I’ve always loved antique paintings! But the price tag is usually very steep! I decided to test out a little DIY antiquing of my own on a thrift store painting. When I was at the thrift store, I searched for a “cheaper” painting that I could test it on. I actually loved this painting, I just didn’t love how it was entirely blue.
I do try to look up the artist first and make  sure they aren’t worth anything.
This process is so simple! I just mixed up dark brown craft paint mixed with a tiny bit of black, and wiped it over the painting with a lint free cloth. I’ve tried Apple Barrel craft paint (from Walmart) “burnt umber” mixed with black for some paintings and “chocolate sprinkle” mixed with black for some paintings. On this particular painting I used the burnt umber and black mixture. I felt like I needed to do a second layer after the first one dried because there was still more blue showing through than I had desired. And, that’s it!
If I feel like I get too much paint on the painting after I wipe it off during the process, I gently wipe over it with a damp cloth and it thins it out. I made sure to paint over the edges of the canvas as well, let it dry, and wow, I was so impressed with how old and aged it looked! I even love how the edge of the canvas is showing through. I think it gives so much character.
I love how the painting looks in our guestroom!
I also found this floral painting for three dollars at a thrift store and thought it would be perfect painting to try out the antiquing as well.
I used one wipe over of the dark brown mixed with a tiny bit of black craft paint again on this one, and it turned out amazing as well! This is a great way to tone down the colors in original paintings that I might’ve passed up in the past.
I will be using this technique a lot AND will be keeping my eye out for all of the amazing paintings at thrift stores! I’m excited to try other wash techniques over paintings too!
Ever so cool…this is what I call enhancing…lol!!! I will have to give this a try…????
Thank you Lorri! I just love the antique look of them now
Amazing! One of the best post ever, as do simple with little cost! ????
Thank you so much! Yes, so budget friendly
I love this technique you did over these paintings so much that I’m going to attempt it on a painting I have with bright sunflowers.
Sweet! That sounds so pretty
Love love love!!! Can’t wait to try this!
Thank you, Ann! I hope you do try it out, so fun!
Love this idea! Is that some sort of painter’s tape you are using to hang the sketch prints?
Thank you! That is called washi tape
Oh wow! Both of these paintings went from no thanks to I want to hang this in my home, love the transformation. I cannot wait to give this a try.
Thank you so much Lisa! Excited for you to try it out
Do they have to be canvas paintings for this technique to work properly? Must the original paint have a texture?
Thank you.
Hi! I’ve not tried it on something that hasn’t been canvas like, some of them are like canvas boards. If it’s an actual painting it will have texture, I haven’t tried it on something that is totally smooth yet
This is amazing! I actually look for paintings like this to buy! Definitely going to try this. Do you leave the brown/black paint mixture to dry or do you wipe it off? Are the paintings all on canvas and are they a textured oil base?
Thank you so much! I just wipe it on and off so that it doesn’t totally cover the picture and then I let it dry, it’s more of a technique to give it a brown tone so that it looks antique. The paintings that I’ve done have been on canvas or some type of canvas board, if it’s a painting it’s going to have some type of texture. I don’t know if the ones that I’ve done or oil base or acrylic. I did do a glossy one and was wondering if it would even work out and it worked out great I just had to work a little bit more with it.
I’m so so excited to try this!! One of the best DIYs I’ve ever seen!
just wow!!!!amazeballsssss .you have so much talent .you should be teaching a class somewhere.!!!!!1
This is awesome can’t wait to give it a try. I also saw someone putting clear polyurethane over a print on a canvas or something like you have it gives the appearance of and old oil painting. Can’t wait to try these.
I can’t wait to try this. I have a painting in the closet just waiting for this. Do you use satin or matte?
Love your creatively!