Level: Beginner to Intermediate Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7.3 Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 69.84 Drawspace Curriculum 8.4.A4-6 Pages and 12 Illustrations Create with Yarn and Poured Paint Use yarn and poured paint to create a vibrant folk-art style painting Supplies: pencil for preliminary sketch, pre-stretched canvas or canvas board, yarn, acrylic paints, white craft glue that dries clear, gesso, medium stiff brush for applying gesso, water for mixing, containers for mixing, scissors, dropper and/or small spoon and/or squeeze bottle, rags or paper towel, found objects (optional) such as buttons This activity has three sections: Glue the Yarn in Place This yarn-and-poured-paint technique produces an interesting and vibrant folk-art style. Expect to take lots of breaks there are several steps in this activity where drying time is required. A 16 by 20 in (40.6 by 50.8 cm) pre-stretched canvas was used for this activity (Figure 1). Mix and Pour the Paint Add the Final Touches Figure 1 Glue the Yarn in Place 1. Use a pencil to sketch the outlines of the picture you would like to create (Figure 2). Try to keep your lines as long as possible. Too many short lines can be challenging when it comes time to glue the yarn in place.
2 8.4.A4: Create with Yarn and Poured Paint Keep in mind that the outlines must enclose a space where one color is applied. For example, in Figure 6, the window outlines are filled with black paint. Figure 2 2. Glue the yarn over the sketched outlines (Figures 3 and 4). Work on one line or area at a time so the glue doesn t dry before you get to it. Cut a length of yarn to match the length of the line it is to be glued on. Figure 3 Spread or squeeze a bead of glue along the line. Without pulling the yarn, gently press the yarn down in place with your finger or the wooden end of a paint brush. Continue until all the lines are covered (Figure 4). Caution! Avoid pulling on the yarn too much. Yarn stretches and when you let go and it may pull away from the glued surface. Figure 4 3. Let dry completely. 4. Use your brush to apply the gesso over the yarn (Figure 5). Tip! When the yarn is cut into short pieces to glue over short sketch lines, it has a tendency to unravel. Rubbing some of the glue into the short piece of yarn and retwisting it will help to hold it together while you work with it.
8.4.A4: Create with Yarn and Poured Paint 3 Be gentle with the brush so you don t pull the yarn away from the canvas. Figure 5 The yarn soaks up the gesso and hardens when dry. Use a generous amount of gesso to cover as much of the yarn as you can. If you find it necessary, mix a small amount of water into the gesso for easier application. The first coat of gesso is unlikely to fully cover all the yarn. 5. Let the first coat of gesso dry completely. 6. Apply a generous second coat of gesso. Figure 6 Now that the first coat of gesso is dry, the yarn is stiff and the second coat of gesso is much easier to apply. Brush the gesso into all the little holes created by the yarn. Rotate the canvas to view it from all angles to find all the little holes. Seal the yarn completely with gesso. 7. Let the second coat of gesso dry completely. View the yarn from all angles, looking for any holes. If there are none, proceed to step 8. If touch-ups are needed, use your brush to fill them with gesso and let dry completely before continuing.
4 8.4.A4: Create with Yarn and Poured Paint Mix and Pour the Paint 8. Select the acrylic paint color to start with and prepare for pouring (Figures 6 and 7). Mix your paint color with an equal amount of water and mix thoroughly until you ve achieved a consistency similar to heavy cream. Work with one color at a time. Test the color by placing a drop on a separate surface. If it flattens, there is too much water. It should bead, but still be liquid enough to manipulate easily. Figure 7 Tip! Droppers can by found in pharmacies, medical supply stores, and art stores. Mine came from the vet s office. I was given a couple of extra droppers in case I needed them when my dog needed antibiotics. If you are using a dropper, make sure you clean it out thoroughly between colors. Simply remove the rubber stopper and hold it under the tap with warm running water. 9. Use a dropper, small spoon or squeeze bottle to pour (or squeeze) the paint into the enclosed areas created by the yarn for that color (Figures 6 and 8). Figure 8 Don t worry about getting the paint right up to the edge of the yarn if you are working in a larger area (Figure 7). 10. Use the wooden end of a brush (or similar object) to gently push the paint into the corners (Figure 7). For areas at the edges of the canvas or canvas board where there isn t a yarn border, push the paint up and just over the edge of the painting.
8.4.A4: Create with Yarn and Poured Paint If the paint has been mixed correctly, it won t run down off the sides of the canvas and you will be able to move it with the wooden end of the brush to where you want it to be. Figure 9 11. Continue to mix colors and apply them to the canvas until all colors have been applied and let dry completely (overnight). Figure 10 Add the Final Touches As you can see in Figure 10, copper colored buttons give texture and interest to the roofs of the houses. The following steps explain how you can also add found objects to your work. 12. Use a brush of appropriate size to paint a background color in the enclosed area (Figure 9). For example: when the glue dries, a dark brown background shows through in the spaces not filled with buttons (peek ahead to Figure 12). Tip! When working with glue and found objects, keep a pair of needlenose pliers handy for holding the small bits while applying the glue and dropping the item into place. Toothpicks are also handy for applying the glue. 13. Let dry completely. All-purpose glue, such as No More Nails from Lepage dries clear and can be found in hardware stores for reasonable prices. Always ask the sales clerk for the best option based on the materials you are using. 14. Spread a thin layer of glue over the area where you want to place the objects (Figure 10). Work in one area at a time so the glue doesn t dry before you get to it. 5
6 8.4.A4: Create with Yarn and Poured Paint 15. Place the objects on the glued area. Figure 11 In Figure 10, two sizes of buttons were arranged in rows to simulate roofing shingles. However, there is no rule to how you choose to place your objects. For individual objects, such as the small buttons used for doorknobs (Figure 12), glue each item and place them where desired. 16. Let dry completely. 17. Add final touches. In this demonstration, a small dog was painted at the bottom on the street just for fun (Figure 11). Figure 12 As an Aside Besides buttons, a number of different objects can be used for the roofs. Some options I had considered before choosing to use buttons were sand, crushed sea shells, and dried green lentils. Use your imagination and find what works for you. Visit: www.cailingreen.com Facebook: Cailin Green Artist CampbellAndGreen.ca www.youtube.com, Campbell + Green channel