Granite Finish

This technique is perfect for wood furniture and accessories.

Before you begin, look at samples of real granite to help you decide what color finish you'd like.

Tools required:

·  Oil-base or alkyd paint in burgundy, pink, green, gray, black, white, and one color darker than, but in the same color family, as burgundy; or, paints for other colors

·  Alkyd or oil glazing liquid

·  Mineral spirit

·  Containers for mixing paint

·  Stirring sticks

·  Natural sea sponges, dampened with warm water, wrung dry, then torn into small pieces

·  Heavy-duty plastic wrap

·  Paper plates or paper towels

·  Brushes, low-tack painter's tape (for masking off surfaces), disposable gloves

·  High-gloss polyurethane

Instructions:

1. Have all of your materials ready so that you can work quickly. Except for the base and burgundy coats, all layers of paint should be applied to wet paint. Prepare your surface by filling any holes and sanding it smooth; wipe clean. Mask off any areas that you don't want painted. Then start by applying the darkest color. While that coat dries, mix equal parts glazing liquid and paint for each remaining paint color.

2. Apply the burgundy coat. While it's still wet, wad up a piece of plastic wrap and blot it onto the paint. Some of the paint should come off with the plastic wrap, exposing the undercoat. Keep turning the plastic wrap as you go. When it becomes completely coated with paint, replace it with a clean piece and keep working.

3. While the burgundy paint is still wet, sponge on the pink. To do so, dip a side of the sponge into the paint and blot it on a paper plate or paper towels to get rid of the excess paint. Lightly press the sponge to the surface. Repeat until the surface is covered. The paint should look uneven.

4. While the paint is still wet, continue sponging on colors in this order: green or blue, gray, burgundy, white, black, and pink. Sponge on paint more lightly as you progress through the layers. If the colors haven't melded when you've finished, dip a small sponge in mineral spirits and wring it dry. Dab the sponge lightly over the entire surface. Finally, coat the surface with two or more coats of high-gloss polyurethane.