The basic colours for the pearls of the plastron can be prepared on a plate or a pallet. Take a point of each chosen colour – vermilion red, ultramarine blue, viridian, orange, etc. - add two or three drops of egg emulsion and blend it.

Fill the pearls with the basic colour – and a bit of water – and let it dry. Do the first highlight by adding a bit of white to each colour and apply it, reducing the coloured area towards the centre of each pearl. Let it dry completely.

The last highlight is done by adding again some titanium white to the preceding colour and putting an accent of light on each pearl.

The colour of the stick is composed of pure Venice red. In order to obtain precise lines, the colour must be quite dry. Choose a brush with a good tip and a thick ruler – we used a wooden square one – to guide your line. To be on the safe side, you can trace your line in two steps: draw a fine line first, and then another line giving it its final thickness. Be careful, think about the placing of the stick around the hand!

Finally, you can decorate the top of the stick with two “inverse arrows” and the “bead” between the two “arrows”.