Chalk Painting Techniques Wet or Dry Distressing?
Most everyone knows all about distressing your chalk painted decorator item with sandpaper. Although there are times you may wish to use the wet method – Chalk Painting Techniques Wet or Dry Distressing. Whether you are painting a one colour, two colour or three colour finish.
Sanding will distress your designer project to allow a little of each colour and the original timber finish to shine through. Once you are on your way and painting like there will be no tomorrow, becomes addictive, you will have to make a decision. Whether you want the normal distressed sanded finish, or whether you would prefer to use the ‘wet distressing’ method which will only allow your various paint colours to shine through and give a much softer look.
Chalk Painting Techniques Wet or Dry Distressing – there are two main types of distressing, wet and dry. Wet is done with a moistened lint-free cloth and dry is with sandpaper.
Which should you choose? If we don’t want the original timber to shine through, we usually try wet distressing first. If, however, your project isn’t suited for wet distressing you’ll realise it almost immediately. Here are the differences. Wet takes less elbow grease, so if you suffer from carpel tunnel or arthritis as many people do, you may want to try wet distressing. Also, wet distressing is less mess! Finally, it’s easier to control.
Sanding can take you down to the raw wood easily, and sometimes you may not really want this. You can’t get the beautiful old wood finish back if that happens. Wet also gives you a smoother finish. You can easily create any level of distressing simply by controlling the amount of pressure. To do the wet distressing technique get your lint-free cloth, put it around your finger in a tight hold, dip into water and rub the areas which you want your under colours to be exposed.
If you are using two or three colours on you decorator item, simply distress each colour as you paint.
For gilded highlights, we recommend wet distressing. Simply paint your decorator piece in the colour you choose, then paint your ‘under’ highlights where appropriate & pop a second coat of your main colour on top. Using your finger and damp cloth, take away your top coat to expose your gilded areas.
