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In taking stock of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint instructions, you will be impressed as to how simple her techniques are really very simple and straightforward. She invented her paint so it can be applied to just about any surface without a lot of preparation such as paint stripping, sanding, or laying on of many coats of paint.
She has techniques to provide a distressed look, a vintage look, a rusty chippy look, as well as a smooth, modern look. For the sake of example, we are going to take a peek at how the chalk paint can give a smooth and very modern finish.
Keep in mind that Annie Sloan Chalk Paint offers 31 different colors, and they all can be readily mixed as they have been readily manufactured to do so.
The paint itself is a somewhat thick paint, and it goes on very smoothly and covers without much preparation. In this case that is exactly what we are about to accomplish, as we put a very smooth finish on a desk.
Step One – Lightly sand the surface of the desk with a medium grade of sandpaper just to smooth over any pronounced bumps and textures.
Step Two – Pour your paint in a bowl, and water it down, and then apply it smoothly and in an even manner, painting in the direction of the grain of the wood on the desk. Let the paint dry for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Step Three – This step is optional, but you can now lightly sand the surface, using a very fine sandpaper, about 600 grit or more, and this will buff the finished surface of paint. This will give your surface a more distressed look, if you prefer that to an absolutely smooth surface.
Step Four – This is one of the most important, and very interesting stages where you apply a soft, clear wax onto the surface of the dried paint. It is applied in the same manner as hand cream would be applied, rolling it around and letting it soak in. Then any excess was is removed with a rag.
There are other Annie Sloan Chalk Paint instructions depicting other desired finishes and techniques, such as mixing your own colors. Annie Sloan graduated from University with a degree in fine arts, and she was also a professional interior designer. She had for years been frustrated with most of the commercial paints on the market, as they were very difficult to mix. The results turned out to be very muddled.
Colors is one of Annie’s specialties, and so she came up with paint that was not only easy to use, but also colors that were easy to mix and turned out will in the process.
The key to having customers have success in their paint mixing adventures is Annie’s color chart where she quite vividly illustrates the primary colors, and then the matching and contrasting colors, making it easier for customers to visualize what they want in color, and the colors to go with the main one, and contrasting colors as well.
