

wa te r l i n e s a n d so fte n th e sh a d i n g /

highlighting. Keep a paper towel close by

and continually wipe excess water from

the mini mop brush to keep the bristles dry.

1. Branches.Use a flat wash to base

the branches with a thin layer of Milk

Chocolate, avoiding solid coverage. Let

dry. Freehand more branches, if desired.

App ly Ext end er Med ium to the bra nch

area to be shaded. This will allow you to

play with the colors longer. Use a chisel

blender with Burnt Umber to apply a dry

float, pulling upward from the bottom of

the branch to the center. Deepen the

shading with Charcoal Grey.

In the same manner, highlight with

Warm White, pulling from the top of the

branch toward the center. Some areas

may appear lighter, depending on how

much Extender Medium you apply.

2. Needles. Working freehand and

using your wrist to stroke, use the #1

script with inky-consistency Hauser Dark

Green to pull pine needles. Clean brush.




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8. Head. Stroke feather lines along thebeak and back of head with Lamp Black.

Outline the eye with Lamp Black + Warm

White. Add a small stroke on top of the

eye with Warm White (Fig. 6).

9. Side of the face. Apply Extender

Medium to the side of the face. Use the

#10 chisel blender to blend a wash of

Lamp Black under the black cap. Use a mini

mop to soften. Stroke fine lines of Warm

White along the beak, lower edge of the

black cap, and upper edge of the bib.

2. Apply two coats of varnish, dryingcompletely between each coat.

3. Cut a 2" long piece of craft wire.

Thread one end of the wire through the

hole of the star and twist to secure. String

three beads on the wire. Thread the end

of the wire through the hole in the topper

and twist to secure. Cut off excess wire.

Repeat for each topper.

4. Cut two ribbons to desired lengths

for each topper. Insert ribbons into holes

in tops of toppers. Hang toppers and trim

excess ribbon.

10. Feet. Outline the feet with LampBlack. While still wet, line Warm White

highlights (Fig. 7).

Finishing1. Wh e n d r y, sp a tte r sn o w o n th e

toppers and stars with Warm White. To

spatter snow, dilute the paint to an inky

consistency. Load the mini fan brush and

lightly spread the bristles along the side of

the palette. Stand over the surface and

tap the ferrule with a handle of another

brush. Let dry.

Color Worksheet

Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3

Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6

Fig. 7




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