Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Teddybears SwedenWell THAT was a weird subject...!
Anyway, I want my bear to looks as if it has been taking a bath in ash... you know that old-looking kind of bear with black marks here and there.
Any idea how to make the black "spots"? I have tried Copic markers but they are too black. I was thinking of using oil paint.. how long does it take to dry and what happens if the bear gets wet, does it get sticky? 
Teddybears SwedenSo typical me... I couldn't wait so I tried out my old oils paint! And boy was that fun ! 
My poor bear is all black but I LOOOOOVE the result with the oil paint and I will keep on using them for shading.
Gotta go brush some oil on my boyfriend... and my ferrets... and.... 
Donna's Duin BruinsI think it was Laura Lynn that told to take a bear out and rub it on a sidewalk to dirty it down and to wear the mohair. I got the result I wanted by giving the bear a light misting of water first so that it took on more dirt from the sidewalk. I think I would take some scrap mohair and actually put it in some real ash to see what you ended up with. After you had some good covering of ash then I would lightly clean it. You learn so much by just playing.
Donna
You can also use newspaper to get the blackened effect you want
Hugs
Gail
ToadBriarI have heard of people using shoe polish but I don't know how
dark it gets or if it remains smudgy or what.
Back Road BearsJennie - I LOVE oils!!
Donna - I think I'll take a bunny I made, tie it to the back of my car and drive up and down our dirt road a few times, see what it looks like then! I saw them do it on one of those DIY home improvement shows to a bureau that needed that 'aged' look! HORRORS!!! 
Gail - A technique that certainly works well on fingers and white pants!!! :)
Kim - All I can think of is that shoe polish smell.... on a bear.... wonder how long it lasts!!??
ToadBriaroh dear, I didn't even consider the smell...
although I suppose that's relevant to the ashes idea too!
ewwww ashtray scented bear 
hey, how about charcoal, like artist's drawing charcoal.
Bears by JodiTry acrilic paints watered down. Spray the bear with a mist of watter ,then make a watery paint mixture and rub in where you want it. Let dry out in the sun. After spray some hair spray or mist and fluff up the fur. Let dry. You will live it.
Posts: 361Hi Jennie:
After September 11...5 years ago, I made two firefighter bears...I used actual ash from my fireplace. It was a little messy...but there was no odour and they looked amazing.
Nancy
