Botticelli Plate

Materials

Porcelain plate

Gesso

Paper lace doily

Découpage paper code ROM 060

Acrylics : ivory, gold, copper, burnt umber, ochre

Brushes

Scissors

Bitumen

Water base varnish

Découpage glue

Instructions:

Before start working, carefully clean the plate and apply two or three coats of gesso.

Pict. 02 – Cut the paper lace doily, and glue it over the plate, so to create a decorated border.

Pict. 03 – Let it dry, then apply three more coats of white gesso. More if the paper lace colour is still visible.

Pict. 04 – Let it dry perfectly, then apply two or three coats of ivory acrylic colour.

Pict. 05 – When perfectly dried apply some bitumen to realize an antique coating. Bitumen must dry for at least 24 hours, better if more, before going on with decoration’s steps.

Pict. 06 – Cut and glue a Botticelli woman face into the middle of the plate.

Pict. 07 – Use the acrylics gold, copper, burnt umber, ochre to create shades (nouances) all around the female face. In this case, face is in shadow, so use the darkest clours, while soften into lighter tones when moving versus hair. (Pict. 08, 09)

Pict. 10 – Apply several coats of water base varnish to protect your work.

NB: ROM 060 is a very thin paper, so you will not need to sand on to the central image, paper thickness will disappear after about 10 coats of varnish.

Roberta Marone (author) is the Executive Directive of Decoupage Artists Worldwide. Join the National Guild of Decoupeurs to receive many more projects, helpful hints, mentoring and so much more! Click here for further information.