Tuscan pillars

Quantities of paint necessary:
Paint Café-approved latex paints, Velvet finish:
	Mead B119-10:		1 litre
	Cherry Stem B226-12:		1 litre
	Bay Leaf B215-44:		1 litre
	Jaune Dijon B119-42:		1 litre
ILLUSIO products:
	Mascarade Glaze 8563-22:		1 litre
	Pearlescent Deep Gold 8564-76:		250 ml
	Brïo Varnish, Velvet Finish 8565-11:		1 litre

Required tools:

• Artist's paintbrushes, different widths, (from about 0,5 cm to 1 cm)
  
  
• Paintbrushes, wide, round or flat
  
  
• Small-cell sponges
  
  
• Damp rag
  
  
• Pail of water
  
  
• Fresh paint masking tape
  
  
• Lead pencil or light-coloured chalk
  
  
• Plastic containers, 250 ml (one per colour used)

Rough layouts

1. Before starting, do a few rough layouts on paper of the motifs you intend to paint on the bases and capitals of the pillars. Motifs on your carpets or on your furniture could be a source of inspiration to you.

The base texture

2. Apply two coats of Mead B119-01 on the pillars. Let dry at least 6 hours between coats.
   
   
3. Mask the edges of the capital and of the base of each pillar, leaving open the areas over which you wish create an antique effect (step 9).
   
   
4. In the containers, mix the Illusio Masquerade Glaze with each of the colours  you will use to decorate the pillars, 3 parts glaze to one part paint. You will need about 125 ml of tinted glaze in each colour combination for the motifs and 500 ml of Dijon-tinted glaze.
   
   
5. Using a wide flat or round paintbrush, apply the Dijon-tinted glaze, rubbing the brush gently in circular movements over the entire surface of the shaft of the pillar, the area between the masking tape you applied in step 3.

• Note: It's important not to over-saturate the paintbrush and to wipe it on the edge of the container a few times before applying the glaze. Work small areas of about 30 cm by 30 cm at a time to make joints smoother. The objective is not to give the pillar a marble effect but rather to make it look weathered. It can also be interesting to use different tints of the glaze at the same time to achieve a patina effect or to emphasize certain areas, making them more obvious. Once you have completed the patina, let dry for 6 hours before painting on the motifs.

The motifs

6. Using a lead pencil or chalk, lightly trace the shapes you roughed out in step 1 on the base and capital of the pillar. 
   
   
7. Using artist's paintbrushes of varying widths, paint the motifs freehand. You can achieve a water-colour effect by stumping the painted motifs with a damp cloth before they are completely dry.
   
   
8. Remove the masking tape and let dry completely (about 6 to 8 hours).

The antique effect

9. Mask the edge of the motifs to protect them while you work on the base and the capital of the pillars.
   
   
10. Using a wide paintbrush, apply a generous coat of Pearlescent Deep Gold over the entire surface of the base and capital.
    
    
11. Before the Pearlescent Deep Gold begins to dry, use the sponge to smooth out the surface and remove excess Pearlescent. Apply a flat surface of the sponge over the protruding part of the base and capital and wipe the Pearlescent in a regular horizontal movement. Keep smoothing out the surface until you've achieved the desired antique effect. 

• Tip: Keep a number of dry and damp sponges at hand so you can replace sponges that become saturated with Pearlescent.

12. You can protect your finished work with Illusio Brïo Varnish, Velvet Finish which you can apply 48 hours after you've finished.