Annie Sloan Workshop – PART 2
Beyond the basics (check out Annie Sloan Workshop – PART 1), there are so many creative ways you can use Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan and because it dries so quickly a project won’t take you a week to finish (patience is not one of my virtues).
According to our smart friends at Wikipedia, in art, frottage (from French frotter, “to rub”) is a surrealist and “automatic” method of creative production developed by Max Ernst. We used a similar rubbing technique to achieve this textured look using some crumpled up newspaper.
Start with a basecoat of your favourite colour, paint until your surface is fully covered (it may need more than one coat), then let dry. Once the basecoat is dry, take a complimentary colour, thin it out in a separate container and paint on.
TIP: This thin paint will dry VERY quickly so you’ll have to work fast. This is why this technique is recommended for smaller areas.
While the paint is wet, smooth out your crumpled newspaper, lay on top, and gently run over it with your fingers. Lift off the paper and voila!
Once the frontage is dry (in about 20-30 minutes depending on the humidity) you can have some fun by applying colourful paper with decoupage. I personally love decoupage because it’s a glue and sealer. Who needs more bottles of stuff laying around?
TIP: The thinner the paper the better. Paper napkins work well if you (gently) peel off the white backing.
Brush on an even coat of decoupage. While wet, place your paper, gently smoothing out any air bubbles with a brush.
TIP: Mistakes can be frustrating. It’s always a good idea to play out your design ahead of time!
After all your pieces are glued down apply several coats of decoupage to seal. The goal is to not to be able to feel the edges of your paper anymore and create a smooth surface.
For the purpose of the workshop, we tried to use as many techniques on one surface as possible to save on both time and materials. After the decoupage was dry, it was time for stenciling!
When stenciling (walls, furniture, floors, etc), avoid having too much paint on your brush. It will bleed under the edges of the stencil creating messy lines. Instead, blot off excess paint on a paper towel. You can either stipple the paint on or swirl it on depending on personal preference.
Gently lift off the stencil to reveal the pattern!
I really wanted to have a little fun and try the Gold Size (glue) with a little gold foil (coming soon to the store!) To mark our your design, use a tape designed for delicate or freshly painted surfaces like this one by 3M.
After about 20-30 minutes, the size is dry but tacky enough to accept the gold (or silver) foil.
Use a brush to get rid of excess foil and peel back the tape.
TIP: Metallic foils are extremely thin and fragile. I find that tweezers make them a bit easier to work with but don’t panic if they tear.
Old pieces have a lot of character. It may take decades for varnish on a painting or furniture piece to crack but you can speed up the process with Annie Sloan’s Craqueleur. It’s a two part process that gives subtle but stunning results. First, apply a generous coat of Step 1. It will look milky at first but will dry clear (that’s when you know you’re ready for Step 2).
After Step 1 has dried, put on Step 2, trying to put on even coat in one direction. A foam brush works pretty well. As this step dries, you will start to see cracks spidering across the surface. Remember that this is not an exact science and your results may be difference each time you do this. That’s why this finish is also better for small surfaces.
TIP: If Craqueleur Step 2 gets a little thick, dip the pot in a bowl of warm water to soften.
After about an hour, you should have something that looks like this.
To bring out these lovely new details use a coat of Dark Wax. It will settle in the fine cracks and accentuate them.
TIP: Wipe off the excess Dark Wax with a lint free cotton cloth (an old t-shirt or sheet work well).
Tada! There are a lot of techniques on this one little board and I would not recommend using them all at once. You want each style to stand out on its own. Just image a beautiful sideboard with a crackled finish top finished with some Dark Wax or a gilded picture frame.
There is so much more we learned to stay tuned for PART 3!
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