Crackle Finish Technique

Faux Painted Crackle finishes are extremely versatile and can be used on furniture, moldings, doors, cabinets, picture frames and even walls. Crackle is a faux painting finish produced by using two varnishes having two different drying times which work against each other to produce a crazed, crackled, effect. The first coat of varnish is applied and left to dry then while the surface is still tacky, the second application of varnish is applied producing a crackle look when completely dry.

There are a variety of crackle looks with different color bases (the cracks) and different color top coats crackle (the flaking paint). In addition the width of the cracks can be varied as well as the size of the paint chips through a variety of application techniques.

The Base Coat

The first thing you must do is get a practice board and choose what colors you want to work with. Once the colors have been chosen you will need to purchase the base coat which will be the crack color. The base can be a flat paint, eggshell finish or semi gloss finish. Roll on the base coat and let dry for 4 hours.

Applying Crackle Material – Thin or Wide Cracks

Now you will need to apply the crackle material which can be any product you decides to use but most paint distributors have crackle products. Here is where you must decide which look you desire, a thin crack or wide crack. For thin cracks you will need to apply a thin coat of crackle with a roller and for larger cracks a thicker coat of crackle with a brush. Adding a mixture of both sized cracks can be very natural and have an appealing look. You may add a polyurethane clear protective cot once everything has completely dried for at least 24 hours. Faux painted crackle finishes are very beautiful.

For other types of finishes and techniques check out the following articles below:

Faux Painting Strie Finish Techniques
Faux Painting Popular Finishes
Faux Painting Frottage Techniques
Faux Painting Ragging Techniques
Faux Painting Sponging Techniques
Faux Painting Smooshing Techniques
Faux Painting Color Washing Techniques
Faux Painting Technique Tortoise Shell
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