Angel in Blue Velvet
by
Marlene Shuman
Tinybrush@aol.com
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view pattern Copyright © 1997 Marlene Shuman |
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large picture Copyright © 1997 Marlene Shuman |
Angel line drawing is 14 ½ " tall and 9 ¼ wide.
Please shrink or enlarge angel to fit on your vest or shirt.
Painting Level: Advanced Beginner
Marlene Shuman has won many awards for her fabric painting and I'm so pleased that she is sharing one of her designs with all of us out here in cyberspace! Click here to see the awards she has won. Please visit Marlene's web site at http://members.aol.com/tinybrush/ Thank you Marlene!
General Instructions
1. Wash & dry article to remove sizing. Don't use fabric softener in wash water. If sizing is not washed out before painting, some paint may,wash out with sizing. Also, if garment is going to shrink, it's best before painting.
2. Trace main outlines of pattern leaving out details which might be covered by basecoat, i.e., leaf veins, eyes, etc. On back side of paper, retrace lines with one of the following: a. Transfer Fabric Crayons, b. Heat Transfer pen, c. Chalk or white conte pencil for dark fabrics. When using fabric crayons, use a light pressure when tracing--too much makes a heavy line when ironed & it doesn't wash out. Follow package directions when using Heat Transfer Pen or other methods,
3. Set iron for proper temperature for your fabric. Pin the pattern, crayon side down onto garment. Iron lightly, crayons transfer easily. Don't let pattern slip, you'll get a double image. When using chalk, pin chalk side down 8 rub lines with fingers or use a stylus or ballpoint pen to retrace lines.
4. When using paints requiring fabric or textile medium, mix paints about 50/50 with medium for a good consistency for painting. Do this in palette at time of painting or premix in airtight bottles for longer storage. Some paints don't require fabric medium or heat setting such as fabric dyes, glitters, & metallics.
5. Place cardboard covered with freezer paper, shiny side out, inside garment. Use an embroidery hoop to hold design area firm but don't stretch tight or you can distort design especially on light weight garments. Pin excess fabric, sleeves, etc. out of the way. Or use a ready made waxed T-shirt insert, no hoop required.
6; ////'s on pattern indicate area in which to place shading colors & xxxx's indicate where to highlight.
7. Always basecoat a section at a time because it's necessary to do all shading & highlighting while basecoat is still wet. use whatever size brush that is appropriate for the area in which you are working, large brushes for large areas, etc. Place shading color in proper area on top of wet basecoat, blend with brush till colors melt together with no distinct line where the two colors meet. Do highlighting same way. Flowers are done one petal at a time. Always basecoat small sections, do all shading & highlighting in that area,'then move on, repeating this procedure.
8. Add details when rest of paint is dry, including things such as eyelashes, outlining, etc. Use a permanent marker pen or thin paint slightly with water (not too much or if may 6leed) & use liner brush. Acrylic paints work best with fabric scrubber brushes, fabric dyes such as So-Soft by DecoArt Americana work better when applied with a soft brush.
9. Let dry thoroughly & heat set if necessary. You can wear garment, but don't wash for at least a week so paint can cure. Some paints require heat setting, others do not. It's best not to mix different paints on same garment. When glitters are used with paints requiring heat setting, heat set first, then apply glitters. Wash in cold water, garment turned inside out, mild detergent (no bleach or bleach crystals, etc.) Most may go in dryer unless otherwise stated.
Painting Instructions 
1. Please read General Directions before beginning. Remember to mix your paints 50/50 with the fabric medium. Do not confuse the fabric medium with Transparent medium. These are two different products. The transparent medium is used as a basecoat in large areas to increase open time for blending. The So-Soft paints do not require being mixed with fabric medium only the DecoArt Acrylics.
2. This vest was made with Simplicity pattern #9568 for a jacket leaving out the sleeves. I used a blue printed fabric for the back - a kind of patchwork design in different shades of blue - and also used this same material to cut the stars from which trim the front of the vest. I used Trigger sports cloth for the front of the vest which is a poly-cotton material that's a little heavier than broadcloth. You can adjust the length of this pattern to suit your preference.
3. Face and hands - Base with fleshtone. Shade at hairline with shading flesh and under chin. Fill in eyelids with highlight flesh. Mix a little burgundy wine into shading flesh and make dots for cheeks. Place the dots with your brush and then use a small stencil brush in a circular motion to blend. Make the lips with burgundy wine, add a tiny white highlight dot to the center of bottom lip. Base arms and hands with fleshtone, shade with shading flesh. Use burgundy wine for nail polish. When face is dry, add eyebrows and eyelashes with mix of dk. chocolate + black thinned slightly with transparent medium or couple drops of water. Don't thin too much or it may bleed.
4. Hair - Base with raw sienna, shade with dk. chocolate/black mix from #3, and highlight with mix of raw sienna + white. When dry, thin the chocolate/black mix and use a rake brush to add linework to the hair. Place the linework at the edges where shading was done and pull toward the center but not all the way.
5. Horn - Base with Glorious Gold metallic, shade with bronze metallic, then use a little burnt umber to strengthen shading. Add less of the burnt umber and don't cover as much area as the bronze covered. Use white for highlight.
6. Wings - Base white, use true blue for shading. When dry, brush on Pastel Liquid Sequins Clear Ice with a soft brush.
7. Dress - If desired, you may basecoat the dress in sections with transparent medium before basing with Ultra Blue Deep, shade with mix of Ultra Blue Deep + drop or two of black. This allows more open time for blending. I based one section of the dress at a time, did my shading and highlighting before moving on to the next section. Highlight with white. The trim is based white and then outlined with Glorious Gold using a writing tip.
8. I cut the stars from the same fabric I used for the back of the vest and bonded them to the vest with Heat & Bond. After heat setting is complete, I outlined the stars with Dimensions Gold Glitter.
Enjoy! Any questions, e-mail me tinybrush@aol.com or visit my web page at: http://members.aol.com/tinybrush/
Marlene won these awards at the Creative
Painting Convention in Las Vegas.
Butterflies & Old Lace - 3rd Place Professional Division 1993 (free pattern on her
site)
Spring Garden Vest - 2nd Place Professional Division 1994
The Living Desert - 1st Place Professional Division 1995
Southwest Angel - People's Choice Runner-up 1996
Fruit Medley Vest - 3rd Place Professional Division 1997
Marlene has also won ribbons at church fairs and other competitions.
