Beautiful Pompeii Style Decoupage Project (art included)

Step 22 How the Crackle Appears After Staining

  Once you see the piece has dried, and that there is a fine layer of cracks over the surface, you are going to take the black paint (choose a brown or gray if you don't want a high contrast), and with a fine rag rub the paint into the cracks in a circular motion. I keep a clean damp rag to rub the paint off the surface as I go. Let it pile up a little along raised edges which enhances the sculptural quality of the layered paper. Don't let your clean up rag get too wet, or it will draw out the paint from the cracks. If you take too much off, re-apply the paint. When you like the way it looks, there is only one last task.