How To Crackle Paint On Canvas

There are many painting techniques that create unlike textures or effects with the paints you lot're using. A popular one is creating the antiqued look of crackling paint. This effect does work all-time on a harder surface then things like forest show this effect off well. There are a fine number of products that tin can do this for you, Kroma Crackle or Golden'southward crepitation medium for case. However these aren't always very cost constructive, especially if you're doing a large project or only wanting to play around. For whatever arts and crafts or dwelling decor project here is a way to reach that same effect for your crafts by using a elementary cheap ingredient: white school mucilage.

*Small note; since our main ingredient is schoolhouse glue I can not annotate on the archival quality of this so information technology's not recommended if your creating masterpieces.

Materials:

acrylic paint -two colours at least
white school mucilage (we constitute classic Elmer'due south worked the all-time)
a couple of apartment brushes, one at least that you don't mind getting glue on.
newsprint or something to lay out your projection on- this tin can get a little messy.
something to paint

Step i:

Lay out some newsprint on y'all piece of work surface area to take hold of the inevitable drips. Having a rag or paper towel handy is a good idea too. Have your piece and do a full coat of paint over the item. This is the colour that will show through the cracks, your under layer. Keep that in mind for choosing which color to use. Let this dry out completely. It doesn't need to be a thick layer, just make sure everything is evenly covered to your liking. Here I'1000 trying different colours to come across how the results vary.

Step 2:

Get out the white glue and a castor. Depending on the size of what your working on it may be easier to squeeze out some lines of gum directly onto the surface or have an open tub to dip a brush right into.

This is where information technology got trickier than I predictable. This is an like shooting fish in a barrel and uncomplicated procedure only at that place are a few things that will affect how the effect turns out. Y'all want to castor on an skilful layer of glue but not too thick. Likewise little, and cracks volition not appear very much; likewise much and I got this weird ribbon effect. Which could exist fun too but not what I was going for.

This can exist a hard thing to judge by eyeballing merely I take some images to give you and idea how information technology will plow out. Visuals are great and so here we go. The thinner my layer of glue was the greater the number of cracks appeared in fine detail. But go on in mind what you lot desire.

Step 3:

Let it outset to dry, but only then the top layer that yous tin can bear upon becomes tacky. Utilize the finger test if you bear on information technology and information technology fights back a little and gives y'all a peak of mucilage then that should be good.

Yous don't want to let it dry out too much because then we won't get the cracks. It tin can be tempting to practice information technology too before long as well. This is what happened when I did just that, ribbons.

The paint I used on top was pretty thick too so that effected it equally well. When I gave myself at to the lowest degree five minuets or more than that seemed to work well but judge on how tacky it feels to you.

Pace 4:

Brush over pinnacle an even layer of the other acrylic colour you choose. Use smooth even strokes that get in one direction. Your trying to layer the paint over the mucilage without mixing them together.

This also can be a bit tricky: My proposition is before you lot do your main project, try out your techniques on a small area (either in a less visible spot or on a scrap surface). You know you've done well if later on a minute or two cracks start appearing. I found different types of paint cracked differently and and so did different colours.

Thinner paints like a fluid or loftier catamenia acrylic cracked more easily. Chalky colours also did well to increment the overall cracking particular. To speed up the procedure I used a hair dryer on a depression setting to get things going. It was magic I highly recommend but only for drying the layer of pigment over the glue. Don't employ information technology on the glue layer every bit information technology'south too easy to overdo it. The paint cracks because the layer under it is taking longer to dry than the paint ontop.

Here is the event of applying this project to something a little more than interesting. See what you can give a footling bear upon upwards and have fun gluing!