Cat Sign Instructions

(you can print this screen to your printer)

I have provided this pattern free of charge to visitors to my website. I ask that you please do not reproduce it for teaching or to give to friends. Anyone who would like a copy can obtain one by visiting my website at www.sharonsaylordesigns.com Thanks for

I've painted this design on parchment paper, but you could also cut the sign from 3/4" wood. If using wood, base the sign with LIGHT BUTTERMILK. Transfer the design onto the surface with graphite paper.

Mixes are denoted with a "+" sign. Normally, the color listed first is the largest part of the mix. I just brush mix my colors...pick up the first on my brush, then the second and muussh them together on the palette. If the mix is a float, pick up first color and stroke your brush on palette to distribute paint, then pick up second color and restroke in same path on the palette, so the colors mix together.

FAUX WOOD FRAME:
Wash frame with RED IRON OXIDE, painting around cat, fish, and yarn ball (you want them to remain white). Shade corners, around cat, fish, and yarn ball with DARK CHOCOLATE. Streak in some wood grain with a wash of DARK CHOCOLATE, sideloaded on your brush. Nail heads are a dot of BLACK. Using a liner brush, line wood grain very finely with BLACK (mix a little water into your paint to make it an inky consistency). Make tiny highlight dots on nail heads with LIGHT BUTTERMILK.

CAT:
Base with LIGHT BUTTERMILK. With WHITE + a little BLACK (to make gray) float along sides of nose, above eyes, bottom edge of ears, and between muzzle and chin to give a little definition to features.With a small flat brush, drybrush BLACK to create black areas of cat's fur. Base nose and float inside ears with LIGHT BUTTERMILK + a little RED IRON OXIDE (to make a pink). Shade nose with a float of RED IRON OXIDE. Base eyes with LIGHT BUTTERMILK. When dry, paint iris with ARBOR GREEN, then iris with BLACK. Outline eye, add lashes, whiskers, and eyebrows very finely with BLACK (mix a little water into paint to make it an inky consistency). If desired, at this time you can also very lightly outline edges of cat's fur. Add tiny dots of LIGHT BUTTERMILK to highlight eyes and nose.

FISH:
Base with wash of ARBOR GREEN. Float top edge, tail, and fin with BLUE HAZE. Dot eye with BLACK. Outline very finely and create line in tail and fin with BLACK.

YARN:
Base ball with BLUE HAZE. Shade with BLUE HAZE + BLACK. Stroke yarn lines in each direction on ball with BLUE HAZE + LIGHT BUTTERILK. Drybrush highlight with a little LIGHT BUTTERMILK. Paint in string of yard around frame using a liner brush loaded with BLUE HAZE (add a little water to make it flow more easily). Every one in a while, pick up a top of LIGHT BUTTERMILK to give the yarn some color variation (like a highlight).

LETTERING:
Paint with BLUE HAZE. If the calligraphic style is too difficult (use a round or small flat brush), then feel free to do simple country style lettering using a liner brush and dotting the ends of each letter.

Other sayings that would be cute:

"A Home Isn't Complete, Without the Patter of Little Kitty Feet."

"A Cat's Needs are Simple:
1. A Warm Lap
2. A Fresh Bowl of Cream
...such a purr-fect life"

"My Kitty & Me Welcome Thee"

"In a Cat's eyes, everything belongs to the Cat!"

Hope you enjoy this little sign. For more designs, visit my website at www.sharonsaylordesigns.com