Artsy Chicks Rule

CreatingFabulousFinishesCreate a beautiful & unique finish that willmake your masterpiece stand apart! Don'tsettle for "paint it and done". Learn how tocreate fabulous finishes with these tips,tricks & techniques!

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Introduction

Creating an Aged Look withGlaze

Creating Dimension withColored Waxes

Adding Dimension withVarying Paint Colors

Faux Weathered Wood Lookwith Paint

Simple DIY Galvanized Finish

Adding Instant Elegancewith Paint

Driftwood Effect on BareWood

Creating a White Wash Finishwith Paint

Recap & a Few More Tips

You've Got This

Table ofContents

Want to know how to create fabulous finishes with paint? It's all right here...without all

the fluff. I've compiled some of my most popular posts and techniques and am sharing

just the basics, all easy to read and follow along. No fluff, just the good stuff.

Things like....Dry Brushing

Using Colored Waxes

Fabulous Faux Finishes

I hope you enjoy this book and the techniques I'm sharing within. Don't just settle for

"painted and done". Use these techniques to create your next masterpiece! If you have

any questions at all, please don't hesitate to reach out! I'm here to help!

IntroductionCongratulations!! You are on your way to creating fabulous finishes. It'sso much easier than you think!

Nancy Christopher, Artsy Chicks Rule

I started out by painting this cabinet a soft gray blue.

Creating an Aged Lookwith Glaze

Once that was dry, I used a brown glaze to rub over the blue paint.

You can find glaze in any hardware or big box store.

For this project, I used General Finishes Van Dyke Brown Glaze.

Here you can see the side by side, before and after.

The glaze gives it a bit of depth and dimension as well as a bit of aging.

Step 1Step 1

Get two rags, one to apply, and one to remove.

You basically just rub it on and down into the grooves and then go right

back over it with the clean rag to remove it.

Sounds counter productive I know, but it works.

Rub on, rub off. :)

As you rub off, leave it behind in the corners or crevices.

Here's a tipHere's a tip, if your finish coat of paint is matte or satin, more of the glaze

will "adhere" to the paint, similar to above.

If you want less of the glaze to adhere, and/or only adhere in the corners

and crevices, then use a semi gloss sealer on the paint before you begin

with the glaze.

This will give you a base that is more slick and in return, the glaze will wipe

away a bit easier.

You aren't even limited to brown.|

There are many glazes you can use and acquire.

Browns, tans, blacks...even colored.

And my final TIP, you can even make your own glaze.

That's right, you can!

Just mix a small amount of your desired paint color into a poly/sealer

product and you are set.

For example, if you want blue glaze, start by filling a separate container

with the amount of poly (I suggest water based) you think you will use for

your project. Then find your favorite blue craft paint, add a small amount to

the poly.Test and add more as needed. Use the same way you would store

bought glaze.

We've talked about using glaze and paint to create a fabulous finish. Now

let's take a look at creating a fabulous finish with colored waxes.

Starting with a freshly painted piece of furniture.

Creating Dimension withColored Waxes

You can see that it's very nice....but honestly, a little flat looking.

Let's give it some nice dimension and character.

I started the whole process by applying Clear WaxClear Wax over the entire piece.

I then applied the TanTan tinted wax in random areas along the entire outside

with an old rag.

After that, I applied a bit of Dark Brown WaxDark Brown Wax (mixed with some of the

clear) in the same way (also with an old rag).

Varying the areas I applied it (opposite and alongside the tan wax areas).

You can see below how it looks a bit "spotty" or "dirty".

But it won't look like that when finished. Just keep going.

Once I had applied a good amount of those 2 waxes, I decided I wanted to

add a bit more depth in the "blue" department.

So I mixed up a bit of Blue (medium blue)Blue (medium blue) tinted wax using the leftover

Tan wax I made earlier.

You don't have to do that but waste not, want not! ;)

You could also just start fresh with clear was and add the blue.

I used a stiffer bristle brush to wipe the blue tinted wax over parts of the

desk.

I did this by dipping the ends of the bristles lightly into the wax and then

wiping away most of it.

That is why I shared the photo above...to show how I wiped it away on the

extra paper plate.

Then, with a light hand, I brushed over the the whole desk.

I applied extra around the edges to give a bit of dimension to those areas.

Can you see the lighter beige, darker brown and darker blue in the paint

above?

It's very subtle and hard to photograph.

But hopefully you can see all three...and how they are somewhat "blended"

now

The raised edges of the handles showing the darker blue color ...

And here you can see a bit of the dark and tinted waxes.

You are not limited to those colors. Use any you like.

The key is to add dimension by adding layers of varying shades of color.

And a little bonus tipAnd a little bonus tip, once I was finished with the blue wax, I moved onto

the handles and hardware.

I used a brassy colored gilding wax to "hit" the high points.

Then I went over that with bright gold paint.

Doing it in layers really gives it so much dimension.

But again, really hard to see that dimension in the photographs.

These photos are all a bit darker so you can see the effect better.

Hopefully you get the gist of it though.

Adding dimension and depth through paint, wax and dry brushing

techniques.

Adding Dimension withVarying Paint ColorsLet's start with creating a fabulous finish with paint.

The armoire was painted in a medium blue shade to start.

Here was my inspiration for the paint finish.

You can see how "flat" and dull the paint looks here..

So to create a bit more dimension, I mixed up 2 small bowls of varyingshades of the same blue color, one darker, one lighter.

I then took 2 dry brushes and lightly dry brushed the 2 colors over thepiece to give it some of that needed depth.

*Dry brushing is an effect that is created by using a chip brush, orsimilar, and dipping the the very tips of the bristles in paint and thenwiping away most of that paint. You then lightly run the brush across the surface and it gives a "drybrush" effect. (as shown above)Not sure how? Practice a bit on a scrap piece of wood or even paper.You'll get the hang of it.

You can see below how I've added a bit of the light and a bit of the darkin places. Looks blotchy right now but keep going. :) Add as much or aslittle "dimension" as you'd like.

I then used a bit of sandpaper to distress the edges.

Next, I applied on coat of clear wax. OR you could apply one coat of asemi gloss sealer. (poly)

See those colors are very subtle but really add some nice depth?

If you want to go a step further, you can add either brown wax orbrown glaze. (like I did here)

Rub it on and wipe it off, leaving it mostly in the corners and crevices.

For this project, I also added the stencil to the bottom section.

Some close ups….

Lots of dimension….with that wonderful aged appearance I love. Muchbetter.

The key here is to remember you aren't striving for perfection. Youactually want different shades here and there. This is what gives thepiece more character and takes away that "flat" appearance.

Have you ever wanted that weathered look but weren't sure how to create

it? Well I've got the details covered for you right here. I'll share how I

created a weathered finish on several different style mirror frames below.

Here's what one of them looked like "before"....

Faux Weathered WoodLook with Paint

Plain white plastic.

I love and use Coco, in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

It is the perfect shade (in my opinion) to use for a "driftwood", weathered

wood looking base.

You can, however, use any other similar colored base paint, whether it is

latex or craft paint. Any will work just fine.

As you can see above, I did one very thin coat and that's all.

I was totally okay with the white showing through on this one because I

wanted it to be mostly white.

You can adjust accordingly.

Once that was dry, I started adding white, lots of white. Again, any type of

white paint will do.

And more white, until I thought it was white enough.

I actually had to take it to the bathroom and hold it up several times before

I finally added enough white.

The keyThe key to this is using a dry paint brush with little paint and keep adding

layers.

This will require more strokes and does take some time but it is what will

give you the appearance of worn, weathered painted wood you are after.

*Dry brushing is an effect that is created by using a chip brush, or similar,

and dipping the the very tips of the bristles in paint and then wiping away

most of that paint.

You then lightly run the brush across the surface and it gives a "dry brush"

effect. (as shown above)

Not sure how? Practice a bit on a scrap piece of wood or even paper. You'll

get the hang of it.

I didn't want this one to look "brown" or too weather-y, just a tad bit with

mostly white.

So, I continued with the "dry brushing" until it had the look I was after.

That's the beauty of this. YOU create the look you want.

More "wood" showing, less white paint, etc.

Up close...

I LOVE the depth and detail it has now.

It doesn't look plastic-y anymore.

As a matter of fact, I doubt anyone would even know it was plastic!

I sealed it with a coat of flat finish. Remember, I wanted it to look old so

didn't want it shiny.

You can, however, seal it with whatever finish you would like.

NOTE: If you used an acrylic or latex paint, sealing won't be necessary.

Here is another framed mirror I'll be sharing.

(I painted while up on the wall because it was a bear to get up and I didn't

want to mess with all of that again!)

I did tape it up pretty good so no paint would get to the wall.

I used the fabulous Coco Chalk Paint on this too.

Now, I wanted the mirror frame in the bathroom to be mostly white.

This frame in the kitchen, I wanted mostly "weathered wood look", less

white. So now you will get to see both ways.

Not only that, but I'm giving this one some old, faux weathered colored

paint too....blue.

I wanted it to appear as if it were really old painted wood that had

weathered naturally.

I also wanted it to look as if it had been painted blue at one time, so I added

quite a bit of blue.

Again, same as above, using a dry brush with little paint and adding layers.

Once I was done with the blue, I went over that with the white.

And continued adding more white until I was satisfied with the look....

...which by this point, I was.

Do you see how I left more "brown" behind?

It took several applications of white and also another brush of blue here

and there.

So these are 2 very different "weathered" wood applications.

Both very easy to accomplish, however!

Creating a DIY Galvanized Finish DIY Galvanized Finish is easier than you think.

No need to go to the craft store to buy any special "kits".

As a matter of fact, I'd bet you already have what you need to create this

look.

Silver Spray Paint

Black Paint

White Paint

Yep, that's it! Told you it was simple.

Now I'll show you how you can create this look.

Simple DIY GalvanizedFinish

Just follow along for a tiny little tutorial on How to Create a DIYDIY

Galvanized FinishGalvanized Finish in 3 steps below...

Step 1Step 1

Spray the item with any kind of shiny, silver metal spray.

Pretty much any type of silver spray paint will work

Step 2Step 2

Once they are dry, get a small paint brush and dip the ends of the bristles

in the white paint.

Be sure to wipe away most of the paint on a paper plate.

Then just dab, dab, dab, squishing the bristles down onto the letters.

Do that randomly all over, on the sides, etc. You can't really mess this part

up....unless you use too much paint. ;)

If you do, just wipe it away and start again!

Step 3Step 3

Once the white paint is dry, now it's time for black or gray paint.

Any shade of black will work, I like to use more of a charcoal colored gray.

With the same technique, I dabbed over the letters randomly.

Then to finish off the look, I took what was left on the brush and wiped at

the edges to leave that dark edge look you see above.

The edges would be one of the places that would naturally be worn/aged

so it makes it look even more realistic.

So, as you maybe can tell already, using a shiny paint underneath and then

adding paints over top that are matte/flat, really give it a true galvanized

look.

I didn't seal it because I wasn't too worried about them getting messed up.

You could, however, seal them with something like this a matte or satin

poly spray.

And so, now you can go and create your very own DIY Galvanized FinishDIY Galvanized Finish

on just about anything!

Painted CandlesticksPainted Candlesticks. So basic, right?

Adding Instant Elegancewith Paint

I planned to use these on mye buffet in the dining room but they didn't

match in there at all.

They were so very bright and the wrong shade of aqua.

I knew I didn't want to completely cover that pretty aqua but I needed to

downplay it a bit.

I'm going to share how I added a bit of simple elegance with a bit of bronze

and gold paint along with some white in places.

Sort of sparsely so the aqua would still show through.

Kind of like these ....

I started out adding a bit of bronze.... (just a small brush with a tiny amount

of paint)

As you can see, it was just hit or miss all the way around.

No rhyme or reason, just simple brush strokes here and there. (light on the

paint)

I know, they look ruined right now. ;)

Continue on....

The key is adding dimension. Dimension comes from different layers,

different colors, etc.

After that dried, I added the gold color over top.

And then I realized I was done!

Another way would have been to start with white, then bronze, then gold.

The sky is the limit really. Just play around with it.

For these, however, I decided they didn't need the white.

I thought they looked totally elegant without it.

And why ruin a good thing, right?

I sealed them with a satin poly spray and done!

Now let's talk about a completely different way to get a "weathered wood

finish" starting with bare wood....

Driftwood Effect on BareWood

We made these shutters from brand new wood. I roughed them up a bit

with a butter knife to create an "old, worn" look. I just ran it along the edges

and made the wood a bit "chippy". Then I gouged and scraped it in places.

Next I mixed up and applied some of my very favorite "driftwood" stain.

It's called "Driftwood Weathering Wood Finish". You can also find

weathered wood stain at the hardware or big box stores.

You can see the first one I did on the right is turning more gray and

darkening a bit.

NOTE: The driftwood stain I used will turn a different shade of gray/brown

depending on which type of wood you use.

Both done and dried. Isn't that neat?

Now, you could totally leave them just like this.

No need to do anything further....if this is the look you are after.

But I wanted them to look like they had been whitewashed at some

point...then aged and weathered.

So I pulled out my white Chalk Paint and got to work!

I like using Chalk Paint for this because of the dry, chalky finish but you can

really use any type of white paint here.

I didn't seal them so the dry, weathered finish remains.

If you want to seal them, you can use a flat finish poly.

All that's left to do now is a little dry brushing with the white paint.

Dip the tips of the dry brush bristles into the paint and wipe most away on

a paper plate.

Then, with a light hand, lightly brush over the boards.

Just keep doing this process until you have them as light as you like.

If you just want a touch of white, a slight weathered look, you can stop at

one coat.

I wanted them to be fairly white so did about 3 passes with the white.

Light even coats are best.

Good and grayed and weathered!

How cool is that?

They look nothing like how they started.

And I just love how the white paint brought out so much detail.

So, if you have unstained, natural wood this is a great way to create this

effect.

Up close detail....

Looks like old gray wood to me. :)

So cool...and so very easy too.

Okay, now I'm going to share how I turned this into a coastal treasure with

a "white washed" finish.

Creating a White WashFinish with Paint

Like this...

Since this table already had stain and sealer, that had to be removed before

I could get started.

I sanded to get to the base wood.....

You could also use something like Citrstrip to remove.

Step 1

Grab a plastic cup and make a wet mixture of the white Chalk Paint and

water.

You don't have to use Chalk Paint but I find it does a really nice job with

white washing.

Any white paint will work however.

For the mix, I would suggest, 3 parts water to 1 part paint.

Test it out elsewhere and adjust accordingly.

I applied that to the table top.

When you do this, you can adjust how white you want it by adding more or

less of the white paint.

For example, I decided I wanted more, so I added a bit more white paint.

This has truly got to be one of the most simple finishes you can do!

Once that was very dry, I sealed it with 3 coats of high performance top

coat.

I did do a little light sanding in between coats.

It really is that simple.

What a difference, right?

No more orange-y oak.

Up close....

Stencils are another great way to create a beautiful & unique finish. Using them as the

focal point or even in the background. Creating them with white, black or even colored

paint will all give a different look.

Slightly distressing the edges of your furniture will also give the piece some added

dimension.

You can wet sand (use a sanding "sponge" wet) or dry sand paper. Be sure to use very

fine sandpaper for this.

If you use "Chalk" style paint, you can use a damp rag to rub away some of the paint to

distress. (before it's been sealed)

This will give you a little different look than sanding.

I discussed a bit about coloring wax and "glaze" (poly) to create depth and dimension.

You can take any clear wax and add a bit of pigment/paint to create the colored wax of

your choice.

As mentioned, the same goes for the poly.

It's nice to use a brown or tan shade to "antique" your piece.

White wax will give a clean appearance along with a coastal, more modern vibe.

Or, you can also use varying shades of the paint color you chose.

For example, if you painted your piece blue, you would then create a lighter and darker

shade of blue wax to create depth and texture.

Finally, you can create depth and texture by using varying shades of paint, before

sealing.

This is done by painting a base color, then going back in and adding a lighter and

darker shade of that color. I like to do this with the "dry brush" technique as shown in

the book.

"Dry" brushing over your finished paint is another great way to create a fabulous finish.

White or a lighter shade of whatever paint color you used will brighten up your piece.

The darker color beneath will pop and add texture.

Recap & a Few More Tips

And to wrap it up, there are some really fun "pearl" type seal coats available. They create

an elegant look when used over paint. I've used several that come in a spray.

I believe you can also get this type of paint in a jar/can.

You've Got ThisNow, go paint and make something beautiful!

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