Paperclay comeuppance

[Deb G]

So, I had this great plan to do stonework on my first dollhouse (the Glencroft). Did all the research, got all the tools and materials, drew/carved my stonework and bricks on practice sheets of clay... and the reality set in. I found an article from Rik Pierce in a May 2000 Miniatures Collertor magazine and followed (I thought) his instructions.

Bottom line is that none of what I'm doing looks ANYTHING like what I had in mind. Painting seems to be the hardest. "A very thin wash" is too vague for me, I guess. It either comes out like watercolor or it's opaque. Also, I can't figure out how everyone seems to paint so effortlessly on 'bricks' without touching the 'grout' in between.

Am I just a moron, or is there some really secret secret that I haven't come across?

Feeling very inadequate at the moment.

[lmgervais]

Check out Tracy's tut's for her paperclay work. I don't know about the other ones, but I found hers' fairly easy to follow.

Remember, you are NOT a moron.

[WyckedWood]

Dont feel bad Deb, Ive never been able to grasp what "wash" means either! Its never worked for me. It ends up looking too pastel. Curious are you going for an aged look or more like fresh stone? I could give you a little advice with aged,but i cant do fresh clean stone.

Bricks are Hard. I use a small paintbrush and try not to hit the grout,but if I do, I go back and scrape it off with a tool like a dentist type scraper. On mine it all gets aged anyway and fresh grout wont show after the antiquing(aging). If you paint all the bricks with something like Raw Linen first,it makes it easier to keep the paint from seeping into the grout.

Paperclay...the way I do it is to first cover the whole area Im working on with a thin layer of clay,then go back and make mounds (rock shaped or more boxy slate shaped)with wet fingers and lay them over that first layer of clay.If your fingers are wet you can erase the seam created by layering. I realize this probably uses up twice as much clay,but that first layer can be rolled out very thin.

Hope that helps,dont give up,dont be afraid to try your own way,sometimes things artistic work better when you dont think too hard about it,just let your fingers take over. Maybe that sounds dumb,but it does work.

[Deb G]

Thanks for the kind words! I did look at Tracy's blog, but maybe I'm not looking in the right place for a tutorial? Could you point me in the right direction?

I'm looking for an aged look, not new, so any tips in that area would be much appreciated! What brands of paint do you use? I have some acrylic that came in a hobby set, and the color selections are pretty limited.

[Sherry]

Just a suggestion on washes, that works for me. I don't use water for them. I use something called gel medium. You can get it at Michael's, HL, places like that. It comes in glossy for floors, or regular. The thing is that it turns a little dab of acrylic paint into more of a glaze than a wash. It doesn't dilute the color, just makes it transparent. It's about 10 dollars a bottle or thereabouts, but I use my Michael's coupons, and a little really goes a long, long way!

[sparklepuppies]

Try these links.

This one is for applying and shaping the paperclay.

http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/i...mp;hl=paperclay

This is a link to Tracy's blog. This isn't the one in her signature, but where you go when you click the button on the left under her name.

http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/b...?showentry=1302

On the right hand side are other entries that continue this one.

Here's a link to the other blog, from her signature, and it is her recent blog.

http://minisontheedge.blogspot.com/2008/12...ing-stones.html

There are several paperclay topics here too, including one for a recipe for how many drops of which colors to use.

Hope these help! Good luck!

[ilovecats]

I've tried paperclay myself and I find I'm not very good at it. i may do more in the future...practice makes perfect, but it's expensive to keep messing up on it.

[Deb G]

Just a suggestion on washes, that works for me. I don't use water for them. I use something called gel medium. You can get it at Michael's, HL, places like that. It comes in glossy for floors, or regular. The thing is that it turns a little dab of acrylic paint into more of a glaze than a wash. It doesn't dilute the color, just makes it transparent. It's about 10 dollars a bottle or thereabouts, but I use my Michael's coupons, and a little really goes a long, long way!

Oh, this sounds like exactly the effect I'm trying to get! Excellent suggestion! My husband is on his way back from a woodworking class as we speak, and he's just about to find out he's got a stop to make on the way home. :yes:

[Deb G]

I've tried paperclay myself and I find I'm not very good at it. i may do more in the future...practice makes perfect, but it's expensive to keep messing up on it.

I'm finding this out, too. I saw a recipe somewhere for making your own paperclay with cheap toilet paper and clay, but I'm not quite desperate enough to try that one yet. It sounds quite messy!

[Deb G]

Try these links.

This one is for applying and shaping the paperclay.

http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/i...mp;hl=paperclay

This is a link to Tracy's blog. This isn't the one in her signature, but where you go when you click the button on the left under her name.

http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/b...?showentry=1302

On the right hand side are other entries that continue this one.

Here's a link to the other blog, from her signature, and it is her recent blog.

http://minisontheedge.blogspot.com/2008/12...ing-stones.html

There are several paperclay topics here too, including one for a recipe for how many drops of which colors to use.

Hope these help! Good luck!

Thanks! I'm taking a break from fitting the hardwood floor (another story, but we'll leave that for later!), and this will give me lots to study.

[Corwin]

I can never was them either, i just sprikkle (dab) a little on with a brush. :yes:

[WyckedWood]

Let us know how youre doing with the paperclay. The aging comes in after everything is shaped and fully dried (several days). As far as paint brands, Im not loyal to any, were kind of limited there anyway,there are only a few brands that I know of. Americana(Deco Art),FolkArt and Delta Ceramcoat are the main ones I purchase. I just have certain colors and shades that I prefer and I buy what I like. I like a chocolate brown shade with a tinge of red thats called Van Dyke Brown,its FolkArt brand. I use that more than anything,sometimes mixing it with white or black.

About the washes,(just my opinion) they are hard to manage when you start with a wash. But much easier when you end with a wash. Thats what I do for aging.

If you still have a hard time getting a rock 'finish' with regular paint, theres a paint by Deco Art called Patio Paint Texturals,they come in many shades and have an awesome stone finish. They make rocks look so much more realistic. My favorite shades are River Rock, Sierra and Dark Granite,but I use 6 or so of those regularly. These are hard to find,but happily, you can now order from the Deco Art website,www.decoart.com, last time I checked they were only 67 cents each for 2 oz.

Good luck!

[havanaholly]

I use washes a lot, but I don't use the little bottles of acrylic paints, I buy my acrylics paints in the tube and mix my colors. A thin wash of color will look faint, but not pastel. The trick is to go back with the wash and add it to deepen the color.

I also don't use paperclay, I have better luck with other media.

[Minis Over The Hill]

I've only done my first paperclay house, it's in today's Gallery. Next time I won't use the gold color in the stones, but I painted wet-in-wet, meaning, I painted the whole thing a beige color for the grout (you have to thin out the acrylic paint with water), then when still wet, I did the stones in a Hippo grey( water added), and then added some gold which I wasn't happy about later, but it's a learning experience. I do like the wet-in-wet technique, it blends the colors well.

[justmesue]

Can't wait to see what you're working on DEB G! I'm sure it will look awesome!

[alycemina]

I have had good results using wood filler to make stones - it is a little grainy and paints/washes well. I make various size balls and squish them.

For washes I often use plain glaze and add paint or a colored glaze. With Mocha brown (a little) and plain you can get a good tea stain that is a little shiny. I love plain glaze! Gel medium is also super - mixed with paint you can mimic stains but not so transparent as to show flaws in the wood. Gel medium gives a matte finish.