Leopard pumpkin & DIY Leopard Stencils

Happy Halloween!!! This is my pumpkin for the year. Pretty excited about how it turned out!





Materials:
- Gold Spray Paint - I'm loyal to Rust-olium
- Teal paint
- Black paint
- Foam to cut leopard stencil from (See pictures at bottom.)
- Thin paint brush
- Thin Sharpie marker
- Scissors

Simple How To:
- Spray paint pumpkin gold. Dry.
- Use foam to draw leopard stencils. I created 6 and repeated those throughout the whole pattern on the pumpkin. Cut stencils out of foam, using tips of scissors cut negative space out between spots. (See pictures at bottom.)
- One stencil at a time, dip stencil into paint, and begin pattern. I started with the largest piece to spread it out evenly. Repeat and fill the space accordingly using the remaining patterns. 
- Let paint dry.
- After teal paint is set, begin painting the black "shadows" with a fine brush. Recommend starting on the back of the pumpkin so you've mastered the outline before you get to the front.
- I referenced Google Images for "Leopard Patterns" and found one with a shadow I was trying to re-create. Generally, the bottom and right side of each single pattern is where you are going to want to highlight. Think of the teal pattern piece being on top of an identical black pattern piece and then moving slightly up and to the left. The black would remain to create a "shadow".
- Work your way around the whole pumpkin, focusing first on the center of the pumpkin. Then, slightly tilt the pumpkin and paint the bottom patterns, rotating when needed. Finally, paint the top.
- Let dry and then show your pumpkin off!!!!



This was sand paper attached to foam my husband had just worn out. Good way to repurpose! Draw rough design of leopard patterns and cut out.

Cut each pattern out individually. 


Use scissor points to go around edges, snipping down into the foam.


Use your fingers to lightly pull the foam apart and to cut the "negative space" part of the pattern out. 

Finished pattern pieces! Ready to paint...


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