How to Make a Velvet Painting
When you think of velvet, articles of clothing probably come to mind, but some artists are trying their hand at painting on velvet just as they did in the 14th century. The origin of black velvet paintings is traced to Kashmir. Russian Orthodox priests are believed to be the first artists that painted on velvet, making paintings of religious icons and religious ceremonies. If you want to experience painting on another surface other than canvas, paint on this silky fabric.
Things You'll Need
- Velvet
- Board
- Fabric glue
- Scissors
- Rolling pin
- White pastel pencil or chalk
- Paints
- Paintbrushes
- Palette
Instructions
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1
Buy a high quality of velvet, checking that texture is lush and has a loose weave which will aid in color absorption. Paints will stand out brilliantly against a black velvet background. Other options include velvet in deep shades of blue, green and red.
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2
Attach the velvet to a sturdy hardboard or corkboard. Using sharp fabric scissors, cut the velvet so it matches the length and width of the board.
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3
Apply a high quality fabric glue to the board and carefully place the velvet on the board. Use a rolling pin to remove uneven areas, wrinkles and air bubbles until you have a smooth, even surface to paint on.
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4
Rotate the board in front of you until you see a dark lustrous surface without sheen. This will ensure that the threads of the fabric are oriented properly so you paint with the grain instead of against it.
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Use a white pastel pencil or chalk to sketch out your design freehand directly on the velvet. Use stencils to trace the subject onto the velvet. The subject of your painting can be anything that you like, such as flowers, buildings, animals, fruit or vegetables. Choose a subject that has a lot of contrasts between dark and light colors.
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Select the paint colors that you want to use. Bright colors and light colors will pop out against black velvet.
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Determine the areas in your subject that need to be dark or black. Do not paint these areas. Consider those areas already painted. Let the black fabric shine through.
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Load a thin dry brush with a generous amount of acrylic paint. Outline your subject with a light color.
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Fill in large areas of your subject with paint by using several short brush strokes with a large round brush. Build layers of color until you have the intensity of color that you desire. As the paint dries, the black velvet will absorb a lot of the paint which will dull the color.
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Clean your brushes in water between colors so as not to muddy up the painting. Dry the brushes on a clean rag before loading them up with a new color.
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Tips & Warnings
Remove any mistakes immediately by lifting up the wet paint (your mistake) with a clean dry brush.
References
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
