Get a cement look with paint

Remember this woman’s bust I picked up at the thrift store a few days ago?

I thought it was so pretty and had lots of potential, but it was ceramic and wasn’t the look I wanted. I was totally envisioning an aged cement look. After giving it a half hearted wipe down, the transformation from ceramic to cement began! How does one get a cement look with paint? Here are the deets…

As you can see, the piece was smooth, so using my chip brush, I painted on some Fusion Sandstone Texture.

As I applied, I stippled to make sure I would achieve the texture I was looking for. PS, it’s really important to keep the brush moving in different directions as your stipple to prevent a pattern from developing.

Here’s what it looked like after it had completely dried.

I decided to add a base coat of Fusion Mineral Paint in Champlain to cover up the underlying colors.

After the paint had dried, I added a quick coat of spray on Shellac. This step is not really necessary, but I wanted to ensure that I’d achieve some cracks in the surface and aside from using a crackle medium (which IMHO, yields an entirely different type of cracking) this is what I found works best. I didn’t snap a pic of this part. Sorry.

Once dry, I applied a coat of Homestead House Milk Paint in Limestone. With this step, I embraced the chunks that are often characteristic of milk paint. I didn’t really give it a thorough mixing or try to work out the clumps. Instead, I used them to my advantage.

This is a side by side of the bust with just paint and then with the milk paint after it had dried. See the difference in the texture? There are just so many more yummy spots for wax or glaze to settle into.

I decided to antique it with Miss Mustard Seed Antiquing Wax. I applied enough to get it worked into the grooves and recesses and then wiped away the excess.

That’s it! See how easy!?…and now the lady of the hour!

Look at those pretty cracks!

I’d love to hear your thoughts and of course if you have any questions, feel free to leave me a message in the comments. Please feel free to pin away or share below. Thanks for stopping by!