Adding Some UMPF with an Airbrush!

Hi Everybody!!  My name is Chrissy P. from Felted Chicken!  I’m your average-everyday Felter living & working on Hollywood, CA.  I’ve been needle-felting for about a year and a half now, and am always looking for new, interesting, and easy ways to add some extra UMPF to my sculptures.  Nancy was kind enough to ask me to share a tutorial on one of these processes.

In addition to the traditional felting techniques that everybody uses (needle & wet-felting, dying my own wool, accenting with tufts of colored wool)  I also use an Airbrush to add shadows & gradients to my pieces.  I’ve found this to be a super easy & fast way to give my felting that little somethin’-somethin’!!

Airbrushing some Chocolate Frosting!!!

Airbrushing a Cupcake 1

Here are all the supplies you need to help paint & shade your Felted Sculptures!!

*Airbrush, Compressor, & bottles
*Watered down Acrylic Paint
*Yummy Felted Cupcakes!!

Airbrushing a Cupcake 2

This is what the cupcakes look like BEFORE any paint has been sprayed. Just plain, white frosting all ready to be transformed into Chocolate!!

Airbrushing a Cupcake 3

I didn’t want to get any over-spray of the brown onto the “cake”, so I put a little paper & masking tape to cover that part. First layer of color is a warm yellow!!

Airbrushing a Cupcake 4

I like to paint in light layers of many different colors. I think this gives the colors more depth instead of just blasting a color onto the wool. Also if you get too much acrylic paint onto the wool, it tends to bleed & get a little crunchy.

Airbrushing a Cupcake 5

Slowly getting darker & darker!! Going from the yellow base to a warm brown.

Airbrushing a Cupcake 6
Starting to look like chocolate with the darker brown!! This could pass as a Milk Chocolate, but I want a darker frosting.

Airbrushing a Cupcake 7

Working with the darkest (almost black) brown to add some dark shadows within the “twirl”.

Airbrushing a Cupcake 8

Yummy Yummy!!! Looking Delicious!! Love the dark shading in the creases!!

Almost done just need….

Airbrushing a Cupcake 9

Cherries On Top!!! Yea! All done!

Thank You Dabble.org for letting me share!!  I hope this tutorial has inspired you to take another look at your chosen medium & maybe think outside the box!  Never feel confined by the “traditional” way of doing things!!

If you are interested in learning more about felting, or seeing some fun Tutorials on the felting process, Please visit my Blog:

FeltedChicken Blog