Painted Parasol

Materials:

Jacquard cotton umbrella (not waterproofed)
various Jacquard textile paints
Jacquard textile colorless extender
various Jacquard Neopaque paints and golden yellow
Jacquard Neopaque colorless extender
various Jacquard Lumiere paints
Jacquard Airfix *
white paper
black marker
assorted flat and round paint brushes
1/2" and 3/4" rake brushes
pencil
ruler
string

* Important: Mix the Airfix into each color as directed before painting. This will fix the paint in the fabric, since heat setting with an iron isn’t practical on an umbrella. Another option is to iron the sections of the umbrella as directed by the manufacturer to heat set and use a hair dryer to heat set along the areas of the frame of the umbrella where an iron cannot reach.

Sheila's note: Painting a three-dimensional object such as an umbrella is a challenge. I found it easiest to paint it while seated using a footstool to rest the handle on. At times, the umbrella was held by the tip. There are eight sections of the umbrella. Working on one section at a time is recommended. Wearing old clothes or an apron is also a good idea.

Allow paint to dry before painting areas next to each other to avoid having colors bleed together. Use the textile colors except when other paints are specified. Colorless extender is mixed with the paints as mentioned in the directions.

1. Tie string to center top tip of umbrella. Tie other end of string to pencil at desired length (8 inches is recommended for a 36-inch umbrella so the sun will be approximately 16 inches in diameter before the rays are added). Trace circle around the umbrella to create the round sun shape around the top (figure A).

2. Prepare other pattern shapes to size on copy machine. Place pattern into position under umbrella (figure B). Support the pattern with a book or tray underneath it. Trace the design lightly in pencil. Lightly draw triangular sun rays around edges of the circle shape.

3. Paint the sun yellow with a 1-inch flat brush using a one-to-one ratio of textile paint and colorless extender.

4. Paint the sun’s rays goldenrod yellow mixed with a small amount of colorless extender using a 1/2-inch flat brush (figure C).

5. Paint the background sky area with a mixture of one part sky blue paint and one part colorless extender with the 1-inch flat brush.

6. Paint cats desired colors. For the sample, two cats were painted russet (figure D), one black, and one yellow ochre. Small amounts of colorless extender are added to the paints.

7. Mix a small amount of brown Neopaque paint and colorless extender and paint the nose, mouth, and ear details (figure E) of the russet cat with a 6/0 round liner brush.

8. Mix a small amount of white Neopaque paint and water to create a wash to use to add texture and contrast to the cat. The paint should be of a liquid consistency, but not over diluted. Test on a scrap of fabric to make sure it will show on the background color.

9. Using the 1/2- or 3/4-inch rake brush, paint white wavy lines on the cat to create his markings (figure F).

10. Paint the cat’s whiskers with the same paint and the liner brush.

11. Mix orange paint as above to create a wash to use on the sun and sun’s rays. Use a rake brush to paint orange wavy lines on the sun and sun’s rays (figure G).

12. Paint cat’s sunglass lenses Lumiere metallic olive green with a #2 round brush.

13. Paint the cat’s glasses sky blue with the #2 round brush.

14. Paint stripes of golden yellow Neopaque paint on the cat’s glasses (figure H).

15. Paint wavy lines at the end of each sun ray and swirls in the background with the same paint and the liner brush.

16. Paint other cats and cat’s glasses in desired colors.

17. Paint checks along the lower edge of the umbrella using white Neopaque paint and a 1/2-inch-wide flat brush.

18. Allow paint to dry and cure as directed. If Airfix was used, heat setting isn’t required. If not, iron per manufacturer’s instructions and use a hairdryer on areas where an iron will not reach.