Natural Shades

Organic Elements

Just as in nature, nothing is perfect about these shades, which makes them a good project for painters of any level. Leaves, flowers, and horizon lines are sketched freehand. “I wanted an organic, soft effect,” Nail says.

“It’s OK to paint outside the lines,” she adds, stressing that the technique doesn’t have to be exact. Blend colors by applying them over a water-dampened surface. “Some areas will remain lighter and others darker, and you’ll get this very mottled look,” she says. If the paint starts to bleed more than desired, gentle heat from a hair dryer can contain it.

For the leaf-dappled lampshade, paint the two-tone leaves first, then apply the warm background color. When painting the flowers, apply lighter colors first, then darker colors, and finally add accents and shadows. On the striped shade, rust and orange merge into pale yellow, creating the sense of a setting sun. Other design possibilities include branches, bugs, clouds, or animals. Whatever your instincts, this easy watercolor technique lets the colors mingle naturally.

Gather Your Supplies

• Hard-back, fine-weave lampshade
• Extra-fine DecoColor opaque paint marker (140-S Black) or comparable paint pen such as Krylon (not a permanent marking pen)
• Brushes: Royal Soft Grip SG 250 #6 and #10 round-tip nylon head and SG 157 #10 shader square (or any brush suited for acrylic paints)
• DecoArt Americana acrylic crafts paint: Terra Cotta (TC) (used on Stripes and Flowers)
• Delta Ceramcoat acrylic crafts paint: Dark Goldenrod (DG), Mellow Yellow (MY), and Straw (S) (used on Leaves, Flowers, and Stripes); Moss Green (MG) and Eucalyptus (E) (used on Leaves and Flowers)
• Trim as long as the circumference of the shade’s bottom edge (optional)
• Hot-glue gun (optional)

Leaves
START TO FINISH
Starting at the lampshade seam, with the black opaque paint marker randomly draw leaves and veins in different sizes and directions all around the shade.

For each leaf, using a #10 round brush, apply a thin coat of water on the area to be painted. With the same brush, paint MG on one side of all leaves first, then go back and paint E. Allow to dry.

With a #10 shader brush, apply water to the background, carefully dampening around each leaf. Dampen the same brush, dab in MY, and apply to dampened background, allowing color to bleed. Add darker tones with S paint, trying not to make the background solid. While background is still wet, dab and apply small amounts of DG. Touch up with water for a soft, blended effect.

If desired, affix trim to the shade’s bottom edge with hot glue.

Flowers
START TO FINISH
Using a photo or other flower images for reference, start at the seam and draw flowers freehand using the black opaque paint marker. Keep the shapes simple and imaginative; they do not have to be true to nature.

Using a #10 shader brush, dampen petals on the shade. Dip the brush in water, being careful not to load too much, and then dab the brush on a paper towel until it’s almost dry. Dip the dampened brush in MY, and apply to the shade allowing the paint to spread over the dampened areas (it’s OK to go outside the lines). If the paint spreads too much, dab it with a paper towel. While the paint is still wet, add DG highlights. Let dry.

Using the same dampened-brush technique, paint leaves MG, and let dry.

With a #10 round brush, lightly dampen the painted petals and leaves, then add accents of E to leaves and S to petals, shading and blending the colors in soft, blurred lines. Use the #6 round brush for stems (MG), berries (TC), and small flowers (S). Leave the background unpainted.

Stripes
START TO FINISH
Using the black opaque paint marker, draw four loose wavy lines spaced evenly from top to bottom around the shade. These will be the centers of each of four horizons. Add loose wavy lines above and below the centers to define each color band.

Using a #10 shader brush, dampen the entire shade. While the shade is wet, dampen a #10 shader or #10 round brush, dip in TC, and follow the lines of each horizon. Then with the same dampened-brush technique, apply DG, MY, and S (in no particular order), painting and extending the lines while still wet and allowing the colors to blend. Leave the background unpainted.

If desired, affix trim to the shade’s bottom edge with hot glue.