Chinoiserie Chalk Paint

One of the techniques I have been working on lately is using Annie Sloan Chalk PaintⒸ to create a Chinoiserie style paint finish. A shiny lacquered surface is usually made by spraying several light coats of lacquer based paint. It is almost impossible (for me) to brush on lacquer correctly, it must be sprayed on for a smooth finish, meaning several cans of Spray Lacquer (limited colors) or  High Gloss Spray Paint. Because this must be done outdoors, when the temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, for me it is only an option about 6 months out of the year. There are also numerous environmental reasons to find other alternatives.

The mahogany chest above had never been painted and the finish was in excellent condition. My client chose emerald green for the color and was willing to allow me to experiment with Chalk Paint. It took a little mixing and layering of the colors above to create this rich green. Graphite was used to finish the hardware and add the striping. It was topcoated and buffed with clear wax. It was an easy process for me and my client is delighted with the result.

I like Annie Sloan Chalk Paint  for my craft and furniture projects, but for walls nothing compares to Pure & Original Fresco Lime Paint. I love the natural variations of shades and tones the lime creates within one paint color. You have to see how gorgeous it is! Checkout my most recent interior design make overs with Fresco. It can be purchased online at www.502paint.com

P.S  Pure and Original also makes a chalk based paint called Classico in 140 colors! Its amazing too!

While we are on Green.....

This color wheel features 6 of the custom colors made when Annie Sloan Chalk PaintⒸ Antibes Green is mixed with varying amounts of English Yellow and varying amounts of Arles.  Also represented are variations of each of these custom colors when mixed with different amounts of Pure White.

So how is this helpful?  Many of my clients are more familiar with paints made by other manufacturers, Martha Stewart, Sherwin Williams, Farrow & Ball but especially Benjamin Moore. They will bring me a color swatch from Benjamin Moore and ask me to paint a piece of furniture that color.

Although I think Benjamin Moore is an excellent paint for walls, I don't like using latex on furniture( I will explore that in another post). My client  doesn't usually care about the brand as much as the color, in this case Wales Green.   In order to use Chalk PaintⒸ, I must be able to match the color my client has chosen. This is where the color cards of custom colors are very helpful, because it gives you a good place to start. Mixing Antibes Green and English Yellow and then adding some white will get you very close to "Wales Green". It does take some trial and error,  and some fine tuning, but the more you do it the easier it gets. If it is very important to match the color exactly, I will pick up a sample of the Benjamin Moore paint just to be sure. In the end, mixing my own color to match, allows me to use my paint of choice. Usually for furniture it is Annie Sloan Chalk PaintⒸ.

A Slice of Lime

An old sideboard painted with Annie Sloan Chalk PaintⒸ in a custom mixed Lime Green.

Frozen Treats

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Frozen Flavors

Companion Colors

In nature, green is abundant, while purple is relatively rare. Yet when paired they make a striking combination as seen in this inspirational photo found on Pinterest.  Consider adding touches of Emile to your next Annie Sloan Chalk PaintⒸ, Antibes Green project.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Green Custom Color Swatches

Here is a new page in my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Color Swatch Book. It combines the color cards  for the additional green colors you can mix, by using Antibes Green + English Yellow, Antibes Green+ Arles and Florence + English Yellow, and Florence + Arles. It also shows the results when these new custom colors are blended with varying amounts of Pure White to make tints.

I physically mixed these colors and scanned them into my computer from my project and color journals. The colors are accurate, as much as they can be. Remember, however, actual paint samples look different than those on a computer display. The names for these additional green colors are mine and not official Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colors, although I did use ASCP to create them.  The numbers on each color card represent the equal proportion of each color to the other.  Please let me know if you have any questions. 


   Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®  You can find more color studies by clicking on the Tools tab or referring to my posts ASCP Colors + Tints  and  ASCP Colors + Shades.

I like Annie Sloan Chalk Paint  for my craft and furniture projects, but for walls nothing compares to Pure & Original Fresco Lime Paint. I love the natural variations of shades and tones the lime creates within one paint color. You have to see how gorgeous it is! Checkout my most recent interior design make overs with Fresco. It can be purchased online at www.502paint.com

P.S  Pure and Original also makes a chalk based paint called Classico in 140 colors! Its amazing too!

Pine Ombre Cabinet

This pine cabinet is for toy storage in a children's playroom. It was purposefully painted to have a very distressed, chippy finish, with a fun ombre color effect. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is definitely the way to go on a piece that will have heavy use, wear and tear.  It is also a great example of expanding your range of green.

I have a few more green color studies to share These focus on mixing Florence with English Yellow, and Florence with Arles.

                                   

 It is helpful to have a comparison of the difference of green when using English Yellow as opposed to Arles. There is a typo in the last sample card. The correct proportion should read 1 part Florence to 2 parts English Yellow.

Custom Color /Green /Lime Green - 2

Yesterday I posted about expanding my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint color range for green by mixing Antibes Green and English Yellow to make a brighter, lime green.

Today I want to share my results of mixing Antibes Green with Arles in 1:1, 1:2, and  2:1 proportions.

These variations remind me of the mossy green that develops on old terra cotta pots left in the elements.

Here are some more examples found on Pinterest of adding Lime Green to add a bold splash to your color palette.

And finally, although I did not paint this door, I could not resist adding an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint color scheme to the image. A word of caution, use Lime Green carefully.  Too much can easily become overwhelming and if slightly "off" can be wincingly wrong.

Color Studies/Green/Lime Green

 I 've been working on some color studies lately to expand my range of greens. One of my clients is wanting a lime green for a project, similar to the green in the photo above. A strong and powerful pop of color.  More on the actual project later. For now I am working on establishing a sample of the range of green shown on the planters.

This is a theoretical representation of the range of Lime Greens I'm looking for. My next step will be to try mixing actual paint samples to make this green.

These color cards show the results of mixing Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Antibes Green and English Yellow in varying proportions, 1:1, 2:1, and 1:2. I like to keep a record when I mix colors so I can refer to them on later projects.  Next I will mix Antibes Green with Arles for a comparison and sharing those tomorrow.

Mixing standard colors in different amounts and combinations is a great way to create a diverse and unique color palette. To see some the custom colors you can make from Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®, see my posts, Mixing for Green, Mixing for Purple, and Mixing for Orange.

Shamrock Step Stool

These old little step stools are easy to find for a few dollars and can be used in so many ways. My green one, shown above, is very primitive and delightfully imperfect. It has been used as a side table stacked with books, a tray, a foot stool, and a step to reach a higher shelf. It was pink when I found it. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, starting with a coat of Aubusson Blue, followed by some Florence. Antibes Green was mixed with Old White in various strengths for the top coat.

Here is another view:

I have had many questions about my "layering" technique.  I may do a post with step by step photos, but honestly, there are so many great tutorials already available on painting techniques.  Layering is just a word I  use to describe the process of painting on coats of different colors, to achieve depth and texture. It is the the finish that comes naturally on many vintage pieces and antiques.  I am trying to create that look of age and wear on pieces that may or may not be old. 

Before Annie Sloan Chalk Paint became available in the U.S., I used mostly oil-based paints, along with various stains,  dyes, glazes, shellacs, lacquers, and varnish. It works well, but it is labor intensive, takes a long time to dry, and you must use solvents. I have tried creating this, for lack of a better word, distressed finish, with latex and acrylics and was not satisfied with the results.  Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has made it possible  create a vintage looking finish, easily, quickly, and on a variety of surfaces.

I will continue to detail and explain my process in later posts. You can also leave comments and questions in the comment section, or contact me by email. I will respond as quickly as I can. 
Thanks for reading and following,

Leslie
lesliest4@gmail.com


For more little stools and benches see these posts you may have missed:  On the Bench,  Upholstered Bench,  and  Pretty in Pink.

Wearing of the Green

This secretary is truly a mix of greens. A layering of neutrals on the exterior with a surprise minty green when the desk is open. The mint green finish can be created by layering Cream over Antibes Green, or mix the Antibes Green with a little Old White until it becomes a light tint. A little Cream on the edges and worn areas and the interior will look like the one above. In addition to using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, a little Gilding Wax on the details will give it a time worn patina.

Mixing for Green

Mixing for green can be a little difficult. Blue and Yellow can theoretically mixed to make green, but the green that is the result of blending English Yellow and Napoleonic Blue will not be a clear deep green. It will be more muted and grayed. The chart below offers a concise record of the results.

I followed the same procedure as with red/blue and red/yellow. The middle column shows the results of adding pure white to the yellow/blue mix to create tints. At the bottom of the chart are actual Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colors for comparison. Note that it is possible to come fairly close to being able to mix your own version of Versailles, Cream, Old Ochre, and surprisingly Aubusson Blue. Country Grey and Duck Egg Blue do not match as well.

And no mixture will create the clear Antibes Green, teal Florence, or  deep, dark Olive.

But mixing will create a range of yellow/greens and greyed blue/greens that will increase the colors available to you in Chalk Paint. Also adding a Florence or Antibes Green to the basic red/yellow/blue will give you an enhanced color palette of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Here are some inspirational photos found on Pinterest for ways to use the custom mixed greens made by mixing English Yellow, Napoleonic Blue, and Pure White. 

If green is your favorite color see more ideas Color Studies: Lime Green  WhileWe Are On Green.. and Custom Color Lime Green II

Mixing standard colors in different amounts and combinations is a great way to create a diverse and unique color palette. To see some the custom colors you can make from Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®, see my posts, Mixing for Purple, and Mixing for Orange.

I like Annie Sloan Chalk Paint  for my craft and furniture projects, but for walls nothing compares to Pure & Original Fresco Lime Paint. I love the natural variations of shades and tones the lime creates within one paint color. You have to see how gorgeous it is! Checkout my most recent interior design make overs with Fresco. It can be purchased online at www.502paint.com

P.S  Pure and Original also makes a chalk based paint called Classico in 140 colors! Its amazing too!