Page 88 - The Decorative Painter Fall 2015

Prep Prowess
The Burr Oak tree in my yard boasts the largest acorns in North America and the longest tap root of any oak on Earth. Its lush leafy top is evidence that the roots below are healthy. Just
as a tree’s roots determine what happens above ground, your surface preparation is the foundation for a successful painting—or not. And just as trees require different climates and care, our painting surfaces have specific needs, too.
by Nanette Hilton
DOVETAIL: When preparing surfaces, I do several at a time while listening to an audio book or jazzy music and enjoying some chocolate—MAKE IT FUN! See my protected work surface and the water-based DecoArt All-Purpose Sealer for my wood, rock and glass? Pour a bit into a paper cup and apply with old, large flat brushes. I’m also set to spray the glass jar lid with Rust-Oleum Automobile Primer and lightly sand my porcelain ornament and wood, once it dries. After this sealing session I’ll have many surfaces ready for decoration.
Mixing acrylic paint with textile medium can lessen bleed- ing and makes your project washable.
ROCK: Wash and apply sealer and you’re ready to paint. PORCELAIN: Unglazed porcelain needs little preparation and easily accepts your paint because it has ‘tooth.’ Wash it with soap, dry and then rub with alcohol to remove any oil or soap residue. It may need smoothing with fine sandpaper to remove poured seams or blemishes. Treat glazed porce- lain like glass.
GLASS, WAX & PLASTICS: Too slick for paint, these surfaces need sealer or specially-designed mediums added to paint to make it stick. First wipe with alcohol and then ap- ply a clear sealer to the surface and/or mix paint with wax or glass painting medium.
PAPER: Paper is porous, so sealing it is key to preventing paint bleed. Paper includes MDF (multi-density fiber- board), cardboard and papier-mâché. Apply sealer generously. Sand lightly with a folded brown bag to smooth surface.
WHEN IN DOUBT: Got the perfect yard-sale find but don’t know what it’s made of? Start with KILZ Aerosol Primer. It blocks interior stains from surfacing, promotes adhesion, seals porous surfaces, and hides previous color.
Like nurturing a tree, your painting surface prepara- tion effort is the root to creating a delightful and enduring finished project that will bear the sweet fruits of beauty and enjoyment for generations.
Before choosing your surface preparation
technique, consider your goal: are you paint-
ing with acrylic or oil paint? Remember: water
UNDER oil = OK. You can prime and basecoat
with acrylic paints even if you plan to ultimately
decorate with oils. But oil under acrylic is NOT
OK since the acrylic will not adhere over time to
the oil beneath. So with that premise, assume all preparation is done with water-based mediums.
WOOD: Raw wood should be dried and free of
oozing sap. Apply tannin block to knotty wood
to prevent oozing. Fill dents or holes with wood
putty. I have used Durham’s Water Putty for
20 years—since you mix it yourself, one 16 oz.
can will last that long. Next, apply a sealer to
all sides of your surface. I recommend DecoArt Ameri- cana’s brush-on water-based Multi-Purpose Sealer. Sealer plugs up pores, making less basecoat paint necessary, and creates a uniform texture and porosity for the topcoat, allowing it to flow and level quickly over the surface and dry evenly. It also soaks into wood, raising the grain. This brings us to the final step: sand your surface, making it smooth to accept paint without resistance or unsightly ridges, cracks or rough edges. Be sure to remove all dust with a damp lint-free cloth so it doesn’t get mixed into your paint.
TIN: When metal and moisture mix we get corrosive rust. Prepare metal by washing with soap, scrubbing with steel wool to remove any rust and dry in your oven on low heat overnight. Spray all surfaces with several thin coats of auto- motive primer, avoiding drips, until opaquely covered. Like wood, applying a coat of sealer will ensure your paint sticks to the surface. There is no need to sand your tin, making it a beautifully smooth and popular painting surface. FABRIC: Wash your fabric, if it will ever be washed again, before painting it—like clothing. If you’re never going to wash your fabric and it’s purely decorative—like a decora- tive pillow, you may choose to apply a sealer over it, the same sealer you’d use for wood, making it less porous. Real- ize that without sealer your fabric will absorb paint as you apply it, possibly bleeding from where you intend it to be.
86 The Decorative Painter • ISSUE NO. 3, 2015
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