CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Hard/Soft Edges

Interference paints really pop over a dark background, and metallic paints mixed in with the gels add a diffused glow. Foam stamps or rollers can create a mottled edge.

Cosmic

6" × 6" (15cm × 15cm)

Materials list

Mediums

heavy gel semigloss, pourable faux encaustic, self-leveling gel, spreadable faux encaustic

Paints

black, Copper, Interference Blue, Interference Green, Interference Orange, other Interference colors, Payne’s Gray

Misc.

Ampersand Claybord panel, eye dropper (pour bottle), foam pouncer, palette knife, paper towel, stencils

Out of This World

Add some glitter or opaque white flakes to this project to take the galactic look even further.

STEP 1: Create the Background and Blot off the Water

Mix together Payne’s Gray and black, then paint onto the surface. Sprinkle some water drops onto the wet paint and while the paint dries, blot off the water drops.

STEP 2: Create Splatters, Drops and Other Designs

Dilute some Interference Blue with some pourable faux encaustic and water, then splatter and drop this mixture onto the surface. Swirl the blue paint around with your finger or a brush.

STEP 3: Repeat Step 2 With a New Color

Repeat step 2 with Interference Green, then mix another color of Interference paint with the self-leveling gel, and drop a few spots onto the surface. The spots will naturally level out. Tilt the panel to change shapes. Let it dry.

STEP 4: Apply Mixtures Through a Stencil

Mix Interference Orange and Copper into heavy gel semigloss. Place your circle stencil in a desired location and using your knife, apply heavy gel semigloss without the paint through the stencil. Hold the stencil in place and then layer the mixed orange gel onto the previous layer. Remove the stencil and clean it.

STEP 5: Apply the Final Touches

Try mixing other Interference colors with gel to get more hard edges. Dilute Interference paint with water, and use a foam pouncer to apply paint to achieve a mottled effect. Let everything dry and then coat the entire panel with a layer of spreadable faux encaustic.