Instantly Age and Distress your art

In mixed media we add layers of collage, paint and other materials to create depth, history and intricacy in our paintings. In my base layers of my encaustic paintings I often begin with a collaged and painted background. To age the surface, expose all of the cracks and scratches and to unify the variety of colours, sheens and textures, I apply a layers of Walnut Ink. Here is the step by step process for my unique back ground process:

1.Collage the heck out of the entire panel - I try to stick to pattern, texture, text and colour only, avoiding images at this stage.

2. I then apply a generous full coat of mineral/chalk paint over the entire surface.

3. Letting it dry briefly, I remove paint randomly, exposing bits and pieces of the bottom layers using baby wipes and sandpaper. NOTE: If the paint has dried too much and you can’t remove enough paint, use sandpaper first, then the baby wipes.

4. I now add scratches, lines and rough areas using abrasive tools like razor blades, steel brushes and heavy-grit sandpaper.

5. Mix your walnut crystals with water according to manufacturers directions and add to a spray bottle.

6. Apply a full generous coat to ensure it gets into the deepest crevices.

7. Remove with baby wipes - using a new wipe until the desired amount of surface ink is removed.

Before and after Walnut ink aged and distressed surface.

See Shop to buy Walnut Ink Crystals.