- 1). Make sure the wood has been sanded smooth and all of the dust wiped off.
- 2). Put down a base coat of mustard or ocher yellow acrylic paint and let it dry.
- 3). Mix 1 part white vinegar with 6 parts burnt umber or raw sienna from an artist's tube of watercolor paint. The mixture, called glaze, should be smooth and thick.
- 4). Paint a coat of glaze on the wood surface with a wide, flat brush.
- 5). Use any of the following techniques to achieve a fancy grain look while the glaze is wet.
- 6). Use an awl to poke holes in the flat end of a cork. Stamp the cork on the glaze, dabbing it on a clean rag every fourth stamp to keep the glaze from building up on it.
- 7). Stutter an index finger in diagonal patterns across the glaze.
- 8). Wet a small piece of natural sponge and dab lightly at the glaze. Pat the sponge on a clean cloth occasionally to keep the glaze from building up on it.
- 9). Use the same paintbrush you used to apply the glaze and twist it in circles to form swirls.
- 10
Let the glaze coat dry and apply a coat of oil-based varnish. Let it dry and finish the piece with a second coat.
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