The painting of our signs is as enjoyable and quick as the sculpting - if I plan it right. The key is to paint things in the right order to save myself work and effort. I started with the base color - a tan color. When this was dry I applied the first medium brown glaze, wiping it down immediately to reveal the highlights.
The next step was to lay in the colors on the bib jeans, followed by a dark blue glaze to bring out the jean textures. Then I painted all the other bits including the buttons, bow tie and the bear's eyes.
THen I mixed up a custom dark brown paint. Half was poured into an empty can and made into a matching glaze. This dark glaze was flooded over all the colors and wiped down quickly, tying everything together and toning down the bright colors. Things were progressing fairly rapidly. The lettering areas got two base coats of white paint in preparation for the next step. Each time I completed a color I would put the piece under the shop fans to speed up the drying time.
The only area left to paint was the lettering. I started with the black which was easy to cut with the raised layers I had created as I built the file in EnRoute. The blended lettering was next. The finishing touch was the two little white highlights in the bear's eyes to bring the piece to life.
The parade is still two weeks away but things are almost ready. It sure beats rushing around at the last minute!
-dan
