Q&A for How to Crackle Paint

Yes, and it might even crack more effectively. If you're unsure, you could try the technique on a scrap piece of wood.

Anything with high contrast will show up, either light to dark, dark to light, or colors far enough apart on the color wheel. Note that colors DON'T have to be opposite on the color wheel (complimentary), just different enough. Even yellow and orange can contrast enough if the values (light or dark) are different. Try a google image search of crackled pieces for inspiration.

Yes. Crackle medium gives a more subtle crackle finish. Make sure not to let the PVA or Elmer's glue dry completely. Otherwise, you'll need to apply another coat.

"Button polish" from your hardware store is cheap, quick, and easy to apply with a brush. It’s a milky tea color, but it dries clear. If you're willing to look into more expensive options, French polish is also liquid and dries clear, and it leaves a shiny finish. If you want a matte finish, use a matte acrylic varnish or polyurethane varnish. (The latter will take a couple of hours to dry but is strong and durable.)

You could try using thin paint in the cracks to tint the color showing through. You'd have to have a steady hand and be very patient, as that would take a long time for a large surface like a table. Or, you could remove all of the paint and start over from the beginning. That option would be labor intensive, but would probably give the better result.

Yes, of course.

Crackle is available at most craft stores. Simply paint on the medium, let it thoroughly dry, then paint over it. You will see it start to crackle as the paint dries.

Try applying a thin coat of glue to 're-wet' the first coat. Even if it has dried, it will still crackle as the 2nd paint layer 're-wets' the glue. However, it will not be as dramatic an effect. Also, if you wait until the glue is tacky (as opposed to immediately painting as mentioned in the wiki) it is much easier to apply the paint.

The second method doesn't use crackle. It uses the wet paint and heat gun to crack the paint without an extra substrate. You apply one layer of the base color and let it dry, then a second coat of the same color and WHILE IT'S STILL WET, a third layer of the second color on top of it. With how thick the wet paint is between the two layers, it will crack if it dries too quickly.

No. Use only acrylic paint.

That depends on the state of the concrete. If it is rough and unfinished, you may wish to sand it with a concrete sander and then seal it to have a smooth surface to work with. If it is already smooth to the touch and sealed, either of the methods above should work. As for the cracked ice effect, you probably won't be able to get it to look exactly like transparent ice. Crackling is most obvious with solid colors. But theoretically you could use a clear acrylic sealer with crackle the same way you use paint. Do a test run on a throw-away piece first to see if you like the results.

It depends highly on the material and the finish. I assume you're asking about naked wood without a vanish or sealant. I wouldn't advise it normally, since the wood will absorb the paint or glue. It will probably still have a subtle cracked affect, but I doubt you would be able to get dramatic cracks. A properly applied and dry varnish to the wood will keep the paint from being absorbed, so if you have the time to do that first, I would. It should work and allow the color of the wood and varnish to show through the cracks without a basecoat.

Technically yes. But if you did, the crackle effect would be clear and barely visible.