If you chose to create an Amate Bark Painting, you may finish sooner than people who chose the weaving or yarn painting. This project is designed to fill in the extra time you may have while waiting for others to finish. This will not replace any of the three main choice projects, but anyone can do it no matter which Choice 4 project they choose.
Directions
Begin by finding a stick to paint. It must be at least 24" long. You can bring one from home or can search for one here. Pay attention to the shape and the amount of knots along it's length. The bark will be removed so you want it as smooth as possible underneath. Make sure there are no bugs or ants inside of the stick.
Remove the bark. Old sticks that have dried out often are easier to strip. Look for a stick with loose bark. You can use an Xacto Knife if necessary.
Research Native American designs. There are a few websites listed below to help you get start
Begin planing and putting designs down the length of the stick. You may draw with a pencil first, but it is not a requirement. Another option would be to paint your color sections then draw the details of the design on top of each color segment. You may also just start paining on one end and adding painted designs at random.
Plan your colors. Native americans traditionally use red, blue, yellow, black and white. You can use any color you want, but you may want to use a color scheme that groups matching colors. Add white or black to your colors to tone them down and change their value/intensity.
Layer your designs and colors to add complexity to your design. Simply put a second, third, or even fourth design on top of your base design getting gradually smaller as you add a new element. Outlining things also makes your design look more complex.
To add more interest to your stick, add some extras. Beads and yarn can be glued onto the stick. The yarn is wrapped tightly around the stick in small sections and the beads are glued in as part of the design. Yarn, beads and feathers can also be attached to the end of the stick so that they dangle off the end of the stick.
Paint at least 3/4ths of the stick. Some areas can be left unpainted, but it should mostly be painted.
Get creative and add something new or different to create a unique look.