Posh Chalk Pastes, Patinas, Pigments

Posh Chalk Pastes

The Posh Chalk Pastes come in two varieties, the Smooth Metallic Pastes – of which there are 18 different colours – and the Textured Pastes which are available in three colours. Both are water based and the main, well only, difference between the two varieties is that the Textured Pastes have real Swarovski Crystals in them! The crystals give an extra dimension of texture whereas the smooth pastes can be levelled to created a luxurious smooth metallic finish – as the name would suggest.

The pastes are thick and were designed with raised stencilling in mind, so by their nature a less is more attitude is often required. If you’re using them for raised stencilling, the best option is to using something like a palette knife or a spreader to ensure an even distribution.

To add that extra pizazz to your Posh Chalk Paste stencil designs, introduce a little heat. If you warm these with a heat gun whilst they’re still wet they will pop. That is to say they will puff up to a thick eggshell like consistency adding that extra bit of texture and definition to your projects. When popping them, you may begin to notice the scent – all the Posh Chalk Pastes contain essential oils and each one is perfumed slightly differently.

If stencilling isn’t your thing, then don’t worry, you don’t have to throw out your pastes just yet. These pastes are equally at home being used as a paint or even a wash, simply water them down a little and get to work.

Don’t worry about sealing the pastes, they are an all-in-one product – they can even be used outside. Just leave them a while to cure first.

Posh Chalk Patinas

Like the pastes the patinas come in two varieties, the oil based Artisan Patinas available in a more traditional range of colours or the water based Aqua Patinas which come in a much more bold, boho range of colours. Both sets of patinas a very highly pigmented and are used for bringing out the details in your designs – they’re great at emphasising the intricacies in the WoodUbend mouldings.

A little really does go a long way with the Posh Chalk Patinas and you need the tiniest bit – it’s often easier to apply these with your finger rather than a small brush. These are for highlighting, not for painting a wall with! Like the pastes though, feel free to use these on outdoor projects, once cured they’re weather resistant.

The curing process differs depending on what surface you’re applying them to but a good rule of thumb for both the Aqua and Artisan range is that on a porous surface you want to be leaving it for about a week to cure.

The main take away for the patinas though is to use a little bit! Inevitably you’ll need to come back in and wipe a bit away anyway – but when used right, they add so much depth to a project.

Posh Chalk Pigments

The Posh Chalk Pigments can be a little daunting to the uninitiated, but fear not – they’re super easy to use and the finish you get with them is out of this world. These little pots of powder have the ability to transform a project right before your eyes! For most people the first step is to mix them with a top coat sealer such as the bespoke Posh Chalk Infusor, most top coat sealers will work with this but the finish is guaranteed with the Infusor.

The trick is to add the pigments first then come in with the sealer of your choice, it helps you control the consistency a little better.

Let’s talk about consistency for a minute, this is where Posh Chalk Pigments are truly versatile, you can control the consistency with the ratio of pigments to mixer. Need a thicker, paste like mixture? Less mixer and more pigments and vice versa.

In recent times we’ve seen pigments mixed into paints (though this can often dull the metallic lustre) and even used in resin pours. In fact, they’re great in resin pours as they pigments naturally float in the middle of the resin – so no more two stage resin projects!

Finally, the finish, the lustre and shine you get off them  transforms whatever your working with into metal! As the pigments are real metal you are, in essence working with liquid metal – that’s the reason for the jaw dropping, head turning finish.