&A INSTRUCTIONS
Step 6 The
For the best results, prepare your surface
21 1
lowing the guidelines
JJJ
^3
in
small
the Preparation sec-
Step 1 Base
a^j
Step 2 Apply
^^
the
a coat of light green to the
The last-applied paint
whole surface, painting
wood
show of
Apply 1 coat of latex
coat:
primer.
22
areas
base color, or the original wood, and a little more of the first color.
tion (page 42).
W
finished
should
effect
fol-
in
color
the direction of the
will
be dominant.
For protection, add a
grain.
coat of matte varnish.
TIPS: For an even more authentically aged look dip a toothbrush into dry stain, then rub your finger over the brush to flick small dots of stain over
the painted surface, but be careful not to overdo it. As the paint dries, you can always wipe off the dots if the effect looks artificial.
As an alternative to varnish, put a little oak some beeswax or furniture wax. Mix together well and rub over the whole piece. stain into
Step 3 When
the paint
is
tacky or nearly dry, rub
the "wear" areas with steel wool. The paint
come
off easily.
Remove more
will
Buff with a soft cloth. This will give an authentic period look to
the piece.
paint from places
most wear and tear on an
that would have had the
actually old piece, e.g., around the handles, the
edges, and over the trim.
ALTERNATIVES It's
interesting to play around with different colors
and combinations. Stick to the heritage colors
Step 4 When the
first
coat
is dry,
apply the dark
green paint to the whole surface. Paint over the areas rubbed down
in
step 3, always
in
the direc-
because some areas can be rubbed through each coat to the wood base. Step 5 Let the dark green coat dry overnight and then sand off areas of paint with medium-grade sandpaper. Once again, remove more from around the handles, edges, and trim. Don't oversand. Keep tion
of the grain
stepping back to judge your work.
148
DEBBIE TRAVIS' PAINTED HOUSE
an authentic look. Above
left,
I
used a
light
for
blue
with a colonial blue as the top color.
On the
right,
I
painted on
first
toffee brown and
then dark brown over a cream base. To highlight the
moldings
I
applied
some
sanded them back a
brick red paint,
and then
Because they are worn as areas wouldn't be as recessed, they little.
around handles and edges.