Preparation<br >Many of the projects in this book call for special<br >techniques which are explained in this Preparation<br >section. Referring to these general instructions will enable<br >you to complete the projects more easily， efficiently， and<br >produce pieces that will last through the years.<br >Tracing patterns onto Wood， Cement，<br >or Ceramic<br >Materials and tools you will need include tracing paper，<br >transfer paper， pencil， photocopy machine and large -sized<br >paper if necessary， and drafting tape.<br >Lay a sheet of tracing paper on top of pattern and trace<br >If directions indicate enlarging a pattern， place pattern<br >directly in a photocopy machine. Set the machine to<br >percentage required and enlarge. If the enlarged pattern is<br >on a grid， mark l" grid lines on paper large enough to<br >accommodate actual size pattern. Begin marking dots on<br >1" grid lines where the reduced pattern intersects the<br >corresponding grid line. Connect the dots to finish pattern<br >Tape traced or photocopied pattern in place on the<br >surface of the object to be cut or painted.<br >Insert a piece of transfer paper between pattern and the<br >object. Trace over pattern， transferring marks to object<br >Because tracing paper is thin enough to see through， it allows<br >the original pattern lines to be retraced easily. Transfer paper is<br >coated on one side with graphite or chalk. When it is pressed<br >by a pencil， it transfers the graphite or chalk to the surf:ace<br >under it. Since transfer paper is coated on only one side， make<br >a small mark and determine if the correct side is down.<br >Transfer paper comes in a variety of colors， which is hclpfnl<br >when working on different colored backgrounds. For instancc，<br >black graphite works well on unfinished pine， but white or<br >yellow would be easier to see on dark green surfaces. To<br >reduce thc amount of marks on the project， trace partial， or<br >dashed， lines instead of the solid line.<br >Tracing patterns onlo Metal<br >Materials nccdcd include tracing paper， tape， and a ballpoint<br >pen or pencil<br >~ Trace patterns onto tracing paper.<br >Tape pattern over meta<br >Using a ballpoint pen or pencil， retrace the pattern onto<br >the metal. For a deeper indentation， retrace several times<br >painting<br >Materials needed include acrylic paints， I/4" and 1" flat<br >artist s brushes， a #2 round liner brush， a 2" utility<br >paintbrush， and a sponge brush.<br >Artist s brushes are called fiat or round; this refers to the shape<br >of the metal part of the brush that holds the bristles onto the<br >shaft. Brushes are numbered as well; the higher the number，<br >the larger the brush. A size 10 flat， for instance， will be about<br >an inch across; a size 5 is more like half an inch. A size 3 or<br >#2 round is very small and is used for fine line work and<br >details. Always use good-quality brushes and keep them clean.<br >Most of the painting on projects in this book are done in a<br >simple style. After patterns have been traced and transferred，<br >fill in with the background color first， then go back and paint<br >fine detail lines， retracing them if necessary. It should be like<br >coloring in a coloring book~ust stay within the lines.<br >Most projects require primer or a base coat. This is usually a<br >fairly good-sized area， so a larger brush makes for a faster job<br >Acrylic paint cleans up with soap and water when wet. Be<br >sure to clean brushes thoroughly with soap and water until the<br >water runs clear. Never leave brushes standing in water<br >overnight. It will soften the glue that holds the bristles and<br >bend them out of shape.<br >It is always a good idea to use a drop cloth， old newspapers，<br >or something to protect work areas. Acrylic paint will wipe<br >right up offa nonporous surface， like tile or linoleum， or it<br >will even peel off when dry. But acrylic paint on carpet will<br >soak in immediately and probably not come completely clean<br >It is best in this case， if it is a small amount， to let the paint<br >dry and cut it from the top of the carpet. Clothing too will be<br >ruined by acrylic paint. It is recommended when working<br >with acrylic paint to use a drop cloth and wear old clothes.<br >Painting on Ceramic Pots<br >In addition to materials and tools fi om Tracing Patterns and<br >general Painting instructions， you will need elastic and<br >reflective roof coating， acrylic primer/sealer， wood deck sealer<br >