Craquelure (from French word"craquelure") are cracks in a layer of paint or varnish on a piece of painting. IN modern design has become very popular artificial aging surface of interior items, which is also called “craquelure”. Master classes on creating various products, which have a unique antique charm, are quite expensive. Knowing the basics of such decor techniques, anyone can independently create unique interior items.
How can you get craquelure?
Master classes of novice interior designers most often use special varnishes to create “aged” items. That's what they're called - craquelure. To emphasize and highlight cracks formed on the surface of an object, ink or pastel is specially rubbed into the varnish. Compositions intended for patination give a remarkable effect.
The craquelure technique, despite all the new compositions, still cannot compete with natural cracks in works of art. That is why experts can easily distinguish the original antique item from a fake.
Tools and materials for applying craquelure
Craquelure can be applied to almost any surface. Master classes on varnishing glass, wood, ceramics, metal or paper, despite some similarities, still have certain differences. That is why for each of these types of materials you should use the most suitable technique execution of this design.
To apply this decorative covering You will need the following tools and special compounds:
Synthetic brush;
Hair dryer for drying the product;
Primer;
Acrylic paints (preferably in contrasting tones);
One-component craquelure and finishing varnish.
In the absence of expensive compounds, you can use available materials: egg whites, table vinegar, washing gel, gelatin. There are several ways to apply it to various surfaces. Below are the most popular ones.
Single-phase craquelure
The most popular is one-step craquelure. Master classes on creating this simple coating, also called single-phase, are the most popular. It is used to create a surface with spectacular contrasting cracks. To do this you will need one-component craquelure and acrylic finishing varnishes and a hair dryer.
A primer is applied to the thoroughly cleaned surface of the item (selected depending on the material from which the item is made). To speed up the drying process of the composition, use a hairdryer. Acrylic paint is applied to the dried primer. It is this that will be visible in the resulting cracks. After it dries, craquelure varnish is evenly applied on top. It must be remembered that the thicker its layer, the larger the resulting cracks. When the varnish dries a little and does not stick to the fingers (without losing its stickiness), the main (second) acrylic paint is applied to it. After about 10 minutes, cracks will begin to appear on the surface of the object.
The dried paint is carefully coated with finishing varnish. This coating is called “one-step craquelure”. A decorating master class using this technique can be repeated even by a person far from design and art. This method finishing is excellent for decorating porcelain and wooden items interior, boxes, photo frames. By honing your skills in this technique, you can create unique products.
Decoupage. Craquelure (master class)
Another technique for applying such coatings, called decoupage, is no less popular. Its essence is that various pictures cut from napkins are glued onto a craquelure mesh of cracks. Some experts perform decoupage in reverse order. In this case, the craquelure is applied to the pictures already glued to the surface of the object.
To work, you need the product itself, two tones, PVA glue, cut out and selected designs, acrylic varnish, art brushes, and a hairdryer.
Stages of making craquelure using decoupage technique
Cleaning and degreasing the surface of an object using alcohol.
Applying a uniform layer to the surface water-based paint using an art brush. Dry until completely dry.
Apply a layer of PVA glue to the surface using brush movements from top to bottom or from left to right.
After the object has dried, a contrasting (second) paint is applied. The movements of the brush should be the same as when applying glue.
Without waiting for the paint to dry, a stream of hot air from a hair dryer is directed onto the surface of the object. Under its influence, the coating will begin to crack. The longer the product dries, the rougher and deeper the cracks will be.
The item is decorated with napkins using glue. The dried product is coated with several layers of acrylic clear varnish.
This craquelure looks good on dishes, flower pots, vases, trays.
Two-step craquelure
Master classes on this technique are a little more complicated than the previous ones. To work you will need acrylic varnish, art brushes, gum arabic (a viscous liquid that hardens in air), shellac bitumen, gold or silver powder. Applying craquelure consists of the following steps:
The cleaned surface of the object is covered with 2 layers of acrylic varnish. After it dries, a generous layer of shellac is applied to it. The thicker it is, the larger and rougher the cracks will be. To obtain a barely noticeable openwork mesh, a thin layer of shellac will be enough. When applying this substance, possible smudges should be avoided, since this error is almost impossible to correct.
When the surface of the shellac dries slightly, but is still sticky, apply gum arabic (the consistency of liquid sour cream) on top of it in a thick layer. With light movements of the fingertips, this substance is rubbed over the entire surface. After about 3 minutes, the gum arabic will begin to stick to your hands. At this time, the “massage” movements must be stopped.
When gum arabic dries, cracks will form on the surface. To emphasize them, bitumen is rubbed into them. Then golden or silver powder is applied along the cracks.
The finished product is coated with finishing varnish.
Craquelure on glass objects
The different ones look very impressive glass products, decorated using this technique. The entire process of working with this material is practically no different from the above methods. At the same time, most needlewomen prefer to use single-phase craquelure on glass.
To work, you will need the object itself, acrylic paint in 2 contrasting tones, varnish, a synthetic art brush, and craquelure varnish. glass surface The area on which the decor will be applied is degreased with alcohol. Then it is primed acrylic varnish. After it dries, apply paint of one tone (it will show through in the cracks). After this, craquelure varnish is applied to the surface. When it dries a little, but has not yet lost its stickiness, the product is coated with the main (second) acrylic paint. After cracks appear and the composition dries, varnish is applied to the surface.
Craquelure on a wooden surface
This decorative technique is most often used for finishing old furniture, which can become the highlight of the interior. In this case, you can use both one- and two-step craquelure. A master class on wood is practically no different from the above surface treatment techniques. The main conditions for successful and other items using the craquelure technique is their thorough cleaning of old paint coatings and puttying damage.
Features of applying craquelure
Like any type of design, this one also has a few secrets that can make the job easier. The craquelure technique, which anyone can master, allows you to get the job done quickly and without any defects. To do this, you should remember the following techniques:
An artistic brush should only be synthetic.
After the craquelure varnish has dried, the cracks are often rubbed with “silver”, “gold powder”, oil paint dark tone. After this, the remnants of these products are removed from the surface. vegetable oil and wipe it dry. The processed product is coated with acrylic varnish. This technique allows you to turn even a simple object into a work of art.
Do not shake the varnish before applying to avoid the formation of bubbles. The work area must be free of dust and thoroughly ventilated.
Cracks on the surface are in the same direction as the movement of the brush. To obtain the so-called craquelure mesh, use a sponge or make very small strokes.
Crackle – an artificial aging technique based on creating cracks in the paint layer. It is widely used both independently and in combination with decoupage or other techniques.
1. Craquelures are divided into one-step (single-phase) and two-step (two-phase)
One-step craquelure is considered easier to perform. Two-step craquelure is more finicky, but also more beautiful, and also does not overlap the primary image or background, which allows it to be used both on gold and on a printed image.
Craquelure varnish produced by the TAIR company is based on high-quality imported gum arabic (has a very high surface tension). You can use it as a one-step or as a two-step paired with shellac alcohol varnish.
One-step craquelure looks like a cracked layer of paint, through the cracks of which the lower layer of paint or the base of the product is visible. For example, glass or metal.
Progress:
1. Apply a layer of paint to the surface, which will be visible through future cracks. It can be any color, for example, metallic shades, gold, silver, bronze and other metallics look very beautiful. If your idea is to show the color of the base, then you can leave it uncoated. As, for example, when working with glass.
2. After the first layer of paint has dried, a fairly thick layer of craquelure varnish is applied to it. Leave for about forty minutes, until almost completely dry. You can speed up its drying a little with a hairdryer. The varnish should look dry, but be slightly damp when it touches your hand.
3. For the second layer, acrylic paints are suitable, such as series"Acrylic-Art", "Acrylic-Hobby", "Acrylic-Hobby De Luxe" or paint for painting . Before application, the paint should be diluted with water. The thinner the paint, the larger the cracks will be. If small cracks are needed, then it is recommended to dilute the paint with acrylic paint thinner or acrylic varnish. Thick paint will be very difficult to apply in one go. It is best to apply the finished paint with a wide synthetic brush. The direction of the cracks will coincide with the direction of movement of the brush.
The most important thing: you can only brush one place once. Otherwise, the varnish may begin to “roll off.”
4. You can speed up the drying of the second layer a little with a hairdryer. The top layer of paint begins to crack quite quickly. After drying, a day later, the paint layer must be fixed. You can fix it with shellac, acrylic, or acrylic-pistachio varnish.
one-step:
Two-step craquelure looks like a network of thin cracks, cracked varnish, on the surface of any image (for example, on top of decoupage or painting) or a plain coating of any shade.
Progress:
1. To create a two-step craquelure, the first layer is applied with shellac varnish ( classical principle creating a two-step craquelure: shellac + composition based on gum arabic, craquelure varnish). You can use both clarified and unclarified. Unbleached varnish will give the product is lightweight patina shade.
Shellac varnish is applied in 2-3 layers, allowing each layer to dry completely. Alcohol varnish dries quickly, oh t 15 to 30 minutes. Depends on air humidity.
2. After the shellac varnish has completely dried, a layer of craquelure varnish is applied to it. The main criterion that affects the rate of crack creation will be air humidity, not temperature. In a warm, dry room the process will be more intense. With two-step craquelure, it is better not to speed up the process with a hairdryer, but to place the product next to a radiator, in the sun, or in a warm and dry place.
3. After noticeable cracks appear on the surface, they are rubbed over. To do this, use artistic oil paint, grated pastel, eye shadow or bitumen varnish. This process is best done with a sponge or natural cloth.
4. After drying, seal with shellac varnish. . Thus, it turns out that the consumption of craquelure varnish in relation to shellac varnish will be 1:3.
This technique can easily add a touch of noble antiquity to almost anyone and stylistically diversify your work.
Scheme for using craquelure varnish as two-step:
Video tutorial describing the creation of one-step and two-step craquelure:
Another type of decorative technique for aging surfaces using natural materials- eggshell. It can be used to decorate objects with a craquelure effect.
To do this, you need to collect and prepare eggshells for work. shell from chicken egg wash with a brush detergent in warm water. Then peel off the shell inner film and dry.
After the eggshell has dried, it should be glued onto the previously primed surface of the product. To do this, I generously coat the application area with PVA glue or acrylic varnish. And after that, parts of the shell are laid out at a short distance from each other.
A large piece of shell can be pressed down with your finger and it will split into several small pieces, which can then be conveniently pulled apart with a toothpick or bamboo skewer.
After the entire surface is filled with shell pieces, leave to dry. Next comes painting the decorated surface of the product with acrylic paint. If desired, you can erase the gaps between the glued pieces eggshells oil paint or pastel, as in the two-phase craquelure technique.
A decorative product for creating cracks, giving the product an “antique” look. Facet varnish adheres well to all absorbent surfaces, such as wood, ceramics, cardboard. Glass and plastic surfaces must be pre-treated with primer or glossy varnish.
Facet varnish is quite thick (like a paste) and is applied to the surface using a spatula, modeling knife, palette knife, hard brush or sponge. The varnish layer must be at least 2 mm. Distribute evenly over the surface. The size of the cracks depends on the thickness of the applied layer. Drying time depends on the surface and thickness of the layer, the period is about 24 hours.
4. Two-component microcraquelure
Two-component system of craquelure varnishes for creating microcracks on the surface. The result is the effect of a thin cobweb.
Step 1: Apply a special transparent primer to the prepared or decorated surface and wait until it dries completely.
Step 2: apply craquelure composition. The depth, thickness and direction of cracks depend on the direction of movement of the brush and the thickness of the applied layer of varnish. After drying, the cracks can be emphasized with antique paste, pigment, liquid patina, or oil paints. Formed cracks ranging in size from 1 mm. Microcraquelure varnishes have no color. The shade of the decorated surface does not change, but only acquires the effect of an aged and cracked surface.
Also suitable for pre-decorated objects and surfaces with any pattern and application, for glass. After drying it becomes waterproof. We recommend covering the work with a finishing varnish.
5. Craquelure paint
Easy to use, one-step paint creates a craquelure effect when dry. Colored. It is applied with a brush to the surface of the product and after some time the paint cracks, forming a beautiful network of cracks.
In paintings you can often see a network of small cracks. This is called craquelure.
But where does it come from?
Many people think that craquelure This is an integral attribute of painting, especially ancient painting. Actually this is not true. Cracking of the paint layer can occur for various reasons, but in general they are explained by incorrect technology: wet layers of paint, unacceptable mixing of pigments, inappropriate binder, and many others. etc. Craquelure even has certain varieties: cracks can be deep or superficial, wide or as thin as hair, spread over the entire plane of the picture or locally. If the technological conditions are strictly observed, craquelure can be avoided.
Accordingly, painting of any age is susceptible to cracking, and modern painting is even more so, since the traditions of the artist’s reverent attitude to the technological process have been lost.
Sometimes craquelure is done intentionally, which gives the painting a peculiar “antique” effect. But artificial craquelure is different from natural one. This is how in some cases experts distinguish a fake.
Craquelure(French craquelure) - a crack in the paint layer or varnish in a work of painting.
There are two types of craquelure surfaces:
1. Thread (varnish, spider craquelure) the finest cracks that are found on antique lacquer boxes and miniatures, paintings.
2. Fence (hard, crack) cracks with sharp edges, reminiscent of broken glass in nature.
The effects of deliberately aging things are incredibly beautiful. You can age furniture, decorate glass vase craquelure and decoupage, and it will take on an exclusive and antique look.
How is the craquelure effect made?
First way:
You can create the effect of antique cracks by layering two varnishes on top of each other. various properties. For example, aging varnish + craquelure varnish + aging varnish.
1. Apply varnish for aging (it can be called “varnish for giving paintings an old look”, “varnish for patination”, “patina for decoupage”, etc.). It can be found in any art store.
2. As soon as the first layer of varnish dries and reaches the state of “stickiness, but not dirty” (not earlier than 30-40 minutes), it is necessary to apply a second layer of varnish, which is called craquelure. The thicker the second layer, the more pronounced the cracks will be. Here you also need to ensure the uniformity of the coating.
3. After applying the second layer of varnish, the surface can be dried with a hairdryer. At this point, characteristic cracks will begin to appear.
4. After the surface has completely dried, the craquelure is rubbed with various grouts. For example, bitumen from a series of patination products, dark oil paint, gold powder or dry pastel powder of any color. This is done to create contrast with the base of the work.
5. Excess grout can be removed with another swab or sponge soaked in linseed or sunflower oil, and then wiped dry with a rag.
6. Cracks obtained using this method are quite fragile, so the resulting beauty must be fixed with varnish (third layer). To do this, you can use the patina varnish that was used to apply the first layer, then the work will take on an even more golden-brown appearance of an aged object. Or you can limit yourself to the usual transparent acrylic topcoat varnish.
In this article you will learn how to artificially age an object using special varnishes, what types of cracks there are and how to get them. Easy-to-follow techniques will help both beginners and experienced craftswomen accomplish a lot creative ideas and will inspire new ideas for decoupage works.
So what is craquelure?
Craquelure is a network of fine cracks on a product, obtained for decorative effect. The technique is used to give paintings, furniture and household items an antique look, giving the impression of antiquity.
You can artificially age any thing with your own hands using special compounds and paints, which can be found in any specialized stores.
Craquelure goes well with decoupage and makes it possible to transform any thing and add zest to the interior: an ordinary box turns into an elegant box, and a simple glass plate becomes an exquisite dish.
Fine craquelure.
To get a thin, elegant mesh, you need to use a two-step craquelure varnish, which is applied to the glued applique before finishing. Finally, after drying, the surface is treated with pigment (purpurin, pastel, shadows) or oil paint to highlight the cracks.
Alcohol base (shellac and gum arabic)
- First apply 3-4 layers of shellac. Each layer needs to dry for about 15-20 minutes. The brush can be cleaned with alcohol after use.
- After last layer dries to a tack, i.e. it remains sticky, but does not stain your fingers, apply a layer of gum arabic. Apply with a soft flat brush and then rub over the entire surface using circular movements with your fingers. You need to rub until your fingers stop slipping.
- After 30-40 minutes, a thin network of cracks will appear. Oil paint is best for grouting. Rub the paint into the cracks with a dry cloth in a circular motion. Once all the cracks have been exposed, wipe off any excess with a dry cloth. For the second step, i.e., do not touch the gum arabic with a damp cloth or wet hands. Water will wash away the gum arabic and may spoil cracks that have not yet developed.
- When all the cracks have been rubbed, rinse off the gum arabic under running water. warm water. The product will become lighter and cleaner. Cover the dried work with any varnish.
When mastering a new technique, do tests every time and be sure to follow the instructions and follow the recommendations. Work only with a dry and clean brush - especially when applying craquelure varnishes - otherwise you risk irreversibly ruining the work. Remember also that you cannot skimp on the second step, because the magnitude and appearance craquelure is directly proportional to its quantity.
Water base (Maymeri 753-754)
The most convenient for working in the technique of decoupage craquelure on water based. They also create a thin network of cracks on the object, reminiscent of a cobweb. All components are applied very easily, cracks appear quickly enough, the compositions are washed off from hands and tools warm water with soap.
- Use a flat synthetic brush to apply the first step. Leave for at least half an hour. It does not dry out completely and always remains sticky.
- When the first step is completely clear and tacky, apply the second. Work with a dry, flat, clean brush. You can pour a small puddle and smooth it over the entire surface. Rub it in until it starts to dry out and your fingers stop slipping. Leave the work to dry. After an hour, you will notice thin and transparent cracks appear on the surface.
- To highlight cracks, rub in pigment (pastel, shadow) of the desired shade with a dry cloth or brush.
- Rinse the second step under running warm water and after drying from the water, secure the work with acrylic varnish.
Depending on how you dry the craquelure varnish, the type of resulting cracks directly depends. Using a hairdryer will speed up drying, but the mesh will be very thin and fine. It is better to leave the work to dry naturally.
Medium craquelure
To create cracks of medium width, two-component craquelure is also used. After it dries, the craquelures are highlighted with pigment. The result is a glossy finish that does not require finishing. The cracks become more expressive. After work, tools should be washed with solvent.
Oil base (pair Maymeri 678-688).
- Apply a layer of Maymeri 678 craquelure varnish
- When dry to the touch, coat the surface with Maymery #688. Then work with your fingers, rub (massage) it into the surface. You can stop when No. 688 starts to dry out and your fingers stop slipping. Leave to dry until cracks appear.
- After 30-40 minutes, this step will begin to dry out and cracks will form on the surface to be decorated. The time it takes for the mesh to appear depends on the humidity in the room and temperature.
- We highlight cracks with dry pigment or oil paint of the desired shade.
- For better fixation of the grout, leave the work for several hours and then rinse off No. 688 under running warm water.
- It is not necessary to apply finishing varnish; products decorated with medium craquelure do not need additional processing. If there is still a need for coating, then it is better to use it as finishing same varnish oil based(alkyd).
Rustic craquelure
How to make cracks in country style? To create crackle in rustic style One-step craquelure is often used, designed to crack the paint layer applied on top of it. As a result, interesting colored cracks are formed.
Mediums for craquelure (Plaid 695, Maymeri Idea Medium)
- If the color of the object being decorated differs significantly from the future background, then the surface does not need to be treated. If the color of the object and the background color differ slightly, cover the product with acrylic paint of a contrasting color.
- Then apply the medium with a dry, flat synthetic brush.
- The medium can be considered ready for applying the next layer of paint when it is sticky and does not remain on the fingers or is completely dry. After drying, cover it thin layer acrylic paint. How to apply paint? Paint in one stroke, otherwise you will cover the resulting cracks with paint. They appear quickly, but that doesn't mean you need to rush. Their direction will correspond to the direction of movement of the brush. When finished, wash your brushes with soap and water.
Country style crackle differs from other types of crackle in that you can control the direction of the cracks. If the brush strokes are parallel, then, accordingly, the craquelures will be parallel to each other. If the medium is applied with a sponge, the cracks will be chaotic and multidirectional. To decide on the type of craquelure and application technique, make several drafts.
Classic craquelure
This type allows you to decorate objects with pronounced cracks. They are formed as a result step by step application two layers of acrylic paints and two types of craquelure varnish. Classic crackle is universal - it is used to create a background and for finishing decoupage works. IN in this case the texture of the mesh will be dense and deep, so this look is best combined with large appliqués.
Two-component craquelure varnish RAYHER Antik
To create a background
- Apply to the prepared surface first step
- Paint the surface with acrylic paint (for example, golden color)
- When the paint has dried, apply a thick layer of the first step with a brush.
- After it is completely dry (about half an hour), paint it with acrylic paint of a different color (for example red)
- Wait for the paint to dry and then apply a thick, even coat of step two. After an hour, cracks will begin to appear on the surface (red), through which golden paint will appear. The width of these cracks depends on the thickness of the layer of the second step: the thicker, the deeper and wider the cracks.
- The finished work can be coated with acrylic varnish. To give the product a finished look, you can use a patination agent (bitumen) for aging
To develop craquelure on a pasted application
- Apply the first step to the prepared surface to be decorated with a flat brush. If it thickens, add a couple drops of water.
- After the layer dries and becomes transparent, apply a second one.
- After 15 minutes, large cracks will begin to appear. Cover them with bitumen, oil paint or acrylic paint. The second step is indelible, so if you rubbed over the cracks with acrylic paint, you can remove the excess with a slightly damp cloth.
- Finished work cover with any finishing varnish.
Compositions for classic crackle have a low sensitivity threshold compared to varnishes for other types of crackle. The final result may be unsatisfactory due to the use of acrylic paint that is incompatible with the type of varnish, for example, background acrylic paint does not interact with craquelure compositions. If you follow the rules of compatibility between acrylic and crackle varnish, the result will be excellent.
At the end of the article I would like to wish you, friends, limitless imagination, new ideas and inexhaustible energy to bring them to life! Bye.
Most decoupage master classes tell you how to effectively and aesthetically “age” a boring bedside table or turn a cereal can into a work of art that has come through the centuries. Rarities are valued not only at auctions; antiques will serve as an excellent decoration in any interior. But it is not necessary to wait half a century and subject objects to severe tests in order to “age” them beautifully and artistically. To help decoupage lovers, there are craquelures that help crack the top layer of paint or varnish on the product.
Translated from French craquelure- this is a crack. Initially, this term was used to describe cracks on the surface of paintings: due to improper application of layers by the artist to the canvas, the primer, varnish or paint naturally cracked, forming a chaotic pattern.
Craquelure in decoupage is a special varnish that “cracks” when dried. upper layer surfaces. Of course, when decorating objects, this effect is achieved not due to the negligence of the master, but intentionally. This technique was called crackle. The aesthetics and charm of an antique art object are so obvious that they have been developed craquelure varnishes for different surfaces : from paper to metal. Let's talk in more detail.
Craquel application technique ra
In decoupage master classes they talk about one-step/two-step or one-component/two-component craclures. This should not be taken literally, because... Crackle is usually done in three steps.
Step-by-step instructions for applying craquelure:
- 1) applied base: primer or acrylic paint. The base determines the color of future cracks. If you want to maintain the original color, you need to apply transparent acrylic;
- 2) applied layer of craquelure. You need to wait until it dries (about an hour). Readiness is determined by the fact that the finger sticks slightly to the surface, but does not get dirty;
- 3) applied top layer of contrasting acrylic paint(this will be a one-step crackle) or a second layer of craquelure(this will be a two-step crackle, and the original background will remain under the cracks). At this moment, cracking occurs.
Types of craquelure
Craquelures for paper. Plain white paper, whatman paper or cardboard are both the easiest and most finicky surfaces for crackle. Most often, before applying craquelure varnish, the paper is tinted with paint or a pattern is made, so one-step craquelure is more suitable for it. A special feature of paper is its pliability to water, therefore, to prevent it from deforming, when applying the first layer, you should apply it to the brush as much as possible. less water, almost one paint.
Craquelures for wood. Most popular look Crackle - namely crackle on wood, because it gives old, boring furniture a second life in a new role. A chest of drawers, chair, nightstand or headboard can be completely transformed into palace interior items. Two-step craquelure on a light surface looks aesthetically pleasing and advantageous. Good combinations of gray, blue or light olive with white.
Craquelures for ceramics. By making crackle on ceramics, you can achieve an interesting mosaic effect. To do this you will need a two-step craquelure. First, the craquelure varnish is applied strictly in one direction, applying it once in each place and without going onto the newly painted surface. After drying, apply a second layer of varnish in the transverse direction using the same technique. If you want a finer grid of cracks, after the second layer has dried, apply a third diagonally. To make the cracks appear brighter, after all layers of varnish have completely dried, you can wipe the surface with oil umber.
Craquelures for metal. In kitchen cabinets and on mezzanines there will always be cans and grandma’s metal kettle, and at the dacha an old children’s watering can and a tin tray lie idle. By using craquelure and your imagination, you can turn ordinary old things into decorative ones. stylish elements interior A successful combination of light acrylic base, motifs made from decoupage napkins and a craquelure layer, which gives a textured pattern and special charm to household items.
Craquelures for plastic. To master the crackle technique, try various techniques or execute original idea, it’s easiest to practice on regular plastic bottles: if it fails, you won’t feel sorry for it, and if it turns out well, the unsightly bottle will turn into an elegant vase. Any, even unused, item can be used: so an old gram record with craquelure will become a useful and beautiful retro watch.
Craquelures for glass. From the usual glass plate You can make your own decorative plate, applying craquelure along the sides. Glass is easy to work with because... varnishes and paints quickly adhere to the base and are easily separated by cracks thanks to smooth surface. Using contrasting paints in combinations of black - white, blue - silver, red - gold, you can achieve particularly expressive cracks. An interesting option there will be a cracked fresco on the bottom of a transparent plate with outside. You can eat from such dishes without fear of damaging the design. Glass craquelures will help you make a souvenir mug or an “antique” bottle with a message.
- To make the first layer of craquelure dry faster, you can dry it with a hairdryer. In this case, the cracks become thicker, and the “patterned mesh” becomes larger.
- If the second layer of paint is applied not with a brush, but with a sponge, the effect of Venetian plaster is formed.
- Craquelure varnish should be applied with a soft flat brush so that the layer is distributed and “cracked” evenly.
- The more repeated layers of craquelure you apply, the thicker and more detailed the “pattern mesh” will be.
- The width of the cracks directly depends on the thickness of the craquelure layer: the thinner the layer, the more graceful the cracks will be. To create rough, thick cracks, a thicker layer will be required; for the same purpose, you can apply a paint layer a little before the varnish dries.
Find your own approaches to craquelure and create unique things with your own hands!
source selbermachen.ru