Distressing Using Dark Wax

Sometimes you find a piece that has amazing patina.

You know what I mean…..perfectly chippy.

I have gotten really close at duplicating this when I painted my mantle last year.

But typically this chippy patina cannot be duplicated.

It happens naturally has the paint ages.

So when I saw this chippy piece it spoke to me, yes because of the patina.

But not necessarily the color.

I like the peach color, but not the green color.

And after adding this to my shop last winter, I noticed the color was not speaking to anyone else either.

So,  I had to decide what to do.

How can I change this piece without changing the patina?

Well,  I decided to paint it.

I pulled out my Blushing color by Heirloom Traditions.

It’s now one of my favorite colors.

I know big surprise right…. pink 😉

Yes,  blushing is a very pretty pale pink.

I painted  two coats  on this chippy old tote tray.

I really wanted to cover up that dark green.

But I still wanted to see the chippy patina.

This is what it looked like after I painted it.

 I know looking at this now, you are thinking….but where is the chippy patina?

It is  still there, but now it’s hard to see.

That’s okay this is an easy fix, because painting it was not all that I was going to do to this piece.

Next I pulled out my Muddy Pond also from Heirloom Traditions paint.

We are now going to start distressing this piece using dark wax.

The wonderful thing about this technique is that you are creating an authentic chippy look without sanding.

This also adds lots of depth and character to this piece.

I applied this wax to my piece using a wax brush.

A wax brush is a must in my opinion.

The wax brush allows you to really get in to every nook and cranny.

I have two wax brushes, one for my tinted and dark wax.

The other brush is for my clear waxes.

Just dip your brush into the muddy pond, dark wax.

A little goes a long way.

Then start applying to your piece.

I used a swirl motion as I was applying my wax.

My brush would not get into the tight corners of this piece, so I used a cotton t-shirt to apply the wax.

I just dipped my cotton t-shirt into the wax and applied it to those hard to get places.

After you apply a little section at a time, wipe off with a cotton rag.

Can you see what happened?

That dark wax brought out all of those imperfections.

Even though I covered this piece with paint, it now looks authentically old.

And it still is because underneath this paint and wax is the original paint.

Doesn’t this piece look amazing!

And of course I love this soft pale pink too!

The patina on this piece really stands out, and looks so much prettier than the green and peach don’t you think?

Let’s look at what this looked like before again.

And now here is the after.

Next time you are out treasure hunting and you find a chippy old piece, but the color does not speak to you.

Try this technique of painting, and applying a dark wax.

I have to say I really have been enjoying using Heirloom traditions paint.

They have a wonderful selection of colors.

And I love using there waxes too!

Muddy pond was so easy to work with.

It does not dry too quickly making this very easy to work with.

Use it sparingly this goes a long way!

I am excited to announce that I am now an Affiliate for Heirloom Traditions paint.

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Now let’s talk about cleaning your wax brush.

As I said I  have two wax brushes.

These are a little expensive, but they really are great tools when painting.

I  only use mine for applying  wax, I know some people use these for painting.

I prefer my angle brush for painting.

This is how I clean my wax brush.

I use Dawn dish soap and water, that’s it!

I put a little dawn dish soap on the brush, the size of a pea, and really work it in, then rinse.

Usually it takes 3-4 times washing this before it’s clean.

But dawn soap seems to really cut through the wax and clean it off my brush well.

As far as cleaning  my paint brush, I always use plain old fashioned hot water and rinse.

Here’s another tip for you.

If you are in the middle of a painting project, and your not finished yet, but you don’t want to clean your brush.

Get a zip lock bag, put your brush in the bag and pop the bag in the freezer.

When your ready to use your brush, stick the bag with the brush inside under warm water to thaw out and then you are ready to finish your painting!

Do you have any tips to share?

Leave them in the comments below.

**Oh and by the way, this piece will be coming to the shop soon!**

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