"Advanced" Finish Help Needed

Submitted by goodmanbm on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 04:49

I can only describe this as 'Advanced' because there isn't much information on the web about how to achieve this finish.

Does anyone have ANY clue how to get this finish - http://www.paintinthetown.com/.....shes.htm  other than flying to Atlanta and paying the $300 to take the class?

I have Googled all the key words and spent countless hours trying to find a good tutorial on this but haven't.  I can tell you how to antique, glaze, and just about everything else, but not this wax/crust concept.  I'm reaching out to the KOW community to see if anyone has any ideas.

I have built a lot of the plans on this site and feel that the real value, or satisfaction for me, is in the finish. 

Again, any help would be appreciated!!!!!

Tsu Dho Nimh

Sat, 10/23/2010 - 05:42

"layered Gesso waxed faux finish" … Think of it as an extra-heavy crackling finish and you can do it. Wink 

If you are familiar with rubbing a candle erratically onto a surface to keep the next paint layer from sticking as you are making a distressed finish, this does that. The difference is that you  use gesso to get thicker layers. Instead of peeling paint layer effect, you get peeling plaster effect. Gesso = plaster and glue (available pre-mixed).

Make a good base coat of the gesso or paint, and hit the high points with an erratic rub of wax, then do the next coat of gesso. When you rub or sand that coat, it should come off where the wax was. Then paint it, antiquing as usual with your glazing and gilding.

You can also apply white glue (ordinary craft glue)  where you want crackling and gesso over it with acrylic-based gesso. It will crack just like paint does.

Practice first on some scraps of molding.

 

ADDING: It looks like they may have used gesso and a stencil on a couple of the samples to get an embossed look. It will create a thicker section and then the glaze really picks up the details.