How To Create Antique Effects with Varnish

Although at Alas y Cia Granada we make angels and nativities, I often use the varnishing techniques used in decoupage to create antique finishes on our angel figurines.

We often use the two varnish techniques to achive the antique effect of cracked varnish, which imitates the real crackling that occurs with age on much varnished work, whether it is a painting or a fired figurine.

The principal of this technique is to employ two varnishes that dry at

different speeds and cause a crackling of the suface of the second varnish.

There are many ways to achieve this effect – here are two we use-

The first uses a two product kit sold by many manufacturers of arts and crafts materials. You usually paint on one or two coats of the first varnish. When it is dry you apply one coat of the second varnish. As it dries, cracks appear on the surface. Each manufacturer will have the instructions on the pack.

The second uses a more traditional technique. First you apply one or two good coats of a latex based varnish. The names of these latex varnishes will vary from country to country – your arts or crafts shop will be able to tell you which one to select. When it has dried, you then apply a well worked in coat of Gum Arabic. Dry this second varnish (you can use a hair dryer to hurry things up). When dry, cracks will appear.

With both methods. You then carefully apply a coat (patina) of tinted wax or diluted oil paint or diluted acrylic paint and wipe it off. The colour stays in the cracks and enhances them. You then seal with a protective coat of compatible varnish. (If you are using abrasive materials as your patina, you may need to protect your crackled surface with a compatible varnish before you apply the patina.)

And Hey presto! you have a genuine antique varnished finish that has

cracked with age.

Saludos

Jenny

Alas y Cia Granada

The Place for Angels on the Web

My Hobby is Now My Business

One of the most enjoyable ways of working, is when you
have the good fortune to be able to spend your working day doing something that you would do from choice AND earn money from it.

I have always enjoyed decorative painting and decoration – and spent a
lot of time painting ceramics and angel figurines. However when I found
it impossible to work outside the home with two small children to take
care of on my own – I started working from home.

I already had a business background and had also been self employed for
several years as well – so I looked around and realised that my own
hobby was easily converted into a home based business.

Like most people I started to sell my angels and christmas nativity
sets to friends. Then advanced to markets and craft fairs- found that
there was a demand for my work from gift shops and other shops catering
for angel lovers. So Alas y Cia Granada (Wings & Co Granada in English) was born.

Next stage – a web site of course and as a logical conclusion from
there – a marketing campaign on the internet – out of which I
discovered the Business and Social networking communities, which I also use to let people know about us.

And here I am.!

By day we paint angels ( I now have two people helping me) for our shop and private customers

and the rest of my work time – I get onto my trusty computer and join
in with the rest of the world and promote the business.

I started The Artists and Artisans Place at ApSense which is my own way of helping to promote the work of artists and Crafters, like myself.

I have found the internet to be a wonderful marketing method and also a
great way to meet all sorts of interesting people and learn about their
work -

Saludos

Jenny
Alas y Cia Granada

The Place for Angel Lovers on the Web

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Alas y Cia – -The Place for Angel Lovers on the Web

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This will be my home page when I can figure out how this wonderful WordPress system works!

It will be about angels and cherubs