Holiday Cardinal

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Last Updated: Thursday, 12 June 2014 18:31

1. Begin with properly fired shelf cone 04 Bisque. Moisten a clean Sponge and wipe Bisque to remove any dust. If Bisque tiles are substituted for the platter; 6, 6x6" white Bisque tiles are used.
2. Using a CB-618 #8 Soft Fan Brush, apply 3 smooth and even Coats of S-2565 Cloud White to the piece. Allow to dry.
3. Using AC-230 Clay Carbon Paper and a pencil, transfer the basic outlines of the design. The basic shapes of the birds, holly berries and foliage are all that is needed at this time. The veining in the leaves is not necessary, just the outlines of the holly denoting the turn backs in the leaves.
4. Using the largest Pointed Round possible for the areas being painted apply 3 Coats of the following colors to the areas noted allow drying time between applications. When doing the birds, start at the head and work the color down the head and down the body to the tail. Apply the colors evenly and as smooth as possible, this is most important when doing the male bird as the color is somewhat more translucent than the others.
   • SC-51 Vanilla Dip to the female bird excluding beak and mussel markings on the bird as noted in the pattern.
   • SC-8 Just Froggy to the holly leaves marked "A".
   • SC-39 Army Surplus to the turn back portions on the holly leaves.
   • Mix SC-23 Carrot Top with a couple of drops of SC-73 Candy Apply Red and a couple of drops of SC-4 Salsa. Apply this mixture to the male bird. This color is applied to the head excluding the beak and mussel markings. Make sure to apply this color evenly and smoothly.
5. Retrace the bird detail over the painted color. Note the specific sections on the birds like the shading, feather sections in head, wings and tail. Take your time in retracing these sections.
6. Keep the detailed pattern out when painting the birds. The female cardinal is plainer and has less color than the male. Starting with the female bird streak in SC-51 Poo Bear to the breast and cheeks of the bird using a CB-310 #10 Flat Shader. Let this color dry a bit. Apply a thin coat of the same color using the same brush loaded with SC-51 Poo Bear but tip one edge (side load/ 1/4 tipped) of the brush with SC-22 Carrot Top. Apply this color to where the SC-22 Carrot top is towards the outside edge of the breast on the female.
7. Side load (1/4 tip) the CB-310 #10 Flat Shader with SC-14 Java Bean. Starting at the first section in the cheeks paint in this section using small "C" or "Comma" Strokes. These strokes are continuous and overlapping. Repeat this on the second section of the cheeks. Paint in the front section on the crown/head feathers. To the wings apply this color in the same manner along the front portion of the wing. To the middle section apply a more sweeping "C" stroke as well as the lower portion of the wing and tail. To the breast apply thinned color using CB-210 #10/0 Detail Liner. It is better to keep this color light on the breast and reapply more color to darken if necessary.
8. Using a CB-310 #10 Flat Shader side loaded (or 1/4 loaded) with SC-34 Down to Earth. Using the same stroke as with the lighter brown color, go over the areas on the top head feathers, back of neck next down to where the neck meets the wing, edge of cheek feathers and to the middle section on the wing. This color reinforces the shading and should darken the edges of each section to denote the Separation of the respected areas.
9. To the tail and end sections on the wing apply 1 coat of SC-22 Carrot Top side loaded into CB-310 #10 Flat Shader. Apply 1 thin coat of SC-73 Candy Apple Red to the high edge on the end section of the wing and tail using CB-110 #10/0 Liner. Also apply a thin coat of color to the pointed end of the head top feathers, painting from the end back up to the front of these feathers.
10. To the mussel around the beak apply a thin wash of SC-34 Down to Earth. Apply an un-thinned coat of color around the beak and around the eye. This coat of color can be done in short sketch type strokes to assimilate the texture of the crown feathers and give shading to the head. To the eye, apply 1 coat of SC-50 Jack O’Lantern to the iris of the eye, shaded with a bit of SC-14 Java Bean using CB-110 #10/0 Liner. Paint in the pupil with SC-15 Tuxedo. Scratch in the highlight of the pupil with a Clean Up tool. Apply a bit of SC-15 Tuxedo color on the mussel around the eye and next to the beak to darken the brown color.
11. Starting on the Male bird apply SC-80 Basket Ball to the shading on the head and breast of the bird continuing along the abdomen using CB-210 #10/0 Detail Liner in small "sketchy" strokes of color. This will simulate the texture in the feathers. Reinforce this shading with a bit of SC-14 Java Bean.
12. To the middle and lower back section on the wings and tail feathers apply SC-14 Java Bean side (1/4) loaded in CB-310 #10 Flat Shader. Reinforce this shading with SC-34 Down to Earth. This darker color should be heavier along the lower back sections on the wing feathers to give them a heavier tone and shaded weight to them.
13. To reinforce the previous shading on the head, lower edges of the wing and tail of the male apply a medium coat of SC-15 Tuxedo using CB-110 #10/0 Liner.
14. To the mussel around the beak apply a thin wash of SC-15 Tuxedo. Apply an un-thinned coat color is short sketchy stokes over this to shade and simulate the texture of the feathers.
15. To the iris of the eye apply a thin coat of SC-14 Java bean using CB-110 #10/0 Liner. Apply SC-15 Tuxedo to the pupil of the eye. Highlight the pupil with a Clean Up Tool.
16. To denote the highlights on the crown feathers use a thin coat of SC-74 Hot Tamale. Paint under the front portion of the wings using small sketchy strokes with the same color.
17. To the beaks of both birds apply SC-51 Poo Bear to the lower sections of each portion of the beak using CB-110 #10/0 Liner following the contour of the area being painted. Do not paint in the beak solid with this color. Leave a white highlight to the upper edge and towards the back of the beak to create a natural highlight in the beak. Shade each lower portion of the beaks with a thin wash of SC-14 Java Bean. Detail the beaks with a thin wash of SC-34 Down to Earth. Keep this line fine when painting.
18. To the holly shade the lighter sections with SC-8 Just Froggy side (1/4) loaded into CB-310 #10 Flat Shader. To the darker portion of the holly leaves shade in the same manner using SC-63 Popeye’s Favorite. Outline and detail the holly leaves using SC-63 Popeye’s Favorite using CB-110 #10/0 Liner.
19. Paint one coat to the berries with SC-73 Candy Apple Red using CB-210 #10/0 Detail Liner. Moisten the brush with water and erase a bit of color to create a highlight in the berry. Detail the lower portion of each berry with one coat of SC-74 Hot Tamale in a "C" stroke. Detail each berry with SC-34 Down to Earth and SC-15 Tuxedo.
20. The branches are painted in with a wash of SC-14 Java Bean using CB-210 #10/0 Detail Liner. Darken the lower portion of the branches with SC-34 Down to Earth and SC-15 Tuxedo to give depth and texture to them.
21. To the shadow leaves in the pattern, side (1/4) load CB-310 #10 Flat Shader with SC-8 Just Froggy . Keep this color light and airy when painting in the shadow leaves. They are to appear faint and slightly out of focus filling in the pattern to give depth and interest.
22. Using a CB-408 #8 Pointed Round and or CB-604 # 4 Soft Fan, apply 3 Coats of SC-74 Hot Tamale to the edge of the platter.
23. Using a CB-210 Detail Liner, apply SC-74 Hot Tamale to the lettering.
24. Stilt and fire the piece(s) to Shelf Cone 06.
25. Tray option: Apply the tiles to the tray using a Silicone Adhesive. Let dry. Apply White non-sanded grout. Wipe off excess grout using a damp Sponge after the grout has set a few minutes. Rinse the Sponge often with clean water. Let dry. Buff tile with a soft cloth to remove any residual grout on tile. Seal grout with AC-301 Repel Sealer according to directions on label.