Butterfly

Written By Amy Cutaiar

I used this butterfly to test my skills and push me to try some new techniques and materials. Here is what supplies I used and how I did it step by step.

Materials

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MDF Butterfly from Kuzzly Design

Step 1

Prepare the Butterfly

I knew I would be using spray paint and was going to try some new things with the interior of the wings so I added liquid latex. I only added the liquid latex to the portions where I did not want the darker spray paint to go. In hindsight, I would have primed the base white or at least the wings before adding the liquid latex. If you try this do a test spot to make sure the latex does not pull up the paint.

Adding the liquid latex is fairly easy. I used a cheap dollar store paint brush to carefully apply the latex to the butterfly wings. I applied a generous amount and allowed it to dry overnight.

It is important that you only put the latex where you want it because it will make it that much easier when you pull it off. The less touch up you need to do the better.

Liquid latex applied to wings

Step 2

Painting

Once the liquid latex is dry, it is safe to add the spray paint. I propped the butterfly up on a cup and placed it on some cardboard to minimize any overspray mess. (Yes, I did end up with blue grass anyway. 😂) I also used a spray paint handle to make it easier to spray but this is totally optional and not needed especially for such a small project. A few light coats of spray paint did the trick and I let that dry completely before moving on.

If you follow me on social media, you will know that while I was spray painting it started to rain and I did end up with some not-so-great looking spots in the spray paint because of that.

I then added some details with some watered down black acrylic paint. I used an old toothbrush to splatter paint over the whole butterfly, making sure to hit the spots that I wanted to cover up.

I followed up with that same black paint in a precision tip bottle and added some dots.

First layers of paint

Step 3

Peel The Latex

Next is the most fun part of the project. I used a small needle tool to help me grab a corner of the latex so I could then peel it right off. I could have just used my finger to rub the edge to be able to peel it up with any tools.

All latex removed

Step 4

Painting the Wings

I started here by doing a test swatch on the back of the butterfly using an Arteza paint marker and you could see the MDF right through the color. That is why priming the whole base first before the latex or any spray paint would have saved me a ton of time. If you are able to do it first, I recommend it.

I used the Arteza white marker to lay some color down and used a small paint brush to fill in all the wing spaces with white.

I switched over to a watered-down white acrylic paint in a precision tip bottle. I worked one section at a time adding white paint, brushing it on to fill the space and then adding color with the paint markers while the white was still wet. I quickly used that same brush to blend the colors.

I included a video below where you can see how I blended the paint.

Painting Butterfly Wings

Step 5

UV Resin and Glow Powder

Here I tried out some new materials, UV Resin (a one-part resin that cures under a UV light or the sun) and Glow powder.

I used a small medicine cup and squeezed out enough resin to apply to some of the wing sections and mixing in some glow powder. I then applied the resin using a small scoop tool and spread it out. I worked slowly, since I only wanted the inside of the wing sections to glow, I needed to stay inside those portions. Once I had a few sections done I cured the resin with a UV light. I continued doing a few sections at a time and curing until I had applied the resin to all the sections. The glow powder added a nice glittery effect.

UV Resin

Step 6

Topcoat

Before adding a topcoat of resin, I added some paste wax to the back to help with removing the drips later. To unify the piece, I decided to add a topcoat of Tabletop Epoxy.

This step is not necessary if you like the matte finish of the body and wing outlines you can skip to the final step.

I added barely a drop of pink Mixol, a concentrated liquid pigment, to tint the resin. I did not want to hide any of the features I had already added to the butterfly with a darker tint.

I then flooded the surface of the butterfly with resin and made sure I used my stir stick to ensure the top and sides were evenly coated. Using a heat gun and torch lightly to remove any bubbles. I let this cure for a few days before moving on but would be safe to pick up after about 8 hours. A full cure can take 5-7 days.

Spreading out top coat

Step 6

Sanding and Hardware

There are many ways to remove resin drips from the bottom of your piece, this time I chose to use my orbital sander to sand them off. Since I used the paste wax this was quick and easy. I cleaned off any dust with a nonabrasive cloth.

To add the hardware, I used my drill to predrill where the screw eyes would go, and screwed the eye screws in. I then added a jump ring to each eye screw and attached 9 inches of chain and closed the jump rings on both sides.

*You could add your screw eyes before your topcoat of resin to help secure them to the piece or add some glue to the threads for a more permanent bond.

Screw Eye, Jump Ring, and Chain

Finished

I really enjoyed making this butterfly piece and love how it turned out in the end. If you have any questions or make one of your own I would love to hear about it. There is a comment section below and you can tag me on social media @amysacutabove.

Amy Cutaiar
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