Hand Painted Zebra Tote Bag
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This hand painted tote bag featuring a bold zebra design will turn heads everywhere you go.
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Other Things You'll Need

  • Flat brushes Nos. 2; 4; 6; 8: You will need various brush sizes to paint the zebra's stripes—hoose a brush size that fits the size of the zebra stripe
  • No. 1 liner brush
  • No. 2 bristle fan brush
  • 1" Wash Brush (for applying the background)
  • Canvas tote bag or canvas
  • Tracing paper
  • Masterson Sta-Wet palette
  • Sta-Wet paper
  • Palette knife
  • Paper towels or 100% cotton rags
  • Brush basin (or container for water)
  • White Saral paper (or white chalk)
  • Stylus (or dead ballpoint pen)
  • Fine grit sandpaper

Instructions

SURFACE PREPARATION

  1. Sand the surface lightly.
  2. Apply Cardinal Red or if desired, apply a deeper mix of Cardinal Red plus a touch of Burnt Umber to the tote bag.  I had fun NOT covering the whole canvas tote bag surface.
    • NOTE: Brush the paint from the center towards the edge of the surface and just beyond the size of the zebra pattern.
    • TIP: If your canvas tote bag is openly porous like mine, use a touch of Blending Gel with the paint to help it flow.
    • NOTE: If desired, the entire surface can be painted opaquely. Allow to dry.
  3. Trace the zebra pattern onto a sheet of tracing paper.
  4. Neatly transfer the design onto the prepared tote bag using White Saral or white chalk and a stylus or dead ballpoint pen.

PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS

Zebra Stripes:

  1. Each stripe is alternating black and white and painted with Pure Black and Titanium White. If helpful, add a touch of Blending Gel to help the paint flow over the canvas tote surface.

Nose:

  1. Paint the zebra nose Pure Black.
    • NOTE: If desired, allow a touch of the canvas to peek through here and there.
  2. Loosely outline the nostril with a touch of Titanium White using the No. 1 liner brush.
  3. Shade the top of the nose with a touch of Burnt Umber which is pulled out onto the lower portion of the bridge.

Ear:

  1. Refer to the photograph for color placement and continue painting the zebra ear Pure Black and Titanium White.

Mane:

  1. Still painting with Pure Black and Titanium White, paint the zebra mane following the stripes using a fan brush pulling the paint from the zebra neck outwards.

Eye:

  1. The zebra eye is painted Pure Black.
  2. Using the No. 1 liner brush, outline with Titanium White.
  3. Blend a tiny touch of Ink Spot onto the right side of the pupil.
  4. Outline the pupil area with slightly "dirtied" white.
    • NOTE: To create the dirty white, add a very tiny touch of Burnt Umber, a tiny touch of Pure Black and a tiny touch of Ink Spot to Titanium White.
  5. Add a small Titanium White highlight on the pupil.

FINISHING INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Allow painted areas to dry thoroughly overnight. To seal and protect your artwork, heat-set your canvas tote bag.
  2. There are two methods to heat-set your tote bag:
    • Place painted item in a clothes dryer for 30 minutes on the highest setting allowed for the fabric type used.
    • Position tote bag, painted design up on ironing board, cover with dry pressing cloth. Set iron to highest temperature allowed for tote bag fabric. Use dry heat, (no steam) and press over painted design for 30 seconds, lift and reposition iron, press painted area for 30 seconds. Continue heat setting design area until all painted areas have been heat set.
  3. Washing instructions: hand wash and line dry or launder in washing machine with mild soap.