How to paint different surfaces to match the color of wood with your own hands, instructions

As the operation progresses, the door leaves, interior details, car surfaces lose their aesthetic appearance, but it is a pity to get rid of them. You can save things by painting them under a tree. The updated item takes on an expensive look and looks stylish. Any surfaces can be painted under a tree using almost the same technology: plastic, metal, as well as chipboard and fiberboard.

How to choose a dye

To understand the technology of painting, you have to imagine the texture of wood. The patterns on the surface of the tree consist of two colors prevailing over halftones: the main color is light, on which there are dark stripes and annual rings. Therefore, to imitate wood, you need to purchase two paints:

• light - beige, gray-yellow, sand, light brown, mustard;
• dark - burgundy, dark brown, brick, terracotta, black.

The paints are selected so that, when combined, they resemble a tree of a certain species.For example, reddish shades are chosen for painting under alder, to create oak - light yellow-brown and straw. It is advisable to buy both dyes from the same brand.

Dark paint applied over light background paint should have a thinner consistency. Do not choose dyes that are too contrasting: natural wood does not happen like that.

For plastic

Plastic is a material susceptible to aggressive influences, therefore the paint should not contain corrosive components. The best option for painting plastic is acrylic. Polyethylene, polypropylene and fluoroplastic surfaces cannot be painted with any dye.

For metal

Before painting, the metal surface is primed. Opt for a refractory metal paint. For painting exterior surfaces, choose an anti-corrosion paint composition with an electrical protective effect.

The best option for painting metal under a tree is powder coating. The procedure is carried out by means of a special spray gun in a spray booth, the powder paint is sprayed under high temperature exposure.

Preparatory work

In order for the product to be painted to become similar to natural wood, the first step is to choose the right paint colors and the right painting tools.

Then you need to carefully prepare the surface.

Tool Selection

To prepare the product for painting, the following tools are required:

• sanding skins of variable grain size;
• screwdriver for removing accessories;
• brushes and sponges to clean the sanded surface.

To paint yourself under a tree, you need to prepare:

• primer;
• gun or brushes;
• a rubber float for decoration;
• two types of paint;
• transparent varnish to fix the result of the work.

How to properly prepare the surface

Remove hardware before painting. Non-removable, non-repainted items, wrap in foil, seal with tape.

Then you need to thoroughly clean the product from dust and dirt. Scrape off old paint. Smooth and clean the surface using abrasive skins. Start by walking with coarse-grained skin, then move on to fine-grained skin. If the material of the part allows it, a sander can be used.

No plastic sanding required. But you can use a wire brush to scrape the surface for better paint adhesion.

Before painting, the metal product should be carefully checked for corrosion. If found, clean the surface, remove rust with a special chemical preparation. Fill the remaining grooves and defects after anti-corrosion treatment. Finally, treat the metal with white spirit or another degreasing agent.

Step-by-step painting instructions

Before painting, a primer is applied to the surface, left to dry. You can paint under a tree in three ways: with a painting tool (brush or float), mix liquid coloring compositions, apply soot. The painter decides which method to choose, taking into account the convenience of the work and the material from which the painted surface is made.

Use a rubber float

Using a decorating trowel is the easiest way to paint a wood look, no artistic skill is required to do the job successfully.

Paint according to the following algorithm:

1. Prime the surface.
2. When the primer is dry, apply a light-colored paint.
3. When the light base coat dries well, apply dark paint.
4. Immediately, until the second coat is dry, pass the rubber trowel in the desired directions, simulating the pattern on the cut wood.

Wipe off the float overhangs as you do the job, as paint collects there and can spoil the result. After the right painting, light stripes and curls, imitating the annual rings of a tree, will clearly appear on a dark coating.

Liquid mixing method

The method is quite complicated, an inexperienced painter should not undertake it. The painter must have an artistic flair. Painting only a large, smooth surface will be successful. But with enough skill, this method can make an excellent imitation of wood.

Paint as follows:

1. Apply light paint. Allow to dry, but briefly, to keep the coating slightly damp.
2. Use a brush to apply the second paint. Spread the dark compound over the wet light layer. Move the brush so that patterns form on the canvas, resembling a tree cut.
3. Let the product dry. Finish with clear varnish.

Applying a second liquid paint over a first semi-dry paint creates multiple thin, fuzzy streaks, like on a tree cut.

How to apply soot

The soot method is often used to paint plastic car parts, but painting other surfaces is also possible. To work, you need to buy a dye of one color, preferably saturated, and also take a plastic stick (a disposable spoon is suitable).

Paint according to the following algorithm:

1. Color the product, let it dry.
2. Light the plastic stick.
3. When it smokes, bring it to the painted surface, move it in different directions.

As the plastic is smoked, the soot deposits will be unevenly distributed over the surface, forming a woody pattern. The result of the work will remain to be fixed with varnish, applying it in 2 or 3 layers.

Painting with a brush

Paint under a tree with a brush as follows:

1. Once the primer is dry, apply clear ground paint using a wide, flattened, soft-bristled paintbrush. Move the brush in the direction you want the grain of the wood to be.
2. Once the base coat is dry, apply the dark paint using a flattened brush with very hard bristles and sparse bristles. Dip the brush in the paint a third, remove the excess on the edge of the container. Paint along the canvas with the brush in the direction in which the grain of the wood was simulated. In this way, paint over the entire surface.
3. After the second layer dries on the canvas, take a light paint, apply an additional layer with the same hard brush to emphasize the relief.
4. Cover the dried surface with varnish.

Additional tips and tricks

For successful painting of plastic, metal or any other wood-like product, consider the following recommendations:

1. When choosing coloring compositions, be guided by the style of the interior, the color of the furniture. For example, you should not make a door under luxurious mahogany if the room has modest alder furniture.
2. Do not paint the plastic with a paint roller or the finish will not look like wood. Use a wide, medium-bristle paintbrush to paint.
3. When painting under wood with brushes, if you have artistic abilities, use a fine brush to paint the sections of the branches to make the design look realistic.
4. Use a construction hair dryer to speed up the process of scraping off old paint from wood surfaces. Under the influence of high temperature, the coating will swell, it will easily peel off with a spatula.
5. Aqueous coloring compositions are optimal for painting plastic: acrylic, acrylate, vinyl acetate.
6. Coat plastic surfaces with an adhesive primer specially designed for polymers.
7. A rubber float to simulate wood when painting is sold at any hardware store. But it is not difficult to make it with your own hands from a piece of rectangular sheet rubber. To do this, cut small teeth on the rubber surface at an unequal distance from each other.
8. When renewing an old wood surface, saturate it with linseed oil or apply a primer to the wood. Instead of paint for the base, you can use a pigmented or translucent varnish whose tone matches the desired color of the wood.

Professional painters are often faced with the need to paint a plastic or metal coating such as a tree, the work is simple, but laborious, requiring precision. Having created an imitation of wood, you can make a simple thing look elegant and presentable, give a second life to an old door or furniture.