DIY Network

Decorative Painting From "DIY Crafts" episode DIC-131

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Transform a plain wooden box into a work of art using simple painting techniques. Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G Figure H

Preparing the Box and Painting Stripes

Artist Joanne Evans shows painting techniques on decorative wooden boxes for desktops or shelves. Joanne paints a background of stripes or checks before adding floral designs.

Materials:

Wooden box
Sandpaper
Tack cloth
Kilz® primer
Flat artist's brush
Acrylic paint
Water
Paper plates

1. Prepare the box by sanding it, wiping away the particles with a tack cloth and priming it with Kilz, which seals the wood. Paint the box the desired colors inside and out.

2. To add stripes to the background, use a flat artist's brush. Dip it in water, then into acrylic paint that's been poured onto a paper plate. On the inside of the box, find the center of one side. Start at the bottom and paint one stripe from the bottom to the top edge of the box along the center line. Paint another stripe to the right of the center line, spaced as far apart as you wish. Paint another stripe to the left of the center line, spaced the same distance. Continue painting stripes inside of the box in this manner (figure A).

3. Paint the insides of the box's other sides likewise.

Painting on Ribbons and Flowers

Now Joanne Evans demonstrates a technique for painting ribbons and flowers on wooden boxes. It's called "wet on wet" because each layer of paint is added before the previous layer dries.

1. To paint ribbons on the outside of the wooden box, use a round brush. Dip it in water, then in light blue acrylic paint, and use a flowing, twisting stroke. Make a narrower stroke to give the appearance that the ribbon is turning (figure B).

2. Without letting the previous layer dry, add shading to the ribbon. Dip the round brush in a darker blue, and using a flowing, twisting stroke, paint over parts of the light blue ribbon where shadows would fall (figure C).

3. To paint roses on the box, use light rose, medium rose, deep rose and white paints. Beginning with the medium rose paint and a round brush, paint a circle (figure D).

4. Before the medium paint dries, use the dark rose color and a round brush to paint messy-looking squiggly lines over the medium rose paint (figure E).

5. Using the light rose color and a round brush, paint long, semicircular strokes on top of your previous work and underneath the original circle while the paint is still wet (figure F).

6. Add highlights, using white paint and a round brush. Stroke it over the tops of what would be petals of the flower (figure G).

7. Paint leaves in the same manner, starting with light green paint, followed by white highlights and dark green (figure H).