Cut Out + Keep

Birds On A Wire

ARTrageous!

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/birds-on-a-wire • Posted by Creative Publishing international

ARTIST TIP Lots of everyday items can be turned into stencils and stamps. The round flower stamp that I used for this project is actually a felt coaster that I found at a dollar store!

You will need

Project Budget
Cheap

Time

1 h 00

Difficulty

Nice & Simple
Medium 114344 2f2016 05 22 035233 1

Description

ARTIST TIP Lots of everyday items can be turned into stencils and stamps. The round flower stamp that I used for this project is actually a felt coaster that I found at a dollar store!

Instructions

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    Go ahead and make your mark with a splash of vibrant color across the top of a 16" x 16" canvas. I chose yellow because it is light enough for other colors to be added on top. Use a large brush to swipe watered-down yellow across the top of the canvas, holding the canvas upright so the paint starts to drip. Using a spray bottle, spray water on the canvas to encourage the paint to drip even more. Keep going until you’re happy with the background. Let the paint dry completely.

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    Add a second vibrant color. I chose red—the bolder, the better! Use a large paintbrush to swipe your second color across the canvas, letting it drip down and mix with the first color. Keep a good amount of water on your brush to help the paint drip. While the paint is wet, add some splatters in random places throughout the canvas. Remember that the paint must be watered down in order for the color to splatter off the brush.

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    After the second layer of color is completely dry, add a third color. I used hot pink this time. Paint a layer of the new color on top of the red and use the spray bottle to make it spread all over the canvas. Then use a paper towel to blot the paint in random places. Let the painting dry completely.

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    Use a stencil or rubber stamp to add texture to the painting. Apply a coat of paint directly onto the stamp with a brush, and then stamp the canvas in random places. I stamped with the same red color that I used for my second layer of paint. Don’t water down the paint for the stamping; the image should come up bold against the vibrant background. Let the painting dry completely.

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    Once dry, add the wire and the birds. Use a sharpened pencil and a yardstick to draw lines for the two wires. Then draw the birds. You can draw the birds freehand, or you can create and trace cutouts. To create the cutouts, I found bird silhouette images on the Internet, printed them, and cut them out to use as templates.

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    Next glue strips of dictionary pages (or other paper) to the bottom of the canvas, using Mod Podge both under and on top of the paper. Instead of cutting the paper, I chose to rip the top edges of the sheets to create a rough edge.

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    While the paper strips dry, fill in the birds with black paint. Use a very small paintbrush and try to stay inside the lines. For the wires, try using a small plastic squeeze tube with a fine tip instead of a paintbrush.

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    When the Mod Podge is dry, paint some fun flowers at the bottom of the canvas. I painted some simple black stems and circles with turquoise paint for the centers. Add more splatters near the flowers, using the same color. You can also use decorative paper circles in the centers of your flowers instead. Once dry, use a black watercolor crayon to add squiggles to the rough edges of the paper strip.

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    Once complete, sign your masterpiece!