Artist Joe Fenzl took on the job of making some unstained maple cabinets look as though they'd graced the kitchen for many elegant years. He used a white-wash technique, but gave the old standby more dimension and sophistication with casein (a paint made from a protein precipitated from milk), a sanding technique and several other touch-ups. Here's how he proceeded:
- Start with unfinished, bare wood (no sealer) and sand it. If you're faced with re-doing old cabinets, you would need to completely strip them and sand them in order to use this technique.
- Obtain some water-base Casein, which is particularly easy to sand. If need be, you can use milk paint or flat, water-based latex.
- Brush a layer of Casein on with a paintbrush.
- Then, while it's still wet, wipe it off with a dry cloth as shown (figure A). Make sure to leave a little paint behind in the recesses and perhaps along the edges (figure B).
- The Casein will dry to a really white, almost chalky finish that will cover up most of the wood grain. Spray a layer of oil-based sealer or shellac over it to make the wood grain really "pop back" in the places where you sanded, leaving the white on the edges and recesses.
- To make the finish look water-marked:
- Mix a little raw umber universal tint in benzine.
- Then, dip a paintbrush into the mix, and wipe off the excess with a dry cloth.
- Hold the paintbrush handle about a foot above the cabinet door, and tap the handle of the benzine-dipped brush over it (figure C) to release flecks of color wash over the door.
- After that's dry, use Japan paint--a really richly pigmented oil paint--to highlight the edges (figure D).
- Finish with a couple of coats of polyurethane or varnish for a rich tone.
Guests Joe Fenzl
Decorative Artist, Instructor, Decorative Arts of Los Angeles
15047 Hamlin Street
Van Nuys, CA 91411
Email:
dala2000@mindspring.com
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