How To Make Acrylic Paint Crackle Effect With GlueWhy I Dont Use Chalk Paint. Im continually asked why I dont use Chalk Paint, so I thought Id just put all the info in a post. That way, when Im asked, I can just give people this link. First, let me clarify that Chalk Paint is not the same thing as chalkboard paint. Although Chalk Paint canbe used for making chalk boards, so the distinction gets a little fuzzy. Chalk Paint is a type of paint actually, its a trademarked brand of paint by Annie Sloan, but other companies have similar paints also that can be used on furniture and other items to create a chalky appearance. Its used for creating an aged appearance, and can be distressed easily. Its often used to create a Shabby Chic look. Chalkboard paint, on the other hand, is used for making chalkboards. Now let me be very clear here. I know that there are a lot of people who will read this post who are diehard fans of Chalk Paint. So please understand that Im in no way trying to change your mind about a product you love. Im not trying to convince you to stop using it. And Im not trying to convince others that they shouldnt try it. Im just explaining why I personally have chosen not to use it. Its a question I get asked over and over and over, so I wanted to answer it. So here are my reasons 1. Daemon Tools Pro Enhanced 4 4. The Price. Chalk Paint costs around 4. Add to that the price of the wax almost 3. Ultimate Waxing Brush another 3. But it lasts so long people say. That may be true, but so does my latex paint, and its a heck of a lot cheaper. With one quart of latex paint, I painted three coats of paint on my credenzaand two coats of paint on my console tableand I still have about 13 of the can left. That can of paint only cost me 1. Cookies ensure the effect operation of our services. By using these, you accept the use of cookies Read more OK. How to Crackle Paint. Crackle painting is a technique used to give painted surfaces a worn and aged look. By applying a layer of glue or crackle medium. How To Make Acrylic Paint Crackle Effect CakeI didnt have to wax it when I was finished. I also didnt have to use any special brush. One 1. Purdy brush, if taken care of, will last for years and years and years. The finish. I dont really know how to put this delicately, so Ill just say it. I dont like the finish you get with Chalk Paint. I had seen pieces painted with Chalk Paint online for probably a full year before I ever saw any of them in person. Online, they looked amazing. So when I finally did see some of these pieces in person, I couldnt believe that this was the paint that people were raving about. Now granted, it could have just been the specific technique of the person who painted that specific furniture, but lets just say that she took the whole no prep needed and just start painting thing to heart. Now Ill say that it could just be a matter of personal taste as well. One quality that people are always praising about Chalk Paint is, Its so easy to distress Well, Im personally completely over the whole distressed Shabby Chic look. Sometimes I wonder what Rachel Ashwell thinks of some of the things being called Shabby Chic these days. A little tinybit of distressing is fine for me and I do mean tinyas in, just on the very raised parts where natural wear would occur, and even then, just a very small amount of distressing, and this is a look I can very easily achieve with latex paint. But even with that, I dont want every piece of furniture in my house being distressed. But this look that some people try to achieve, where it looks like the new, freshly painted piece of furniture has then been chained to the back of a pickup and dragged over gravel and cement to give it character just baffles me. Because I dont want to hurt anyones feelings, I wont show an example from a blogger. But I did find this probably mass produced piece on Overstock to illustrate the trend that makes me say, What theThere is simply nothing beautiful about that to me. Now again, please understand that if you find that to be beautiful, thats fantastic  We all have our own personal taste. This is not my taste at all. So if this is your taste, Im in now way trying to make fun of you, or say that you shouldnt like it. But if Im going to go to the trouble of sanding a piece of furniture and painting it, I want the finish to be as close to pristine as possible. And I get that by sanding, priming, sanding, and the painting with latex or oil based paint with paint conditioner added. And speaking of sanding3. The No Prep Needed claim. This is probably the biggest reason Ive actually grown to dislike Chalk Paint. Any time I paint a piece of furniture and show it on my blog andor Facebook page, I get a whole slew of people asking, Why didnt you use Chalk Paint  You dont have to sand or primeQuite honestly, the no sanding thing doesnt interest me in the least. If Im going to take an old, worn piece of furniture and paint it to put in my house, it will, without a doubt, be sanded first Sanding a piece of furniture or cabinets before painting is about much more than just giving that piece of furniture tooth so that the paint will stick. Its also about evening out surfaces, removing scratches, dings, and even built up dirt or cleaning products. Sanding also helps to minimize wood grain This is especially important with wood like old oak, where the wood grain tends to become more pronounced over time. Sanding also reveals areas where I might need to add some caulk or wood filler to get a smooth painted surface. The bottom line is that I enjoy the prep work and the sanding, because I now that my finished product will only be as good as the prep work I put into it. And priming is part of this process for me. I LOVE my Zinsser Cover Stain oil based primer because once its dry, I sand it with super fine sandpaper to make it as smooth as possible a process I actually love doing. And painting over a super smooth surface like that using paint with paint conditioner I use Floetrol for latex and Penetrol for oil based paints added will ensure that I get the best possible outcome as close to a sprayed finish as possible using a paint brush. I just simply would never, ever skip these steps just to save a few hours of time. But for the record, Chalk Paint isnt always no prep. It doesnt require primer in order to stick, but very often it does require a coat or two of shellac first, or youll get water stains or red stain bleeding through your finish. You can visit The Purple Painted Lady to learn more about when you should prep your piece with shellac before painting with Chalk Paint. The very dark original stain on my credenza would have required the use of shellac before painting had I been using Chalk PaintUsing shellac before painting is called prep work. And if Im going to have to do prep work, Id much rather use products that are tried and true for me, and end up with a finish that I know Ill love. The Durability. I actually have used Chalk Paint once. I started painting a desk with it. The desk was white, and I used the orange color cant remember the name, and I got almost half of the desk finished. Well, I use the term finished loosely, because after two coats of Chalk Paint on the top two drawers and side front rail one coat everywhere else thats orange, this is what they looked likeI was disappointed, to say the least. And when I realized that it would have taken at least three, but probably four coats of paint to get the color consistent, I gave up. I ended up sanding everything down a bit just to get rid of the brush strokes and there were visible brush strokes everywhere, and then I primed and painted it with regular latex paint. One coat of primer, and two coats of latex paint later, I had thisOkay, but thats a side story just to get to the whole durability issue. Ive heard time and again how durable Chalk Paint is. But heres the thing. My desk sat there half painted for about a month, so the Chalk Paint had plenty of time to cure. Before I sanded it down to repaint, I wanted to test the amazing durability I had heard so much about, so I ran my fingernail over the top of the desk with a moderate amount of pressure.