A Painted Bird’s Nest

Instructions

1. Roughly tear along the edges of a 5” x 5” piece of script style scrapbook paper.
2. Place torn paper face down over a sheet of waxed paper.
3. Brush a liberal coat of Mod Podge Matte over the backside of the paper using a 1” foam applicator.
4. Center paper over 6” x 6” square burlap canvas, Mod Podge side down. Press in place using fingers.
5. Place a sheet of clean waxed paper over area.
6. Using Mod Podge brayer, roll over wax paper covered scrapbook square working from the center towards the edges releasing captured air bubbles and wrinkles. Lift to remove waxed paper and allow to dry 15 minutes.
7. Brush over decoupaged paper with a coat of Mod Podge Matte. Be sure to brush over torn paper edges to seal scrapbook paper to burlap canvas. Allow to thoroughly dry.
8. If desired, using pattern provided, trace and transfer the bird’s nest pattern using artist’s graphite paper.
   Roughly paint the oval shape of the bird’s nest using a large flat brush loaded with Bark Brown and Licorice. Do not paint the area where an egg will be painted.
9. Deepen the color “inside the nest” using Licorice creating a shadow behind the egg.
10. Load a large fan brush with Yellow Ochre and begin to add highlights to the bird’s nest. Continue painting in the same oval direction.
11. Additional highlights can be added using a small amount of Daffodil Yellow.
12. Load the No. 1 liner brush with thinned paint and begin to paint individual strands of sticks or weeds creating the nest details. Paint individual pieces using Wicker White, Yellow Ochre, Bark Brown, Daffodil Yellow and Licorice. Be use to paint very loose, wavy strands rather than straight sticks.
13. Basecoat the egg shape with Wicker White and allow to dry. Reapply a second coat if needed to hide the scrapbook paper designs.
14. Shade the base or bottom of the egg with Deep Ocean Blue. Allow to dry. Reapply Deep Ocean Blue to deepen the color of the egg. Allow to dry.
15. If desired, add a touch of Wicker White to the top of the egg as a highlight.
16. To create an extra touch of interest, “flyspeck” Bark Brown and Licorice over the entire nest and egg. To flyspeck, load an old toothbrush with thinned paint; run your thumb along the bristles and tiny fleck of paint will fall onto the painted surface.
17. Side load the large flat brush with Yellow Ochre. While keeping the Yellow Ochre side the flat brush next to the painted bird’s nest, paint a golden shadow behind the nest.
18. If desired, deepen that shadow using a touch of Bark Brown.
19. Side load the large flat brush with Bark Brown. While keeping the Bark Brown side of the brush closest to the torn scrapbook paper edges, paint a shadow on the burlap canvas. If desired, deepen the shadow in some areas using Licorice.