Popular Woodworking 2007-06 № 162, страница 59

Scrape the top coat of blistered paint until you see a satisfying amount of your base color. This is a matter of taste, of course, but there is no wrong way to do it.

Use a piece of worn sandpaper to smooth out the artificial wear and tear you've introduced. This will knock off the large bits of paint, but still leave some texture.

Rag on a brown or black glaze. The glaze will mute your colors and build up in the texturing you've created. This is where you'll start to see the final effect of your efforts.

CHOOSING COLORS

In general, I like to choose paint colors that are brighter than you might expect. I like bright blues and teal greens, especially on smaller pieces.

My rationale for liking the wild color is that early American pieces were typically painted in bright colors to help brighten up dark rooms. Plus, once you add the glaze to the surface, the colors become a bit muted.

When you go to choose colors, I think it's best to go to the home center or paint store and pick a couple colors from the store's "historical" palette of paints. Everybody's got one these days. How authentic are they? I don't know, but they look good.

During the last couple decades, here are some of my favorite color combinations in addition to the red over yellow I show at left:

• Black over red is the most popular combination. Red over black works too.

• My wife, who has excellent taste in these things, really loves yellow over red.

• Green over black or red are both good choices.

• Off-white looks really good over brown or brick red. It doesn't, however, work over black.

• Sage green over black and dark blue over black are both nice combinations.

• A little on the wild side perhaps, teal over red is a vibrant choice.

Before trying a wild combination on a large piece, give it a try on a small one to see how it looks. I think you'll be surprised by how good the bright colors look with this finish. — TS

-mm

OFF-WHITE ON RED

t r-

SAGE ON BLACK

SAGE ON BLACK

if.-

BLUE ON BLACK

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