| Tole Painting |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-406 |
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Q: I have saved a lot of tin cans. What kind of painting can I do on them to use them for decorations? A: (from Debbie Stapely, Ask DIY Crafts expert) Tole painting works well on either old or new metal pieces. One great thing about tole painting is that you can get different colors, dimensions and shading depending on how you load the brush with paint. It's a good idea to practice the strokes until you're comfortable with them, however. To start, you'll need the individual colors of paint that you wish to use in your tole project. The brush you'll need is a thin, flat one -- I used one that's about 1/2" in my demonstration. The idea is to dip the corners of the brush in two different colors or shades and apply both to the surface at the same time (figure A). The basic technique for making a flower-petal stroke is to apply pressure to the brush, drag it and then lift it up. The application of pressure forms the wider part of the stroke; releasing the pressure makes the line thinner (figure B). For a stem, dip the corners in green and white (or green and pale green), then apply to the surface and drag down to the end, twisting slightly to "twirl" the colors (figure C). To make dots or circles, simply dip the end of the brush's handle into the paint and dab it on the surface (figure D). For the project featured, here are the directions: Materials
Metal can or other object
Large, stiff-bristled brush
Background paint (we used a brownish-greenish color)
Small thin, flat brush
Paint in desired colors
Masking tape
Paper or plastic plates, paper towels, etc.
- Tape off any areas you wish to protect.
- Using the larger brush and the main color, stipple the background (pouncing the end of the bristles on the surface until it's completely painted). If you leave the paint thick, it will give the appearance of leather. Let the paint dry completely, then remove the tape (figure E).
- After you've practiced the strokes enough to feel comfortable with them, start painting flowers on the metal -- the ones we used were simple blossoms made up of three or four brushstrokes. (You can leave as much or as little of the paint on the surface as you prefer -- it's a matter of personal preference.)
- Create stems and leaves with green and white paint, and add a calyx to the base of each flower by making three more "petal" strokes, also in green and white.
- Continue as above until you're happy with the number of flowers and leaves -- just be creative and have fun!
Q: Is there a specific kind of paper that works better in a decoupage project? A: Generally, the thinner the paper, the better. You want to avoid waxy or metallic paper -- what you need is any type of paper that will absorb the decoupage medium.Q: I love to make candles. I've made many different kinds, and I'm looking for more ideas. Do you have any for me? A: How about an ice candle? Simply take an empty half-gallon milk carton (the cardboard kind), cut off the top and put a long taper candle in it. Surround the candle with greenery -- holly, roses, whatever you can think of -- and when it's full, fill it with water. Place it in the freezer until it's frozen solid. Then remove it from the freezer, peel off the cardboard and set it in a dish for display (the dish will catch the dripping water as it thaws). Q: How can I embellish a leather belt? A: You can buy all kinds of die-cut stamps that can be hammered into leather to create designs. Also, wood-burning tools are great to use with leather.
RESOURCES :
Folk Art and Tole Painting: New Designs for Decorative Paintwork (Milner Craft Series)
Model: 1863510575
Author: Kate Coombe
(October, 1992)
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.
Website: www.sterlingpub.com
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