Fresco Canvas Panels

Materials:

plaster (Plastertex brand was used on the show.)
chip brushes
4" joint knife
stencils (Royal Design Studio in Parisian Swag Panel brand design was used on the show.)
acrylic paint (Aquacolor brand paints in earth brown, earth green, blue and French red were used on the show.)
stencil brushes
fine sandpaper

Steps:

1.  Apply plaster to the canvas with a chip brush in a random crisscross fashion (figure A), covering approximately 90 percent of the canvas. Smooth with the joint knife (figure B).

2.  When dry, stencil on the design of your choice with earth brown (figure C). Stencil lightly with this color, concentrating the paint mainly around the edges of the design. Do not fill in the design completely with this color.

3.  Replace the stencil and "tint" various elements of the design with several colors, using a very dry brush and a light touch. The brown color behind it helps to soften and mute the brighter colors.

4.  Sand lightly (figure D) to distress and "antique" with a wash of earth brown and water (one part earth brown to six parts water) (figure E).