Crackle Paint Effect
Have you seen furniture that looks like it is centuries old with cracked but still classic paint? That is a technique called crackle painting. This is a painting effect that is done with different colors and on different materials, including walls and furniture. Crackle painting takes about two days to finish. Does this Spark an idea?
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Purpose
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People typically use crackle painting for an antique look. There are different degrees of crackle painting that can make furniture and walls look worn and as though they have seen many years of history. Some crackle effects look like cracked porcelain, and others look like cracked paint on wood. Either way, your finished project will look unique.
How It Works
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First you apply the base coat of paint. A latex paint is good to use because it will dry quicker than an oil based paint. The base paint is the color that will show through the cracks, and it can be any color you want. After that coat has dried, apply the crackle glaze. The type of glaze you use depends on the type of crackle you want on the finished product. It can be either porcelain or weathered. Apply two coats of the glaze. The last coat should be applied in vertical strokes if it is a wall, or should go with the wood grain of furniture. When the crackle glaze has dried, apply the final coat. This should be a flat interior paint, not glossy. The color is once again your choice.
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Typical Colors
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A crackle effect can be used with only one color of paint and have white showing through. This gives the wall or furniture a truly weathered, natural appearance. A classic weathered appearance also can be achieved with a dark base coat like navy blue or forest green and then applying a color like eggshell white over it. For a fun, bright crackled piece, mix up the colors and use a bright color, like gold, as the base color and another bright color, like rose, over it. This will not look natural, but it will be a bright, fun display of crackled furniture.
Types of Crackle Paint
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The crackle glaze comes in different forms, just like the interior paint. Milk paint is a natural interior paint that is nontoxic and not harmful to the environment. It does not have the bold colors of latex or oil paints. Natural crackle paint works well with the qualities of milk paint and a few other water-based paints. It is has no odor and is also nontoxic.
Appearance Variations
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The weathered appearance of crackle paint will make your finished product look like the paint has been weather worn over many years. Long cracks in it appear like the cracks in tree bark. On the other hand, a porcelain finish will have many small cracks scattered all over the piece and will look like aged, hand-painted porcelain. Make larger cracks by adding more of the crackle glaze before the final coat is applied. For smaller cracks, apply less glaze.
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References
- Photo Credit a photo of a texture - old painted wall image by Olga Rumiantseva from Fotolia.com
