A “Mother Glaze” is an essential ingredient when creating faux marble, woodgraining, certain organic textures, and any other technique that involves the expressive use colors. The pot of glaze is a “Mother” because it is the base for all offspring colors.
ABOUT
THE RECIPE
The recipe for the mother glaze depends on each project and the size of the surface. Use a combination of glazing mediums with varied dry times. For oil-base, see Pierre’s oil glaze recipe. For water-base use a slow-drying Glazing Medium (for faster drying time add a fast-drying Acrylic Medium)
THE DECORATIVE PAINTER'S TOOLKIT
A mother glaze is the main glaze used on any layer of decorative painting. This tinted glaze has a main job to cover the entire surface.
THE TECHNIQUE
The mother glaze is poured into a palette cup and used to mix with the vibrant colors on the palette.
EXAMPLES
When creating the major veins of a faux marble, it’s important to use a middle-toned mother glaze that can be mixed with those vibrant colors from the palette. This chromatic link makes all the colors work together because the base is the same. For this GIDP marble project, the mother glaze was a milky gray. Look at all the colors on the palette below!
For this popular faux marble type rouge royal, the mother glaze in this layer is a brick tone. See project: Rouge Royal
For an oak woodgraining project, the mother glaze is the base color of the wood. Other tonalities were added to enhance the variation of the woodgrain. See project: Oak Woodgraining
Oak in process. The mother glaze is used effectively for sketching out the major tonalities — adding the colors from the palette to add tonal streaks.
To achieve this a varied tonality, a darker blue was added to the center.
HOW TO MIX THE RECIPE
Use our step-by-step instruction below
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Here is a list of the tools & supplies you will need to achieve this technique. Supplies available at fauxbrushes.com are linked below and listed at the bottom of the page.
ADD GLAZE
STEP 1 – ADD GLAZE: For faster open time add 40% Glazing Medium or Sheer. For longer open time add up to 80% Glaze. *These measurements vary depending on brand and viscosity.
ADD MATTE MEDIUM
STEP 2 – ADD MATTE MEDIUM: For faster open time add up to 50% Matte Medium or Acrylic Glazing Liquid. For longer open time add only 20% Matte Medium.
ADD WATER
STEP 3 – ADD WATER: Add 5-10% Water
ADD COLOR
STEP 4 – ADD COLOR: Add desired paint, slow-dry Acrylic Colors are recommended to maximize open time.
FEATURED
PRODUCTS
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