Typography OPTIONS ………Graphite & French Linen Dresser

When it comes to adding typography to a piece, there are multiple ways to do it.

  1.  PROJECTOR METHOD:   Personally, I prefer using a projector.  That is how I created most of the pieces you will see done by me, like this Coco dresser.  I find this way the easiest since just by moving the projector closer or further away – I can manipulate the image to be bigger or smaller.  It is also easy for me to combine different elements from various images, just by swapping out the transparency.  Click HERE to read a post on “HOW TO” use a projector.

CoCo dresser with Dark Wax and email

2. TRANSFER GEL METHOD: Or, some people prefer using a decoupage or transfer method.  I find that this may not always be 100% reliable and it takes some skill.  (well, I guess all methods take some skill, and I prefer option #1)  But again, many of our customers like to use a transfer medium as described in this post HERE.

Amy Rachel's Garden The Purple Painted Lady Removal 2

And then, we have ………..

3. Super Chacopaper:  Then, there is Meryl Gartside’s way.  We were excited to see her “before & after” photos!  And we think this dresser that Meryl painted for her husband turned out beautiful!

Meryl Gartside Graphite dresser 2016 The Purple Painted Lady AFTER

The Purple Painted Lady

MATERIALS USED:
 

Meryl wrote me:

About the dresser:

I did this piece to be used as my husband’s dresser in our newly remodeled bedroom. I chose the color Graphite because it seemed to be neutral and also a distinctly masculine color.

Graphite is a rich color – close to being a slate, or think …dark pencil lead. Depending on the orientation of the surface painted- it can appear darker or lighter. It does have depth and interest- and clearly plays wonderfully with other pieces painted in a true black.  But note that it is NOT a true black.

The Purple Painted Lady Graphite Chalk Paint open lid

Here is the “BEFORE” picture of my Craigslist find:

Meryl Gartside BEFORE DRESSER The Purple Painted Lady Graphite chalk Paint

The Purple Painted Lady

After cleaning (it with Mineral Spirits and doing a clean water rinse) I then did a light sanding, and applied 2 coats of Graphite, slightly watering down the second coat because I was going for a smooth finish.

I did 2 coats of French Linen on the top, also adding a little water to the second coat for a smooth finish.

French Linen is an incredible color. To me it rivals a piece from Pottery Barn. It is a timeless & classic color. It has a bit of grey to it compared to a similar Chalk Paint® color, Coco. Coco is more brown.

French Linen with both Clear and Dark Wax Sample Board - Copy

I found the typography on The Graphics Fairy.

Meryl Gartside Graphic The Purple Painted Lady

The Purple Painted Lady

I enlarged the image to the size I wanted by making a Xerox copy at Staples. Then I found this amazing Super Chacopaper at Michaels which allowed me to trace (in white) an image onto a dark background.

Meryl Gartside Super Transfer Paper Michaels The Purple Painted Lady

Meryl thinks this Chacopaper is great stuff! It somewhat “sticks” to the surface as you trace, so there is no way it will shift around. The one drawback is that it will smudge onto the surface below if you lean on it while you are tracing. I discovered this (horrified) when I peeked under the tracing the first time to make sure it was transferring the image. To prevent further smudging, I slipped a piece of parchment paper under where I was leaning on the surface, and re-positioned it out of the way as I traced my image. (The smudge which I had inadvertently created, wiped off easily later with water.)

Meryl Gartside Close Up Image The Purple Painted Lady

The Purple Painted Lady

At this point, I took a break, and didn’t work on the piece for about 3 weeks. I had psyched myself out to the point where I was very nervous about painting the typography. Much time had already been invested, and I was afraid to mess up at this point. 

Back at it 3 weeks later, I got up the courage to go over the typography with a fine point Sharpie Oil base paint pen. It wasn’t as difficult as I had feared, but I was ultra careful to avoid any blobs with the paint pen (my biggest fear) by dragging the pen tip on a sample board periodically (which had been painted in Graphite.) There were a few issues with the paint pen not flowing smoothly all the time, but I managed to avoid any major blobs on the actual drawer itself.

Once the typography was completed and dried, I waxed the dresser in a coat of Annie’s clear wax. I did some light distressing around a few edges, then gave everything a second coat of clear wax. I have read how dark wax makes graphite look even darker and richer and I had considered using it, but I was happy with the richness of the color just using the clear wax. Any white lines that were there from the chacopaper simply disappeared when I waxed it.

I used the original glass pulls for the drawers. Because they were over 100 years old they had gotten very cloudy. I soaked them in denture cleaner (a tip I discovered through research) and now they are bright and clear.

The Purple Painted Lady

The Purple Painted Lady

Meryl wrote us, I want to say that from what I have found, you are the very best resource for chalk painting supplies and information on the Internet. I live in an area where there are no workshops near me. ? So, last winter when I set out to explore the world of chalk painting, your website (and online store) helped me more than any other single resource that I found. Thank you for that. 

Hope you enjoyed reading what Meryl created with her Chalk Paint®.
XO
Trish

The Purple Painted Lady™ ~ the serial no. is 86/641,416 with the US Trademark Office

 

WANT TO WIN FREE STUFF?:
The Purple Painted Lady LOVES seeing “before & after” photos from her customers!  And in fact- we always send a thank you gift if we use your images and story.  So, please feel free to share your photos and a little write up by emailing them to Trish at takuntz@rochester.rr.com!  Remember to include a few details of your project, any tips/tricks that you like to do that help you, or even something you learned through the process that another person could benefit from!
 

BUY PRODUCT FROM …..THE PURPLE PAINTED LADY™:

First- if you have a local stockist- go visit them and build a relationship with them.  Go to them with your questions and project issues.  BUT- if you do not have a local stockist- we invite you to try our customer service!

As for buying any of the products we mentioned earlier in this post- I hope that you select The Purple Painted Lady™ to be your one stop resource!  We have two locations in western NY.  Check out our Information tab and come and meet us!  Otherwise- if you are not located near me- the following information may apply to you.  This information is directed to those who do NOT have a local stockist.  Because if you do – go and meet them, shop from them and build a relationship with them.  The guidance, information and knowledge they share with you – will be invaluable.  But, if you are in a location where there is no one selling paint products- and you must buy on-line- consider us.  With that said, visit www.anniesloan.com to find a stockist near you.
 
We are here to help you, our customers!  We want you to be successful!  And, just so you know, when you place an order with The Purple Painted Lady:
 
SOME OF THE REASONS WE THINK OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS THE BEST:
 
*  We sell Chalk Paint® for $34.95
*  If you order before 3 pm EASTERN TIME any day Monday thru Friday – we will ship out your package that SAME day.
*  We ship orders out every since week day all over the US.
*  We offer the lowest flat rate UPS shipping cost so if you are one town away or 10 states away- the shipping cost is the same.
*  We have awesome follow up customer service, too!
 
 
And- it is my paint sales that keep me in business and allow me to be here to help you.  (my shameless but honest plug)    Here is a link to our on-line shop=>  http://shop.thepurplepaintedlady.com/
 

: )  And I will be here to help you as you progress through your future project!  And if I do say so myself- we offer the BEST customer service that you will ever experience!Lastly- if I was helpful to you- ….please consider leaving a positive review on my Facebook business page sharing your positive experience or thoughts about The Purple Painted Lady.  Here is a link to my Facebook page=> http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Purple-Painted-Lady/291882785710    This really helps me!  (wink, wink!)

Trish

PLEASE VISIT OUR TWO LOCATIONS!

our MAIN STORE at 77 West Main Street in Macedon, NY 14502

77 Main street with phone number

OR

3200 West Ridge Road in Rochester, NY 14626 (The Shops On West Ridge)

The shops on west ridge pic 3200 The Purple Painted Lady

 

More Typography or Image Transfer FYI

I love inspirational quotes on pieces of furniture.  Especially, in a kid’s room or a front vestibule.  Making a statement seems, …cool to me.

The most recent quote I am painting is “Life Moves Pretty Fast. If you don’t stop & look around once in a while, you could miss it!”  Are you a “Ferris Bueller” fan- because if yes- you know this quote and you may want to – click here.

A couple weeks ago- I painted this “Love” dresser.  The shot below shows it almost dine.  There was still a little bit of painting left on it…..

Typography LOVE quote The purple Painted Lady Chalk Paint annie sloan dresser

When it comes to typography on painted pieces, it is very popular!

The dresser below is still in the works.  First we painted the dresser with Graphite Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan.  Graphite is reminiscent of Gun Metal.  It is a soft charcoal black – which I like to compare to a dark slate color or a vintage slate chalk board in an old school room! It is made with purplish blues, browns, and it is not completely black.

Graphite is a popular color, especially when I am detailing a piece with vintage typography. I receive a lot of emails about this color. But again– I want to clearly state again though – this is NOT black.  

The Purple Painted Lady Graphite Chalk Paint open lid

Once my dresser was painted and dried- I then followed the steps I have noted in another post here on my website.  So, in case you are interested in trying this yourself- check out an old post I wrote called “Typography! How does she do it?”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE POST ON STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

The main thing is that Chalk Paint® is ideal for this technique.

 

As you will read- I like to use a projector and push an image up on to my dresser.

Using a water color pencil in the color I plan on using to fill in the design- I copy the design onto my piece.

Typography Life Moves Fast quote The purple Painted Lady Chalk Paint annie sloan dresser

In the photo I have here- I used a white water color pencil.

I will typically take the drawers out to paint the design, and then- using sandpaper- I distress my painted letters.

This will create a super smooth finish. Note the white dust on the Graphite paint on the upper drawers from sanding over the white letters.

Do not worry about that because once I go over this with my Annie Sloan Clear Wax- the residual dust will disappear.

Stay tuned and we will post soon showing the results using Annie’s Clear Wax over this piece.

 

BUY PRODUCT FROM …..THE PURPLE PAINTED LADY™:

First- if you have a local stockist- go visit them and build a relationship with them.  Go to them with your questions and project issues.  BUT- if you do not have a local stockist- we invite you to try our customer service!

As for buying any of the products we mentioned earlier in this post- I hope that you select The Purple Painted Lady™ to be your one stop resource!  We have two locations in western NY.  Check out our Information tab and come and meet us!  Otherwise- if you are not located near me- the following information may apply to you.  This information is directed to those who do NOT have a local stockist.  Because if you do – go and meet them, shop from them and build a relationship with them.  The guidance, information and knowledge they share with you – will be invaluable.  But, if you are in a location where there is no one selling paint products- and you must buy on-line- consider us.  With that said, visit www.anniesloan.com to find a stockist near you.
 
We are here to help you, our customers!  We want you to be successful!  And, just so you know, when you place an order with The Purple Painted Lady:
 
SOME OF THE REASONS WE THINK OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS THE BEST:
 
*  We sell Chalk Paint® for $34.95
*  If you order before 3 pm EASTERN TIME any day Monday thru Friday – we will ship out your package that SAME day.
*  We ship orders out every since week day all over the US.
*  We offer the lowest flat rate UPS shipping cost so if you are one town away or 10 states away- the shipping cost is the same.
*  We have awesome follow up customer service, too!
 
 
And- it is my paint sales that keep me in business and allow me to be here to help you.  (my shameless but honest plug)    Here is a link to our on-line shop=>  http://shop.thepurplepaintedlady.com/
 
: )  And I will be here to help you as you progress through your future project!  And if I do say so myself- we offer the BEST customer service that you will ever experience!Lastly- if I was helpful to you- ….please consider leaving a positive review on my Facebook business page sharing your positive experience or thoughts about The Purple Painted Lady.  Here is a link to my Facebook page=>  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Purple-Painted-Lady/291882785710    This really helps me!  (wink, wink!)
XO
Trish

The Purple Painted Lady™ ~ the serial no. is 86/641,416 with the US Trademark Office

PLEASE VISIT OUR TWO LOCATIONS!

our MAIN STORE at 77 West Main Street in Macedon, NY 14502

77 Main street with phone number

 

 

OR

3200 West Ridge Road in Rochester, NY 14626 (The Shops On West Ridge)

 

We have MOVED OUT of The Shops on West Ridge June 2022

The Purple Painted Lady is located at 2620 State Route 31 Palmyra NY 14522.  Come and visit us any time between 10 – 5 Monday through Saturday.  And if those hours are not convenient for you- please call us and we can make arrangements to be available at a time that is.