This page is for creating dramatic patinas on metals.

Faux Paint Patinas

The first patinas we will cover are techniques you can use for any metal or material.

Brushed-on Paint Patina

Use stippled-on flat black paint, and optionally, rust-colored paints, to your item.

Water-Masking & Spray Paint

To create a random patina pattern, use a spray bottle to spray your item. This works best on a flat item that is relatively level, because you want the beads of water to stay on your surface. Once you’ve got a generous amount of beading on your item, apply a flat black spray paint (or patina color of your choice) over the surface. Allow the water to dry, or absorb it with a paper towel after the spray paint is dry.

Heat Patinas

Take a propane torch and heat the metal. The heat will oxidize the metal immediately. Seal the results in with a varnish, lacquer or clear coat.

Reactive Metal Paints

What could be more realistic than applying actual metal to your surface that was already prepped for oxidation? Reactive metal paints are paints that contain metal flakes and can be activated to create rust or other oxidized patina effects. Check out Modern Masters iron paint.

Chemical Patinas

There are so many techniques and chemicals for chemical patinas that I will simply link to a number of products that deal with them.