An introduction to Dala Chalk Paint

I recently received a surprise parcel of Dala Chalk Paint. This was waiting for me at home when I returned from a dream holiday with a friend. Sheer joy! I was excited about dipping into my paints again and there is nothing to fan that flame like brand new products! Upon opening the box I found a selection of 12 bottles of Dala Chalk Paint inside, along with a can of Dala Furniture Wax. Lovely! I have been wanting to put these to the test for a while and now I could exactly that. And you, my readers, get to come along for the ride. This is going to be fun! Chalk Paint, is a water-based paint that adheres to almost any surface and is frequently used for treating furniture. It derives its name form its chalky finish. It is not to be confused with Blackboard Paint (sometimes called Chalkboard Paint), which is for painting writing boards.

Have you experienced the thrill of finding a parcel with the logo of one of your favorite suppliers printed on the box? Every time I receive a parcel marked Dala, it feels like Christmas come early!

Unpacking this box was one of the most exciting things I have ever done and I could barely wait to start testing the products.

The first thing I did was to check the selection of colours and I was thrilled. There are some beautiful neutral colours and some vibrant bright colours and everything you could hope for in between. Don't worry, I'll show you each of these colours painted on a white background, so you can have a clear idea of the colours yourself.

When I finally got a chance to test the paints, after reconnecting with the family, I decided to test the colours on heavy paper. I used the 190 gsm watercolour paper by Dala to run my tests on.

I started with the White, which is a little hard to see due to the background of the white paper.

I then moved on to Dusty Pink.

Then followed the vibrant Burgundy.

The modest Ivory followed after this. Don't you just love this accidental combination of colours?!

I then added Sage and loved the combination even better for it.

This was followed by Wingfield.

Then came Vintage Brown. At this stage I could hardly contain my delight as the colours competed with each over which would be the prettiest.

Dove Grey, one of my all-time favourites, was up next.

This was followed by a more intense Charcoal. Aren't you just thrilled by how well the paper handles the paint? No indication of buckling or warping.

Now came Misty Blue.

After the soft Misty Blue, I went for a brighter Churchaven.

This was followed by the intense Paternoster.

This meant that I finally had all 12 colours that I received on paper and I took time to sit back and admire them. My mind raced ahead to contemplate combinations and surfaces that would have to tested and painted. Sheer delight!

I wondered how well the colours would mix and opted for a very simple and predictable outcome by mixing White with Wingfield, hoping it would give me a lighter version of the original green.

I did not bother with a palette knife, but simply used my brush to mix the small amounts of paint with.

The two colours mixed effortlessly to give me the tint I required.

In this photo I zoomed out so you could see how the new shade compared to the original.

With the paint swabs dry to the touch, it was time to try out the Dala Furniture Wax Finish that arrived with the paint. A wax finish is normally applied over the Chalk Paint to seal it. You will use a clear wax, such as this one, to glide on unobtrusively, while a dark wax is used to create a distressed look.

I put a little wax on the bottom halves of all of the colour swabs.

Here I zoomed in to give you a close-up view of how the wax affected the colours.

I then decided to test yet another technique very quickly. I laid down a swab of Paternoster blue and waited for it to become touch-dry.

I then painted some Dove Grey on top and gave it only a little time to dry slightly.

I then took an old rag and gently dragged some of the paint from the top layer away.

This is one way of creating a distressed or aged look on furniture. More frequently you will find that people wait 24 hours for the bottom layer to dry completely, before applying the top layer. They then wait another 24 hours before lightly sanding some of the top layer away. The second method makes it a little easier to control the outcome, but either method works brilliantly. We will talk some more about techniques when I use this fabulous Dala Chalk Paint in future projects.

Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy the books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.

Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
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