Send a message of love to that special someone with bold letters and beautiful patterns

What you need...

• Letters, MDF, L,O,V,E
  
• Paints: Artist's Colours, white, warm white, aqua, brilliant magenta, provincial beige, brilliant violent; background colours, seedling green; gesso white primer
  
• Varnish, water-based
  
• Brushes: angular shading, round, liner, oval wash
  
• Foam sponge, stick
  
• Plate
  
• Kitchen roll

instructions

1. Paint all letters with several thin coats of white gesso, drying between layers. Lightly sand the surface for a smooth finish. Choose a different colour and pattern for each piece. Always allow the base to dry before adding the design.

2. Mix aqua and white for the L. Using the liner brush, add checks in white paint diluted with water. Double-load the shading brush by dipping the long corner into magenta and the other into white. On a plate, work the brush in single strokes, producing a gradual transition between the shades.

3. Add flowers by holding the white end toward the centre and pivoting the brush around. Repeat for all five petals, until you have the desired amount. Dab the centres in green. Using diluted paint, add green swirls between them with the liner brush.

4. Coat the O in violet mixed with white. Add little hearts in warm white, facing different directions, positioning incomplete ones near the edges. Outline each shape using all the colours in your palette and the liner brush.

5. On the V, use a background of magenta lightened with white. Colour small ovals in brilliant magenta, then add swirls of white to each one. Paint a pair of leaves on either side to create a rosebud pattern, as shown.

6. Mix seedling green with white for the E. Dip the wooden end of the large brush into a fresh puddle of paint, then hold upright and dot onto surface. Add smaller spots in different colours, using the liner brush. Double-load the shading brush with the lightened mix used for the short corner of the letter and blend on a plate with the shade used for the long side. Dampen the edges of each piece, and paint an outline with the long corner facing outwards. Add pressure, blending as you go.