Chippy Paint Finish: Ball finial

Hi, it's tutorial time again! I thought I would go ahead and put together a tutorial for the ball finial, just in case you wanted to see a smaller project done. Doing the lamp was quite a doozie, something small like this might be easier to start with.

I'll be doing this tutorial with out the guidance of Tim, although I really had fun! Did you guys see that he commented on the lamp post? How awesome is that?

Comment from Tim Holtz: Check.

Tickled pink I tell ya! It doesn't take much to make my day!

Ok, on with the project.

Supply List

-Project piece (In this case concrete ball finial)

-Spackle (any brand will do)

-artist pallet knife or putty knife

-Acrylic paint in White and Burnt Umber

-Tim Holtz Distressed Paint in Picket Fence

-Paint brushes

-Sealer in flat finish

Concrete garden finials are a perfect project piece. Concrete already has a pretty rough texture, and the Spackle only amplifies it
I don't have a nationwide source for concrete finials, sorry, I bought mine at a local business here in Missouri. I recommend trying gardening centers and home improvement stores for interesting concrete statuary. Of course, after this technique it is no longer suitable for outdoors, keep that in mind too.

Start by smearing the Spackle over the ball. I did not prime the concrete, I saw no reason to, and went straight into the spackling process.

Coat as much as the surface as you wish, again, the concrete is pretty rough already.


After the Spackle has dried completely, coat the entire piece in burnt umber. Now you may wonder, why coat the entire piece brown, just to go back over it in white. Well, because of the uneven surface that we have created, it will be impossible to predict where the white paint will go. Dry brushing the white is pretty swift and random, you don't want to have to worry about whether the burnt umber is in the right spot or not.



Be sure all the crevices are filled, see the white specks in the picture below? More burnt umber is needed, those specks will most likely be what is revealed.


After the burnt umber is dried, dry brush on white. I didn't feel the need to wait over nights with this project {unlike the lamp}, maybe because of the size and substance, I moved along pretty quickly from step to step.





After the white paint has dried, proceed with the Tim Holtz Distressed Paint in Picket Fence. This is really where the magic happens. Again, use it sparingly for a natural look.


Beautiful!


Right now, I have the finial under an old clock dome and have been really enjoying it!

If you have any further questions, e-mail me...I'll get right back with you (asap)!
If you try this technique, let me know, I'd love to see!
And as always, if you use this idea, be kind, please link back to me. Thanks!