Start to finish with Stephanie Blaylock, part one

One of the best parts of NaMoPaiMo is getting to peek over the shoulder of some of the hobby's most accomplished artists. In part one of today's Tutorial Tuesday post, Stephanie Blaylock shares her prepping, pasteling and painting process. Thank you so much, Stephanie!

Start to Finish

by Stephanie Blaylock

If you are curious what all the fuss is about with the new molds… here’s the process.

This is a new Breyer set benefiting Make A Wish. Cute pearly unicorns with the Make A Wish logo.

But… under all that cuteness is an Arabian mare and foal set. If you are a fan of Sarah’s work there is no mistaking it. That is so special.

I’m not a prepper. To be clear, I hate it. But every now and then I need the skill. Think of this like a “Prepping for Dummies” guide. I’m currently using Duplicolor with zero issues with the cold and humid weather. I store my can inside, spray outside and then carry my horse back inside to cure.

I have had four spray, fill, sand repeat sessions over a week on this pair. It’s a slow process.

Here are some tips on prepping:

• There’s no rushing it, don’t try
• Spray in light coats (heavy sprays will bubble and or crack.
• Fill your mouth air hole and drill a tiny one between the back legs
• I use Bondo as my main filler for seams. It requires drying and is stinky. Some people have reactions to stuff like this. If you're one of them, here's a list of of other products to try.
• Other things you will need.. foil for your Bondo, wood toothpicks are handy for applying Bondo, paper towels, fine and extra fine sand paper, rubber gloves, patience.
• Modeling paste can fill teeny areas.

And the final take: There is no “I’m gonna prep this today.” It’s literally going to take at least a week. Sigh.

The mare still needs some sanding on her hooves. Her final coat is drying now. I also hit her tail a little too heavy with the primer and got a couple bubbles I need to sand out. There’s no rushing and I always try.

The foal is finally ready. Hurray!

Here's something I’m more familiar with than prepping: PASTELS.

Here is the first layer of Yellow Ochre going on the foal.

The second layer has black points and a little Burnt Siena.

The third layer is  Burnt Siena Shade. Right now the baby is a hot mess, but I have zero concerns about the grain and weird spots that have surfaced.

Grain is the biggest problem most people have with pastels. If you zoom in you can see the grain and inconsistencies in the finish.

I combat this with acrylic paint “washes” over sealed pastels. Washes are very thin almost translucent layers of paint. My acrylic blending washes are acrylic Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Metallic Gold, Ivory blending on my brush in various amounts depending on lighter or darker areas used along with water and FolkArt Blending Gel. I wet my paper towel and use it to help blend the colors. 

In this video, I am putting a wash on my sealed foal.

You can do a layer or two and then it will need to really dry. I usually let it dry overnight. Then I seal and start back with pastels the next day. This foal has been sealed three times with Mr. Super Clear Matte in between Pan Pastel layers.

Not my NaMoPaiMo horse. Oh well!

To be continued...