Easy-to-Paint Poppies

Instructions

1. Begin by basecoating each wood plaque Daffodil yellow, Pure Orange and Engine Red. Allow all basecoated surfaces to dry. Sand smooth once dry and reapply base color. Allow to dry.
2. In foam plate brush mix (using foam applicator) FolkArt Glazing Medium with Bark Brown and Licorice. Apply glazing mixture to painted plaque and immediately while glazing medium is still wet, begin to wipe to remove excess. Remove more glazing medium in the middle to create a “halo” of color where the painted poppy will appear. Allow to dry.
3. Trace and transfer the poppy pattern to the center of each canvas. Lay a sheet of tracing paper over the poppy pattern and trace the main pattern lines using a fine tip marker. Flip the tracing paper over and chalk the pattern lines on the back. Once again flip the pattern over and position in the center of the wood plaque chalk side down. If desired, you can use a piece of stencil tape to hold the pattern in place. Retrace the pattern lines using the handle end of a paintbrush, a dead ballpoint pen or an artist’s stylus.
4. To paint the Red Poppy, load the flat brush with Engine Red and/or Apple Red and paint the back three petals. Allow to dry and reapply red.
5. Load flat brush with a touch of Berry Wine and Licorice on the corner of the brush and shade the base of each petal (near the center) as well as along the sides where a petal falls underneath the next one.
6. Highlight petals with Pure Orange and Daffodil Yellow.
7. Paint the center of the Poppy with Licorice. While the paint is still wet, pull some of the Licorice into the base of each petal.
8. Using a small section of a sea sponge loaded with Fresh Foliage and/or Citrus Green, lightly dab a green highlight on the poppy center.
9. Complete the poppy petals by painting the forward center petal the same as the back petals.
10. Using the flat brush loaded with Fresh Foliage, paint the poppy stem and blade leaves. Allow to dry.
11. Add Thicket to the same brush and begin to paint darker shading to the stems and leaves. If desired, add Citrus Green to highlight.
12. To give your painted poppy the added touch, lightly sponge Thicket to create a base for the stems and blade leaves using the sea sponge. Add a little sponged Thicket up the leaves randomly.
13. The finishing touch is to flyspeck over the blade leaves and stems using an old toothbrush loaded with thinned Thicket, Licorice and even a touch of Fresh Foliage. Pull your thumb or finger across the loaded toothbrush and watch tiny flecks of color fly!

The Yellow and White Poppies are painted exactly the same way using the same techniques only switch out for the appropriate paint colors following the supply list.