Apple Maidens Recipe Box

Brighten your kitchen countertop with our colorful folk art recipe card box.

Rating:
Medium: acrylics on wood

Materials

• Wood’n This Be Nice, Inc. recipe box
• DecoArt Americana Acrylics
• Brushes: Loew-Cornell Series 7300 Nos. 2 and 8 shader, Series 7400 1/4” and 1/2” angular shader, Series 7350 Nos. 18/0 and 1 liner, Series No. 7120 l/4” rake, and Series 7000 No. 4 round
• DecoArt Wood Sealer
• Sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Tracing paper
• Loew-Cornell Easy Graphite Transfer Paper
• Stylus
• Palette
• Loew-Cornell Palette Knife (J15)
• Loew-Cornell Brush Cleaner for Acrylic Paints
• Loew-Cornell Brush Tub (No. 383)
• DecoArt Matte Varnish

Preparation

Step 1. Sand entire surface and wipe with the tack cloth to remove dust. Seal with wood sealer and sand again. Wipe with the tack cloth.
Step 2. Basecoat box with WB + BB (1:1). Trim edges with DB.
Step 3. Trace pattern onto tracing paper and transfer onto surface using graphite paper and the stylus.

Painting

Step 1. All stems and leaves are DT, highlighted with SA.
Step 2. Base all petal flowers TC. Centers are TA.
Step 3. Basecoat all apples with CR, shade with DB, and highlight with TC.
Step 4. The berry clusters are basecoated CR. Define the small berry shapes with “C” strokes of DB and DP, then highlight with “C” strokes of TW.
Step 5. The solid heart is bascoated CR, shaded with DB, and highlighted with TW.

Note: Refer to the patter when painting the apple maidens.

Step 6. All of the maidens’ hats, aprons, petticoats, and lace are TW. The shading on maidens No. 1 and 3 is RV, and the shading on maiden No. 2 is DP.
Step 7. Base all faces BF. Cheeks are floats of NR. Eyes are TW with a BB iris and LB pupil, highlighted with TW. Eyelashes are LB and mouths are NR.
Step 8. Hair for maiden No. 1 is BU, highlighted with TC; hair for maiden No. 2 is BS, highlighted with TC; hair for maiden No. 3 is YO, highlighted with LY and then LY + TW.
Step 9. Dress on maiden No. 1 is RV + TW, shaded with some DB and DP, then highlighted with TW. Dress on maiden No. 2 is DP + TW, shaded with DP, and highlighted with TW. The green bustle is BG, shaded with DP, and highlighted with SA and then TW. Dress on maiden No. 3 is CR + RV, shaded with DP, and highlighted with TW.
Step 10. Shoes on maiden No. 1 are YO, shaded with DP, and highlighted with TW; shoes on maiden No. 2 are BG, shaded with DP, and highlighted with TW; and shoes on maiden No. 3 are DP + TW, shaded with DP, and highlighted with TW.

Palette

Finishing

Allow all paint to dry completely. Finish with two coats of matte varnish, allowing time to dry between applications.