PAGES

March 11, 2024

How To Make An Art Print Look Like An Oil Painting

As a hardcore thrift store shopper, I've been known to purchase vintage wall art on more than one occasion. Sometimes I do it for the art and sometimes I do it for the frame.

fruit still life print in gold frame

And while prints can certainly look lovely displayed in your home, sometimes actual oil paintings can look even better. But what do you do if it's only a print -- and you want an oil painting?

This post contains affiliate links. A purchase of any one of these items helps to support this blog and its creative efforts at no cost to you. To read more, please see my disclosure page.



vintage brown resin fame art still life print

I picked up this vintage resin-framed fruit print for 99 cents at Goodwill. While I thought it had potential, I didn't like the plastic looking frame.

vintage fruit still life in brown resin frame



pears grapes peaches still life print

While the fruit print still life was colorful and somewhat 1970's kitschy, it was lacking something. So I attempted to elevate it to the level of an oil painting. Was that even possible?

I've read many blog posts that say it's possible. So I thought I'd give it a try with this vintage fruity art print.

matte Mod Podge jar paint brushes

The only supplies you'll need are a jar of matte Mod Podge and a paintbrush. (And some paint if you want to change the look of the frame. See my paint of choice below.)

I really hoped this trick would work. I applied not one, not two, but three thick coats of matte Mod Podge on top of the fruit still life print. I let each coat dry for a few hours before adding another coat.


vintage fruit still life in plastic frame covered in Mod Podge

As you can see, I layered it on pretty thick. I did not smooth it out. NOTE: I left the print inside the frame rather than taking it out to do this since Mod Podge dries clear.  

gold framed still life art print

Once the Mod Podge dried I painted the frame with two coats of Deco Art Americana Decor Metallics in 24 Karat Gold. While I wasn't thrilled with the gold color, I did like it much better than the original plastic-y brown resin.

gold frame art print still fruit still life gold frame


pears apples lemons art print thrift store art



I'm not sure that the Mod Podge method worked really well here; however, I've seen examples where it absolutely DID work like a charm. 

ornate gold frame fruit still life art

If you look at the still life from the side you can see some 3-D texture, but from straight on you can't really tell. Maybe it had to do with the type of paper the print was on, or maybe I needed to use more than 3 coats of Mod Podge.

still life art print fruit gold frame

Either way, I do think the overall look has been elevated, and I'm definitely going to try it again with another thrift store print sometime soon. Have you ever tried this Mod Podge method to create a faux oil painting?

Well, that's it for today, friends! 
I hope you enjoyed reading about 
How To Make An Art Print
 Look Like An Oil Painting
 and that I've inspired you in some way. 

Don't Forget To Pin It!

fruit still life print in gold frame

Be sure to stay in touch:   
 Click HERE to subscribe.
 Don’t miss another thrifty,
 DIY home décor post!


2 comments:

  1. Looks great, Kathleen! Blessings, Cecilia @ My Thrift Store Addiction

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful Kathleen. Happy Wednesday. Hugs. Kris

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by ~ I truly treasure each and every comment!