Daisies Impasto Painting

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic colors:
• titanium white
• phthalo green or substitute green deep permanent
• phthalo blue or substitute prussian blue hue
• cadmium-free yellow light
• cadmium-free red light
• Liquitex flexible modeling paste
• Liquitex freestyle palette knife, or something similar
• Liquitex freestyle round brush, size 4, or something similar
• 12" x12" canvas (pre-primed)
• Palette paper
• Container of water
• Hair dryer (to speed up drying time, if desired)
• Gloves (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Protect your work surface with paper or plastic (recommended) and assemble supplies & tools.
2. On your palette paper, mix 1/4 teaspoon of titanium white with 3 1/2 teaspoons of phthalo blue to create a medium value blue.
3. Use the palette knife to evenly spread the blue mixture on the canvas surface.
4. Next, mix about 2 teaspoons of titanium white with 4 Tablespoons of flexible modeling paste.
5. While the blue is still wet, feather in a small amount of the white modeling paste mixture with the palette knife. Imagine creating wispy clouds on the surface.
Optional: To continue painting in one session, use a hair dryer to help dry the surface a bit. Keep the hair dryer about 6 inches from the surface of the painting. It doesn't need to be completely dry, but a bit of drying helps with the following steps. Or, come back in an hour or so to continue the painting.

6. Squeeze out about 1/2 teaspoon phthalo green on to the palette paper.
7. Use the brush to apply two flower stems. One in the center of the canvas and one a few inches to the right of that stem.
8. Next, with the white modeling paste mixture, use the palette knife to create the flower petals. Start with the largest flower in the center of the painting. Use the various surfaces and edges of the palette knife to thickly apply the paint in the shape of petals.
9. Continue with the smaller flower to the right, and the grouping of two on the lower left. Tip: It is okay if the blue slightly mixes into the white, it will add interest and variation, however, it can be adjusted by layering on more of the white modeling paste mixture.
10. Next, squeeze out about 1/2 teaspoon of the cadmium-free yellow light onto the palette paper and mix it with about 1 teaspoon of the flexible modeling paste.
11. Use the palette knife to apply the yellow mixture as the center of each daisy. Use the paint generously to create a nice texture.
12. Next, squeeze out a pea-sized dot of the cadmium-free red light onto the palette paper and mix with 1/2 teaspoon of the yellow mixture. Add in a very tiny dab of the phthalo blue. The color created will be a warm orange-brown color.
13. Use this color to create volume on the yellow center of each daisies.
14. Assess the painting and adjust any part as needed. If the white of the petals is too white, use a very tiny amount of yellow or blue to add interest to the petals.
15. Allow the painting to dry. It should be touch dry overnight and completely dry in 3-7 days.
16. Don't forget to clean the palette knife off in between mixing and adding new colors to the canvas.