Fly Away
BUTTERFLY FLY AWAY
By Margaret Riley
Who doesn’t like to sit outside on a summer day watching a butterfly float in the gentle breeze and seeing it land on flower after flower drinking in the warm nectar? With this painting, you will create a butterfly on lightweight watercolor paper or heavy cardstock, and apply adhesive foams to the backside to make it appear it is flying by the sunflower. The background is done with stencils and a rubber stamp design. A wooden tag can have anything written on it, and the bow is 3-D that you’ll create. Let’s get those brushes ready to create this 3-D painting.
SUPPLIES:
SURFACE:
10“ x 10“ canvas
Lightweight watercolor paper or heavy cardstock 4-1/2” x 9”
3/4" x 1-1/2” wood tag
PAINTS:
DecoArt® Americana Acrylics:
DA042 Baby Blue
DA019 Berry Red
DA227 Bright Yellow
DA353 Brilliant Purple
DA064 Burnt Umber
DA101 Dioxazine Purple
DA371 Golden Yellow
DA067 Lamp Black
DA106 Light Avocado
DA114 Light Cinnamon
DA367 Lilac Meadow
DA299 Marguerita
DA194 Marigold
DA04 Sand
DA036 True Blue
DA239 Warm White
DA08 Yellow Ochre
DecoArt® Dazzling Metallics Acrylics:
DA070 Shimmering Silver
BRUSHES:
Royal Langnickel® Madura
M47A Nos. 4, 8, and 12 angular
M77L No. 10/0 liner
M47R Nos. 4 and 8 round
Royal Langnickel® China Mini Mop (used for stenciling)
R999 Size Medium
(Note: Use a brush to accommodate the area unless instructed a specific brush)
MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES:
1” foam brush
Tracing paper and pencil
Red ink pen
Black Graphite
1” masking tape (Frog tape works best)
Stencils of choice (a small checkerboard and a larger checkerboard were used for this project but use something that is appealing to you)
Rubber stamp of choice (butterfly designs were used)
Dragonfly stencil
6” white wrapped thin wire (for tag and butterfly)
Scissors
1/4” or 3/8” square adhesive foam pads (for under butterfly body)
Stylus
Permanent fine line black marker
Hot glue or Fusion glue
INSTRUCTIONS:
(Note: Highlights are on the top or right of a design. Shading is done on the left or bottom of designated design areas.)
BACKGROUND: Part 1
1. Paint the background Marguerita using a 1” foam brush.
2. Trace the pattern with a pencil.
3. Place graphite onto the surface and pattern on top of that. Place a piece of tape at the top to prevent the moving of the pattern.
4. Trace pattern lines with a red ink pen.
RIBBON:
1. Put masking tape along each side of the horizontal ribbon leaving a 1” opening.
2. Paint the opening area in Marguerita. This helps seal your edges to get a crisp edge. Allow to dry.
3. Paint the horizontal ribbon Brilliant Purple.
4. Float Lilac Meadow highlight on the top edge and shading of Dioxazine Purple on the lower edge.
5. Be sure the horizontal ribbon is completely dry before proceeding.
6. Put masking tape along each side of the vertical ribbon leaving a 1” opening.
7. Paint the opening area between tape strips Marguerita.
8. Paint the vertical ribbon Brilliant Purple.
9. Float Lilac Meadow highlight on the right edge and shading of Dioxazine Purple on the left edge.
BOW:
1. On water color paper, measure two 1” x 4“(bow loops) and one 1/2“x 2“(bow center).
2. Paint both loops and center with Brilliant Purple on each side.
3. Float Lilac Meadow along one side of each piece (highlighting) and on the opposite side Dioxazine Purple (shading)
4. Set aside all three pieces for the finishing step.
BACKGROUND Part 2:
Note: To avoid getting the background designs onto the ribbon, use masking tape to cover the ribbon. If it gets into the butterfly shadow and the sunflower, it will be covered up later.
1. Using a stencil of choice, randomly place designs. Using the mop brush, touch into Lilac Meadow, remove excess paint on paper towels, and paint one stencil design. Use a swirling motion to apply paint to stencil openings.
2. Using a different stencil of choice, randomly place designs. Using the mop brush, touch into Dioxazine Purple and remove most of the paint onto paper towels. Use a swirling motion to apply paint to stencil openings.
3. With Dioxazine Purple, add a dot of paint onto the palette. Add a few drops of water to thin the paint (the paint needs to be very thin).
3. Press the rubber stamp onto the thinned-out paint on the palette.
Note: If using a canvas, place a book behind the canvas in between the wood frame strips. This will give you a smooth surface to use the rubber stamp and keep the canvas from sagging.
4. Press the rubber stamp onto the surface in the area of your choice.
5. Randomly, add True Blue dots onto the background.
DRAGONFLY:
1. Using a dragonfly stencil, place on vertical ribbon and swirl on Shimmering Silver with a soft stencil brush.
2. Shade around the dragonfly onto the ribbon in Dioxazine Purple.
3. Shade around the dragonfly onto the background in Light Avocado.
4. Highlight the top of the wings with Warm White.
BUTTERFLY SHADOW:
1. Paint the shadow first in Light Avocado.
2. Mix together Warm White and Avocado (2:2) and paint evenly overshadow with one coat to tone down the darkness slightly.
SUNFLOWER:
1. Paint each petal Bright Yellow, highlight in Sand, and add streaks in petals in Yellow Ochre.
2. Using Burnt Sienna, do shading around the center onto petals. Refer to the photo, if needed.
3. Basecoat center in Burnt Sienna and shade along the bottom of center in Burnt Umber.
4. While Burnt Sienna is still wet, tap in some Sand on top of the circle and along the partial inner circle.
5. Tap on some Marguerita lightly on the inner circle 2/3’s of the way down.
BUTTERFLY:
1. Base in entire butterfly in Baby Blue, allowing it to dry, and trace on the pattern.
2. Using True Blue, paint end sections.
3. Float on highlight on top of each wing using Warm White.
4. Using the stylus, add Dioxazine Purple dots in each scallop on the upper wing.
5. Base each ladybug in Berry Red.
6. Highlight the body in Bright Yellow.
7. Add Lamp Black legs, head, body dots, and body triangle section to the body. (Note: A fine line black marker may be used for the legs and antennas).
8. Highlight the top of the head in Warm White.
9. Using the handle end of the brush, dot on True Blue dots on each side of the ladybug.
10. Add Bright Purple teardrops on the bottom wing with Lilac Meadow highlights and Bright Purple shadowing.
11. Using a stylus, dot Bright Purple on top of each teardrop.
12. With a stylus, dot True Blue between the teardrops.
13. Paint the scallop on the lower wing Bright Yellow.
14. Paint each sunflower petal Marigold on each butterfly wing section.
15. Shade on petals along the center in Yellow Ochre and add Yellow Ochre lines to each petal.
16. Using a soft stencil brush, tap on Burnt Sienna for the center.
17. Using Sand, tap on a circle around the center.
18. Paint the body Lamp Black.
19. Add some Warm White highlights on the body.
20. Using a stylus, add Marguerita for the eyes.
TAG:
1. Base the tag in Lilac Meadow, highlight the top edge in White Wash, and shade in Brilliant Purple.
2. Using permanent fine-line ink, add “Fly Away” in your choice of font or another saying of choice.
3. Add a 2-1/4” piece of white-covered wire for the tag string.
FINISHING:
1. Loop ribbon ends together and glue them together in the center.
2. Loop a smaller piece over the center seam and secure it on the back with glue.
3. Cut out the butterfly and bend the wings up slightly keeping the body flat.
4. On the backside, apply squares along the body on the underneath side.
5. Bend 2-1/2” piece of wire in half, curling each wire end around a pencil point to glue behind the butterfly head for antennas.
6. Glue on the tag so the wire goes under the bow.
7. Glue bow to the intersected ribbon.
8. Peel off protective paper off foam squares and center to apply butterfly overshadow.
9. Optional: Paint the outside edges in Dioxazine Purple or frame canvas.
10. (Optional) If you have a button that looks like a bee, clip off the shank and glue it onto the sunflower.
DOWNLOAD ORIGINAL WORD FILE HERE.
Design and photos ©2023 Margaret Riley. All rights reserved.