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  • Warm, Exotic Living Room: Faux Tortoiseshell
  • A faux tortoiseshell finish is added to the top of a coffee table that has seen better days.
    From "Fresh Coat"
    episode DFCT-208


    This living room make-over is well under way: the walls, closet and coffee table have been painted, and now it's time to paint and add a faux tortoiseshell finish to the desk drawers.

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    Materials (desk):

    screwdrivers
    painter's tape
    sandpaper
    box brush and tack cloth
    black gesso
    foam brushes
    rollers
    small tray
    HC-3
    foam brushes
    small tray
    Algonquin Trail Glaze 1055 (from coffee table)
    paper towels
    blow dryer
    pointed artist's brushes
    toothbrushes
    Onyx Semigloss 2133-10
    badger brushes
    satin varnish
    square brushes

    1. The hardware is removed from the desk and it's sanded to create a porous, absorbent surface for the primer (figure A) (figure B).
    Photo

    Figure A

    Photo

    Figure B


    2. After a thorough dusting, the desk is primed with black gesso. Old furniture often has old, failing lacquer sitting on the surface of the wood; gesso will adhere firmly to the surface and create a smooth finish for the paint (figure C).

    3. When the primer is dry, a topcoat of shiny Black Onyx paint is applied to the surface of the desk (the drawers are left in their primed state) (figure D).
    Photo

    Figure C

    Photo

    Figure D


    4. The fronts of the drawers are taped off along the outside edges, leaving the center portion of the drawers exposed.

    5. Next, a coat of Greenmount Silk is brushed over the exposed portion of the drawers and allowed to dry completely (figure E).

    6. Using a wet-on-wet technique, a liberal application of clear glaze is brushed (with a foam brush) on the front of the drawers; the glaze stays wet long enough to work the paint.

    7. A light coat of Algonquin Trail is brushed on to deepen the background (figure F).

    8. Next, pointed brushes are used to brush on spots of the black and tan paint (figure G).
    Photo

    Figure E

    Photo

    Figure F

    Photo

    Figure G


    9. A blending brush is used to lightly dab, or open up, the dots of color (figure H) (figure I).
    Photo

    Figure H

    Photo

    Figure I


    10. Next, the blending brush is moved softly across the paint surface, creating a muted tortoiseshell finish. Shannon first works diagonally in one direction, then wipes the brush clean before working diagonally in the other direction, blending until she is satisfied with the pattern (figure J).

    11. When dry, the tape is pulled off and the surface is painted with water-based satin- finish varnish (the varnish will protect the paint finish) (figure K).
    Photo

    Figure J

    Photo

    Figure K


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