Brocante Home Collection's Paintbrush and Pearls: Wet Distress with Chalk Paint®

Wet Distressing is one of those techniques that I like to use when I am painting a vintage picture frame or furniture with carvings and details. Rather than distressing with sand paper and risk destroying the ornate carvings, using the wet distressing technique helps to preserve those features.

I'll show you how to turn this mirror into the one above.

1) First, paint your piece with Chalk Paint® - just one coat will usually do since we will be removing some. (If you are distressing from a second color, first paint the base color and let thoroughly dry before this step.) I am using French Linen and just one coat since I am going to distress down to the original gold frame.

2) Let the paint almost dry - you want the paint to be dry but not hardened. It should feel dry to the touch, but just so.

3) Using either a damp cloth or baby wipes (surprise!) gently wipe off the paint from the areas you want to show the underneath, such as the edges and raised areas. I like to use baby wipes because they have just the right amount of moisture. If you have let the paint dry too much and are finding it hard to wipe off, then gently sand using a high (600 grit) sand paper to distress. (This is the same buffing sponge that I use to buff.) Be careful not to sand down the carvings.

4) Wax with Soft Clear Wax or as I am doing Soft Dark Wax over the Clear Wax to give it an aged look. This is where the Ultimate Waxing Brush really shines making it easy to wax into those crevices. You can even use Aging Dust if you prefer that look.

Wet distressing works really well on old gold frames where you want the original gold to peak through as I am doing on this frame. Best of all, you didn't even need to sand.

Note: if you want more of the gold or underlying color to show through, another option is to use a Dry Brush Technique, but more about that later!

Happy Painting! Rachel