Bench No. 1: hand-painted shading…
It’s subtle. The spray paint was selected for the previous solar chandeliar project. It was picked as neighbor colors for acrylic enamel we have on hand from painting the interior rooms of the Cattywampus Cottage.
Typically, I start with the spray base coat, which prohibits further rusting and seals the surface. then I brush a darker color on the recesses of the metal, using rags to wipe off any slop.
Bench No. 1: medium highlights…
Next, the first of two highlight colors. This one is being in the same color family.
The dry-brush technique allows the raised details to pop.
This is developing into such a great project. Each day, I arrive excited for the next step.
our cattywampus cottage 
I love what you have done with the bench! I envy your talent with color! Being colorblind leaves me relying on my knowledge of color (complimentary colors, warm vs cold, etc.) without a real feel for whether I’m “doing it right.” I’m painting D&D figures for our Thursday games and I’m just not as pleased with the results as I’d like.