Made by Angela van Wayenburg
I enjoyed making this pig, however I’m still struggling a bit with using acrylic paint, as they dry so fast. Just need to practice some more.
A Pig
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I enjoyed making this pig, however I’m still struggling a bit with using acrylic paint, as they dry so fast. Just need to practice some more.
Includes Jonni’s famous Paper Mache Clay recipe, and tips on choosing the right recipe for your next project.
This pig’s skin is so smooth. And I love the eyes. Great job!
Hi Angela, I absolutely adore your pig, he is truly wonderful. I use acrylics too and like many people on here I am still on the learning curve with them. I do have a couple of things that I do which you may wish to try. I use a lot of acrylic ‘washes’ and build the colour up in layers. Sometimes you will hear these being referred to as glazes but I think that is a bit confusing as it implies using the glazing medium. A wash is just watered down acrylic and you can water it down as much as you like, it takes longer to dry and the paint is therefore more moveable for longer, just make sure that it has dried fully before you apply another layer or it may lift the first coat. On some projects I will ‘paint’ with a sponge rather than a brush which means you can cover a large area quicker, great for base washes. Also , if you are using small amounts of acrylic at a time you may wish to try what is called a ‘wet pallet’. I got this from my hubby who makes models (tanks, soldiers, planes etc) and therefore works with small amounts of paint. Use something like a plastic lid with a small amount of water in it. Then, cut a small piece of cloth to fit inside the lid (I use the thin sponge dish cloths), and dampen. Cover the cloth with a layer of grease proof or tracing paper and put your paint on top of that. Make sure you keep the cloth damp and this will keep your acrylics wetter for longer.
That is a great tip. I tend to squeeze too much paint out of a tube, and then hate to waste any of it. I hate to say how many plastic dishes covered with Saran Wrap I’ve thrown out! Thanks.
Thank you for your advice Linda, and sorry for the later reply. I used to be a miniaturist in another life, so am used to using small a mounts of paint. I use plastic lids from ice cream containers these can be washed off. The lids can also be cut up for plant labels for the garden.
Thank you Jonni,
I love painting eyes, you can see the subject coming to life.
I’m a fan already.
I understand about acrylic paints. After almost ten years, I still am not used to them drying darker than on the pallet. (I do watercolors.) One thing that might help is using Glazing Liquid. It keep them from drying so quickly and makes them go on smoothly.
That is one awesome pig!
Thank you Rex,
I did use glazing liquid, I think I just need more practice.
Hi Angela. I agree that acrylic paints can be challenging, but you’ve done a very nice job on this fellow, and his eyes are really striking. I can’t wait to see what you make next. 🙂