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Painting Animals
4 on Rocks

1 Layout. When you have found a promis- ing scone, scrub and kt it dry. Then sketch the wings on freehand as shown. Or, if you prefer, use the "cm plate method to lay out the wings. Wing pattern. 3. Fold it in half. The curving side will serve as the plate for the ladybug's wings I. Set your stone on a piece of paper and carefully trace all the way azound the bottom with a pencil. 4. With a pencil and ruler or other straightedge, draw a line down the exact center of yout stone. 2- Cut out the circle or oval you put traced. 5. Place the curved edge of your template so ft covers half of the stone. Now carefully trace around the curved edge of your template Flip the pattern over and reposition to make j march- ing cursed line on die opposite side Yout stone should be divided into three sections: two equal wings and a slightly smaller head area, leaving only a slight mangle showing at the tail end where the wings curve in opposite di- rections. Round our yout wing shapes into ovals. If yout first attempt isn't satisfactory, simply scrub away the pencil mark* and trv again. fl The An of Pernting Animals on Rocks
2 Painting the Black Areas. Four a small puddle ol black acrylic pain; into vow painting dish H you're using craft paint you probably won't need to add water. With tube paint, however, you may need to ex- periment with water to obtain the right cnniittency. The paint should be loose enough to apply msily. but retain erough body for solid coverage. If your pant is runny or if the stone shows Through a ben dry, yixir paint was too ihir. and may require a second coot. H. on rhe ocher hand, your brush drags dryly over the stone and coverage is rough and broken, Iry muuienmg your paint by adding drops of water sparingly. Use black to cover every pan of the и one except the oval wings and the bottom of' the stone. You can use a larger brjsh for mmt areas, but switch to your smallest brush to paint the line where the two wings come together on rep This line should not be more than wide. Allow the black paint to dry thoroughly before you go on to the next step. Cos er even* pan of the stone except the wings. I um тоиг stone io paint around the wings. 3 Adding Wing Color. Have you decided what color you want your hug to bcJ Red, yellow and orange arc all good choices, but lighter cdors may need several coats for com* pJcte coverage. Paint around the edizes of the wings, keeping your strokes steady. If you need more than one coat, cet the paint dry between applications. Turn your stone around as you paint to insure that your wines arc colored in all the wav around If ’•’ou accidently punt over the black uisdercoat at any paint. don*: panic Simply allow the irtu ю dry. then go over ic with a little пн.:« bhek paint to repair the place Red, yeRuw iind отипде me £<hxI choice* for wirg cciors Huiv tu Ptirni л Ldifybug
Suggested SpOl designs. 4 Painting the Spots. How many decorative spots you paint and where they go is up to you- You may only want a couple of large spots on each side, or you may decide to scatter smaller ones about. However many you choose to paint, be sure to space them uniformly so they don’t touch or overlap. Both wings should match. Use a pencil to sketch spots on the dried wing areas- Remember that sketch marks can be painted over at any point and redone until you are You can ikeich the spots on freehand with a pencil. 2 If you don’t feci you can paint a round spot freehand or if you want all the spots exactly the бате sire, try making a stencil. (1) Trace a circle of the desired ske on a note card oc other stiff material. (2) Cut out the center. (3) Line the hole up over one of the spots you sketched onto your stone. Press firmly around the edges of the stencil to hold it in place and use your medium brush to dab on fust enough black paint to fill in the circle. Care- fully lift the card straight up to avoid smearing- Allow each sper to dry be- fore going on to the next. To speed things up, switch to the other wing and work there while waiting. (4) After you have completed your pattern of Бреи and let them dry. >ou may need to go around some of them with the wing color and smallest brush to smooth rough edges IC The Art of Fainting Animals on Rocks
5 The Face. Your bug's personality will be de- termined by the expression she wears. [ prefer a happy look, but there ate many other choices. Whether you use one of my expres- siondesigns or make up your own, take extra care when painting your bug's features. Use a small brush and be sure the paint is thick enough to show up against the black background of the face. You may have to go over the fea- tures more than once to make them stand out clearly. If you aren’t happy with your first attempt, you can always paint our what you don’t like and try again. To protect your bug and make the colors look brighter, you may wish to seal the surface. Use spray-on polyure- thane or wtpc on an acrylic finish such al Future floor polish with a lint-free cloth. Aftct you've painted a ladybug or two, you may feel like really going buggy! Bugs come in an amaring array of shapes and colors. Books about in- sects arc a great place to get ideas for other kinds of bugs to try painting. Or use your imagination to come up with your own make-believe bugs. Use thick white paint for the eyeballs. antennae. Аг аплу of colorful bugs. How ГО Point a Ladybug II
* * 12 TFic Art of Painting Animals cm Rods
Ноги to Paint a Thae "rocky tcpiiks" are only 3 little more involved than ladybugs and make another excellent project for beginning stone pointers. My stone coral snake has an interesting pattern of variegated baruls dw is colorful ye: still relatively simple to patnt. The be« snake stones arc either round or oval, 6rt co Г m diameter and 2’ or 3“ thick at then center. As with all stone projects, begin by scrubbing y<wr stone and allowing it to dry. A perfect tnakc cock. Side Views. Round or oval Tocki worfc well *5 sn*ke> How icj Paint a 5лаке
Finishing Touches. After the black areas have dried, paint in a small red eye circle w ith your narrowest brush. The eye should be placed in the black area of the snout about И*’ from the beginning of the first yellow b^id. Using the same fine brush define individual coils by mixing a drop of red paint with just enough black co get a deep maroon color. Stroke three or four thin, closely spaced horizontal lines along the bot- tom half of every red band. These brush fines need not be perfectly uni- foam. Your snake will actually look more realistic if thev are anmewhat un- even and random Hl^h5‘gh' rhe red cnib with maroon sirokn The bar rem of the e>e shouL rest on the Inwginaty mijline <>f the head Heighten >cnir make's realism with huriSixrlftl lines akinj the Ьчсып of e rch емй. How to Paint a Snake 17
2 Creating Contours. Use bl и:к paint and your small teush to give the stone the illusion of having contours. Outline aroun.1 the head rival, front legs, tail, and back legs. then fill in any remaining areas between the top and bottom shells all he wav around. Do not paint over the cenaecttng stdc segments- Be sure the line around the top of the bead is dis- kk: w the head stands out Allow the pant IO dry. 3 Adding a Bas4* Color Mix enough shell cdot to cover £ remaining surface areas. I mix a me- dium preen with just enough brown co оеме a subtle, understated olive color. Yuu may prefer to use straight green, or to mix green and blue for a deep lurquoisc The darker rhe basic shell celtt is. the more contrast you'll have when vixi paint in the details later- You tan use vpur largest brush co fill m the top shell fast, but for better control, use your small or medium brush to cdor in the the head, tegs and tail. Also pamr the connecting segments between the top and bottom shell .it this nme. Allow the green to dry. Side view of turtle hjvut- Outline the head ard k;rj in black Hou1 ro Pdinr a Stone Turtle
4 The Shell Pattern. When the stone is thoroughly dry, ute a pencil to lay out the shell pattern. First sketch a parallel border along rhe inside of rhe upper shell. The border should not be more than W" л-ide- Now divide the shell into secttons, Harting with one directly above the head. You should end up with six, more or less equal, four-sided segments around the outside with one six-sided, segment in the center. The outer seg- ments should taper inward- If you aren't happy with your first attempt, mix some matching green paint, cover over your marks and try again. Drawing tn the shell segrtH-ius Make a border экэд the edge «the юр *hell. 5 The Face. Divide the oval head shape in two horizontally. Two dots forming the turtle’s nostnls should rest In the cen- ter of the face directly on this midline» The eyes arc oval» standing on end on cither side of the nostrils. Space them approximately two eye widths apart. The mouth is composed of two gently curving lines that come together in a point just below the nostrils- 24 The Arc of Painting Animats on Rock*
6 Adding Details. Now you're ready to paint details. Use vour smallest brush and bright yel- low paint to trace all the pencil marks on the shell- Start with the inside and outside borders of the shell, then do rhe lines for each individual shell seg- ment- It may rake more than one coat for the lines to stind out sharply against the green background. Divide the outside border of the shell into small rectangular segments by painting short, vertical lines at intervals all she way around Allow rhe paint to dry be- tween coats for best results. Moving to the head, duplicate the markings around the eyes along the bottom of the mouth and down the chin as shown in the illustration. Also paiat ihe edge of the borrom shell with yellow where it shows between the front feet and back feet. Outline the edges of rhe connecting side segments aho. 1 like to paint beoken or dotted yellow lines down the front legs for added visual interest. While these de- tails dry, mix a small amount red with yellow paint to get a deep orange. Use this to fill in the eye ovals. You may also use this orange paint to puitch up the yellow lines of your shell seg- ments here and there. Use this orange sko to highlight rhe dots on the legs. These touches are nor vital, but ihey Aill enhance the realism of your turtle. Outline rhe shell нцтепп with я hr^i ccJkn. Add character and vil < «rev with k«fcj rtJkrw rurkinp How to Point a Stone Turrle
7 Finishing Touches. When the orange eyes ere dry, paint a small black iris in the center of each one. At the same time, carefully outline the eyes with black to make them stand Out clearly. Create bulging eye sockets by echoing the shape of the eyes in Hack as shown. Clean yout btush well and mix a combination of green and yellow to get a light green. Use this color to create the geometric pattern on each segment of the turtle’s shell. The simplest de- sign resembles a squared-off capital G. If you're good at doing fine lines, you can make sets of nesting squares in- stead Finish by placing a tiny doc of pure white at the edge of the ins in each eye to give your turtle the “spar- kle of life." Sign the bottom and apply a coat of finish to heighten the colors. Look for photos in magazines or books for more ideas of other varieties of turtles. Box turtles are basically brown but some have wonderful shell Outline ibe orange eve* in Hack. patterns. 26 The Art of Pointing Animals on Rocks
The Art of Painting Axutnnls on Ruck*
How to Paint a Rock Rabbit When you’re ready to tackle a more detailed project, this wild rabbit is a goixl place to start. Select a smooth stone similar in shape to a large baking po- tato. The stone should have a flat bot- tom so tt will sit without rolling ewer. While rhe ideal rabbit rock is oval as shown in view- A. there are many v-inarions that wilt also work. Yout none may be taller and narrower (B) it may have a blunt, somewhat squared shape, (C) or taper off slightly at one enJ (D). The most important features arc a rial bottom for stability anJ over- all svmrnetry of shape. Once you find a promising stone, prepare the surtace with a good scrub- bing and allow to dry. Beginners will find it easier to paint on a stone with a smooth or line-grained surface. It's much more difficult to achieve the kind of derail you'll want on a rough or pitted surface. What You'll Need • jerdic paint* in black, white, gold, red and burnt sienna • large. medium and narrow brus-hes • a pencil or jwce or chalk — ----------------------------- Top View». A perfect rabbit rock. A vanelv of stone si:es and ‘tapes wul work as ponied rabbits How To faint a Rock Rabbit 29
Layout. Д Using your largest brush, cover all bur the very botrom of your scone with a coat of Hack paint. If the stone dries with a grayish ease, applv a sec- ond. heavier coat. When the paint is dry you can begin sketching in basic shapes. Imagine your stone is divided into thirds (view A). The first third en- compasses the jowl area, and the back third is the haunch area. With a sharp- ened pencil or white chalk, lightly sketch in these guidelines. Sketch curving jowl lines on i»th sides of the head end, and check from the top to he sure both jowls are about the same. At the top of the мопс (view B) these two hncs meet to form the forehead. The ears begin at the top of the fore- head, extending backward toward the middle of the stone (view B). Now move to the face (view- C). Imagine the front of your stone is di- vided into quarters. The bottoms of the eves will rest on a bisecting horizontal line. Eyes that arc too large m propor- tion to the stone will give your bunny a “cartoon" look, so keep them small. Allow a minimum of one and one-halt eve widths between them. Cheek for svmmetry by lining up a pencil with the bottom of the eve circles. If you aren’t satisfied with your guidelines at any point, simply dab them away with a damp rag or go over them with more black paint and try again. Next, center a no$c triangle along the vertical bisecting line- it shouldn’t be much wider across the top than one of the eyes. Turn your stone around and add an oval-shaped tail to the rear end (view D) Tuck two sets of paws along the bottom edge of either side. Now you're ready to begin painting. Pawl ihuubd be earth visibie but not too bifi. 2 White Contrasts. bill in the paws and tail areas with white, using enough paint for solid coverage. The paws and tail look fluffier if you feather your strokes outward along the edges. Next switch io a smaller brush to paint in two shott white lines along the bottom angles of the nose. Outline rhe basic shape of the cars. Paint a sec- ond, parallel line inside the upper edge of each ear to indicate a flap. Add э line te the uuaJc of each ear to ruake a flap- I Ajc A*1 of Painting Animate и is Rocks
3 Eyelashes Still using white paint and your «rail brush, stroke in a senes of deli' cate "evelash" lines. Begin ar the out- »4e upper cornet of each eye and stroke in a long, curved line extending nearly rc the base of the ear. Add more ashes, shortening them as you work toward the inside of each eve. Make a Imge of shorter, curving lashes along the bottom edges of both eyes. Leave an (Xfciine of black between these h>h fetes and the eve circle. Binning the eye* мср-Ьу.яер. 4 Eye and Ear Color Fill iii both eye circles with burnt тал? Keep the суы neat and round. If they’look uneven, or if you acci- ikndy paint ever rhe eyelash lines, let nW brown paint dry. then use black to taccircle and redefine the eyes later. Add a touch of golden yellow paint to ±£ sienna on your palette and Wend wget a lighTcr shade of brown. With 7£S соки fem a half-circle inside the kficm рсстюп of each eve. This u ill (ne the eyes a mi re lifelike depth. ben the eves arc dry. use bhrk paint « stake two oval irises- They should much the top each eye circle. Work on the ears next Clean your brush well and mix small amounts of red with white until you huve .1 me- dium shade of pink. Add Ju’t enough gold to soften it to a pale fleshcone. Use this color to fill in the insides of (he ears, not quire meeting the white outlines you painted earlier-1 cave the car flap ui «painted for now. Add burnt sienna to darken ihe tleshione on vour paieuc Lise this new color co crr.ue a shadowed effect along the upper edges of the cars jusi below the ear flaps. SIi3ihfi|2 ihr tntides <jc ihc ears. Hw io Prtinr <i J?ock Riibbti
5 Fur Lines. You're now ready to paint in the fur lines char will give your r»bbii ns soft, realistic look. Fur lines should be as thin and delicate as possible. Dilute the paint enough to flow on easily but not to the point of transparency. You’ll want your fur lines to dry crisp and clear. Begin the fur by- making a senes of short, perpendicular strokes follow- ing the curved line of the jowl. Refer to the directional guide at rignt for guidance in placing your strokes Do a second row of longer strokes just inside the first set. Allow each line to taper into a point by casing the pres- sure on the brush as you lift. Create a shingled effect, allowing your rows to overlap slightly. Vary the direction and sise of your strokes for realism. Three or four sets of overlapping fur lines should bring you close to the bot- tom eyelashes. Be sure to stop before reaching these lash lines so that some dark contrast remain» around the eye areas. Repeat the process with the other jowl, then move on to the haunches. Follow the arrows on this gusje for realistic fur pilches. Fill in the haunch with rows of strokes thar angle out like spokes on a wheel. Starr on the outside and work toward the center of each haunch. Overlap your strokes ro create a shin- gled effect. Next, move co your rabbit’s back Start between the ears, leaving a nar- row area of black paint surrounding the ears for contrast. Work back toward the tail, varying the length and angle of your strokes. You may indicate shoulders by allowing your strokes io form an M-shaped row behind the head Skip a space and start a fresh row of fur farther back- Leave several other similar spaces showing as vou continue to work toward rhe back of the stone 5iup just short of the tail. Allow pour lines to dwindle in number as you move down the body so that much of the bottom remains plain black above the paws. Fill in the haunch with strokes that angle oui like spokes in a wheel 32 The Art of Pointing Animals on Rnckr
Rtmc-nbr- to leave epen space» anxind the eats and other features Tiny fur lines soften the ears. 6 Facial Features. The nose, mu”le and forehead are next. Darken a little deep pink paint with a bit of burnt sienna. Fill in :hc center of the nose triangle, leaving an outline of black surrounding it. Clean your brush and switch to «hue paint. Make a series of tiny, FkiiI feature». splintef'slsed tur strokes along the out' sides of the ears to make them softer and more natural looking. Scatter some longer whisker lines in the pink pan of each ear The forehead Kir begins just above the nose and fans upward and outward You may find it euier to print the forehead fur by holding your поле up^de diMtn. in uneven, shingled rows. Stop before you reach rhe base of the cars and make one final row of dense, short lines along the top of the htad. Le^ve an area of black showing between these lines and the base of the cars for contrast. How Го Paint a Rock Rabbrr
TFi€ Are of Painting Animals on Rocks
4 Basic Stripes. For the stripes use a medium' sired flat brush. I prefer an older bnnh whose bristles have separated with age. This allows me to create a distinct rut texture with each stroke. If you don't have a brush like this, apply stripes in solid but ragged lines. You can go back over them later and add texture with a contrasting color. Mix gold paint with a bit of white to get a pale, sandy color. You cat’s stripes may be uniform or more uneven ond broken If you aren’t sure how to do the stripes, try sketching them in with chalk first and curving them to create the illusion of roundness to the haunch. Next, turn your stone around and begin the tack stripes in two set* an inch or so beyond rhe top of the head Leave a snip of the darker base coat at the nape of the neck and run- ning down along the curve of the spine until it disappears around the edge of stone. The back slopes should be an Inch or so wide, curving gently around the shoulders. Use the same pale gold and your medium or smallest brush to paint m the pattern of facial stripes as shown. Fill in the musk arc as well. Without rinsing out your brush, switch to plain white paint and stroke in the lighter stripes alonji the cat's tail and the lips of the cats paws- Make several narrower stripes along the front kgs also. Encircle the eyes with while, and make two small white parches co the muck just below the nose. Лк paint in the chin area with white Painting the haunch itrtyei. Lew a strip of buic cost ihcmuie between the itnpe» cn ce’i bock. The Arr of Pcinrbt£ Aniniiftls on Rocks
7 Finishing Touches. To complete your cat, add just enough water to yuur white paint to get a consistency Ehat will flow on smoothly yet remain opaque- Extend four or five long, curving whiskers out' ward from each side of rhe muck area. The lower whiskers may overlap the tail or the paws. Мике another set of king, graceful lines inside the cars. At this рол t examine your cat from every angle to see if touching up Is needed. Pay particular Attention to easily overlooked areas like the side of rhe stone just beyond the outside edge ct die head Determine if the paws re' quire seme additional texture You may use the tip of your brush to stroke a line of white fun along the tops of them. The whiskers may need going over mote than once to insure that they standi out clearly. Or you can bring them out nicely by painting a narrow line of black along the bottom Cl each one. You can adapt these techniques to вп* number of curled'up cat rocks. Try a sleeping cat with its eyes closed in contented crescents; or change the bait coat co deep brown, make the lighter stripes tan and the fur lines black to paint a brown tiger cat- These cits look especially nice displayed in baskets or curled onto pillows. Expeif- ment with stripe patterns and collect gbotos of cats to help you achieve a core realistic leek. Whisker dead. A car ecu a Up- How lc Paint a Yellow-Si rrped ТйЬЬу Crtt 59
60 The Art о/ Pabiiinj! Animals on Recta
Hou- to Paint a Raccoon Whether real or stone, these little masked bandits are лр! to mmI away the hard* est of hearts- With their mischievous antics and comical face*, live raccoons base won widespread populatin'. They also make terrific subjects for rwek minting because so пипу diftervni irone shape' work for them- The most common shape, and the aw dcmoaitrated here, is an upright, hjtf'Circle*shap«a stnnc. it <ы» he uni* wrmlv tuned on top, slightly squared ctf.ot perhaps even sloping io one ride. Occasionally I run across what I call a ‘tombstone’-tyre rock, one which is HjmIv rounded but stands taller. These rocks are ideal for painting и “raccoon" as though it has reared up tin its hind legs, with the front paws held to its chest- It's OK tor в raccoon rock to be on the narrow side, but any stones less than 4Л thick wiR he tcx> thin Since yxxi have manv cho&es» try’ to envision some ways an animal can be filled to virion* shapes jzai sizes. A variety <if rock j ha per. am be crinsfonneJ into тчоспз- Yvur lavui t will dc|ivrxl un div Jiir<n*iTO» ! unir Sk*n« Ifciw ifj Point u Яйссолп
Prepare your «one for painting by- insuring the surface is clean and free of loose material or debris. Before you begin your layout, use your largest brush and black paint to completely cover the surface of the stone, leaving only the bottom un- painted. Let this base coat dry thoroughly. Selecting your rock. 1 Layout. The proportions for a crouching pose will differ from those for a stand- ing animat Generally, the he^d takes up a forger percentage of the stone in a crouched pose (roughly half the width of the stone). In an upright pose the raccoon s head will take up less space m proportion to overall body size (usually a little over W). Positioning the head is the first and most important step of the layout pro- cess. The head can be set level or tilted slightly, as I have done. On sloping stones where there is not much room, tilting the head may be the best solu- tion for fitting the ears into the avail- able space. Another option is to place the head on the higher .side ind fit the haunch onto the sloping end The head will be shaped like * short, fat heart- On my 9й stone, du» heart measures 4" эстом the top. Use chalk to sketch in your head until it looki right. The haunch is similar in sire to the head, but circular instead of heart shaped. Let it curve around the end of the stone. The tail is fat with a blunt tip. Bang it around from the end of rhe stone, stopping jusr short of the head If you have posrioned your head high enough, sketch in a front paw unde; the chin. Note that raccoons’ front feet (on page 63) look almost like snudl human hands while the rear feet are longer with shorter toes. Turn your stone around and make a matching haunch on the back side with a little bit ci the long back foot showing. New you are ready to begin sketching in facial de- tails. The bate coat. 62 The An of Patnling Animals on Rocki
Face Layout Divide the heart-shaped face in thirds vertically. If You opted to tilt rhe field, angle rhe lines to match- Set she oft Ю i hear inside comers touch the Ines you’ve drawn. Raccoon ears vary insi:e depending on the age of the ani- mal. Here, the ears extend a hide over Г frcen the top of the head. The total hegbt of one ear should be about equal io the distance between the two ears. Next, bisect the head horizontally The raccoon's eyes will be centered on she peencs where this horizontal line oijwci the two vertical lines. Space ibt eyes slightly less than two eye widths apart. Add triangle* to the in- side edge of each eye to suggest tew ducts. Draw another hoctawal guideline halfway between the mid line and the bottom of ihe face. This point repre- sents the top edge of the animal’s muz- zle- The outside perimeters of the muz- zle circle are ilefined by the two vertical lines you made earlier. Draw a circle to create the music- In the center of the muzzle sketch an oval note shape. The raccoon’s nose should be slightly larger than one of hts eyes. That complete* the Layout process. Now' you are ready to paini. How co Piiini a Racecon 63
2 Fur Patches. Use your medium brush and white paini to fill in the muzrle area surrounding the nose» but leave я wedge-shaped portion of the black base coat uncovered ar rhe top. Heav- ily outline the cars with white. Next, without rinsing your brush, add several drops of gold paint to your dish and soften it to a pale straw color with white. Use this color to brush in three or four vertical bands along the rac- coon’s tail. These bands should be to W wide with njajed edges Tail fund* The fur lines are next. Study the di- rectional guide above to determine the general pattern. Using your narrowest brush and plain white paint, begin your first lines nt the inside corner of each eye. Your strokes should be nearly solid at the base, but should fan out above ihe eye. Lengthen and angle your strokes as you move around toward the side of the face. Bfend a second tier of fur lines into the first, allowing your tapering strokes to vary slightly in length and direction as they fill in the remaining area below the ear Move to the other eye and repeat these step. Leave a blank space tn the middle of the roiche.sJ is an extension of rhe dark area above the nose and between rhe eyes. Also leave a narrow The Рашппц ihe tad scep»by-4cp
4 The Eyes. The eyes should now be she last unpainted portion of your stone rac- coon. Real raccoons' eyes are so dark they seem blade but I paint them dark brown so they stand out from the sur- rounding black mask. Mix a brushful of burnt sienna with a tinge or black to get a deep chocolate brown. Carefully fill in the eye circle* with this «4ог. While they arc still wet. dtp the tip of your brush into a drop of straight burnt sienna and stroke it sparingly in a half- circle around the lower half of the eyes. This «'arms the eyes, giving them depth and clarity. While they dry. go around the outside of rhe eyes with a dclkarc line of black to emphasiie their shape- Add a very thin eyelid line just above etcher eye as well. While you have Hack on your brush, look for areas where your fur lines may need separating or redefining. A few thin black strokes can correct white fur lines that look blotchy or are too thick. Filling in the eyes. Detailing the Face. Clean your brush and return to Hraight burnt sienna. Use this color co make a fringe along the top of each eye. Stroke in a few longer lines along the inside comers of the eyes and both ears. Do в similar fringe around the top half of the musk and sprinkle more reddish-brown stroke* up into the bridge of the nose Add texture to the light stripes on the tail with ® scries of brown horizon- tal strokes. Turn your raccoon on his side and sprinkle some brown Fur along hit front and rear paws Now add enough gdd paint to your burnt sienna to get a warm golden- brown. Llsc this color to soften the Hack mas* below each eye with fine lines. Clean your brush, switch to black pint and carefully place an oval tris two the center of each eye so it just touches the top of rhe eye circle. 3knJing die fail fur for a skek took. Add hiKhlielus with burnt iaenn-i At Аги. the face к vnly black and while- Spctllc toshes of solden-brown under the eye* and on the bndge of the nose. Face dttuil with «nice luchlijjhl*. How I4J Penne a Raccoon 67
2 Painting the Shadows With a large or medium brush and black paint, till tn the shadows be- tween the haunch and the inside ear. ai>d behind the ear inside the curving line of the spinc-.Feathex out the shad- ows as you move £way from these. Fea- tures. Outline rhe ears, the .upper haunch, and cheipacc between the •chin andffrind leg. Also black out any portion showing below the crooked hind leg- This isC^Jccially intpnrtant if tout stone has a convex front side shat wu want to play* down. Use your small or medium brush to our line the he»id and the eye, and to fill the nose and 1 hoof P.iiQt the t$il in black, feathering out vou: strokes Siong the edges. 3&as® Color Ibur two good-sized puddles of bum! sienna and gold into your paint dish. Use your large- or medium-sized brush to mix rhe two colors in the cen- ter, leaving some unmixed pigment on cither side. Fill in the haunch and the entire hind leg- Also fill in the head, being careful not to paint over any bbek outlines. Dip the tip of your bwsh into the gold side of your paint Kid stroke highlights along the top edge of the forehead and the top of the outside ear. A little straight gold along the upper curve of the haunch will bnng out its shape as well. Clean your brash and dip it into straight burnt si- enna. Stroke this color in a curve be- ginning ar the nape of the neck and moving back along the spine all the e&y ground to the base of the rail. Feather a few horizontal strokes here ind there in the black area between the haunch and the inside ear to soften the shadows. Use burnt sienna all iJong the lower edge of the hind leg to p\v it mere volume. Leave the chest «ei unpainred for now. Painting rhe shadows Burnt sienna serve* as я color. How to P«<nr « Stone Fawn
Tinting. Vr Next mix several drops of burnt sienna with an cq-iat amount of geld to get a warm red-brown. Fill in the eye circles with this color. Switching to your Larger brush, add water to this reddish-brown color to make a wash. Test the consistency on newspaper to be sure the tint is transparent. Use this tint to deepen the color of select fur lines. Begin by feathering strokes out from behind the head, but leave the tips of your lines untinted. Move down co the next sets of lines on the back and tint the area closest to the shad- owed borders, again leaving the tips untouched. On the haunch, avoid tinting the outermost set of prickly strokes, but tint the inner fur lines. Remember, if the tint pigment is too heavy, it will obscure your original brush strokes. If that happens, pick up the excess pig- ment with a tissue while it is still wet and add more water to your wash. On the face, tint the area between the eyes and feather your strokes into the forehead. Leave the light areas around the eyes. Tint the entire tail. Filling In the eyes Tinting behind the cars. Avoid cokxui£ the edge* of the haunch. The Ari of Painting Animals on Rocks
Ф jO V Step» fw face Uyout- After the face oval is in place, mod- ify it by creating a V-shape in the mid’ die of the forehead. Then bisect the oval horizontally and use (he midline as a guide for the eves- Owls have dra- matically large, round eyes. Eye diame- ter will vary v* Ich the size of your stone. On the three owls 1 measured pre- viously. rhe size of the eyes are: • 8" tall owl—just over across • 7' tall owl—Pi" across • t tall owl—just over W across • 5’Л* tall owl—just under 14" across L’sc the height of your own stone to determine the яге of the eves, then center them on the mudline one eye space apart- To determine beak place- ment, measure one eye-width down from between the eyes on the midline- Мэгк that as the top of the beak. The beak itself should be a narrow triple whose point doesn't quire reach to the bottom of the face. Now turn your rock so ebe back is facing you. Draw a neck line around the back of the head. Indicate the mil with a wide V at the base. The sides of ihu V should bow gently outward around the curving sides of your sronc and couch the penmeter* of the face oval in front. If you look at your rock sideways, the wing lines should cut di- agonally from the face to the tail. The remaining portion of the body will be rhe breast.
2 Face and Head Details. Use your narrow brush ro outline rhe eye endes in black. Paint the beak next, making the point sharp and well defined. The wide upper end should be raggeddooking to create the illusion of 'mall overlapping feathers. Next use a medium flat brush to encircle the face with short, derue strokes. Create feath- ery points along the bottom of the face. Fill in the test of the he.nl shape with solid black alt the way around. Let the paint dry. Now take up your finest brush and switch to gold paint softened with a little white. Ide this color to make thin, dense lines like sunrays emanat- ing from the eyes and beak. Leave a border of white encircling the eyes but allow your brushstrokes to overlap some of the dark areas ort the head. Use gold at full strength to fill in the eye circles. The owl's eyes will be the focal point of the piece, so take your rime to paint them as neat And round as you can. If you accidently paint over your black outlines, retrace them in black later when the eyes arc dry. Shade the bxk of the head Subtle cold hlchlighis Surround the trjw and beak Outline With bold black Strokes, Gold ew color. 94 The Art t>j Fainting Animals an Kock:
Sketching the fradutx pattern. 4 Wing and Tad Feather Layout Once the back is dry-, use chalk co sketch the pattern for the feathers. Begin at the neck and extend a V shape halfway down the Ькк, mirror- ing the V of the wiL On each side make narrower V shapes like epaulettes at the shoulders. Connect the bottom points of these V shapes with curved lines- Below these curved lines, skerch in two sets of overlapping feather patches as shown. If you arc dissatisfied with your layout, rub out the chalk and revise. Feathers meet to form V sluptf- Feitncr drsign 5 Painting the Feathers. When you’re satisfied with rhe layout, add a senes of white strokes along the back V with a small or me- dium brush. Use your narrower brush to outline both upper and lower sets of wing feathers, and make a scries of white dots along the two curving tines connecting the «houlders to rhe back V. Next, mix burnt stenna and uold paint in equal proportions to get a warm golden-brown. With your nar- row brush make a row of connected U shapes along rhe white neckline in back. Do a second row below the first, starting each L’ in rhe middle of the one above so that you have an overbp- ping erteci- You should have room for four or more rows, each one shorter than the one above until there u space Outline (he tail feathen with a brush for only a single U at the point. Do a similar pattern on the epaulettes м each shoulder. To connect the shoulder pattern and the back pattern, make a serie.*, of diagonal feather lines as shown. Add depth and visual interest to rhe very bottom set %if wing feathers by running U shapes overlap at rhe neck several thin lines of brown alongside the white outlines. Add Neck to the brown color you've been using and shade the ba= tom edges of each scalloped row of L’- shaped feathers. Use this same color to shadow the base with thin, wispy brushstrokes. 96 The Arx of Painting Animah on Ruckj
PMnt a wmi of слwbrfilne L' shapes ai each DiagunaJ father lines connect the -wir^ to *hixj|Jer rhe tack Delicate Jtv-wn lines ztt interspersed with white jiroiiu ne Till fathers 6 Head Feathers. Going kick io rhe head. use d clean, narrow brush and white paint in begin a rencs ot >h.ir„ crookeiL bnikcn lines starling along the top border of rhe face and radiating hack into the black area of the head. Allow your шоке* tu become more uniform as you work around the sides of rhe head. The stroke» should radiate out like short srekes. Add consecutive favors of simi- lar strokes to cover the back and sides of rhe head. While wavy lines xadure fr<>m the top al" the he.tj. Сепппмс laverani! white lines... - - - Jewn rhe h*ck cf tlx head. How fo Ptrinr Sionev Owlx
7 Rather Details. Switch back to rhe deep brown shade and add crisp details to the lighter brown feathers ar the breast- Paint a row of dcruc. random strokes just below the neckline. Then scatter more of these lines in clustered secs among the breast feathers. «finishing Details Surround the eyes with delicate Lashlike strokes. Ac the inside lower comer of each eye, elongate the strokes and f.fi them out to look pat ttcularly dense and heavy. Allow a few strokes to reach into the top of the beak and a few more co strecch hori- zontally above the beak from either side until they almost touch- Fan another set of strokes below each eye. A few should even overlap the top of the beak, while others сип е away in rhe opposite direction. Brush m a set of short tines just in- side the face oval from either side of the V. Follow rhe curve of the face. Refer to the directional guide for feather placement. Fill in the eyes with black, oval irises. The irises should be slightly skewed toward the center of each eye circle. Darken the upper portion of each eye with burnt sienna to add depth. Then highlight the eye by strok- ing a narrow half-circle of bright yellow paint around the lower half. Finally, switch to white paint and define anv light areas chat may require more detail with your narrow brush- pay particular attention to the outer edges of the wings on cither side of the breast. These feathers should look fluffy. Dera I the hra« м«к wtih randnen fsae liars- Fa'fkyw the arrow* tar Uncial feather j-aitems. Face debiil. Irises should be dighcl. skewed гимхг-i th center 98 The A»r of Painting Animals on Racks
You may oho want co add some white strokes co the breast, overlap- ping the brown streaks here and thcrc- Rntih by placing two small dors in the inside upper quadrant or each eye hir. a lifelike sparkle. Owls arc quire ornamental and w»ll add an exciting touch to any decor- Try jaerchine one or two on a section of wood for an almost sculptural effect. Touchinj; up the wing edj^s. A white glknmcc фэгк&ь in cad-, piercing CW- |{<iw Io Pain* Sroncy Owfs Step* for eye detail.
zoo The Art of Painting Animals on Rocks
Expand Your Horizons A Gallery of Stone Animals he previous chapters have shown you how co create a number of different scone ani- mals step-by-step. Once you have mas- tered the bask, techniques there is no end to the variations. These next few pages arc intended co give you just a taste of ocher possibilities. Colt Like fawns, cdts are characterised by the way their lung legs fold beneath them. Look for a fawn-type stone, one with a "crook" at one end to accom- modate the angle of the back leg. The colt's head is longer than a fawn’s, the muzzle more rounded, and the ears slightly shorter. CoSt stone ard hyvut. Л colt nestled in the hay. A GaHery of Stone Animal» 101
Wild Cats The leopard and cheetah are two wild cat» that make attesting subjects. Note the way a lump on the leopard stone was transformed into a shoulder Hade. Wild cats may be handler! much like domestic cats, but are most effec- tive in crouching rather than curled positions. Other wild cats to try are ti- gers, lions cougars and bobcats. Pho- tographs of these animals will help you envision how they might fit onto stones. Here's my leopard curled up on the heanb at home № The Art of Penning Animals an Kocks
Chceuh ffrontj Cheetah (rear). Lecyarf (irone). Lwfsnd (rear). A GnUevy of Stone Animals
Mouse Good mouse stones aren’t always easy ro fir.d. but if you come across one, these little rodents can be fun co paint. Look Гог a pear-shaped stone. It should be similar to that for a rock rabbin but more pointed at the end and preferably a little flatter overall In coloring and execution this project is also simihtr ro the rabbit, rhe differences being pri- marily the short, more rounded ears and larger, bulgy, closely set black eyes. The tail am be panted in as though wrapped around one side, or you can glue on a length of rawhide lacing. Mouse rucks and laveut. A very cautious mouse. KM The Ait i>/ Pdinnng Animals p>i Racks
Pandas These roly-poly critters create real “penda-monitim” among animal lovers and arc surprisingly easy к) paint. Look for a plump “tombstonc”-shapcd rock The cop in particular needs to he bead and well rounded for best results. The panda is basically black and white, with dark brown for the eyes and a touch ot gold mixed with gray to detail its white fur for softer, more subtle shading. Front. S>Je. Hear. A Gallery of Xirinc Animals 105
Dog This little fellow seems to be implor- ing someone to give hiai з tre.it. I used an upright stone with a pronounced forward tilt. Small, long-haired dogs can be handled like long-haired cats in a crouched positron, iKur. Front. Stone «hepti and layout сЬокм for fong-halreJ dc$&. Г 06 The A*r of Pointing Animals on Rock^
Beavers Like raccoons, beavers can be done In two basic poses, cither crouching oc standing upright with the paws tucked under the chin-1 cut leaf-shaped oils from a sheer of scrap leather and darken them with a light coat of black spray paint in a matt finish. Leave extra length on rhe tail so the base can be glued to the bottom of the stone. Al- though a beaver's leeih arc not always vuiblc in photographs, 1 invariably point them in as people seem disap- pointed when that distinctive trade- mark is nut apparent. Vanaus heaver projet"- A Ga2fcry pf 5co4c Animitl-
Double Animals A numbei of double animats fit nicely on rounded stones of assorted sizes. While foxes with kits may be “too ciitc" for your taste. others art charmed by the combination of mother and baby. The lox layout is in the same fashion as a single animal, then the kit is added, usually tucked behind the tail. The same thing can be done with a mother raccoon and her kit. Make sure your habits look like babies, though, and not simply like miniature versions of adults. Usually this means giving them shorter muzzles and ears, and larger eyes. Sarnpdc armceiiKnti, The Ari of Painting Animal» on Hocks
DiMjhkc сан Ьг IU1IB 41Г mother-fob reft wntj«i< hi» Double cats and kittens. Not only :<re these fun to do, they can be done on a wide range of rock shapes. You can make identical twins by painting the same animal twice, or vary the po- sition, expression and coloration foe an even more dramatic look. Double caw can also be done with one facing for- ward and the ocher facing backward. A Gallery of Slone Anueab Ю9
Double squirrels. 1 hove pamied these babv squirrel» э number <jf times since comingflesoss a photograph that helped me see ho« I could fit them onto a stone. Ordinarily squirrels are difficult subjects because their fluffy tails do not readily conform to stone shape» Bat these tivo, clinging to one another with their tails wrapped around their feet, arc made tu order for painting on stone. Approach them much as you would wild bunnies, beginning with a black base ccot Note chat squirrels' fnxit paws have very distinctive fingers. Sftfripk а папист егнк 110 Vhc A*i mJ P^inwnjf Anrnuib an Kncfc
Paired squirrels (back) Paired squirrels (skit)- Л GdiJery о/ Лсолл Anitndb i* J!
Pebble Pets There is something irresistible about miniature animals- It vou enjoy doing very fine detail, these can be a lot of fun. Kuh in particular seem t<i enjoy working on sach a small sc«le. Be sure to select smooth sinner fix best effect. Any anim.d in this took can tv ilijnc in a '"pebble pet” version with a bit of patience. They come in handy a» small gift items and usually sell д» f*<c is I can make them. Other animals I have painted over the years include calves, wolves, bruwn hear*. cocker spaniel, chow chiw and German shepherd dogs, and even a fer- ret. Trying new animals keeps stone (Minting fresh and exciting. 1 am always looking for new challenges. That’s one smwe reawxi why stone painting сип be such a satisfying creative outlet. 112 The A*r of Peinring AnitniiJs i?n ftpiTRS
... cci ihe perch . -. Display tout reck anflhtsls in ihe hcnjtc - -. Enhancing Your Decor Weth Rock Animals Your rock animals can be displayed anywhere in your living space. They can add various moods to your room, from cute ami cosy to dramatic and ex- otic- Use your imagination to duplay each unique and beautiful conversa- tion piece- Mv rock animaU have nude their home in every room in. and out of. our house—even the barn. ... even in rhe мгл! A Gallrrv Scene Animoh
Marketing Tips 1 hope the projects in this book have .rupired you to keep painting stones, refining your techniques and develop- ing your awn „pecial style. With lime vou arc likely to sec even more possibll ines than I have shown you. Friends and relatives may -опк to treasure your stone creations as gifts at Christ- mas and birthdays as mine have. If you find yourself 'horoughlv " ooked эп stone painting you might begin to wonder if the quality of your work is g >od enough to sell. Displaying your work. One way to find out is to participate tn an .itts and crafts fair. Chouse an event where Ixx-tli space is relatively inexpensive. Plan ahead and make sure you have enough inventory to make the venture worthwhile. Put seme thought into how best co display >our pieces Pol- ished slabs of hardwood make attrac- tive bases for larger works and wilt give them a “sculptural" i-ppeatance. Cats can be nestled on pillows or into inex- pensive baskets. bin be sure u- ligure the cast of the pillow or basket in pout sales pnee. Many people will expect to get them as part of the package. Sec- tions oi logs make rustic pedestals for wildlife stones like raccoons, while a simple bed of straw can set off a fawn rock in an appealing way Pricing. Pricing pour work will probably be a mattei 01 trial and error. Beginner, may start by keeping prices low, sav under ten dollar on smaller plccc-s, to encourage those oh-so-in- spiring first sales. As skill level In- creases, rhe prices your work com- mands wilt naturally rise If your stones sell briskly, rhar is evidence 'he price is too low and could be raised. Another school of .bought, however, is that an artist should begin with a higher price and adjust it gradually downward until it seems xccepKihle to a reasonable number bf customers. Building a business. Once sou hav< established that there is a market for your painted stones, it’s a good idea to print some business cards to pass out- As yxju become more proficient, you will almost certainly be asked about commissions. Cat owners, m par-icular, are apt to want their pet s likeness captured on stone Insist on receiving good phot^is of the subject, and agree . n a price at the cutset to avoid any misunderstandings. Dog lov- ers may also inqu.re about stone por- traits of their petj. Due to the .rcrncn- dous differences be w-ccn brecro. dcr> can be 'rickier than cats, but it you are comfort ible with the challenge, give it a try. You car always forfeit the com missions if you find vourself unable *0 Jo justice to the project. bhort-ha-ted dogs are somewhat similar to fawns. while long haired dogs can be handled more in the manner of Persian cats or foxes. I rarely do dogs unless it is by commission because people who love dogs usually have a favorite breed, wnile cat lovers tend to be less patticc lar And 1 always offer a money-back guar miee on commissioned work to insure satisfaction. By distributing -our card and dis- playing vour work ar various fairs mid shows, you should be able to build up business in custom work and special order.,, par'icularlv around the holi davs. When experience has given you an idea of how much vou can realistically charge, the next step may be th market your stones through retail outlets. Shop owners on the lookout for un- usual items might inquire about a wholesale pricelist Remember most 114 The Art of Punning Anonuls on Rocks
uo WUoidcomcsfrorna^^^ul ^«SS u^« "u^’°°dUj^1’* lists.. She b‘ -ltl adMertrt>n8 a^alds Й Mcnagenc" 'sS^-S* and сошлись к 4°"anO .like art «vets abke. Sair^le Ьш|г«» c*nl v fadjexattf 1Ы X ЯНИМЖЖДДНТа and distroctiw жтгЪ of art by Arkaman -Zin tyVettfod bxajoa. retailers expect to double the price of anything they buy. Ask yourself, based on personal experience, wh.it kind of wholesale pricing would give you a sat- isfactory return on your rime and tal- ent. You don’t want to price your work an of the range most people arc will- ing to pay. h you are j prolific painter as I am, wholesale accounts can ex- pand your markets and keep you busy. Bui if you enjoy taking your time with each stone you paint and don’t want to be pressured to produce quickly, wholesaling is probubly nor for you. Another possibility ts selling nn commission. Since this requires в cer- tain level of trust, stick to well-estab- lished businesses. The standard agree- ment for selling on commission is that you scr the puce for your work and rhe shop owner keeps i portion of the sales price of each item sold, usually be- tween 30 and 40 percent. The advan- tage of this type of arrangement is that you will make more than you might he able to charge wholesale while keeping the actual sides price lower. On the down side, you won't get paid until a piece sells. Commission also means more bookkeeping for you. It's impor- tant io keep careful records of which items you have placed in whet stores. Most shopkeepers are honest and pay within thirty days on any sales they make- Bur nearly everyone who has sold work on commission can tell sto- nes of waiting month* for payment, or of having unscrupulous merchants ckwe down and disappear, taking their ill-gotten. inventory along. So и pays to be discriminating in your choke of out- lets. Look for stores that specialise in handcr.4tcd items, or upscale gift shops that appreciate the value of your unique, one-of-e-kind work. Better still are galleries whose chvntdc will see vour stones as wviks <af art rather than mere сглгь. Mv best ouilw by far is » wildlife art gallery where my work conunandt a respectable price and turnover ls dependably steady. Yet another option i* to sec if your art» has a craft mall where booth space »S rented by rhe month and sale* arc handled by sr.tif salespeople. Yom will be changed a commisa* n on any items that sell. but unlike other uutlm*. you can set up your own sales area. An at- tractive display and realistic pnees could make this a lucrative venture. Whether you choose to produce in volume or conrine your ertbrts to "lim- ned editions" for friends and family, «tone painting can he a terrific low- cost hobby und a truly s.icislymg outlet for vour creative urge. A Gdlcn of Stone Aniff.uh
Author, Un Wellford, or her porch with pm of her stone mcnacene. The Art of Painting Animals on Mucks
ART INSTRUCTION The At t of О Painting Animals on Rocks This book holds a mountain of fun for rock artists of all ages! With the instructor inside, creating these critters is as easy as picking up a rock. Ел’Ь jw'ijeci is ГЧъп :d in e<isy-t ‘-/blktu' stej'-hy-step j nMografrfis anJ Jugram< >MX> •21.54 <<« «31.4'1 isbn о-вч1зч-5?г-в 4«ИийШ1) 1г>шМм