Paint Technique: Siding

latex satin wall base coat paint (Raffia Basket SW1113)
painter's tape
pencil
long level
measuring tape
paintbrushes
rollers
paint tray
dark brown paint for shading and tree base coat (Fringed Jacket SW1118)
brown paint for tree top coat (Ralph Lauren Yorkshire Hound LE16)
white glaze (Ralph Lauren Sunfade AG01)
ceiling paint (Impressionist Sky SW1205)
paint for tree leaves (Tanglewood SW1173 and Getaway Green SW1174)
crackle medium
craft paint for bees (yellow, black and blue)
leaf stamps
bee stencil

Steps:

1. Apply base coat and let dry. Repeat if desired.

2. Decide how wide the siding will be (the featured walls are 96 inches high and the siding boards are eight inches wide). Start at the top and make a pencil mark every eight inches (or chosen width) down the wall. Use a level and light pencil marks to draw the horizontal board lines.

3. Tape along the top edge of the lines so shadows can be created underneath them to give the appearance of depth. Pounce Fringed Jacket shading paint along the bottom of each piece of tape, putting more at the top of the board and taper it off as you move away from the tape. Let dry and remove the tape.

5. Paint the ceiling and lightly pounce white glaze on to create clouds once dry (glaze works better than paint since it's more translucent).

6. Draw a very simple tree shape on the wall using a pencil (do this freehand or with a projector). Paint it with Fringed Jacket and let dry. To make tree bark, brush on crackle medium, and randomly brush Yorkshire Hound over the top when appropriate according to crackle instructions.

8. Brush green over leaf stamps and vary the amount of pressure used with each stamp to create interest (figure B). Let dry.

9. Stencil bees and their flight trails for a final whimsical touch (figure C).