Painted another light fitting this morning to change it from shiny gold to an aged look, using cheap acrylic paint (Chromacryl brand), mostly gold with bit of burnt umber mixed in. Because the metal resists the water based paint it ends up looking a bit streaky but when you want an aged look that's not a bad thing. If necessary maybe you could avoid this perhaps by spraying first with Rustoleum primer and then painting with the acrylic mix but that's just a guess, I haven't tried it myself. If you want a nice smooth finish a paint that the metal will take much better than the acrylic is the enamel in the little pots such as Humbrol. In a few places I added an extra layer that had a bit more brown in it than the original mix. The shades already had the gold edging.
I'm thinking now about how to age and 'dirty' the white shades a little, because they're so smooth I'm not sure dry brushing will work. If you have any suggestions please share!
UPDATE - check out the comments section for suggestions made by fabulous miniaturists!
UPDATE - check out the comments section for suggestions made by fabulous miniaturists!
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6 comments:
Hi Norma...always a good idea to dull down a very gold shiny chandelier :-) I use gold acrylic with a tint of black to make an antique gold. I often dab the paint on with a soft brush or paint, I don´t get get streaks if the brush is soft and good quality.
I think you could age the shades with either dry brushing, otherwise I would suggest use a "dirt solution". I mix equal black and brown acrylic in a lot of water. Try the blend on paper to get the right amount of water in. Something like a coffee stain. I always have a glass of that solution, it comes in hand whenever you need to age, distress or make items dirty and last months.
I love these make-over blog posts. so many ordinary things can get a totally new look when redone. I have just made a blog post on a house makeover on WeLoveMiniatures, if you´ll like to see.
Hugs Annie
Brilliant idea!! I'll be borrowing this for sure.
Thanks for sharing
Si
Norma, you could try a gel medium. Jo Sonja also has a sealer that supposedly sticks to virtually anything, so you could try that. It can also be mixed with paint to make it adhere. I've used that velvet finish nail varnish on my shiny brass items to dull the shine and get paint to stick and it works a treat. Only problem is, I've been looking for it for months amongst my junk and can't find it. Might need to buy more...
Es una gran idea,opacar ese brillo del color oro de las piezas cuando las compras,demasiado brillante e irreal.
Tu técnica ha transformado la lámpara!
Besos.
Hi Norma! The chandelier looks great! To age stuff fast I keep a brown ink pad handy. It works on almost any surface. It's so easy. And you can get any color you want. There's this fantastic dark grey/pewter ink pad that also works great on silver colored stuff. I get them in the scrapbook section of the store. I either put the color on straight from the ink pad, use my fingers, or if the space is too tiny I use a brush.
hugs♥,
Caroline
Hi Norma! As Shannon has already mentioned, my suggestion would also be to apply a Matt Nail Varnish which sticks to anything and instantly dulls any finish on any shiny surface. I have used both Revlon Matte Varnish and Chanel's,( only because I had it on hand). They both work. I used them to dull down the shiny brass on a set of bathtub taps in Green Dolphin Street which I then I painted over with an acrylic paint. However, I like Caroline's idea of using the distressing ink, and may have to try that one out myself! :D
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