![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/b13c5b0ddf3cef0ce857263796e64ae32dbbb7ca93c8e007a1da7e3bad1cbc5156ec4b01c12df70f_rw_3840.jpg?h=cdefcd8a8721f6a139e1d81339918bd2)
Before and After...
I found this bench in this condition. It still supported my weight when I sat down on it, but it was really depressing to see every day and night when I would come home from work. So, I tried out the three different color spots you see on the 'before' image - because originally I was going to paint the cast iron and the wood. I neither painted the wood nor used any of the three original colors I tested. While I did end up with blue for the cast iron, I chose a darker blue - navy (as the spray can said). Once I painted the cast iron legs and sidings in the navy color, there was no way I could also paint the wood while keeping a beautiful aesthetic. Painted wood would have been nice, and nicer than what I found, but that color of navy blue required stained wood.
Finally, the birds, for which this project is named, was an afterthought suggested by a friend - who casually asked if I'd be painting them realistically. I shuddered under the dread of the thought of painting them. And yet, the idea stuck with me - so much that I eventually was deciding how to paint them in a way that was easy, but also quick. Realizing that the cast iron already had the shape and surface of the birds in relief, I used very shallow, glancing angles from which to spray the three different colors of paint (base, mid with vibrant hue, and light for the birds heads, and tails).
I found this bench in this condition. It still supported my weight when I sat down on it, but it was really depressing to see every day and night when I would come home from work. So, I tried out the three different color spots you see on the 'before' image - because originally I was going to paint the cast iron and the wood. I neither painted the wood nor used any of the three original colors I tested. While I did end up with blue for the cast iron, I chose a darker blue - navy (as the spray can said). Once I painted the cast iron legs and sidings in the navy color, there was no way I could also paint the wood while keeping a beautiful aesthetic. Painted wood would have been nice, and nicer than what I found, but that color of navy blue required stained wood.
Finally, the birds, for which this project is named, was an afterthought suggested by a friend - who casually asked if I'd be painting them realistically. I shuddered under the dread of the thought of painting them. And yet, the idea stuck with me - so much that I eventually was deciding how to paint them in a way that was easy, but also quick. Realizing that the cast iron already had the shape and surface of the birds in relief, I used very shallow, glancing angles from which to spray the three different colors of paint (base, mid with vibrant hue, and light for the birds heads, and tails).
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf3.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/e726ece0b60601bd2055721327d5c49f40441aefaa051eec47e37f762a67f1e494a0f6565c1f1e99_rw_3840.jpg?h=5be21bbc2d49d424acdb1a57a1ec3553)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf4.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/54ce8177b9cf7863513d1d26d7047b8a85900612f98ff6806ba6506904b28145498f17a796b3b18f_rw_3840.jpg?h=56514314a66d0246b727e0aaee5bc9e4)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/2fbab3ea3e61e1203123fe7353027bb6578341bd74ee223f2faf74fce04a85539e4be2e67fb6a9c7_rw_3840.jpg?h=a72e1a195cae8dd01e6efff720796882)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf4.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/f3f071ca8fb969ceaf30c76fae0850dd69d9c564611148a3d54530e7f3d1b80cf99f8e90dc7d35b6_rw_3840.jpg?h=3c9591f2e9103f0e5a5e1e87fa3f8af3)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/94e377bcf7ee7508652613e444d3382499e6df68338871dcb5f9773d4a01b86d2e08bce235cff2c6_rw_3840.jpg?h=1e4aa38cf5e5ac1088dc7fd33d0eba73)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/2e79e776d23ed40fec9c2658b9e708b98efc6a316c96611d6a0bef27201a24cd7609a396179226b9_rw_3840.jpg?h=98578c198b0f9313c293ff4e81eb3d89)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf5.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/6467cde5813c9939be7acbec6a2dc1da64eab05eb4b9f7e9a47fcb8308e44dd51d2a020b8df0eafb_rw_3840.jpg?h=344e95d403fb239ee2ee7f5100f28a37)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/ae4121abf1643b7bd87ed4e76985c757fc81c1b35859177fb2815ac99510f279fd1c8d88c0a2487f_rw_3840.jpg?h=ac57eb2a149f6f9f5903d578438a8fd4)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf3.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/ebc4016fff3d5999157af78557d2208a9663731c15db895747229e93c5c4f16a0a5c006aa02c130b_rw_3840.jpg?h=9a4e85b370d9d9062d1e9d1518074c5e)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf2.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/daf7a6a4f56fc4d7b50311d239576a90db8f19b2caa7fceb488052277dc970f41375e1f225655fd0_rw_3840.jpg?h=f821f906530abf68ce407d53464c6261)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf1.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/9f815ccf855b79656f9bfdea7f74636d2695b55990a319c36417aef444b08e78e13bd691c10ff99f_rw_3840.jpg?h=4252fd7001e69d0069c24951b504bbd9)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf3.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/e85eae35cf7d4888108967a8c3ce7e2c97dd2f0325bb15a8edf5d309cded76dc14f0603fac9f39f3_rw_3840.jpg?h=3fa6a54582ff78c64fd9e3430d37fac1)
Below are pictures of the process. The birds took roughly five minutes to paint, but 20-30 minutes to mask
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf2.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/3849fe1f7cc0d4a39a047d5abfe5cbcb635bfaa28e90c013338eac38e88c901e4e5c641c60c6a400_rw_3840.jpg?h=671d89d0bbfc183f96e242c9907faae4)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/ba8b55b07a4d7c45d9fe01aa5acfd15af9c63da6e79a0a527a326adea9eb2a1e1d2390b1b224e409_rw_3840.jpg?h=37e535808a6a7fa0de7102fa8d468315)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf5.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/62b8f4290ff8e1354973ffd2e29478ed2d7018087a7fff64b780f68df00955516fe80d7f5a0da334_rw_1920.jpg?h=811c55f9fa9d465a35fcf84e9a52bc50)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/b36c7a0b7a3186659f55900bc87aa6f3c085ef873654fa00d94ce932ab15a334f5434206881ddf7e_rw_3840.jpg?h=e720a22125f70ac84be5357249741d30)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf4.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/fcfd56819b9d4c78ba3ac69e2306abb9efba765af5656a0b6af905728b6221e660e54e3d005c8ddd_rw_3840.jpg?h=6cc7d0fe7a92680fa32071aa29389d55)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf6.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/74a3fb3ff2dcf2822fa5f6f477cf4267a09c1d2da903ed1e7fcac8be4978e7fbeb2fabb22d436266_rw_3840.jpg?h=8035393fa4bd5c8c3f577728c5b17844)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf3.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/48dbb83a5e9b570209770bca25f0ff83dc4feeae207ac2ad17aa9992bd8d88afbfb5a43d94ddc1f0_rw_3840.jpg?h=f23147264e66ff296bbf186d4041e96a)
![](https://pro2-bar-s3-cdn-cf.myportfolio.com/bcec58459fb743c39186bceeb479d3ae/8727da7c765a3670b083971f8fff7393d961ab4b4eb124740c6fd273d66df6f969245aaa63d65127_rw_3840.jpg?h=027627bc54e75ed3c6a666a267eb0c28)