Glazing is a fantastic technique to enhance the beauty of your painted (or raw wood) furniture, providing depth of color and a custom finish. Country Chic Paint offers a variety of glazes, each with its unique characteristics.
In this tutorial, we'll walk you through the different glaze options available, how to use them effectively, and creative ways to apply multiple glazes for a stunning result.
Country Chic Paint offers the following glazes, each offering a different look:
- Graphite: A deep, dark glaze that adds a rich, dramatic look.
- Limestone: A light, subtle glaze with a soft, natural finish.
- Slate: A medium-toned grey glaze that offers a balanced, classic look.
- Smoky Quartz: A warm, smoky glaze that adds an earthy touch.
- Tiger’s Eye: A rich, golden-brown glaze with a hint of red undertones.
- Clear: Completely clear - mix your own unique glaze color by tinting it with any of our paint colors.
Preparing for Glazing
Before you start glazing, ensure your surface is ready:
Surface Preparation:
Whether you're glazing over a painted piece of furniture or raw wood, make sure the surface is clean, dry, and free from dust. If necessary, lightly sand the surface to create a smooth base.Gather Supplies:
- Country Chic Paint Glaze(s) of your choice
- Paintbrush or Painting Sponge
- Clean rags for wiping
- Optional: Gloves (to keep your hands clean)
Glazing Over Painted Surfaces
Single Glaze Application
Choose Your Glaze: Decide which glaze suits your project best. For example, if you want a dramatic effect, try Graphite or Smoky Quartz. For a softer look, consider Limestone or Slate.
Apply the Glaze: Dip your brush or sponge into the glaze. Apply a thin, even coat of glaze over the painted surface using smooth, sweeping strokes. Work in small sections to avoid the glaze drying before you have a chance to manipulate it.
Blend and Wipe: Use a clean rag or sponge to blend the glaze into the surface. Wipe away excess glaze with the rag, leaving a subtle wash of color. For a more intense effect, leave more glaze on the surface.
For more detailed instructions on how to apply furniture glaze, click here.
Antiquing with Glaze
For an antiqued look, especially over medium to light colors, try Smoky Quartz or Slate.
Choose your Base Coat: Since we are going for an aged, antique look, you might prefer starting with a lighter paint color for the base coat. For example, these pressback chairs painted in Vanilla Frosting look naturally aged with some Smoky Quartz Glaze on top:
Apply the Glaze: Follow the steps above for single glaze application, but focus on areas where you want to emphasize details or create an aged effect.
Blend and Wipe: Use a clean rag or sponge to blend the glaze into the surface. Focus on crevices and corners to enhance the antiqued look. Wipe away excess glaze with the rag, leaving a subtle wash of color. For a more intense effect, leave more glaze on the surface.
For more detailed instructions on how to apply furniture glaze, click here.
Glazing Over Raw Wood (AKA Staining Wood Furniture)
When glazing directly over wood, use any of the Country Chic Paint glazes to enhance the natural beauty of the wood grain:
Prepare the Wood: Ensure the wood surface is clean and lightly sanded.
Apply the Glaze: Follow the same application method as described above for painted surfaces. Apply the glaze and work it into the wood grain to highlight texture.
Blend and Wipe: Use a clean rag to blend the glaze and wipe off excess to achieve the desired finish.
For more detailed instructions on how to apply furniture glaze as a stain over raw wood, click here.
Using Multiple Glaze Colors for a Layered Look
For a more complex finish, try using multiple glazes together. Here’s a creative technique combining Slate and Limestone:
Base Glaze Application: Start with Slate as your base glaze. Apply it to the entire surface using the method described above. Let it dry.
Add a Second Glaze: Once the base glaze is dry (1-2 hours), apply Limestone over it, focusing on areas where you want to create highlights or variations.
Blend and Create Effects: Blend the Limestone glaze into the Slate base using a clean rag or sponge. This technique creates a layered, textured effect with depth and visual interest.
Creating Your Own Custom Glaze Color
If none of Country Chic Paint's pre-tinted glaze colors are quite right for your project, create your own with Clear Glaze!
Just mix any of our 50+ paint colors with Clear Glaze in a 1:4 ratio, and apply as you would any other glaze color.
Here are some examples of what Clear Glaze tinted with Hollow Hill (dark green) would look like over various finishes:
For more detailed instructions on how to create your own custom glaze color, click here.
Final Tips
Test First: Always test glazes on a small, inconspicuous area first to see how they interact with your base paint color or surface.
Work in Small Sections: This helps prevent the glaze from drying before you have a chance to manipulate it.
Adjust Consistency: If the glaze is too thick for your liking, you can thin it with a small amount of water to achieve a more transparent effect. Wipe off and reapply additional glaze as you see fit! The look you are going for is up for you and it’s completely subjective.
