Decorative Tole Painting: A Modern Heritage

Tole painting is the beloved tradition of using acrylic paint to create intricate designs on what might otherwise be considered common household objects. Originating in New England in the 18th century, the folk art of tole painting has grown in popularity over the last 300 years. It is a favored art form of German immigrants in Pennsylvania and has sister practices in the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries. Tole painting is usually expressed on either wooden or metal objects, like furniture and other everyday items. Examples could include tables and chairs, kitchen utensils, decorative boxes, or even coffee pots. These pieces typically display favorite patterns, flowers, and illustrations and are often kept as family heirlooms.

Tole Painting Project for Beginners
Tole painting may look intricate in its design, but it is not difficult to execute. This painting style can be used on any household object made of metal or wood, or even on canvas. As a fun project, we recommend finding household items at a flea market, garage sale, or thrift store and turning them into handmade gifts or family heirlooms. Secondhand stores, local salvage, or consignment shops are also great places to find jewelry boxes, wood crates, metal cooking utensils and pots, or wood chairs and tables. Once you start tole painting, you may not be able to stop!

Tole Painting on Canvas
Tole painting is primarily done on wood or metal, but to fully demonstrate the art style, we will be using a canvas in this project. We decided on a lovely Christmas Dove design using acrylic paints. Our favorite paints for this project are the Professional Acrylics by American Journey. Of course, you can find them and the other materials listed here at Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff. Gather your supplies then follow the step-by-step instructions below to try tole painting on a canvas!

Here are all the supplies you will need to collect:

American Journey Professional Acrylics:
• Pyrole Red
• Permanent Green Light
• Payne’s Gray
• Quinacridone Gold
• Tint White

Cheap Joe’s Golden Fleece Synthetic Watercolor Brushes:
• Round #2
• Round #4
• Round #6

Saral Wax Free Transfer Paper
General’s Jumbo Kneaded Rubber Eraser
Golden Acrylic Flow Release
Joe Miller Signature Series Gesso
Joe’s Prime Profile Cradled Painting Panels in 6×6 Standard depth
Golden Archival Varnish Mineral Spirit Acrylic Aerosol in Gloss

Step One: Draw Dove Design on Transfer Paper

Tear off a sheet of the Saral Wax Free Transfer Paper that matches the size of the 6x6 painting panel. Use a graphite pencil to sketch out the design of a dove inside a large heart. The heart should have two equidistant guidelines running through the center to assist with shading and design placement, and the dove should be large enough to fill the center of the heart.

Step Two: Apply Gesso to Painting Panel
Apply a single coat of Joe Miller Signature Series Gesso to the Prime Profile Cradled Painting Panel and allow it to dry. The gesso is thick and creamy, so only one coat will be needed.

Step Three: Transfer Dove Design to Painting Panel
Prepare the design for transfer by rubbing a paper towel or tissue over the surface of the transfer paper, removing excess graphite. Place the design graphite-side down on the prepared painting panel, and trace over the shapes with a stylus or similarly shaped tool. Once the pattern is transferred to the panel, use a General’s Jumbo Kneaded Rubber Eraser to remove any excess graphite to prevent smudging during the painting process.

Step Four: Apply Base Coats for Backgrounds

Using Pyrole Red, apply an even base coat to the inside of the heart, being careful to go around the dove. Allow the first layer to dry. Mix a small amount of Payne’s Gray into the Pyrole Red to darken the color, and shade the inner rim of the heart using the Side Load Floating Technique.
Side Load Floating Technique:

Wet a flat brush with water or Golden Acrylic Flow Release. Remove excess moisture, and dip one corner into the mixture of Pyrole Red and Payne’s Gray. Blend on the palette until the paint creates a smooth gradient on the brush. Apply the paint to the inner rim of the heart, creating a smooth transition from light to shadow.

To create the outer background color, mix Payne’s Gray into Permanent Green Light until a deep forest green color is created. Apply an even coat of green paint around the outside of the heart and let it dry fully.

Step Five: Add Shading to the Heart and Dove

Use the same Side Load Floating Technique to apply shading to the outer rim of the heart and to the dove. Load Quinacridone Gold onto the brush and create a gradient on the outer-most rim of the heart. Then use the same color to shade and define the dove. Focus the heaviest color where the wings meet the body, between the two wings, and along the tail. Add paint to the center of the wings, leaving the edges white as a highlight. Add a subtle amount of blush to the dove’s cheeks by mixing together Pyrole Red and Tint White.

Step Six: Add Decorative Details

Add the finishing details to the piece by using two techniques: The Comma Stroke and Uniform Dots.
Comma Stroke:

Fully load a round brush with paint and apply pressure to the tip of the brush. Pull the brush away, using less pressure as it moves. Complete the stroke with a curve, creating a comma shape. Use this technique to add white feathers to the dove and green decorative strokes and holly leaves around the rim of the heart.
Uniform Dots:

Dip the handle of a paintbrush in Pyrole red and press the tip onto the canvas. Different-sized brushes will create smaller and larger dots. Use this technique to add decorative dots and holly berries to the rim of the heart.
Finish up the details by giving the dove a face and painting a holly stem in its beak.

Step Seven: Apply Gloss Finish

Let the paint dry completely, then spray an even coat of Golden Archival Varnish Mineral Spirit Acrylic Aerosol to seal the piece. Now it’s ready to be displayed and enjoyed!

Experiment with different colors and patterns on canvas. Now that you’ve tried the tole painting technique on a flat surface, this skill can be transferred to anything you wish. If you’re feeling confident enough to try to paint a household object, it might be worth stopping by the flea market first. Keep practicing and enjoy tole painting!
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