Muddy shoes

Today I had the fun of painting clean pretty clothes into looking like they've been through a week long trip in the catskills with rain, mud, a porqupine fight and the rescue of a bleeding dog... here's my "studio" mid process...

To ruin shoes it requires the following steps;
1. Field research

2. cover the shoes in a mixture of Gesso, and potting mix
3. paint over dry Gesso a layer of Raw Umber acrylic paint

4. Next layer is a Burnt Umber (leaving a little Raw Umber peaking through)

5. a slight smatterning of Burnt Sienna...

Voila! Shoes that feel like new but look Disgusting!