The Framers Forum

What's the best method of painting a frame with a medium/dark red undercoat and black topcoat so that, with a distressed look, the red shows through the black? I don't want the bare wood to show and this will be a flat profile so the red will only show on the edges.

I've done similar finishes before and rubbed back with sandpaper but didn't mind the bare wood showing. Any tips, thanks?

Don't rub so hard.

It's easy to go right though the paint on a sharp edge so it's best to ease off the edges with a slight radius before painting.
Build up the red underlayer with a few coats so it's good and thick. Fine steel wool is better than sandpaper for rubbing back as it will polish as it removes
paint and is a bit more controllable. I generally dip the steel wool in wax (if it's going to be waxed) but this will increase the cutting
power of the steel wool. Best to distress it 'dry' and when you have got it how you want it, then apply the wax.

Or
Once you have painted the red, allow to dry, then rub with a candle where you want the red to show, on the corners, edges, raised parts, then coat with black, then when dry gently rub back with fine steel wool with black wax on, much more control for showing only the bits you want to show through the black

Steve N wrote:...then rub with a candle where you want the red to show,

Now that's what I call a good tip, will give that a go I'll also try the slightly rounded edges and steel wool, many thanks.

I had a stick of solid beeswax in the workshop so used that on the edges before painting on the black, I'm pleased with the result. I'll be framing old Japanese prints with this finish, thanks again for the tip

Nice effect. Looks more like black with red edges than distressed though?

There is more distressing on the edges than the first photo may show, but can always add more when working on the frame itself. Will be letting the customer choose between three samples I've made.

Yes. It struck me that way too. The distressing really should not be so regular. Sort of a lost-and-found
line and a bit heavier on the corners.

The red looks a bit light but that may be the photo.

I think Japanese prints will look good with that effect it has a lovely oriental feel to it; it's just not what I'd call "distressed". With wax resist the paint never really settles there in the first place. Distressing is generally about making the second coat thinner than the first.

Had one last go with a darker red undercoat and thinner black topcoat and more distressing.

That looks better to me David

Thanks, think I prefer the cleaner looking black/red edges but will let the customer decide now.....

That would look good with a black or charcoal mount with a red bevel.

Looks a bit like Komodo frame from Arqadia

Roboframer wrote:That would look good with a black or charcoal mount with a red bevel.

Yes, I think so too, but usually I prefer the black to be a little less that totally black. I don't use Artcare mountboard, but if I did then that would be their colour called Ash. I use mainly Arqadia, Colourmount and Crescent. So I my case that would be Colourmount sepia, which is about as dark as you can get without becoming black.

BTW, nice samples in the pictures, but I prefer a less defined and more distressed look of the edges, which I get by stippling the under colour, distressing with solvent and then washing a little of watered down top colour as a wash over the top of the colour exposed by the distressing, to add a little bit of a subtle result. Those who've spent a little time looking at genuine distressed by age items in auction rooms will understand what I mean.

Another way of achieving the same result is to paint on the black paint and then just rub the corners away with a damp rag before it dries. You can use the same technique with a large frame (which may have dried by the time you've painted regular emulsion all around it) by mixing a little Floetrol with the emulsion paint to extend its open time. Not such hard work and quicker than the wire wool option.