Comments for SnodCraft News

Comment on You Too Can Be An Artist! by Donna

Donna — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:10:20 +0000

Thanks for leaving a comment Mary! To answer your question, yes you could make a photo copy and skip the tracing step. Most artists don’t suggest that method because they want to protect their copyright. It is illegal to sell or distribute copies of an artist’s pattern! Use your photo copies for personal use only! Best regards, Donna

Comment on The Art of Shadows and Highlights by Lori Ames

Lori Ames — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:11:40 +0000

Thank you for adding a picture of a mop brush and angled brush. Probably seems like a very basic thing, but I am a beginner and need all the help I can get.

Comment on You Too Can Be An Artist! by Suzie Ray

Suzie Ray — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:56:19 +0000

Love your latest instructions on tracing. It’s good to know that you have to use special tracing paper and transfer paper for the project. Guess I thought you just laid a piece of carbon paper under what you wanted to trace. Thank you for your help.

Comment on You Too Can Be An Artist! by Mary James

Mary James — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:50:19 +0000

Thank you so much for the helpful hints. I do need to clarify one thing, however.

I have a small home-size photo copier. Can’t I just make a copy of the original pattern, then put the transfer paper under it and mark it right on to the wood? This would save the step of drawing it on tracing paper first and only require one time to actually draw over the pattern.

Does this work?

Thanks for the great hints. Please keep them coming!

Comment on The Art of Shadows and Highlights by Donna

Donna — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:35:04 +0000

Love those questions! We recently added a picture of an angled and a mop brush to the blog article about shading/floating. I hope that better explains the look for both brushes. If you think you’d like to try a mop brush, look in the Donna Dewberry line of paint brushes. I use the mop brush occasionally, but tend to put my damp wet rag into use more often. Still, it’s always good to try a different approach, and a mop brush might work really well for you. Thanks for your questions and comments. Always love hearing from you! Best regards, Donna

Comment on How to Paint a Smooth Finish! by Donna

Donna — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:30:11 +0000

Good Question! You are right, certain woods make better outdoor birdhouses. We’d suggest cedar if you like the weathered unpainted look. We used cedar fence planks for ours – cut to size of course. Another suggested wood is exterior plywood, or even interior birch plywood, but the key to a lasting finish no matter the type of wood (except cedar) is primer first, and then an application of house paint. No varnish, spray-on or other is needed when you use house paint. Sanding after the 1st and 2nd coats of paint works. If it still has rough places after that – sand some more! Thanks for your questions and comments. Loved hearing from you! Best regards, Donna

Comment on How to Paint a Smooth Finish! by Pam Van Vickle

Pam Van Vickle — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:37:23 +0000

I thought you had to use only a certain kind of wood for outside birdhouses to last? I painted some for the outside and they are now coming apart from the weather and that is probably primarily because I did not prime the wood first or use standard house paints. I also like the way you said to use short handled brushes versus long handled ones. I also didn’t know that. All of the stuff I paint are for outdoor use.

You say that the piece should be sanded between coats. I only sanded between the first coat and second coat. I also now know that if I use house paint I don’t need to varnish at the end of the process. Do I still need a layer of spray-on matte finish varnish at the end?

Thank you for the time it takes to write out these instructions. They are very helpful to the novice!

Comment on The Art of Shadows and Highlights by Pam Van Vickle

Pam Van Vickle — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:11:02 +0000

I like the fact that you said “if the float appears too light for your tastes, let it dry and do another application.” I always tend to be impatient and think I have to quickly wipe off the paint and start completely over.

Comment on The Art of Shadows and Highlights by Pam Van Vickle

Pam Van Vickle — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:05:04 +0000

What do you mean by the longer tip of your brush, and what is a mop brush? Showing illustrations of what you are saying is helpful like the hand shading. Could you show “the longer tip of your brush” in an illustration and what a mop brush is?