Miss Mustard Seed's Shutter Grey Milk Paint over an old mahogany red finish! Now that is chippy!!!
Marian Parson's says that the peeling is unpredictable so you do need to "go with the flow" having a piece never chip, or literally have the paint fall off -- which happened with this piece even after one coat! But it is my display piece for Milk Paint when it arrives later this month, so I am happy it chipped so much!
After the two coats, I had chipping down to the original finish and a thin layer of paint over the original finish and some two layer areas. So it does look rough. I finished the piece off with a good coat of hemp oil, which I believe will keep it from chipping further.
Here is what I learned about Milk Paint as I experimented. 1) I was not crazy about using it over raw wood. It is a thinner paint and kept soaking in. I gave up after three coats and moved onto something else! I think, as recommended with Chalk Paint(TM) decorative paint by Annie Sloan, I will use shellac on raw wood for both paints in the future to save paint and keep from bleed through of tandins or peeling. 2) Due to pigmentation, there is a lot of color variation in your final color across the piece. It is subtle, but it is there -- irregular. 3) It is difficult to anticipate how much paint you will need and how the paint will react to the piece. You really do have to go with the flow on this. 4) I did not use stabilizer in my paint for this piece as I really think I will use Milk Paint mainly for pieces I do want to look rough and chippy. However, I see some terrific pieces out there done without chipping.
Like anything, there is a learning curve. I see a lot of excitement for this product. But I must admit, I will always prefer the creamy rich, smooth, consistent texture and color of Chalk Paint(TM). Just me, but I am pleased to have a paint that will appeal to those who love the rough and tumbled -- left too long in the old shed -- look!
