DIY: My Method for Painting an Antique Gold Patina Finish on Frames

Instructions for creating antiqued finishes abound on the internet- and, trust me, I tried a lot of them in my quest for an authentic antiqued/patinaed finish.

Through trial and error, plus some old trade secrets from the coppersmith workshop where I grew up,  I developed this method for antiquing frames that creates a metallic old-gold finish. The trick? Using a thin coat of high-quality acrylic paint rubbed into crevices to create a faux antique finish that softens the metallic gold with a vintage, slightly grungy feel. Here’s my technique, start to finish. Share your results in the comments below!

How to Paint an Antique Gold Patina Finish

Paint Metallic Gold Undercoat

Paint frames with gold foil spray paint, taking care to cover the top and sides of the frames evenly. Gold “foil” spray is essential to get a rich sheet on the final patina. I like the foil spray paint because it’s the best for replicating a real gold brilliance, not just a “gold color”.

Metallic paint overspray can be tough to clean up- so spray paint on a protected surface. I usually paint on my driveway on top of cardboard boxes. The cardboard boxes protect permanent surfaces from overspray and lift the frames up a bit so the process doesn’t require constant bending over to reach all surfaces.

Allow Basecoat to Dry

Before continuing to the next step, the base coat of metallic foil gold paint should be fully dry. In warm air and low humidity, you should be able to continue in about an hour. Paint will dry slower in cooler temperatures and higher humidity.

Prep Towels

This method of creating an antique gold patina works by applying brown paint liberally and then wiping 80% of the paint away- which highlights raised areas and leaves brown paint in crevices. Before spraying the top coat, have towels (more than you expect to need!) handy, plus an easy way to throw them away without staining anything. It’s important to be able to work quickly- before the top coat dries- so be prepared.

Apply Brown Topcoat Paint

Once the gold paint is completely dry (wait a minimum of an hour or two) Add a thin coat of the Liquitex Professional Spray Paint – Raw Umber, as shown.

NOTE: Not just any brown paint will do. Trust me. I’m a penny pincher, I’ve tried the thrifty route already and resorted to this artist’s grade paint. It makes a HUGE difference.

Liquitex “raw umber” is the perfect tone of brown for creating the authenticity we’re going for. The artist-grade pigments in this spray paint make a huge difference. Rather than the typical watery-texture of spraypaint, this stuff goes on in and even, thick, and buttery coat.

Hand Paint To Get Full Coverage

Working quickly, use the brush to work the brown paint deeper into crevices of the frame. (At first, your brush will remove more paint that it moves, keep going and add paint if needed until the paintbrush is saturated and moving excess paint into crevices)

Use Towels to Add a Rubbed Finish

Now that the brown paint is deep into crevices, you’ll need to remove paint from the high points of the frame- like edges and ridges – to create that rubbed patina finish.

Wiping the still-wet brown acrylic paint off with a soft, clean rag or paper towel will remove enough acrylic paint from the points to create this effect.

Estimated Cost: 15 USD

Supply:

• Paint
• See Supply list

Tools:

• Paintbrushes

To make your patina less obvious, rub a little more aggressively, clearing more of the brown paint from the crevices.

That’s all it takes! As you can see from the close-up photos, the final effect is a rich, vintage, expensive-looking finish that you can add to dollar store frames and thrift store finds. The more texture and recesses a frame has, the better this technique tends to turn out. Simple, flat frames can still be made a little more aged and elegant looking with this painting method, but the highly ornate style frames explode with depth and interest with the multiple layers of paint and distressing.

Can I use non-spray paints

Variations:

Creating a “Dirty Antique Gold” Patina Finish

When I was in college, I experimented with a similar antiquing method to create a grittier version of this antique gold finish. To add grit and the appearance of age, you can try the method I used: sprinkling sifted soil on the wet paint after the top coat is applied. By adding a dusting of literal grit, and then rubbing it into the cracks and crevices, you may get closer to the antique gold finish you’re looking for.

Using Cloth Rags instead of Paper Towels

I used to think Acrylic paint would stain permanently anything it touched, but hosting Bob Ross Paint-Along Parties taught me that that’s not the case! The secret? Have a big bucket of water handy and immediately submerge acrylic-paint saturated rags. As long as the paint doesn’t dry on fabric, it will wash out!  Since you’ll get a LOT of paint on your rags with this method, be sure and give your rags a thorough handwash before tossing them in a washing machine, especially if your washer is a low-water washer or a portable washing machine. A prewash will prevent paint transfer onto your washer, pipes, or clothing. 

Want to learn more about using this technique on objects other than frames? I use this technique, modified slightly, to preserve and present vintage metal objects like old horse shoes. Click the image below to visit my tutorial on gilding & antiquing old horse shoes: