Copyright 2020Brenda Stewart by DesignBrenda StewartEmail: Brenda@brendastewart.com

This little wooden bunny has been hopping around our home for many Easters. He seems to find a different place to inhabit each spring season. He is one of my favorites . . . I hope you will enjoy painting him.

Happy Easter

Supplies 9” X 4” X 1 5⁄8” wood panel available at www.brendastewart.comWood sealerFine sandpaperTack clothBrush basinPalette knifeSta-Wet Acrylic palette or palette of your choice.High density foam roller.05 Red Frixion penASMM16 DecoArt Stencil - Dandelion 2 DMM21 White Modeling PasteAmericana DuraClear Matte VarnishHappy Easter stencil

PaletteDecoArt Americana AcrylicsDA255 Bahama BlueDA157 Black GreenDA347 Cotton CandyDA128 Deep BurgundyDA067 Lamp BlackDA34 LavenderDA352 Light OrchidDA299 MargaritaDA01 Titanium WhiteDA211 Wisteria

BrushesScharff Series 140 - Syn-Sable Flat: #2, #6, #8

These may be used for base coating and/or side loading.Scharff Series 285 – Moon Scrubbers: #0, #2, #4

These are used for correcting and/or softening color.Scharff Series 155 - Syn-Sable Angular Brushes: 1⁄4”, 3/8”, 1⁄2” or 5⁄8”

These are used for base coating and side loadingScharff Series 407 – Sable Round: #3

This brush is used for base coating small areas and sometimes adding stroked highlights.

Scharff Series 665 - Mini Mops: #2, #4, #6, #8The mops are used for softening color and for dry brushing.

Scharff Series 3000 - Kolinsky Sable Liner: #2 or #4This brush is used for small detail and line work.

Small stencil brush

Preparation1. Sand the wood piece and wipe with a tack cloth.2. Seal all surfaces of the piece and allow to dry as directed on sealer. 3. Sand lightly and wipe again.4. Basecoat the design area of the panel the Pale Violet Mix. Apply 1 heavy coat of the mixture with a high-density foam roller. Do not clean roller. While still wet, drop and drizzle on a little Wisteria and roll haphazardly over the surface. Allow to dry. If you need to soften, roll over the entire surface with a light coat of the Pale Violet Mix.

5. Apply the Stenciling: Only dandelion fluff portions of the stencil were used; not the full dandelions Use one entire section of the stencil in two different areas of panel. Then fill in as needed with individual fluff. Load in very small amounts of paint on a small stencil brush. Tap off on a paper towel to remove any excess. Colors used are Light Orchid and Wisteria. Segue from one to the other, try to obtain color variety on each floweret.

6. Basecoat the sides and inside of the panel with the Darker Violet Mix. Side Stenciling: Stencil individual fluff with Light Orchid, Wisteria, and the Pale Green Mix.

7. Tape the pattern in place and transfer the pattern with grey graphite, using a .05 Red Frixion pen. Transfer only the most necessary lines. The lines should be fine, but clearly visible.

Mixtures Pale Violet Mix (Panel Basecoat Color): Titanium White + Light Orchid (1 • 1)Darker Violet Mix: Wisteria + Lavender (2 • 1)Pale Green Mix: Titanium White + Margarita (5 • 1)Pale Blue Mix: Titanium White + Bahama Blue (2 • 1)Shading Green Mix: Margarita + Bahama Blue + Black Green (4 • 3 • 1)Grey Mix: Wisteria + Black Green (2• 1)

Painting• Always use as large a brush in an area as you can comfortably handle.• Dampening the surface with water before applying a step gives time to walk out the side load or soften the paint application with a mop. Dampening is usually not needed in small areas. • Move to other areas to work while waiting for drying time between steps. • Dry brushing is used for some application. This may be true dry brushing, or you may use a modified dry brushing technique. For modified dry brushing, dampen the surface very slightly before applying the color with a scantly loaded and blotted mop brush.• Apply details and line work on a dry surface. Use a liner brush or very fine point round. Thin the paint with water for liner brush applications.

Step 1 BasecoatBunny and Stand: Solid basecoat of Titanium White.Ribbon and Nest: Apply a solid basecoat of Titanium White. Egg

Light band: Titanium WhiteBlue areas: Pale Blue MixViolet areas: Pale Violet Mix

DetailBunny

Eye: Basecoat the eye with a round brush or liner loaded in Cotton Candy + Deep Burgundy. Allow to dry and line the eye with a Deep Burgundy + Black Green.

Nose and ear: Apply a side load (float) of Cotton Candy. Allow to dry and then shade with Cotton Candy + a little Deep Burgundy.

Stand BaseStripes: Add a wide stripe of Cotton Candy, then two narrower stripes of Pale Blue Mix. Dots: Add random small dots of various colors: Margarita, Pale Blue Mix, Cotton Candy, Wisteria.

Allow to dry.

RibbonDots: Apply random small dots to the ribbon with Pale Blue Mix and Cotton Candy. If you wish,

you may also add some in Wisteria.

EggUpper Blue Area: Apply strokes of Cotton Candy + a touch of Deep Burgundy. Then add dots

between the strokes and an oval dot at the top of the egg with Titanium White. Line oval dot with Bahama Blue.

Lower Blue Band: Add large oval dots of Titanium White. Allow to dry and top with a small oval dot of Cotton Candy. Add smaller round dots in Cotton Candy. The line the blue band with Bahama Blue

White Band: Apply random dots in the same colors used on the base of the stand. Then line with Bahama Blue.

Violet Bands: Apply stripes of Cotton Candy. When dry, line with Bahama Blue.

ShadeBunny and White areas of the stand: Shade with a side load (float) of the Grey Mix. Allow to dry. Then apply darker shading areas with a stronger value of the Grey Mix + a touch of Black Green. Stripes on the stand

Pink stripe: Side load of Cotton Candy + a touch of Deep BurgundyBlue stripes: Side load of Bahama Blue

Step 2 Bunny

Shade: Side loads of Grey Mix + a touch of Black GreenAccent: Pale side loads of Light Orchid + WisteriaAdd cheek color: Apply with a dry brush of Cotton Candy + a touch of Deep BurgundyHighlight: Dry brush the highlights with the round mini mops. Begin with Titanium White + a

touch of Pale Green Mix, then build brighter highlights with Titanium White. Highlights in small areas may be applied with the point of the round brush.

Nose: Highlight with a small stroked of Titanium WhiteDots: Accent any dots that have become too subdued by highlights with appropriate colors.

Ribbon and Nest

Shade: Side loads of Shading Green Mix, then deepen as needed with Shading Green Mix + a touch of Black Green.

Accent: Pale side loads of Bahama BlueHighlight: Begin highlights with side loads of the Pale Green Mix. Then gradually brighten with

more Titanium White. Some highlights may be dry brushed with one of the round mini mops.Dots: Accent any dots that have become too subdued by highlights with appropriate colors.

EggShade: Apply crescent shading on the egg with the Grey Mix. Accent: Add accents just inside the shaded areas of the egg. Apply a side load of Bahama Blue to

the Blue areas and a pale side load of Lavender to the violet areas.

Resting ShadowBegin adding the resting shadows under the nest and the bunny stand with side loads of the Dark Violet Mix. Next add a slightly deeper shading with the Grey Mix.

BackgroundAdd shading here and there around the design elements with the Darker Violet Mix. Refer to the photo to see where the shading is applied. Then shade around the edges of the painting surface with the same mixture. Curve around the corners.

Step 3Bunny

Detail the eye: Apply Deep Burgundy + a touch of Lamp Black to the entire iris. Next add a pupil with Lamp Black. Highlight the iris with Deep Burgundy + the Pale Green Mix. Add a dot highlight of Pale Green Mix + a touch of Titanium White. The add stronger lining around the eye with Deep Burgundy + a touch of Lamp Black

Line the nose and inner ear: Deep Burgundy + a touch of Lamp BlackLine entire bunny and stand: Line the bunny and the stand here and there with the Grey Mix.

Add a darker value linework if needed with the Grey Mix + a pin dot of Lamp Black. Ribbon: Line the ribbon here and there with Shading Green + a pin dot of Black Green

Nest: Apply loose line work to the nest. Apply the lines loosely, using some smooth lines and some squiggly lines. Use the following colors: Shading Green Mix, Shading Green Mix + a touch of Black Green, Pale Green Mix, Pale Green Mix + Titanium White

Resting ShadowAdd the darkest resting shadow with the Grey Mix + a touch of Lamp Black. The darkest shading is applied with a round brush on a damp surface. Shape or soften with a round mini mop.Happy Easter StencilAdd some Pale Green Mix to a puddle of Texture Medium. The ratio should be 20% paint to 80% texture medium. Then add Lavender to another puddle of Texture Medium.

Place the bottom of the Happy Easter Stencil approximately ¼” from the bottom of the painting surface. The left side of the stencil is placed against the left edge of the surface. Tape the stencil in place. Tape in two places at the top so that the tape acts as a hinge and the stencil can be lifted carefully to check the application. Hold in place tightly in un-taped area.

Using a very small palette knife. Apply the Pale Green textured mix to the dots in between the letters. Then apply the Lavender textured mix to the word Happy. Work carefully and lift to be sure the paint is applied to the entirety of the letters. Next using a slightly larger palette knife, apply the Pale Green textured mix to the word Easter. I chose not to stencil the lines as the areas of the stencil are very tightly spaced.

Carefully lift the stencil and allow this to dry as directed on the texture paste.

Varnishing the PaintingApply 8 to 12 coats of DecoArt Americana DuraClear Matte varnish on the painting. Stir the varnish with a tacked spoon and a lifting motion. Apply thin, even coats, allowing to dry between coats as directed on the product. If you have used the texture paste for the Happy Easter stencil, wipe the excess varnish out of the brush before applying around the words. Wipe the surface with a tack cloth before applying each coat. If in spite of careful tacking, impurities occur in the varnish coats, you may gently wet sand after 3-4 coats of varnish. After the last coat of varnish, apply one coat of Americana Decor Creme Wax.