Tuesday Tutorial: Painting Chalkboard Art

Last week’s tutorial was spent showing you how to create your chalkboard art using the computer. If you haven’t read that one it can be found here and it can be used to make this entire process much easier. Today’s tutorial will pick up where that one left off.

Step 1

Once you’ve finished creating your pattern on the computer, print it out in paper sized segments. If you’re not sure how to do this, please use the tutorial I created back in July on using technology to create a sign. The steps listed there for printing will work for our purposes today as well. Once you have them printed, cut the blank margins off and tape them together so you have one large pattern.

Step 2

Place the pattern on the table or surface that you are planning to paint it on and slide a piece of light graphite under it so that the side with the graphite is face down on the wooden surface.

If you need help placing the pattern on the table so it is centered, use this suggestion. Fold your pattern in half to find the center, then measure the table you are placing it on and lightly mark the center. Place the fold of the pattern on the line you just marked and then carefully open it up without moving the pattern off the line. This will line the center of the pattern up with the center of the table.

Step 3

Tape the pattern to the table and with the graphite placed under it, trace around all of the letters and design elements with a pen or pencil. This will transfer the pattern to the table. Remove the pattern and graphite.

Step 4

Paint the letters and elements using white paint and a drybrushing technique. Drybrushing is most easily done if the brush has a short round nubby tip, kind of like a rough q-tip. Then you use this brush to do the drybrushing technique which means that you load the brush with a full load of paint as in the photo below.

Remove the excess paint so the paint is left up in the bristles by rubbing it on a paper towel or rag.

When you are done, the brush should still have paint left in it but not on the immediate tip.

Paint the letters by starting with light pressure to see how much paint is left in your brush, then increase the pressure as the brush starts to run out of paint. The goal to this technique is to have the paint not completely cover the surface but to have skips in the coverage like chalk does when it is used to write with.

Step 5

Once the letters and design elements are painted, they will not have a defined edge because of the drybrushing. If you want to make the text more clear, lightly outline one side of the letters. See in the photos below, the first is somewhat fuzzy and undefined but the second with the outlining is more clear.

Step 6

Once your table is completely dry, remove any remaining graphite lines with a graphite eraser and varnish with a matte polyurethane varnish and enjoy.

Doesn’t the finished project look great? I’m sure my brother and sister-in-law will enjoy having this table in their new cabin. When the cabin is finished and this is in place in its new home, I’ll take pictures to show you.

Next week we will not have a Tutorial Tuesday so we can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with our family and friends. May you have a wonderful and blessed holiday as well.

Also, check back soon as we will be completing our Christmas decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving and we’ll have lots to share at that time. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Thanks for visiting,
Cathy

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