In this case, scenic artist Rachael Claxton needed to create a green patina to age the copper pipes on set. Ask yourself one question, what color do you want your verdigris to be - green or blue? Both are valid choices. In this case, it’s actually a lot easier than you think. That’s when you’ll see scenics doing the dance of joy because it means we get to work in the exciting world of color!! It’s still gonna look aged, old and nasty – but it will be a “pretty” aged, old and nasty.Ī patinated copper window set for Theatre Latte Da’s Oliver! – Set Design: Rick PoleneckĪs with any scenic technique, choosing the colors to use is often the hardest part. But sometimes, the set design lets us make that oxidized metal pretty! Sometimes, we get to create a bronze or copper patina. □ Anyway, just rub a pinch of cornstarch or powder into the wax to remove the shine.Īnd that’s it! I love these little tea light holders with their new dynamic finish, but wouldn’t this same technique be amazing on an old metal plant stand? Or an intricately carved frame? Or a metal figurine? The possibilities are almost endless!Īnd your cornstarch will thank you for allowing it to take part in a beautiful, creative endeavor.Aged metal – it’s a technique we scenic artists create all the time, and each of us has 4-6 recipes in our paint-stained pockets that we’re ready to pull out at any time. I originally thought about using baby power (which I think would work great), but the cornstarch was closer. I wanted to seal my work with wax, but I didn’t want the sheen of wax. You’re probably asking why there is a box of Corn Starch in the last picture… True oxidized copper has a chalky finish (which looks a lot like non-sealed chalk-based paint). wax with clear wax to seal (feel free to use some dark and/or gold wax in places to create greater variation).while paint is still wet, spritz with a spray bottle of water and watch the paint run… rub it in places if desired to allow more of the underneath layers to show through.paint with a 1:2 mixture of CCP vanilla frosting: tropical cocktail… do NOT let it dry.wax with CCP gold wax (this imitates the shimmer of real copper and provides a resist for your next layer).paint with CCP chocolate tart (in retrospect, a combo of chocolate tart and brandy might have been better)… let dry a full day.sand object to be painted (not normally required with chalk-based paints, but these had paint flaking off… it’s always important to remove any flaking paint).If you need a recipe to create your own, go here. I used all Country Chic Paint products, and I find that they layer, distress, and “play” beautifully, but you could certainly attempt a similar effect with any chalk-based paint. The process involves quite a few steps, but each is quick and easy. To do so, I found some old glass tea light holders that had seen better days… I’d say they’re much improved now. So I recently acquired that gorgeous tall candlestick, and I loved the finish so much that I decided to undergo a little creativity therapy and try to create green patina myself. You know those items you have in your pantry? The ones you hardly ever use but you always have a big box taking up space? Please tell me I’m not the only one! Well, my friends, today’s tutorial will not only help you achieve some super gorgeous faux metal patina, it will help justify the square inches being eaten up by one of those random products in your pantry.
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