The Best Laid Plans

I may have been overly optimistic about using sponge brushes to get a consistent paint application. Or maybe the tiny amount of mineral spirits that I used to thin the paint was the problem. In any case, the paint went on fairly evenly but showed the tip of the sponge in every stroke; I cut the end off but then that threw off the point of pressure. Changed over to a kitten-soft Winsor & Newton brush that apparently I had never used; that spread the paint around wonderfully well until it started shedding hairs everywhere.

Winsor & Newton is pretty much my go-to brand for brushes, and it could be that the shedding will stop after a while... but it was disappointing, and not easy to get all those little hairs off the panel. The tamping method and then the scrubbing method worked well. The subtle texture of the board was an aid in getting the kind of slightly grainy effect I wanted to match the photo, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to apply a few more coats, and that might lead to more frustration.

On the plus side, the Contact paper frisket (mask) is working unbelievably well. It has just the right amount of tack, and it was easy to cut with an X-acto knife.