Leprechaun 🍀

Bring a little luck to your artwork with this festive leprechaun project! With bold colors, shimmering glass accents, and a glossy resin finish, this step-by-step guide will help you create a charming St. Patrick’s Day masterpiece full of texture and sparkle.

Start by painting the background with white acrylic paint and blending in Hauser Green Light, making swishes and strokes in different directions. Dry with a heat tool.

Grab your tracer, tape it to your canvas, place graphite paper underneath, and trace the leprechaun onto your canvas. 

Paint the hat with Holly Green, the chin and ears with Warm Beige, and the legs with White. Use Milk Chocolate for the beard, and complete the look by painting the hat ribbon and shoes with Black. Dry with a heat tool.

Now, let’s bring depth and dimension to your leprechaun with shadows and highlights! Start by applying a second coat of Holly Green to the hat. Blend black paint along the top and right side for shadows, and add white paint along the left side and the top of the buckle for highlights. Repeat this process for the hat brim to create a cohesive look.

Next, add a second coat of Warm Beige to the ears and chin, then softly blend in white paint along the edges for subtle highlights. For the beard, apply a second coat of Milk Chocolate and blend in white paint to add texture and depth.

Move on to the legs by applying a second coat of white paint, then painting green stripes using Holly Green. For the shoes, add a second coat of black and blend in white paint for highlights. Finally, paint the hat buckle with Splendid Gold to make it shine. Once everything is complete, dry with a heat tool.

Use a graphic pen to add short, quick strokes outlining different areas of your leprechaun. 

Now, let's add glass! I am adding Gold Reflective Glass to the bottom of my canvas like he's standing on a hill of gold. I have gold glass buckles that I'll add to his shoes and some shamrock jewels in the background. 

Next, we're going to elevate our canvas using blocks. Put on rubber gloves. Mix 1/2 oz total of ArtResin and stir gently for three minutes. Pour the resin onto your canvas and use your gloved fingers or brush to spread it over the entire piece.

Use a heat gun to pop your bubbles. Keep your heat moving at all times! 

If you don’t want to miss my Facebook LIVE art instruction, make sure you are on my texting list. I always text 10 minutes before I’m going to go LIVE, so you won’t ever miss it. You can text “Hey Cindy” to 901-519-2923.

Want more inspiration and artwork?

•  My website artshattered.com with resources, shop, and more!
•  My creative membership The Shattered Circle, where you can explore the world of glass art with online workshops, a supportive community, and more!
•  My mini creative membership Just A ‘Lil Bit Monthly Glass Art Club, where you’ll get a new quick and easy online tutorial for just a lil' bit of sparkle in your life!
• My Facebook page where I go LIVE every Wednesday night at 6:00 PM CST.
• My YouTube channel which has tons of free art lessons right at your fingertips.