Primitive Cabinet Painting Techniques

Tole Painting

• Both American and French folk artists used the technique of tole painting to add hand-painted images to painted metal and wood furniture and decorative objects. A simple repertoire of shapes, such as circles, triangles and ellipses, form the basis for many floral and geometric designs.

  Frequent practice of these shapes leads to fluency, although technical flourishes should be kept to a minimum when trying to reproduce designs on primitive cabinets.

Milk Paint

• Milk paint brings to mind furnishings of the Colonial era, when this type of paint was widely used. Natural pigments form the traditional palette of milk paint, so colors tend toward subtle, historic colors.

  Use milk paint on your cabinets as a base coat for decorative paintings techniques for an authentic period look. You can purchase milk paint at specialty paint stores or you can make your own. Although milk paint has a well-worn luster by itself, a coat of beeswax will provide a satiny feel to your cabinet.

Sponging

• Primitive artists employ sponge painting to decorate a wide variety of objects, from traditional pottery to furniture. Natural sea sponges leave a mottled pattern of speckles, where paint or glaze is deposited on the surface.

  Traditional colors include brown, yellow and red. You can sponge paint in a single color or apply several layers for a colorful, complex look.

Combing

• Popular since Colonial times, wood-graining combs can produce surfaces that resemble wood. Naive painters practiced various techniques to create the wavy lines of colonial graining, basket weave, crisscross and moire patterns. To create your own primitive wood grain effects, allow imperfections to add a touch of authenticity.

Antiquing/Distressing

• Antiquing and distressing methods add an instant patina of age when used over other decorative painting techniques. Apply a coat of transparent umber glaze and allow the color to collect in recessed areas.

  You can also create the appearance of decades of use by sanding the edges and other areas exposed to frequent wear with sand paper or steel wool.