E-Z Stroke Butterfly Garden Mushroom

Designer: David Hoff

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Instructions

  1. Check the bisque ware over for any blemishes. If any are present gently sand with 100-grit Sandpaper.
  2. Damp sponge ware to remove any fired dust and to condition the piece for decorating.
  3. Place one ounce of Baby Blue in one of the paper cups and a similar amount of Sand in another paper cup. Add a few drops of water, if needed and mix with Palette Knife. The Fundamentals need to be a cream like consistency.
  4. To the stem and under side of the Mushroom, apply three smooth coats of the Sand using the #8 Soft Fan. Bring up to the curved outer edge of the mushroom’s cap. Allow to set between coats.
  5. To the cap of the Mushroom, apply three coats of Baby Blue with the #8 Soft Fan. Bring the Baby Blue downward overlapping in a feathered manner over the Sand. Allow to set between coats.
  6. For best result allow to dry thoroughly.
  7. Cut the butterfly pattern apart to easily trace on the butterflies.
  8. Randomly apply the butterflies onto the mushroom cap over the Baby Blue, using the provided patterns, clay carbon and red pen.
  9. Using the leaf pattern as a guide, sketch in the vine like leaf design over the stem and in between the traced butterflies using the #2 Pencil.
  10. As needed place the EZ-Strokes on the page protector palette and if color is extremely thick, thin with water or Thin ‘n Shade. Mix with Palette Knife.
  11. The butterflies are completed with Light Blue, Blue Turquoise, Dutch Blue, Midnight Blue and Cobalt Jet Black using the #4 or #6 Round and #2 Detail Liner.
  12. Using the Round of choice fully load with Light Blue, side load with Blue Turquoise and on the same side pull the brush through the Dutch Blue. Blend on clean area of palette. Working from the outer edge of wings to the body, tip, press and lift the blue tones over the wings. The narrower wings will need two strokes and the wider wings three to four strokes. Reload the Round as needed in the same manner each time. Note: keep the darker Dutch Blue tone to upper and outer edges of the wings. Also, as color is applied go back and blend and smooth out any ridges of color. Wings should appear soft and blended.
  13. Fully load the #2 Detail Liner with slightly thinned Midnight Blue. Hold the Liner straight up, outline the wings with flowing Liner work. Pull in some shading lines over wings, from the body out and from the narrow tips of the wings inward. These lines should be very fine and of varying lengths pulled from one point.
  14. Fully load the #2 Detail Liner with thinned Cobalt Jet Black and press, pull and lift the bodies in place. Work from the neck to tapered tail. Tip and press the butterflies’ heads in place with a teardrop stroke. Tip of brush is placed on the neck and the stroke is pressed in place. Holding the brush straight up, pull out a few fine detail lines to the wings, pull out two feelers from the head and add legs to the butterflies.
  15. There are dots on the wings in White, these are added later.
  16. The leaves are a pressure stroke using Irish Green, Leaf Green, Ivy Green and detailed with Royal Blue Green.
  17. Fully load the #4 or #6-Pointed Round with Irish Green, side load with Leaf Green and tip in Ivy Green. Working from the base of leaf outward, press firmly, pull and lift off to create the leaf in one stroke. Note the more pressure on the brush as the stroke is started will generate a larger leaf.
  18. All the leaves are completed in the same manner, however smaller leaves have less pressure applied to the brush. Reload as needed.
  19. To the Ivy Green add a few drops of Royal Blue Green, thus making a slightly darker shade of green.
  20. With the #2 Liner fully loaded in Ivy Green and side loaded in Royal Blue Green mix, pull in the flowing vine stem work. Proceed to outline the leaves in stylized flowing strokes and add a center vein to each.
  21. Using the Pure White French Dimension, press in small descending dots along the outer edge of the butterflies’ wings. To achieve uniform dots, hold the French Dimension bottle at a 45-degree angle to the ware and be sure the nip touches the ware.
  22. Fire the piece to shelf cone 04. Thus, setting the color and maturing the French Dimension.
  23. Damp sponge the fired ware to condition the piece for glazing.
  24. With #8 Soft Fan apply three flowing coats of Crystal Clear Brushing to entire piece.
  25. Stilt and fire to shelf cone 06.
  26. Remove stilt marks with Stilt Stone or Dremel Tool.

Supplies

Form

  • MB1419 8″ Mushroom

Colors

  • EZ003 Irish Green
  • EZ012 Cobalt Jet Black
  • EZ023 Midnight Blue
  • EZ024 Royal Blue Green
  • EZ027 Blue Turquoise
  • EZ028 Leaf Green
  • EZ031 Light Blue
  • EZ033 Ivy Green
  • EZ035 Dutch Blue
  • UG003 Baby Blue
  • UG0030 Sand
  • FD258 Pure White
  • S2101 Crystal Clear Brushing

Decorating Accessories

  • CB618 #8 Soft Fan
  • CB202 #2 Detail Liner
  • CB404 #4 Pointed Round
  • CB406 #6 Pointed Round

Miscellaneous Accessories

  • Sponge
  • Water
  • 100-grit Sandpaper
  • 3 – 3 oz Paper Cups
  • Clay Carbon
  • Heavy Duty Plastic Page Protector for palette
  • Paper Towels
  • Red Pen
  • Scissors
  • Standard #2 Pencil
  • Pattern

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