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Bessie the Cow

Decorate your walls with this adorably painted Bessie the Cow plate. Your decor will be looking bea-MOO-tiful with this farmhouse plate.

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At a Glance:

#2458 Skill Level: Intermediate Time:
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This project features these great brands:

  • FolkArt Acrylic Paint Logo
supplies

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Sunny Yellow, 2 oz. - 509

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Pink, 2 oz. - 413

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Hauser Green Light, 2 oz. - 459

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Burnt Umber 2 oz. - 462

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Baby Pink, 2 oz. - 633

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Warm White, 2 oz. - 649

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Turner's Yellow, 2 oz. - 679

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Mediums - Glazing Medium, 8 oz. - 991

Number Needed: 1 $5.09 $3.90
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Cobalt Hue, 2 oz. - 720

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Finishes - Clearcote™ Aerosol Acrylic Sealer - Matte, 6 oz. - 788

Number Needed: 1 $6.59
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Thicket, 2 oz. - 924

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Licorice, 2 oz. - 938

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Burnt Sienna, 2 oz. - 943

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.

F/A ENGLISH MUSTARD 2 OZ. (DISC)

Number Needed: 1 $1.69
Item not for sale on Plaid Online.
instructions

Other Supplies

12" Wooden Plate, Stylus, 1/2" and 3/4" Wash Brush, #10 Flat, 5/8" Angle, 1/2" or 3/4" Mop, 18/0 Liner, #1 Round, 3/8" Stencil Brush, #8 Filbert, Tracing paper, Pencil, Gray graphite

Instructions

Prep instructions

Mix Burnt Umber into a puddle of Glazing Medium to create stain. Stain the back, sides and rim of the plate. Be sure to bring the stain just into the edge of the center to cover where the rim meets the blue paint. Let dry.

Basecoat

  1. Paint the center of the plate Cobalt Blue. Using the pencil, trace pattern on tracing paper then transfer the outline of the cow.
  2. Basecoat the entire cow Warm White.
  3. Transfer the details as needed.
  4. Basecoat the muzzle Pink.
  5. Basecoat the cow's spots and eyes Licorice.
  6. Add the lashes using thinned Licorice and the Liner brush. For the lashes, load the brush by rolling the bristles into watery paint. Drag the bristles across the palette to make sure there is a good point at the tip. Keeping up on the tip of the bristles, begin at the eye and pull out in a light, sweeping motion.
  7. Float Sweetheart Pink inside the ears keeping the paint edge of the bristles against the top part of the inside of each ear.
  8. Using Burnt Sienna, shade around all the spots, shade around the eyes; add several thick floats around the muzzle, float inside the nostrils, dimples; and across the top and bottom of the mouth. Also float across the pink shading in the ears. Shade the edges of the cow on the Warm White areas.
  9. Using Burnt Umber, go back and reinforce all the shaded areas by floating right on top of the Burnt Sienna to darken - make this a thinner float so that you can still see some of the Burnt Sienna underneath. Shade Burnt Umber around the spots, around the eyes and around the edges of the muzzle and the Warm White edges of the face and ears.
  10. Using the round brush and Warm White, paint the bottom parts of the eyes and dot the top of the eyes.
  11. Using the liner and thinned Licorice, line the mouth and nostrils.
  12. Doubleload the #12 Flat with Hauser Green Light and Thicket. Keeping up on the chisel edge of the bristles, create the vine around the rim. For one vine, lead with the dark green. For the next vine, lead with the light green. You could also use a liner or round brush loaded with both colors to paint the vines. If you use a liner or round brush, thin the paint just a bit with water.
  13. Doubleload the filbert with Hauser Green Light and Thicket to paint the leaves on the vine.
  14. Use the liner with Thicket to add the stems.
  15. For the yellow daisies: Load a moist filbert with English Mustard. Blend back/forth on your palette to fill the brush with this color. Dip the entire front of the bristles into Turner's Yellow and blend once or twice to remove excess paint. Tip into Sunny Yellow and blend back/forth once before painting the petals.
  16. Add a tiny dot where your flower center will be.
  17. To paint each daisy, begin painting the first four petals in the "North, South, East, and West" position, then fill in with the other petals.
  18. Load one side of the stencil brush with Warm White and tap here and there on the vine to add some baby's breath.
  19. Wipe off the brush and doubleload with English Mustard and Burnt Sienna and stipple the flower centers, keeping the English Mustard color toward the top of the flower.
  20. Wipe off the brush again and tip the edge into Sunny Yellow to highlight the centers.
  21. Using Burnt Umber, shade the bottoms of the flower centers.

Finishing

Seal the project with FolkArt Artist's Varnish Matte.

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Disclaimer: The information found in each project is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given, nor results guaranteed, nor is freedom from any patent to be inferred. Since we have no control over physical conditions surrounding the application of information herein contained, Plaid Enterprises, Inc. disclaims any liability for untoward results.

Important: Please be sure to thoroughly read the instructions for all products, paying particular attention to all cautions and warnings shown to ensure the proper and safe use of the product.

Copyright: All Rights Reserved. No part of this Project may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing, except for your personal use, except by reviewer, who may in reviewing this project, quote brief passages in a magazine or newspaper.

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