Society of Decorative Painters
Painting: Cheaper than Therapy

For those who have registered to date for SDP’s 40th Annual Conference & Expo (May 14th-19th), class confirmations are available to print through the SDP website.

An email announcement will be going out next week to inform everyone that this is now available.  However, if you don’t want to wait for the email announcement, you can go now to the SDP Class Confirmation page on the SDP website (located on the left side of the menu under the topic Conference 2012).  You will need the order no. from the original order you placed online along with your email address to access your class confirmation.

If you do not receive an email next week giving you instructions about how to print your class confirmation on the SDP website, please email Lisa Curry, Education Coordinator, at lisa@decorativepainters.org.  She can provide you with your order number so you can print out your class confirmation to take with you to Conference.  Keep in mind that your Class Schedule Confirmation is your admission ticket to all classes and events.

If you’re venturing into colored pencil, plan on learning how to sharpen those pencils. You may think that all you need to know about this topic was learned when you were a child – but guess what, it’s a whole new medium.

I’ve been painting with colored pencil for 16 years and what I’ve learned has been through trial, error, and success!

Some colored pencils will have a factory-sharpened point and that is really a plus. For those that you need to sharpen yourself, use an electric sharpener to begin, then use a battery operated when traveling, and a hand-held to only refresh a point.

Tips for using electric sharpeners

1. Sharpen a no. 2 lead pencil prior to sharpening any colored pencils.
2. Wax-based pencils have soft cores; pushing them into the sharpener with force will break the core. Gently insert the pencil and let the sharpener work for you. Oil based pencils have a harder core and will easily sharpen.
3. If a core breaks inside the sharpener, use a no. 2 pencil to push the point through.
4. Sharpen a no. 2 pencil every month (or more) to clean the wax off the blades.
5. Never trust the light on a sharpener to tell you that a pencil is sharp. Learn to listen to the sound of the pencil being sharpened.

Tips for using battery operated sharpeners

The tips for using a battery-operated are the same as an electric, be aware that a battery operated will have a jarring action and wax-based pencils will easily break. Always keep fresh batteries at hand incase the ones in the sharpener begin to weaken.

Tips for using a hand-held pencil sharpener

1. Use the hand-held to only refresh a point. Never sharpen a brand new colored pencil with the hand-held.
2. Hold the sharpener and the pencil straight up-and-down. Don’t hold to the side or the pressure of twisting the pencil will crack off the soft core.
3. You might also have success turning the sharpener and not the pencil.

Find these sharpeners and more on www.janellejohnson.com

Janelle Johnson CDA, TDA – Colored Pencil Artist

janelle@janellejohnson.com

www.janellejohnson.com

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My challenge is to do a simple apple with a layering technique to make it look realistic. I will be using Prismacolor wax based pencils to create the desired effect; they are a translucent medium.

First you must transfer your apple design onto a piece of Stonehenge paper that has been mounted onto a piece of hardboard.  Use a stylus, but not too much pressure or you’ll dent the paper.  There are several other types of paper you could use but for this project Stonehenge is heavy enough for burnishing and has just enough tooth, something like an English muffin with nooks and crannies to catch the color. You always must use a very sharp pencil, so a good pencil sharpener is in order.

The colored pencil is laid down by using either a linear stroke or a circular stroke which resembles a “Brillo” pad, for those of you who remember Brillo pads.  The color is applied using different pressures, light, medium or heavy depending on the desired effect and the number of layers that you will be applying.  Sometimes I might start by applying the medium value and get lighter and then darker.  Other times I might start with the lightest value because that would be my highlight as in the apple and get progressively darker.

I used seven colored pencils from light to dark to give the apple form.  If needed, use different tools to give the apple an overall finished and blended look.  Depending on the way you applied the pencil you might blend with a clear wax pencil as long as you don’t have a waxy finish. If so, you might blend with a stump which would blend without adding more wax.

After your picture is finished spray with a workable fixative to protect it.  If you decide to frame, make sure that you use a mat so the glass is not resting on the picture. My students love doing pencil projects because they are so portable.

I hope you enjoyed this overview of a colored pencil project. It might make you want to give it a try. If so, go to my Web site, SellarShop.com  to find available packets.

Thank you,
Bonnie Frederico CDA
bonniefr@charter.net

Marian Brown sent an email to me with this question: “If a pattern is purchased and a painting made from it, or a painting is done in a class, what are the rules for showing it or selling it?”

I am going to attempt to give some broad information that may be useful for all of our members.

First, a disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and if the issue of copyright infringement is ever brought against you, you will need one to explain the language and give you proper legal guidance.

My advice is standard: Read the information on the lesson. If there is a © on the design there are restrictions connected to that symbol. Some teachers give very broad latitude in painting and selling their designs. Others are very restrictive. Contact the designer and ask for permission in writing. Ask for clarification of the parameters in which duplication is allowed. While you may think the teacher is stern, please remember that this is their livelihood and there is usually a reason for their specifications. For example, Mary and my copyright appears on our designs stating that:

Permission is granted to teach this project within a 100-mile radius of teacher’s home studio. Written permission is required beyond this point.

Permission is granted to reproduce the line drawings, color maps, and written instructions verbatim for teaching purposes only (one copy per student) and may not be resold, nor may it be rewritten into a different format, nor reworded into teacher’s own words.

We sign seminar contracts that restrict us from teaching in competition with other businesses within a certain area and we must be able to control that aspect. We do not allow rewording of the design since errors occur and the misinformation reflects on us. We do allow color conversions and changes in color choices when we are contacted and will even help in the process.

You will find that we are quite generous in giving permission. Most teachers are, but take the time to write and you will stay out of trouble. Write to the teacher; state what your intentions are, where, and when. Include a line giving you the permission and ask the teacher to sign, amend or edit.

A response is more likely if you enclose a SASE. An email may be iffy in the legal sense. It is always safer to have the signed permission. There is an adage that it is easier to ask forgiveness than ask for permission. That is not true when it comes to legal matters. Protect yourself and ask for permission, then you won’t need the forgiveness. There is a myth that you can change seven things on a design and then it is your design. Don’t believe it. If the design is recognizable as a derivative, there is a problem.

Museum and antique pieces may be reproduced since they are in the public domain. However, the copies of the painting cannot be the same size and should be signed “After Da Vinci, your name/date”. Some decorative artists require that a painting of their design should be signed in the same way, such as “After Jane the Artist, your name below”. The instructions or lesson plan that would accompany the painting are copyrighted.

Many teachers assume that there is fair use implied when a lesson is purchased. That fair use extends to your own personal use, but teaching the lesson requires permission of the copyright holder. Some designers require you purchase one pattern per student, or specify an amount of copies you can duplicate. The copyright may or may not extend to mass reproduction of the item for sales at boutiques, etc. This is because some designers are under licensing contracts by manufacturers. Wood designs are not usually copyrighted, but if they have moving parts, they may be patented.

If in doubt, check it out.

Ann Kingslan MDA/TDA
http://kingslan.com/
(402) 397-0298

In November’s blog I talked about using oils to shade and highlight on acrylic medium values, and now we will expand on that technique. When using this method, the first thing you have to learn to see is what the medium value of each object is.

We will continue to use the pear from last month as an example.

Looking at the pear beyond the accent colors, I saw Yellow Ochre. I used the acrylic equivalent to base coat the pear as a solid object. I could have chosen a Raw Sienna for a darker pear, and possibly a Lemon Yellow for a light yellow pear, even red or green pears are around. Use a real pear, and compare it to bottles of acrylic turned upside down. It really helps to see the middle value.

Let it dry and sand lightly with a brown paper bag. This takes off any little fibers that are in the surface.

Start applying shading in oils with a sideloaded short bristled brush. The reason I sideload is to make the blending process easier. Why work harder than you have to? I generally place the shading first and then finish with the highlights and reflected lights. I then use a short round to buff the color out on each   object.

The ability to see the medium value or base color of objects is sometimes hard, so keep a color wheel   near while doing this, it helps a lot. I also recommend basing in smoothly and sanding lightly.

I recommend not spraying with a Matte spray, or your surface may become too slick. Wait at least 48 hours after painting with acrylics before applying oils. The acrylic may appear dry but be damp underneath if you used a few layers to make an object solid.

Elaine Russell, CDA
emrus718@aol.com

The Society of Decorative Painters has helped to define and build the decorative painting industry for the past forty years. Today we continue in our mission to stimulate worldwide interest in decorative painting and to be the educational resource center for the art form. As SDP seeks to expand decorative painting education around the world, we need your support to build new programs and to teach more art admirers that they too can become the painter they want to be. Donations are always appreciated, but support doesn’t always mean money out of pocket. We have partnered with several businesses to create a variety of opportunities for you to support SDP.

Platinum Visa SDP Affinity Card
The best path to any goal is very rarely the easiest, but the SDP Affinity card is the simplest way to provide the most benefit for your Society. With just one sixteenth of our members currently using the card SDP receives over $15,000 a year. If all sixteen thousand SDP members used the card, just for everyday expenses, SDP would be able to bring decorative painting to the world in all-new ways. The SDP Affinity card works the same as any other credit card, with great rewards and a low interest rate. Use it to buy groceries, paint supplies, pay for travel—whatever you normally use your credit or debit cards to do, and the bank will automatically donate a part of that transaction fee to SDP, with no added expense to you.

Apply Online

Goodsearch, GoodShop, GoodDining, and Shop for Museums
Another great way to donate to SDP everyday is to use the internet search engine Goodsearch. Using Goodsearch, every search you perform contributes one cent to SDP. While this may not seem like much, just consider how many searches you do in a week, and then multiply that by sixteen thousand members. That’s a lot of pennies! GoodShop, GoodDining, and Shop for Museums all offer a way to shop for gifts and everyday needs at competitive prices, while also giving back to your non-profit of choice. These programs partner with thousands of local and international restaurants and shops including Apple, eBay, Amazon, and many more. Every dollar spent at these locations donates a percentage back to SDP.

Goodsearch, GoodShop, GoodDining, Shop for Museums

SDP Jewel Program
If you prefer the direct donation route, consider becoming a Jewel. The Jewel Program is a way to make a direct donation to SDP, in amounts beginning at $25 and going up to $1000+. In thanks, SDP recognizes each of our Jewels with a listing in The Decorative Painter magazine. Each level comes with unique rewards, including jeweled pins, discounts on SDP Boutique merchandise, advertising in The Decorative Painter, and chapter recognition. Individuals and chapters alike are welcome to join the program which accepts cash, gift cards, or in-kind donations.

More Information at DecorativePainters.org

With so many expense-free ways to support your Society, helping to build SDP has never been easier. Make your contribution today and build on the legacy of SDP as we explore the future of decorative painting together.

If you have questions as to the details of how any of these programs work or how to enroll, please contact Matthew Clagg at matthew@decorativepainters.org

In the second installment of our Expand your Skills series, Elaine Russell CDA gives us an introduction to a very interesting technique of adding shades and highlights by mixing oil paints with acrylics.

This my first blog and since I’m a talker, It may be hard to limit this to several hundred words but I’ll do my best. I love oils and acrylics both so I found a way to combine them to create easy and dynamic shadows and highlights in this mixed-media style.
When we paint in oils we apply the values to start the form in oils, let dry, or add a drying medium. We then add further values in oil, drying between layers to create the finished picture. Being a busy person, I decided to try a different way to do still life painting and still have the appearance of oils when done.

After painting the background, I based in each object in the picture of the mid-tone in acrylic.
As soon as that was dry, I started applying the shadings and found that darker and darker shades could be applied right over wet ones. The reason was that since we were using so little paint, we could apply more oils as needed. Highlights and reflected lights were done the same way. It was a pleasure to scrub in the shadows and softly rub them out. I have been doing it this way for many, many years and have never had a student fail to learn how to do this.

I should also mention that no mediums are used with this method. Those who think they are allergic to oils, often are allergic to the mediums. Since none are used I have found many who are now able to use oils again.

Your sister painter,
Elaine Russell CDA
emrus718@aol.com
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