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While there are many artists who have contributed to the painted furniture revolution sweeping the world, it won’t be wrong to say that Annie Sloan has contributed a lot to it. The Annie Sloan chalk paints is one of its kind. This paint was developed by Annie Sloan after a decade of research and working with a variety of different paints and colors.
She has been active in the painting space for more than 4 decades and she has also written a number of bestselling books on various subjects related to painting. You can use Annie Sloan chalk paints on a variety of surfaces including floors, cabinets, walls as well as on furniture. She started as a painter but then turned to decorative art.
She started developing this new paint when she wanted to paint the furniture in her home but could not find a paint that was quick drying and safe for her three kids. So, she wanted a paint that she could put on the furniture in the morning and finish by the evening. All the other paints available at that time for painting furniture had a lot of harmful chemicals and took a lot of work.
This paint is completely different as it does not contain any harmful chemicals and dries out within a few hours. In fact, you can easily finish a piece of furniture in just a few hours. All the first-time painters are intrigued by the idea of a paint that does not require any priming, sanding or stripping. After all, all the painters known how tiring priming and sanding is.
See Also : Why Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Are Popular
Another unique thing about this paint is that it does not require sealing with wax. However, the painters can use soft wax on the paint if they want but there is absolutely no need to use it. Painters can also obtain that shiny finish by buffing the paint after the paint has dried out.
If you want to buy this paint, you have to order it only from the approved stockists. All of these stockists are selected by Unfolded which is the company that sells these paints. You can easily check the stockists serving your area by looking at the website of the company. However, you shouldn’t be disappointed in case you are unable to find a stockist in your area as most of the stockists also ship and they also have websites where you can order online.
One of the unique things about these stockists is that they are also trained in the method of using these paints. The stockists also keep organizing workshops at regular intervals to train other artists in this method of painting. Annie Sloan also organizes a lots of tours and workshops all around the world where she teaches various painting techniques along with various ways to use the paint.
Another thing that sets this paint apart from all the other similar paints available in the market is that it is water based paint which means that it is completely safe to use. It is also non-toxic and contains very low amount of volatile organic compounds. In other words, you can use this paint on furniture without any fears of toxicity or any other concerns. It also does not contain any lead.
To start a painting project with Annie Sloan chalk paints, you will first need to decide on the color you want to use. You will also need a few supplies. In terms of supplies, you will need a few brushes, a quart of the decorative paint in your favorite color, two soft rugs, other extra supplies such as the painter’s tape, paint can opener, screwdriver and various other things such as rubber gloves, plastic knife and so on.
You can choose to paint outdoors as well as indoors with this paint. Since the amount of volatile organic compounds in this paint is low, you can easily paint indoors as no fumes are produced by the paint. However, it is recommended to paint in natural light to ensure that you get the decor and the color exactly right. Also, you can easily work with this paint at room temperature.
To prepare the furniture, you should first get rid of any movable parts and sand any rough patches on the surface. It is important to keep in mind that sanding is absolutely not needed while using this paint but if you do feel the need to sand to even out some rough edges, you can always do that. If there are any holes in the wood, you can use wood glue to fill up the holes.
Once the surface is clean, you can start applying the first coat of Annie Sloan chalk paint. You should paint slowly section by section. There is no need to panic as you can always come back and repainting if anything goes wrong. This paint is forgiving. It is very thick and sometimes, you may apply too much paint somewhere but you do not need to worry as it takes some time to dry out.
Normally, the surface will look streaky with lots of brush strokes after the first coat. This is completely normal and the surface will look clean after the second coat. Your first coat will dry within 60 min and now you are set for the second coat. Most of the times, you won’t need more than two coats to make your furniture look completely amazing.
However, you can always go for more coats if you find some remaining streaks on the surface. You can easily clean the paint brushes with the help of warm water and soap as this is a water-based paint. Once the paint has dried, you may use soft wax to seal it. It is important to mention here that this step is completely not necessary but most of the painters still like to wax to get that shiny finish.
The best way to apply wax is to use it like a hand lotion. After waxing, take a clean cloth and wipe the surface in the direction of the grain to gently massage wax backs onto the surface. This step will also get rid of the excess wax from the surface.
