Decorative Painting

If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE DIY Paint!!

Let me tell you why I love this paint so much and how to use it.

First off, it is all natural and that makes me a happy person considering I’m in it a lot and sometimes, it’s all over me! LOL! Also, this product only has 9 ingredients and has absolutely NO VOCs!!

Second, it’s a little thicker than most paints on the market and holds its form. This is called tooling, meaning it will hold your brush stroke or for me, it holds the roller pattern. I love that I can brush on one generous coat and roll my patterned rollers through the paint and the pattern stays without self-leveling. It’s also thicker than most paints so that I gain a little texture and depth from the roller patterns. This is great for your wax or glazes to set down in and add even more depth to your project!

Third, the colors! I can’t say enough about the color selection!! I’m in love with this palette and they mix so well together to make new colors I want! Yes, I know that I have been a little stuck on the Teal palette, but how can you go wrong with Mermaid Tail, Seaglass and Old 57? They are just fabulous 🙂

So, let’s move on to some techniques you can do with these paints 🙂

Creating a “smooth” finish can be achieved with the following methods:

Option #1 – Wet your brush first with water, but not dripping. This will allow your paint to be a little diluted and thinned out. After several brush strokes, dip you brush into water again and brush back over that area you just painted.

Option #2 – Pour some paint into a separate container and add a small amount of water and mix thoroughly until you have created a thinner consistency. Make sure it is not too watery. The DIY Paint is highly pigmented and this will not affect the color with the little amount of water added.

Use either technique for applying your paint and apply 2 to 3 coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry completely between layers. Also, you will need to sand with a fine sandpaper or a paper bag between coats to smooth out any unwanted texture or brush strokes. You will need to finish with either DIY Wax or Big Top to protect the paint.

Creating a “textured” finish can be achieved with the following methods:

I love how thick DIY Paint is straight out of the can and how easily it can build texture on any surface. Just apply paint directly to the surface from the can, using less if any water at all. Apply your strokes in one direction or in an “X” pattern.

When the first coat of paint has dried completely, you can apply a second coat using the same color or a different color. Paint on the second coat using the same brush strokes, creating even more texture.

For some extreme texture, get out your putty knife and dig into the paint in places before the last coat has dried completely.  This will expose the colors underneath and create a very weathered worn look.  You can also use the putty knife to apply colors randomly by pouring some paint into another container and allowing it to sit out for a while and thicken up!

Again, you will want to finish off with either DIY Wax or Big Top.

The possibilities are endless!!  Let your creative spirit fly and make a masterpiece with these amazing paints!  You can check out the complete line on my website, in my studio or my second location in San Clemente, California, La Casa Verde de Granada!

Be Blessed and Paint!!