Crackling

• 25mm nylon artist brush
• Furniture wax, tinted
• Liner brush
• Picture frame
• Resene FX Crackle, Resene FX Metallic tinted to Resene Gold
• Resene Qristal Clear Poly-Flat
• Resene testpots in Resene Breakwater and Resene Golden Sand

Project tips

A plain frame suits this finish, so the less detail the better. Before you start your project try out different combinations and practice your application method on a piece of card until you are happy with the result.

How to make a crackle paint finish

Step 1:  Apply one coat of Resene Golden Sand and allow to thoroughly dry.

Step 2:  Brush on a smooth even coat of Resene FX Crackle. Allow to dry.

Step 3:  Fairly quickly, brush on one coat of Resene Breakwater. Apply in one direction following the grain of the wood around the frame. As the paint dries, the cracks will form. This happens quite quickly. Don’t touch the paint once it has crackled otherwise you will damage the finish.

Step 4:  This step is optional. Using the liner brush and the gold paint, paint a fine line around the frame. Two or three coats may be necessary.

Step 5:  Seal with Resene Qristal Clear. To antique it further, tinted furniture wax can be rubbed in and buffed gently when dry.

› Download this project as a PDF

Project by Janet Scard. Photography by Joseph Zou.

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