Three Tiered Birdhouse
Provided by: Lori Higgins and joann.com
Designed by Lori Higgins. Inspired by watercolor paintings, this birdhouse will be a nice addition to country-influenced decor. The finished house measures 9 x 4 x 4-1/2 . Materials needed: wood birdhouse, 10 colors acrylic paints, gesso, 2 dragonflies and printed instruction sheet.
Tool kit:
- Pencil
- #3 Round brush
- 3/4" Wash brush
- Nail
- Hammer
- Decorating paste or wood fill
- Spray varnish
- E-6000 glue
- Sand paper
Instructions:
Step 1
Fill recesses in wood with decorating paste. Sand lightly. Apply one coat underpainting using white gesso.
Step 2
Using the largest brush, apply the background color. Paint roof light blue. Use some of the light blue to paint the wire stem of the dragonfly to make it blend in with the roof. Paint the sky light blue.
Step 3
Using a straight edge, (or for the steady-handed, a freehand technique) create a darker blue grid on the roof of the birdhouse. Allow to dry (acrylic paints dry extremely fast in warmer climates).
Step 4
With a small brush, freehand paint the tree trunk and branches. (Use Nutmeg and add Black for more density. On the left side of the tree trunks, apply a darker brown shade and go to a lighter sienna on the right. Add some white for highlights to the outside edge of the tree. Then, using a DRY brush, lightly over-paint this with a glaze of white to soften.)
Step 5
Either freehand measure and paint your picket fence, or use a stencil or rubber stamp, which is infinitely faster and simpler. The flowers and leaves are painted with the smallest brush in pointillism or "stipple" technique. Finally, with a dry brush, apply small white dots against the blue sky for a cloud effect and against the violet flowers of the tree to add contrast. (The flowers are a dark hue of mixed true blue and pure magenta. White is added for the lighter hues, more blue for the darker violet).
Step 6
Use a graphite pencil to outline both the tree and the picket fence.
Step 7
Tap a small hole using a hammer and nail in the birdhouse roof. Remove nail and fill with E-6000 glue. Insert the dragonfly wire and bend it so it arches over the house. Allow project to dry approximately one hour.
Step 8
Spray with clear acrylic semi-gloss glaze.
TIP: Before starting this project, make sure to cover your work surface with a protective drop cloth. Also, follow instructions for using spray paint products, including good ventilation and a dust mask, if possible. Wehn mixing any color, mix enough to cover the entire area so you will not have different shades of the color in one area. Use white to lighten the color and a darker hue or black to deepen the color.
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