Dry Brushing has always been my go to technique for layering paints to achieve patinas but when working with highly detailed ornate moldings, paint often falls short on highlighting the details. Waxes on the other hand can be pushed into the crevices, with easy wax on wax off techniques.
For this project I wanted to create a verdigris finish on a mirror frame. I started with a silver wood picture frame molding and painted it with Pure & Original's Classico Slate Gray. Slate Gray is an off black, a softer black than Classico Black.
To create the verdigris wax, I mixed a 1/4 teaspoon of CeCe Caldwell's Sante Fe Turquoise paint in with a tablespoon of Miss Mustard Seed's White Wax. For a larger quantity, mix a 1/4 cup of white wax with 1 teaspoon paint. You can play around with ratios depending on how much you need for your project, but start with a small amount of paint and add until you get the right color intensity. Keep in mind too much paint will liquify the wax.
Using a wax brush liberally work the wax into the crevices.
Then gently wipe off the wax from the relief or raised areas of the molding to expose more black surface. Just look how the tinted wax brings out all the details that may have gone unnoticed.
Once dry you can buff for a shine.
The verdigris wax looks amazing on bronze and copper colored paints as well.
