Is there a secret to painting with chalk paint?
by
Susan Jeanne
I picked and abaoultely wonderful/horrible 1950's era beadframe and small chest of drawers. I was so excited and immediately went about repairing the pieces. My plan was to chalk paint the majority of it and decoupage the drawer fronts and the bookcase headboard door slides. I ended up sanding all the surfaces in order to blend in the repair work.
I have ZERO experience with furniture upcycling and have never even seen a chalk painted piece up close. I'm a total novice. When I dipped my paintbrush into my $36 quart of chalk paint and attempted to paint I was instantly struck with confusion. This is SO different from any paint I've ever used. It doesn't cover well and it's so thick and not smooth at all. I am lost....
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Chalk paint is thick and can be thinned with some water if you are having trouble with it. It is very different. Suggest you look at this:
http://www.hometalk.com/diy/-8887666
Don't be afraid. Chalk paint is different. Most of the times, I find myself using two and three coats depending on the piece. Make sure your brush doesn't have too much paint on it. After dipping into the paint you can generously remove quite a bit into the side of the can. Chalk paint flows very nicely and often does not show brush strokes. You can water the paint down but that makes it all the more transparent. So I would advise against that unless you are going for the milk paint stain look. (this shows the wood underneath).
Don't worry about making mistakes, that's how you learn for the next time! Enjoy! Post when your project is complete. Would love to see how it turns out!
Good Luck!