Old Is New!
Use faux techniques to give this reproduction antique storage bin a fresh, contemporary look!Embossed Copper Mercantile Box
Materials
• Delta and Company Folk Art Tin Old Mercantile Box, #FT-2019 (12″ x 8″ x 9-1/2″)
• DecoArt Americana Acrylics: Antique Mauve, Asphaltum, Bleached Sand, Eggshell, Hauser Light Green, Hauser Medium Green, Honey Brown, Indian Turquoise, Mauve, Plantation Pine, Shale Green, Snow White, Terra Cotta.
• DecoArt Dazzling Metallics: Copper, Glorious Gold
• Royal & Langnickel Aqualon #1 script liner (Series 2585), #6 and #12 shader (Series 2750), 1″ wash/glaze brush (Series 2700)
• DecoArt DuraClear Satin Varnish; Staining & Antiquing Medium; Texture Crackle, Light Mocha
• DecoArt Tracy Moreau Texture Stencil: Southern Motif, #TS01; Texturizing Tools #DAS175
• Rust-Oleum Brown Metal Primer
• Miscellaneous: low-tack painter’s tape, old toothbrush, palette paper, paper towel, ruler, soft cloth, stencil adhesive spray, stylus, tracing paper, transfer paper, water container
Preparation
Note: Follow all manufacturers’ label instructions for proper product usage. 1.Spray the entire piece with a good coat of Brown Metal Primer. Allow to cure overnight. 2.Using low-tack painter’s tape, mask off a rectangle on each side measuring 5-1/2″ wide x 10” long. Mask off a rectangle 7″ wide x 4-1/2 long on the center front panel. 3.Apply stencil spray adhesive to the back of the Southern Motif Stencil. Press stencil firmly in place using the flat side of one of the Texture Tools. Spread a thin layer of Light Mocha Texture Crackle over the open areas of the stencil; avoid getting it on the taped areas. Work on one side at a time, let dry, and then repeat on remaining sides, covering the entire box, except the taped areas and the lower hinged door. 4.Use the 1″ wash/glaze brush to apply as many basecoats of Terra Cotta as needed for full coverage. 5.Create an antiquing mix of Staining & Antiquing Medium + Asphaltum + a touch of water (2:l:tch). Apply an even coat of antiquing mix, working one side at a time. Use a soft cloth to wipe off excess, leaving more around the edges for a darker appearance. Repeat until all sides are done. Let dry. Randomly drybrush with Indian Turquoise, then Copper, and then Glorious Gold. Randomly spatter with Indian Turquoise + water (1:1). 6.Remove tape from rectangles. Use the 1″ wash/glaze brush to basecoat the rectangles and lower lid with Eggshell, and then slip-slap with a small amount of Shale Green using the same brush. Using the 1″ wash/glaze brush, float around the edges with Plantation Pine, and then lightly float with Asphaltum. Very lightly slip-slap the centers of the rectangles with Honey Brown and then with Antique Mauve. Let dry. 7. Transfer the patterns to the sides. Transfer only the tuber and a few leaves to the lower lid. Transfer the two top flowers and the tip of the large leaf to the top. Refer to the photo for placement.Painting
1. Tuber. Base the tuber with Honey Brown using the #12 shader. Slip-slap a second coat with a double-load of Honey Brown and Bleached Sand, covering the entire tuber. Float shading with Asphaltum. Use the #1 script liner and the same colors to apply the roots. Thin Asphaltum with water and spatter the tuber, holding the toothbrush very close to the surface. Wipe away any spatters from the background with a damp paper towel.
2. Stems and underside of leaves. Base the stems and underside of the leaves with Shale Green + Mauve (2:1). Add an equal amount of Bleached Sand to the base mix, and highlight the stems and veins on the underside of the leaf Fig. 1). Float shading on the underside of the leaf with Plantation Pine + Antique Mauve (1:1) (Fig. 2). Reinforce the deepest shadows with Plantantion Pine (Fig. 3). Float high-lights with Mauve + a touch of Bleach-ed Sand, and reinforce with a touch more Bleached Sand (Fig. 4).
3. Green leaves. Base leaves with Hauser Medium Green using the #12 shader. Float Plantation Pine shading around the outer edges (Fig. 9). Using the #12 shader, apply a Hauser Light Green back-to-back float through the of the leaf (Fig. 10). Use the #1 script liner with Plantation Pine to add the veins to the leaves and line the along the lower edges of the stems. Reinforce the shadow at the bottoms of the leaves with Plantation Pine using the #12 shader (Fig. 11). Reinforce highlights by streaking with Hauser Light Green + a touch of Bleached Sand (Fig. 12).
4. Flowers. Base the flowers with Bleached Sand + a touch of Shale Green using the #6 shader. Float across the bottom of each flower with Antique Mauve using the #12 shader (Fig. 5). Float shading on the pink area, dividing the petals with Antique Mauve + a touch of Asphaltum (Fig. 6). Float shading on the light area with Shale Green using the #6 shader (Fig. 7). Float all highlights with Snow White using the #6 shader (Fig. 8).
5. Borders. Use the #1 script liner with Hauser Medium Green to band the rectangles and apply the small corner accents. Using the #6 shader,
float shading on the bands with Plantation Pine and highlight with Hauser Light Green.
6. Lettering. Transfer the lettering. Use the #1 script liner with Medium Hauser Green to apply the green lettering. Using the same brush, streak Plantation Pine up from the bottom of each letter and streak Hauser Light Green down from the top. Use the #1 script liner and Asphaltum to apply the brown lettering. Highlight the larger brown letters by streaking Honey Brown down from the top.
