resin painting?

[Jeff and Jennifer Cook]

I recently removed some paint from an antique column only to discover that the capitals were made from a resin material. Any advise on how to paint or stain the capitals to resemble the oak columns. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks Jeff

[Stewart Schooley]

Jeff and Jennifer,

When I think of capitals I think of Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric is simple and plain, Ionic has a downward curl [like a jelly roll] on each side, and the Corinthian is very convoluted and decorative. It would be a help to know what kind of capital you have and how big it is. If you could post a photo on the binaries or e-mail it to me, I believe I can help you.

I posted before and after photos of a radio I did by hand painting about two months ago. Don't know if you saw them and I can e-mail them to you if you want. Excuse me for saying it, but I am very good at this type of work and I can provide you with a photo of the brushes I use and a description of how I do this work. In particular, you need to know the "dry brush" technique for painting grainlines.

Hope I can be of help to you,

Stewart Schooley

[Stewart Schooley]

Jeff and Jennifer,

Here is the painting method I use in restoring damaged areas on old radios.

MATERIALS-

I always use artists oil paint because the slow drying time is an asset when you have to wipe off color you're not satisfied with and it also allows you more time to blend colors.

Oil Paints- You can use the cheaper "student grade" oil colors. Most major oil paint suppliers put out a line of these and you can find them in art supply stores.

Oil based stains- You can mix them with the oil paints to adjust color.

Plastic drinking straws- Use them to keep the stain stirred and put a finger on the top to suction out small amounts.

Aluminum foil, wax paper, or plastic sheet to mix the paint on.

Paint thinner and rags- Lots of rags.

Brushes- You don't need all the brushes in the photo. On the left are examples of the the types of brushes for applying the paint. In the middle are blending brushes.I generally use a brush like the one on the left. The brushes women use for blending their makeup works well and I buy them in garage sales. On the right is the grainline brush. It has to have a fine point and should be about 3/4" long. Those short tiny brushes are useless because they don't hold enough paint.

METHOD-

The first step is to get the correct base color of the wood. You mix the paint on the foil and apply a small amount on the wood. If you don't like the color, wipe it off with paint thinner and a rag. Adjust your color and apply some again. If it isn't right, wipe it off. There is no substitute for this and you repeat it until you have the correct color.

Note- If you keep adding to your mixed puddle of paint looking for the right color and it is getting big, start a completely new mix. It will be more economical in the long run.

Next is the blending brush. You use it in a light flicking way so that only the very tips of the brush are doing the blending. Wipe the tips on a rag often so you keep them as dry as possible. The blending brush will smooth out your paint nice and even. It is particularly needed when you have to paint variations of color in the base coat.

"dry brush" is a technique used by many artists. Essentially, the brush is prepared so that it makes a fine line and the artist uses it like a sharpened color pencil, usually over a watercolor base coat.

The base coat should be dry to the touch before painting grainlines.To prepare the brush, mix your woodgrain color very fluid. Wrap a tissue around the ferrule and slide it up to absorb some of the fluid paint. Then lightly wipe the tip across a rag and the brush is ready. For fuzzier, multiple grain lines you can splay out the tips. Splay them out some more and you can do little dots. Of course, it pays to do some practice first.

J andJ, I wrote this so I could post it for anyone else who has an interest in it. This method is basically for quality pieces where you care enough to do your very best. There are other things you can consider;

You can buy Verithin fine point and Prismacolor thick lead color pencils in an art supply store. They are made by Sanford who also makes Mohawk's graining pencils and they are all made of the same composition. They can be used over dry acrylic or oil paint, but not over enamel paint or any finish. The pencils may do the job for you, but they won't do as well as a brush can. Color pencil work should always get a light spray of finish before a heavy coat.

Another thing you can consider if your capital is plain and simple is to use the transferring grainlines method I posted about. DAG and you can find it.

I'll post a photo of the brushes on the binary page.

Stewart

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