Decorative Painting Smoking Technique

By Tonya Hopkins

The background of a piece of art can make or break the whole design. The smoking technique is a beautiful, unique background that will be sure to help "make" your work of art. Smoking is a simple yet elegant technique that you are sure to enjoy creating. Let's begin!

Be sure to use acrylic paint for this technique.

1. Basecoat your item the color of your choice. The lighter the basecoat color the more of the smoking effect you will see on your finished project.
   
   
2. Thin down your background color paint to be an ink-like consistency and apply a second coat to your surface.
   
   
3. While the basecoat is still damp hold a palette knife or spoon in the tip of a candle flame to make a sooty smoke rise from around the spoon/knife.
   
   
4. Hold the painted surface (that is still damp) over the sooty smoke (that is coming out from under the palette knife or spoon) turn the surface in different directions to create soft smoked swirls on your surface. Let dry.
   
   
5. Spray the entire surface with several light coats of Krylon #1311 matte finish. Let dry in between coats.
   
   
6. Once completely dry you are ready to begin your decorative painting as usual.

Enjoy creating this beautiful, simple background for your decorative art. •

© Tonya Hopkins

About the Author
Tonya Hopkins is an artist from The Artist Barn, which specializes in decorative painting and rubber stamp art and offers an array of decorative painting help, free projects, and patterns. Visit The Artist Barn at www.theartistbarn.com.

11/14/04