Faux tortoiseshell
I was looking through some faux techniques and thought I would try this on cardstock. I had saved it from an old Carol Duvall show and have used it on wooden frames. It turned out pretty good on cardstock and some may want to give it a try (very unusual finish). I didn't have an eye dropper so used my aqua brush. Thought the spots were a little large but still gave a very unusual look. Did another using an old hairspray bottle and it was much finer mist with totally different look.
Here is the CASE
Chris Wallace, senior craft designer and spokesperson for Duncan Enterprises, joins Carol to demonstrate how to create a tortoiseshell look on any surface that can be painted. Wallace demonstrates the process on a wooden frame.
Materials:
unfinished wooden frame
wood sealer
sandpaper
acrylic paints: bronze and two tones of gold
sponge
piece of poster board
black acrylic paint
water
brush
rubbing alcohol
eye dropper or spray bottle
Steps:
1. Coat the unfinished wood with wood sealer, and sand it down after it dries.
2. Use the sponge to apply patches of the bronze to different areas of the frame, and duplicate the same look on the poster board. Repeat this step with the two shades of gold until the piece and the poster board are completely covered with a camouflage pattern.
3. After the frame and the poster board have dried, make a wash by mixing black acrylic paint with water.
4. Paint a coat of the wash over the poster board, and while the wash is still wet, spread drops of the alcohol over it. If the wash is the correct consistency, tortoiseshell-like patterns will begin to appear around the areas surrounding the alcohol drops. If not, continue to experiment with different concentrations of the wash until the process produces the desired results.
5. Repeat Step 4 on the frame. If the results are not optimal, you can always wipe everything off and start over. Different patterns will appear depending on how the alcohol is applied over the wash. A spray bottle, for example, creates very small pattern, while an eye dropper makes a much larger pattern. Experiment to find the look you want.
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