MEMORY BOXES
Karen Chase 2004
I have designed these two Memory Boxes using basically the same pattern to show how different techniques and colors can change the look of a pattern.
The Pink and Green Memory box is done in acrylics and outlined with a liner and thinned paint
The original of the Heart Shaped box is done in the Pen & Ink technique and the instructions cover use of Genesis Heat Set Oils and Delta Acrylics.
In each case, while using the same pattern, the final results are totally different. So – if you want to practice any of the techniques, give it a try and produce three lovely memory boxes.
PINK AND GREEN MEMORY BOX
PALETTE:
Delta Ceramcoat Acrylic Paint:
Bouquet Pink Forest Green Light Ivory
Rose Mist Sonoma Wine Spice Tan
Tea Green
SURFACE:
8” round paper mache box
GENERAL SUPPLIES:
Water Basin Disposable Palette
Paper Towels Scotch Tape
Tracing Paper Graphite Paper
Sea Sponge Final Coat Varnish
BRUSHES:
Royal Majestic 4150S Flat Size 2
Royal Majestic 4150S Flat Size 4
Silver Ultra Mini 2407S Script Size 20/0
Large Base Coating Brush
PREPPING INSTRUCTIONS:
Paper mache does not need to be sealed. Base coat the top of the lid with LIGHT IVORY. Base coat the rim of the lid with BOUQUET PINK. Base coat the box with TEA GREEN. Let dry thoroughly. Apply the pattern with the graphite. Be careful not to press too hard and get heavy dark lines. These will be hard to cover.
Using a sea sponge with quite a bit of water lightly sponge BOUQUET PINK and TEA GREEN on the lid of the box. Be careful to stay out of the pattern area with the sponging. Wet the sponge squeeze out most of the water and then pounce the sponge in the color on your palette. Pounce the sponge in a clean area on your palette until you get a soft watered down color then apply to the box lid. Sponge the base of the box in the same manner using BOUQUET PINK and FOREST GREEN. Let the BOUQUET PINK dry before applying the FOREST GREEN or you will have a muddy brown color. Base coat the inside of the box and lid with TEA GREEN. Let dry thoroughly.
PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS:
This box is painted in a complementary color scheme of red and green. It is painted with floats of color done in the shaded areas. Refer to the color placement chart to know where to place the floats.
1. Place a float of TEA GREEN in the shadow areas of the light colored leaves.
2. Place a float of FOREST GREEN in the shadow areas of the dark colored leaves.
3. Place a float of FOREST GREEN in the shadow areas of the stems of the buds.
4. Place a float of SONOMA WINE in the shadow areas of the darkest flower.
5. Place a float of ROSE MIST in the shadow areas of the medium value flower and bud.
6. Place a float of BOUQUET PINK in the shadow areas of the light value flowers and bud.
7. Place a float of SPICE TAN in the shadow areas of the centers of the flowers.
8. Thin some SONOMA WINE with water and using the liner brush outline each of the petals of the dark flower.
9. Thin some ROSE MIST with water and using the liner brush outline each of the petals of the medium value flower and bud.
10. Thin some Bouquet Pink with water and using the liner brush outline each of the petals of the light value flowers and bud.
11. Thin some SPICE TAN with water and using the liner brush outline each of the centers of the flowers.
12. Thin some TEA GREEN with water and using the liner brush outline each of the light green leaves. Do the vein lines and stems with this same thin paint.
13. Thin some FOREST GREEN with water and using the liner brush outline each of the dark green leaves. Do the vein lines and stems with this same thin paint.
14. Let dry thoroughly, overnight if possible. Then varnish with several coats of Final Coat wipe on varnish.
PEN AND INK MEMORY BOX
I painted this box with Genesis Heat Set Oils, but I am including the conversion for painting it with acrylics.
PALETTE:
Genesis Heat Set Oils
Pyrrole Red #2 Ultramarine Blue Yellow Ochre
Titanium White Bismuth Yellow Carbon Black
Quinacridone Crimson
Delta Ceramcoat Acrylic Paint:
Sachet Pink Tide Pool Blue Light Ivory
Rose Mist Sonoma Wine Maple Sugar Tan
English Yew Green Wedgwood Green Stonewedge Green
Spice Tan
SURFACE:
8” heart-shaped paper mache box
GENERAL SUPPLIES:
Water Basin Disposable Palette
Paper Towels Scotch Tape
Tracing Paper Graphite Paper
Sea Sponge Final Coat Varnish
Bubble Palette White Factis Eraser
#2 pencil Old Brush
Delta All Purpose Gesso Fine Sandpaper
See-Thru Ruler Magic Brand Scotch Tape
Pigma Micron .005 Pen Genesis Glazing Medium
BRUSHES:
Royal Majestic 4150S Flat Size 4
Royal Majestic 4150S Flat Size 2
Silver Ultra Mini 2407S Script Size 20/0
Large Base Coating Brush
Acrylics Box:
Silver Brush Ruby Satin Angle Size ¼”
Silver Brush Ruby Satin Angle Size ½”
Large Base Coating Brush
PREPPING INSTRUCTIONS:
Prep the box with several coats of gesso. Let dry thoroughly and then sand until smooth. Wipe off the sanding grit. Apply with “homemade” graphite paper. This graphite paper is made by scribbling with a #2 pencil on a piece of tracing paper. Wipe off the excess graphite with a paper towel and then use like a regular piece of graphite paper. Apply the pattern, including the lines for the stripes across the lid. On the sides of the box measure a ½” line from the bottom of the box and mark with a pencil. From this line measure 2/3” and mark with a pencil. Measure the next line ¼” from the last line and mark with a pencil. This will give you three stripes around the sides of the box.
Tape off the ½” stripe on the lid and box and base coat these areas with TIDE POOL BLUE. Paint around the pattern so it remains white. Gently pull the tape off. Let dry. Tape off the 2/3” stripes on the lid and box and base coat these areas with BOUQUET PINK. Gently pull the tape off. Let dry. Tape off the ¼” stripes on the lid and box and base coat these areas with MAPLE SUGAR TAN. Gently pull the tape off. Let dry. Base coat the rim of the lid with BOUQUET PINK.
Using a sea sponge with quite a bit of water lightly sponge LIGHT IVORY over the stripes. To add a little texture to the surface, you can sponge the white areas. Be careful to stay out of the pattern area with the sponging. Wet the sponge, squeeze out most of the water and then pounce the sponge in the color on your palette. Pounce the sponge in a clean area on your palette until you get a soft watered down color then apply to the box lid. Let dry thoroughly.
Using the Micron pen ink the pattern including the all the dots. The dots will tell you where the shadows are. This will help you to know where to place the paint. Let ink dry and then using the white eraser, erase any transfer lines.
PAINTING INSTRUCTIONS:
This box is painted in a triadic color scheme of red, blue and yellow. When you are painting flowers it is not necessary to include the green leaves in the color scheme. The first instructions will be using Genesis Heat Set Oils.
MIXES:
Green Mix: Bismuth Yellow + Carbon Black + Titanium White
Dark Rose Mix: Quinacridone Crimson + Pyrrole Red #2 + Carbon Black
Medium Rose Mix: Dark Rose Mix + Titanium White
Light Rose Mix: Medium Rose Mix + Titanium White
Blue Mix: Ultramarine Blue + Titanium White + Carbon Black (you only need a little bit of this mix)
1. Place a small amount of the Green Mix in the shadow areas of the dark leaves and the stems of the buds. Remember the shadow areas are where the dots are. Wipe off the brush and pick up a small amount of glazing medium on the brush and work the paint out to the edge of the leaf. The shadow area should remain the darkest area of the leaf.
2. Brush mix some Titanium White into the green mix. To brush mix, pull some of the green mix from the puddle of paint with the brush making a loading zone. Load the brush with white paint and pull it through the green mix in the loading zone, blending until you have a lighter green than the original green mix. Place this light green mix in the shadow areas of the light colored leaves. Using the glazing medium work the paint out in the same manner as was done on the dark leaves.
3. Place a small amount of the Dark Rose Mix in the shadow areas of the dark flower. Using the glazing medium work the paint out in the same manner as was done on the leaves.
4. Place a small amount of the Medium Rose Mix in the shadow areas of the medium value flower and bud. Using the glazing medium work the paint out in the same manner as was done on the leaves.
5. Place a small amount of the Light Rose Mix in the shadow areas of the light value flower and bud. Using the glazing medium work the paint out in the same manner as was done on the leaves.
6. Place a small amount of Yellow Ochre in the shadow areas of the centers of the flowers. Using the glazing medium work the paint out in the same manner as was done on the leaves.
7. Using the Light Rose Mix place tints on the leaves in the areas marked on the color placement chart.
8. Using the Blue Mix place tints on the petals of the flowers and buds in the areas marked on the color placement chart.
9. Dry with the Genesis heat gun or in your oven with the temperature set at 265 degrees.
10. Varnish with several coats of Final Coat Varnish. Don’t wipe the varnish on the first coat. Gently pat the first coat on so the ink does not run. If you do not have Final Coat varnish, do not use a water-based varnish it will make the ink run. Use a spray-on varnish.
ACRYLIC INSTRUCTIONS:
All base coating is done with washes. These washes are made in a bubble palette. They are 20% paint and 80% water. Put a drop of paint about the size of an M & M in a well of the bubble palette. Then fill the well with water and stir with an old brush until all the paint is dissolved in the water. Keep lifting the brush to see if all the pigment on the bristles has been dissolved. The shading is done with full-strength paint blended on the disposable palette. I use the angle brushes for all the shading. I apply the washes with an angle brush.
1. Wash the dark leaves with ENGLISH YEW GREEN and then shade with ENGLISH YEW GREEN.
2. Wash the light leaves with STONEWEDGE GREEN and then shade with WEDGEWOOD GREEN.
3. Wash the light flower and bud with SACHET PINK and the shade with ROSE MIST.
4. Wash the medium value flower and bud with ROSE MIST and then shade with SONOMA WINE.
5. Wash the dark flower with SONOMA WINE and then shade with SONOMA WINE.
5. Wash the centers of the flowers with MAPLE SUGAR TAN and then shade with SPICE TAN.
6. Place tints of SACHET PINK on the leaves in the areas marked on the color placement chart.
7. Place tints of TIDE POOL BLUE on the flowers and buds in the areas marked on the color placement chart.
8. Let the paint dry thoroughly.
9. Varnish with several coats of Final Coat Varnish. Don’t wipe the varnish on the first coat. Gently pat the first coat on so the ink does not run. If you do not have Final Coat varnish, do not use a water-based varnish it will make the ink run. Use a spray-on varnish.
I hope that you enjoy painting these designs for the Memory Box program. If you have any questions, please contact me at .
Karen