Begin with a clean, dry panel free of dust, oils, and debris. Clean Slate is ideal for this step, as it strips away any residue and gives you a truly clean surface to work from.

Once your panel is prepped, mix Cracked Gesso 1:1 with water and apply it to the recessed panel areas using a soft brush, leaving the outer frame untouched. Allow to dry.

To build the sun-warmed foundation of this finish, mix Tuscany in the Summer Milk Paint 1:1 with water and apply two coats to the outer frame and the top and bottom portions of the panel, letting each coat dry fully before the next. Once dry, gently pass a heat gun over selected areas to encourage additional cracking, keeping it moving so you build natural variation rather than concentrated heat marks.

To transform the cracked gesso areas into aged plaster, mix Pompeii Grey Milk Paint 1:1 with water and apply it over the sections previously treated with Cracked Gesso. Apply two coats, allowing the surface to dry fully between each. The cracked gesso beneath will begin creating the fragmented, aged plaster look that defines this finish.

To bring depth to the architectural detail areas, apply A Good Man Is Hard to Find One Step Paint and allow it to dry thoroughly. Thin your prepared Pompeii Grey Milk Paint with additional water to create a translucent wash, then brush it over the dried One Step Paint and let it dry. Once dry, gently soften and distress the surface with 000 steel wool, working lightly so the underlying color begins to show through.

Finish by adding Weybridge Classic One Step Paint to the inner frame to build additional depth.

To cast your own architectural ornament for this finish, prepare ResinCast according to the directions provided and pour it into the Versailles Mould or mould of your choice. Once the resin reaches the appropriate stage, remove the casting. Resin can be trimmed and cut, so feel free to shape it to fit your panel and build a custom architectural composition. Arrange and attach the appliqué in your desired design.

Aging the appliqué is what makes it feel original to the piece rather than applied. Layer A Good Man Is Hard to Find One Step Paint, then Cracked Gesso, then Pompeii Grey Milk Paint, allowing each layer to dry before moving to the next. Once fully dry, apply Light Wax, followed selectively by Dark Wax in the recesses, edges, and detailed areas. The dark wax should emphasize the relief rather than cover it, giving the appliqué the look of aged architectural ornament.

To add the finishing warmth to this piece, mix a small amount of Lorie Earth Pigment with water to create a translucent earthy wash, then brush it selectively over the Tuscany in the Summer areas. Concentrate the color where natural aging, shadows, and variation would occur, keeping portions of the original ochre visible so the wash enhances rather than obscures it. Allow to dry completely.

To bring this finish to its final, weathered state, apply Light Wax over the entire surface, then follow with Dark Wax selectively, concentrating it around architectural details, edges, cracks, recesses, and anywhere natural age would accumulate. Blend and soften so there are no harsh transitions, then buff lightly once the wax has set.

Enjoy the bragging rights. You have absolutely earned them.