I really had a hard time deciding on what I wanted to share this week. I started on one idea, then a second idea, and finally, the third idea was the charm. This week I am sharing my all-time favorite mix of layered colors.
I rarely, if ever, paint with just one color, as I love dimension on furniture. This week’s mix of colors, as layers, highlights the dimension you can get with paint. Today I’ll show the same colors with different finishes on two different types of wood: raw wood and an oak cabinet door. They both will be made into a serving tray.
So, what are these layered colors? Young Kansas Wheat and Dover White Wash. I love to top Young Kansas with Dover because the undertones of the two work perfectly with each other. They are old….new… chic…and timeless when paired with each other.
Raw Wood with Dry Brushing
- Start with a full coat of Young Kansas Wheat.
- Let the piece dry thoroughly.
- Using a brush that has not been wet, lightly dab into the Dover White Wash (DWW).
- Offload (or slightly remove) most of the DWW onto a piece of cardboard, paper, etc. so that you have very little amount of paint on your brush.
- Apply the paint with soft, light strokes.
- You can usually reload your brush from where you off loaded originally.
- Dry brush the entire piece, using heavier strokes in some places and lighter in others.
- Beware: Most people mess up the same way. They forget to off load onto a secondary surface.
Oak Cabinet Door with Damp Brushing
- Start with a full coat of Young Kansas Wheat.
- Let the piece dry thoroughly.
- Using a damp, synthetic bristle brush (my preference is a polyester bristle, as they do not absorb water like nylon and natural bristles can), lightly dip into your shallow container of DWW paint. (No, no! Not your can of paint, please!)
- Paint a light coat of DWW with about 50-75% coverage.
- Paint the entire surface, but with a small amount of paint on your brush. Some areas will be heavy in paint and others lighter. Do not make an opaque coat.
- While you are painting, if you feel ‘drag’ in your brush, dip it lightly into water.
- After your first coat is dry, load another brush in the same way with the first color (Young Kansas Wheat).
- Go back and forth adding layers with both brushes.
- The next step is the most important…. When you think it is close to where you want it, STEP AWAY! Less is more.
- If needed, go back and touch up any area that isn’t softly blended.
TIPS: Practice damp brushing before you try it on a large project. Work in sections; let it dry if you feel you paint is getting too wet or blending too much. You want to see the striations and the movement of the brush.
I hope you try out these techniques with these colors or your own combination. And don’t forget to let us see your CeCe Creations!
Peace,
CeCe