How to Paint a Wooden Cottage in Acrylics
Learning how to paint can be a daunting task. It's best to start with something simple that will allow you to practice different techniques. Painting a basic wooden cottage lets the artist explore the different principles involved in acrylic painting. Acrylic paints can have the same effect as oil paints, but require much less time to dry. Acrylics are easier to clean up than oils and correcting mistakes is much faster with this medium. Painting a wooden cottage in acrylics is a great first time project for any aspiring artist.
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Things You'll Need
- Canvas
- Water-based varnish
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Tack cloth
- Tracing paper
- Graphite paper
- Stylus
- Medium brown acrylic paint
- Dark brown acrylic paint
- Light brown acrylic paint
- Very light brown acrylic paint
- Very dark brown acrylic paint (optional)
- Acrylic paint in various colors
- Paintbrushes in various sizes
- Liner brush
- Sponge brush
Instructions
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Prepare the canvas. Paint the surface of the canvas with a water-based varnish. Sand the canvas using a fine grit sandpaper. Wipe down using a tack cloth to collect any residue left over from the sanding.
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Select a picture of a wooden cottage. Look in books or on the Internet to find a photo or drawing of a wooden cottage. Pick something that is not too complicated.
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Paint the background. Choose a background color and apply two coats to the canvas, allowing them to dry in between applications.
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Trace the image of the wooden cottage onto some tracing paper. Tracing paper can be found at any craft or hobby shop. Place the picture underneath the tracing paper and copy the image using a pencil.
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Transfer the image to the canvas. Place a piece of graphite paper over top of the canvas, with the graphite side down. Secure it with a piece of tape. Set the piece of tracing paper with the image of the cottage over top of the graphite paper. Secure this with tape as well. Using a stylus or pointed object, trace over the image ensuring evenly distributed pressure. When the paper is lifted, the image of the cottage will be printed on the canvas.
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Paint a base coat of the cottage using a medium brown acrylic paint, being sure to stay within the lines you have drawn. Apply two coats, allowing drying time between each.
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Add values to the wooden cottage. Using a light brown acrylic paint and a dark brown acrylic paint, add shadows and highlights to the wooden cottage. Add highlights where the sun would be shining on the cottage, and shadows on the opposite side of the highlights.
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Paint details onto the wooden cottage. Using a very light brown acrylic paint and a liner brush, paint wood grain in small thin lines onto the cottage. Alternately a very dark brown acrylic paint could be used as well, depending on the desired effect. Paint the doors and windows using a small paint brush and the colors of your choice.
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Seal the painting using a water-based varnish and a sponge brush. Apply even strokes over the entire canvas. Apply a second coat for added protection if desired. Allow varnish to dry thoroughly.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a hairdryer on a low setting to speed up the paint's drying time.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit paint brush image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
