How-To Create Your Own Traditional Norweigan Rosemaling

Supplies Needed
Paints Brushes Varnish
Archival Artists Oils Loew Cornell Brushes For use with artists' oil colors, a quality brand of oil base varnish or a stain finish.
Jo Sonja's Artist Colors 7000-1 Round Brush It is important that a varnish not be too flat or too glossy.
Americana Acrylic Paints 7050-1 Script Liner You can also mix a flat and satin together to get the look you are going for.
Master's Touch Acrylic Paints Scroller number 3 To mix, take a large, clean coffee can and pour in equal amounts of the flat and satin. Mix thoroughly.

Additional Supplies: Palette pad, Tracing paper, Palette Knife, Tissues or cloths for brush cleaning, Clear varnish, Clean environment, Water and masking Tape.

General Technique: Surface Preperation

  1. Sand the wood piece as necessary using fine sandpaper or a piece of paper bag. Use a tack cloth to remove dust.
  2. Select a background color. Background colors can be interchanged with any project. Take a sample to your local paint store and buy semi-gloss interior latex. For smaller quantities, select an acrylic or gouache paint from your local craft store.
  3. Use a 1-inch sponge brush for applying the background paint. If using semi-gloss latex, paint two coats sanding between. If using acrylic paints, the first coat is right out of the bottle. The second coat is mixed with sealer 1:1.

Antiquing With Oils/Acrylics

Generally use this antiquing technique prior to painting the design, especially if the background is greenish-blue or orange.

  1. Two coats of background paint are applies to the back of the wood piece, but only one is applies to the front.
  2. After applying the background, heavily sand the surface that is to be antiqued, allowing the grain to be visible.
  3. Use a piece of lint-free cloth to rub in a thin coat of boiled linseed oil or painting medium.
  4. Prepare the antiquing color.
  5. Thin the antiquing color with linseed oil or medium. Dip a cloth into it and wipe the surface beginning at the edge and working toward the center. Leave the center without color at this stage.
  6. Rub the color into the wood, always rubbing in the directions of the grain.
  7. Remove all excess paint with the cloth. If you remove too much, simply add additional color and repeat the process.
  8. Allow drying for 2 to 3 days and then apply a coat of oil base varnish.
  10. When dry, lightly sand, and you are ready to rosemal.

Transferring the Design

  1. Trace your design onto tracing paper.
  2. Position the tracing on the surface and tape it on one side to hold it in place. Painter's tape is preferable.
  3. Place a piece of transfer paper between the pattern and the surface. Retrace the design with a stylus or empty ballpoint pen. Press just hard enough to create a light outline on the surface. Carefully lift one edge of the paper to make sure everything necessary was transferred.

Finishing Your Project

  1. Be sure that your rosemaling is thoroughly dry.
  2. Erase any lines left from the transfer paper. You may use a clean brush with a hint of odorless brush cleaner for oils. A clean brush with water can be used for acrylics. A kneadable eraser will also remove the lines.
  3. Brush on a coat of varnish with a sponge brush, or a nylon stocking dipped in varnish and rub on smoothly. A brush works well on small pieces, but I like the stocking for large pieces.
  4. If your project is an item that will only be displayed, such as a plate, one coat of varnish is generally sufficient. If the item will have heavier use, such as a piece of furniture, several coats will make the surface more durable. Allow sufficient drying time and refer to the instructions on he can as each product may vary slightly.
  5. Sand gently between coats and after the final coat.

Tips and Tricks