How to Paint a Wooden Cat Plaque
- 1). Sand the front, back and sides of the cat plaque with the sanding disk. Wipe the surface clean with the tack cloth to remove dust.
- 2). Use a medium-sized flat paint brush to paint one thin coat of gesso to the front, back and sides of the plaque. This will seal the wood and even out the wood surface. Allow the plaque to dry 1 hour or until the gesso is no longer cool to the touch.
- 3). Lightly sand the entire cat plaque with the sanding disk. Wipe the surface clean again with the tack cloth to remove dust.
- 4). Paint on the base coat color of your cat using a large flat brush. Some colors may require 2 to 3 coats of paint to fully cover the surface. Be sure to let each coat of paint dry completely before applying another coat.
- 5). Stipple the entire cat plaque with a stipple brush and contrasting color (or lighter color of the base coat color) to create the illusion of fur. Dip the stipple brush in paint and then pounce the brush up and down on a paper towel to remove most of the paint. Apply the stipple brush to the cat plaque, and again, pounce the brush up and down to create fur. By loading the stipple brush with a medium color on the bottom of the brush and a lighter color at the top of the brush, you can stipple in highlights to add depth.
- 6). Center and tape the painting pattern at the top and on one side to the cat plaque. Insert graphite paper, with the dark side down, underneath the tracing paper.
- 7). Trace the details of the cat pattern (such as the eyes, nose and mouth) onto the wood plaque using a stylus. Carefully remove the pattern and graphite paper.
- 8). Paint all of the larger areas of the cat pattern with the biggest flat brush that will fit the area. If you use too small of a brush for a specific area you will create ridges.
- 9). Use a 10.0 artist liner brush to paint the finishing details, such as eye highlights and whiskers. Allow the plaque to dry overnight.
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Finish your cat plaque by spraying 2 to 3 coats of Krylon Matte Finish Spray to the front, back and sides to protect your cat plaque. Be sure to let each coat dry at least 30 minutes before spraying another coat.