How to Paint Cows on Clay Pots
Painting cows on clay pots is a quick and easy project to do when you prepare the surface beforehand and use the right tools. Adding a hand painted touch to an earthy clay pot makes the outside of the pot as treasured as whatever you choose to place inside it. Cow bedecked clay pots add a country touch to your decor. Present them to friends as a personal housewarming or hostess gift.
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Things You'll Need
- Fine sandpaper
- Tack cloth
- Oil or water-based polyurethane and paint thinner
- Cow stencils
- Artist paintbrushes in various sizes
- Acrylic or latex craft paints
Instructions
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Sand away rough spots from the bottom, sides and lip of the pot with the fine-grade sandpaper, creating a smooth surface. Wipe away residue with a tack cloth. If you intend to put a candle in the pot, glaze and fire the inside only, to prevent the terra cotta from burning. For all other purposes, paint the inside of the pot with a coating of polyurethane for longer lasting pots.
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Use a wide, flat brush to paint a base coat, in the color of your choice, on the outside of the clay pot. Apply three coats and let it dry overnight. Novice painters may apply a stencil using masking tape and draw the cow shape using a pencil. Another approach is to find a picture of a cow in the desired size and shape and cut it out. Place the picture on the surface of the pot and trace around it to obtain the basic form. Experienced painters may elect to draw the cow freehand.
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Paint the cows inside the pencil markings. Use bright colors if you want to make your cows whimsical looking. Use white for a Holstein cow and black or brown for an Angus cow. Paint the base color of the cow three times so it is not translucent. Paint irregular black shapes on the Holstein cows, again layering a few coats of paint. For Angus cows, use white to detail the features of the face and muzzle. Allow the paint to dry overnight.
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Seal the outside of the clay pot with water based polyurethane. Oil based polyurethane also works, but will yellow the surface, dulling your creative painting efforts. Paint the polyurethane onto the pot in thin, even coats. Allow the sealant to dry for approximately 10 days, as the terra cotta pot is porous and the mixture will seep into the pot. This prevents bubbling and peeling and will help the pot last longer.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure to have paint thinner available if you use oil based polyurethane. Try not to be too critical of your own artwork; roughly painted cows are just as artistic and beautiful as finely detailed works of art. Ask children to join you in this project for a time of togetherness. Get ideas for cow designs from children's story books.
Protect the surface that you are working on with a paint cloth or newspaper. Leave yourself plenty of room for painting and drying.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
