Antiquing Technique

Antiquing Technique

What if I told you that this super detailed and impressive (if I say so myself) pineapple mug is actually extremely easy to recreate? And that you can apply this same technique onto any textured item and end up with an INCREDIBLE result?

No, it's not a shopping channel "As seen on TV" miracle product. Instead, it's understanding how our Underglaze paint works, and using it to your advantage.

Underglaze is notoriously transparent. It's why we recommend that you do 3 thin coats of paint in order to get a solid look to your piece, and why even that doesn't always work. Some colours are worse than others, but generally, this paint is very transparent. 

Here's my step by step explanation on how to recreate this particular Pineapple Mug. You can use whichever colours you like, and this is also easy to do with other textured pieces, such as our Cactus Mug, Feather Dish or Grumpy Owl Planter

 

Antiqued Pineapple Mug

Extra tools (other than brushes, paint, water) you'll need: A sponge! Any sponge will do. Just make sure it's clean and hasn't been used for food. You can cut a portion off a cleaning sponge and keep it for use with paint (I'm unable to supply sponges for paint at home kits at this time, I'm sorry!)
Because of the transparency of the underglaze, if you paint a darker colour underneath lighter colours, the light colours will become transparent after firing, and the dark base will show through.
Paint Colours for exterior of piece
38 Bluebeard, 25 Green Apple, 43 Lettuce, 42 Jaded, 05 Chartreuse, 10 Tiger Tail, Ginger Sprinkles. 
Interior is 75 Paprika, and the handle is Jaded Sprinkles blended into Lettuce
  • Start with your darkest colour. For this one, I used BlueBeard. I have also seen people use 51 Grape or 39 Bluegrass for different effects.
  • Using any large brush, paint over the entire mug with one coat, being sure to get the colours into all of the texture of your piece. Don't worry about doing a careful job of this, as you'll be removing 90% of the paint in the next step. I skipped the handle and the inside, as I wanted them to be other colours. If you get the paint where you don't want it, don't worry. You'll be able to remove it with a wet sponge during the next step.

  • Once you're satisfied that you've gotten into all the nooks and crannies of the piece, take a wet (damp but not dripping) sponge and wipe off the majority of the Bluebeard paint, leaving behind as much as you like in the texture of the piece. Don't wipe it all off, but leaving a lot will make your piece darker. It's a personal preference.

  • Dry mug with a hairdryer, or leave to dry for 10-15 minutes. Bluebeard should fade to a dusty light blue all over when fully dry. You want the Bluebeard to be dry, so that it doesn't mix into your colours that you'll be applying on top.

  • Now it's time to paint all the sections! I like to dip my brush in water before dipping in the paint, as I find it makes it easier to control the amount of paint applied that way. You'll want to paint on 2 light, watered down coats of each colour, wherever you want. I separated the pineapple sections Top and Bottom, as you can see in the photo. I tried to keep colours separated so they had more variety (not doing the same colour next to itself). I've seen it done where the entire diamond section was one colour and that is equally beautiful. If you layer on TOO much paint, the Bluebeard underneath may not be as visible, so be light with your application.

  • If you want to see the Bluebeard in between sections more clearly, be sure not to paint into the crevices that separate them. However, you do not need to paint an extra coat on the crevices. They will darken during firing regardless.

  • It's that simple! You may not see the dark colour showing through as your paint dries, but know that because of the transparency of the paint, it will show through after firing. 

  • If you do use Ginger Sprinkles, you can water it down and paint an extra light layer overtop of some of your sections and various colours. It should deposit the sprinkles and not much colour that way, so you can achieve the flecked effect.

  • Paint 3 coats of paint inside your mug and on the handle and the bottom of your mug however you like, and make sure to sign your piece in paint! I like to date all my items to mark that moment in time. Right now is especially interesting to remember, I'm sure you'll agree!
There you have it! Feel free to experiment with different colours if you have preferences. This technique works on any textured piece, and looks amazing, even though it's very simple to achieve. 
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