Creating an Ombre Finish
No doubt Social Media has its highs and lows. When you have a small business, like myself, it can open a world of possibilities with communities and potential clients.
I have made connections all over the world with people that share my love of bringing old furniture back to life, many of which have become my biggest supporters! This next piece is a perfect example of that connection… this antique armoire was a client referral all the way from California to San Antonio, Texas from the extremely talented Brandy of Brushed By Brandy. Talk about intimidating… Brandy has certainly made a name for herself as a furniture artist, one of the biggest!
Here is one of Brandy’s pieces, the inspiration…
We will be using this color scheme to create a simple ombré effect. One of Brandy’s color choices was swapped out for one I felt better suited the clients color pallet.
Here’s a list of products used for this project.
Dixie Belle Paint:
Stormy Seas
Savanah Mist
Drift Wood
Best Dang Wax Clear
Best Dang Wax Black
Gilding Wax Warm Gold
Order Dixie Belle paint and products: HERE
I start all my pieces with a base coat, after prep work… of course.
You do not have to worry about blending the base coat. This coat will roughly “map” out where each color will start and stop.
Let the blending begin!
It’s not as scary as you might think. I worked in sections on each panel to ensure the paint would not dry too quickly. Misting with a water bottle also helps to prolong dry time and allows the colors to blend more easily.
I used a different brush for each color and a fourth “clean” wide brush for smoothing out and blurring lines.
The middle of each panel was used as a guide for a starting and stoping point for the top and bottom blending.
Try not to get hung up on perfect symmetry. Beauty sometimes lies in the imperfections. And you can always repeat this step, if you just can’t live with the outcome.
Once complete and fully dry, I lightly went over the entire surface with a fine sanding sponge just to knock down any high points in the paint… this gives the surface a buttery smooth finish.
Choosing a top coat… everyone’s got their favorite! Wax is my personal preference. I love the hand rubbed, soft, natural look wax gives. I use a clean cotton cloth (usually one of kids old T-shirts) to apply the clear wax, wait 10-15 minutes, then buff. Using a chip brush, I lightly tap into the black wax and apply into all grooves an edges and wipe away excess with a cloth.
For a little bling, I added Warm Gold Gilding Wax on select trim and raised areas. Dab onto your finger and rub on the character. easy as that!
There you have it! Before long, it’s second nature and you’ll find this finish a hard one to resist.
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