cigar box conversion

Artist:  Gisele Pope

 

Download Project     |     Download Pattern

 

A simple cigar box takes on a new look with a metal feet, a little bling and a soft floral design.  All of the painting is done with Loew Cornell’s newest brushes, the Aura™, Flora™, Curved Flat and Double Filbert - the perfect excuse to take them for a test drive!

 

View the demonstration video or scroll down for written instructions.

 

 

Supplies:

Loew Cornell brushes: 

Series 7730 ½ Aura™

Series 7530 #6 Double Filbert

7930 series #6 Flora™

Series 7330 #6, #10 Curved Flat

7350 series 18/0 liner

¾ Flat Glaze brush

Stylus

394-White graphite paper

Wooden Cigar Box 8.75” x 8.125” x 1.75”

 

Jewelry Essentials™ Jewels 20 mm faceted acrylic jewels

Tim Holtz idea-ology FOUNTATIONS 4 box metal feet

DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paints:

DA193 Blue Chiffon

DA042 Baby Blue

DA040 Williamsburg Blue

Decoart Multi-purpose Sealer

DecoArt Satin Varnish

Brown craft paper cut to 14”x36”

Tracing paper cut to 10” x 28”

Scissors

398 Acrylic Palette paper

Water container

Foam Roller with handle

Paper Towels

Ruler

Fine tip permanent marker

Small Phillips screwdriver

White Glue

Wood filler

Fine sandapaper

 

Transfer the pattern to tracing paper with the permanent marker, then cut tracing to the lid size.

 

Prep:

Use the screwdriver to remove the screws from the front latch and the back hinges and set aside. 

 

Lightly sand the box inside and out and wipe with a damp paper towel to remove any dust particles.

 

Using the glaze brush handle, mix equal parts of Baby Blue and Sealer together on your palette.  Clean the handle and use the brush hairs to base in the sealer mix on entire box, inside and out.  Let dry and light sand smooth.  Add additional of Baby Blue (no sealer) until you achieve opaque coverage. (3 total coats).  Sand smooth between each coat.

 

Position the pattern over the lid, making sure that the pattern is lined up with the hinges in the back. (see pattern)  Secure with a piece of tape. Place white graphite under pattern and transfer basic lines using stylus.  The faint lines are used as your guide for painting.

 

 

Let’s paint!

 

Use the #6 Flora brush to create the ribbon stroke along the edge of the lid, load the brush into thinned Blue Chiffon and touch on paper towel to adjust the consistency.  Starting on the tip of the brush, lay the brush to the right and lift to create the ribbon pattern.  Continue around the entire lid, adjusting as you get to the corners and the end.  Using the #10 Curved Flat loaded with a sideload of Williamsburg Blue, shade under the ribbon. 

 

 

When dry, apply dots under the ribbon with the larger end of the stylus and fresh Blue Chiffon paint.  Let dry.

 

Using the 18/0 liner brush, thin Blue Chiffon paint until the consistency of ink. Line all of the thin scrolls.

 

 

Large layered flowers: The Aura brush practically makes the stroke for you with the flower petals, so you are able to make the flowers as full as you prefer by just touching the small circle with each application. Wet the brush and wipe on paper towel till just moist.  Load Blue Chiffon paint into the brush with the heel (fattest part of the brush hairs) at the bottom.  Tap the loaded paint on the palette to soften.  Keeping the handle straight up and down, lightly touch the brush hairs to the lid, keeping the “heel” touching the small circle from your pattern.  Move around the circle with the “petals” leaving very little space between them.

 

 

When the first layer is dry, apply next row of petals between the two “points” of the petals in the first layer.

 

 

Using the #6 Flora brush, create the ribbon leaves with the press and lift technique used on the outer edge of the lid using Blue Chiffon .  

 

The stem lines for the ferns and seed flowers are applied with the side of the Flora and thinned paint (use like a liner). The little seed flowers are applied using the side edge of the #6 flora Load the tip with full paint and add the ”seeds”  by gently touching the tip of the Flora to the surface.  Add as many little clusters as you wish.

 

The ferns are created by laying the Flora brush pointing down and lifting to create a more flattened petal.  Apply all along both sides of the stem to fill in.

 

 

The petals on the daisies are created with the double filbert.  Load into Blue Chiffon and press the petals on the stem, working around it adding  additional sections of 2-petals from the brush’s impression.

 

 

Shade along the bottom of the inside centers with Williamsburg Blue and the #6 curved flat.

 

The large scrolls are created with the #6 Curved Flat.  Load into thinned Blue Chiffon.

 

 

With thinned paint and the tip of the Flora used like a liner, add the broken lines around the top edges.  Erase any graphite lines.

 

Shading the design:  All of the Shades are put in with the #12 Curved Flat loaded in a sideload of Williamsburg Blue.  Keep the shading soft and light.

 

Shade outside the petal tips of all of the flowers, in the centers of the daisy and large flowers, along each curve and stem and behind the ribbon leaves. 

 

Add one additional shade around the centers of the larger flowers on the petal sides.  Softly shade around the edges inside the detail lines.

 

Add dots along the curves of the scrolls, inside the centers of the daisies and larger flowers.    Soft filler leaves along the stems and scrolls are thinned Blue Chiffon applied with the side of the #6 Curved Flat. 

 

 

Finishing:  Using the Glaze Brush loaded with Satin Varnish, apply several coats of varnish to the entire box, inside and out.

 

Reattach the screws for the latch and the hinges. 

 

Measure and cut scrapbook paper to fit the inside of the lid and bottom.  Glue in place.