Last updated on February 4th, 2020
The Easy Way to Age a New Cement Statue. TO GIVE THE NEW STATUES in my Pool Garden an old-world patina, I turned to my friend Michael Laudati (above). Michael is a professional make-up artist. Would you like to see how he transformed my Satyr and another cement figure into works of antiquity? His process, which takes only 10 minutes, is surprisingly simple:
Materials:
A spray bottle, filled with plain water
A bucket or a large bowl
1 pint clear water
1/2 pint concrete bonding adhesive
2 tablespoons charcoal-colored, water-soluble pigment (we used Quikrete Liquid Cement Color)
Disposable gloves
1 paintbrush
1 lint-free rag (we used an old cotton T-shirt)
In the bowl or bucket, mix together water, bonding agent and pigment.
1. Spray a small area of the statue with water. Pre-wetting will keep the color-solution from soaking in too fast, and causing blotchy areas.
2. Dip the paintbrush into the color-solution, and apply the color to the area you’ve just wet.
3. Using the rag, immediately wipe any protruding, or “high” areas. (In nature, high points of a statue are always lighter in color than indents and creases — the “low” points.)
Continue steps 1-3 until the entire statue is colored.
4. Step back and look at your work. Are details sufficiently pronounced? Michael and I thought certain low points, such as the Satyr’s eyes, and also the indents between torso and arms, required accentuation. Consequently we applied a second coat of color to these areas.
Before treatment. This 300-pound, five-and-a-half foot-tall cement statue was glaring white and devoid of details.
After treatment. The charcoal “wash” brought out the Satyr’s intricacies.
We applied the same charcoal wash to my statue of “Autumn.” From the creases in her tunic to the grapes in her hand, every detail is evident.
With a brush, a rag, a bonding agent and a little paint — you can turn any painfully-new statue into a glorious old one. And don’t worry — the procedure doesn’t make a mess!
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Katreader says
Beautiful. They really look like vintage statuary! I especially love Autumn!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Katreader – I love Autumn, too, both the season and the statue! Her plinth is arriving next week. It, too, shall receive the aging technique described above.
Eric says
Great work – looks easy. Did you consider adding green paint for a moss effect?
Donna B. says
Oooh, all you gotta do is apply a buttermilk-moss mixture to the base going up just a bit to get some moss growing on them! What beautiful work. I adore that Satyr! He looks so devilish! 😀
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Donna B. – That Satyr is indeed devilish, and I think he has his eye on Ms. Autumn.
I originally intended to treat both statues with buttermilk and moss, then realized the moss wouldn't “take” in full, blazing sun. That technique is great, however, for statuary in a shady place.
The Japanese Redneck says
That's neat. It does add definition!
Barbara Masters says
For our recent family reunion, I took the blueberry bar recipe. It was a hit and so good. Definitly will keep it in my recipe collection. Thank you. Enjoy every subject you write about and your home has been a very interesting project.
RAGAVAN says
SUPER
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Leslie D says
Hi Kevin,
The special-effects make-up artist’s solution is a big improvement over the buttermilk/yogurt/moss method, which always seemed to wash off too fast to do my statues any good.
Thanks for the info on the concrete bonding solution as well as the aging technique.
paxman says
I’m in England and don’t get the sun that you obviously enjoy, but I used your technique on a brand new concrete garden bench and I’m delighted to say it’s worked beautifully.
The seat now looks aged and I’m very pleased with how it has been transformed.
When the weather dries out in the spring I’m sure it will be a pleasure to sit on it, meanwhile I’ll just look at it out of the window and enjoy what I see.
Thanks for the recipe.
Lacy says
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I
thought this post was good. I do not know who you are but definitely
you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
Mary in Iowa says
Would this technique work on fiberglass and/or fiber stone statues/birdbaths/etc., or does it work only for concrete?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Mary in Iowa – I forwarded your question to Michael Laudati, and this was his response:
The materials would not work on fiberglass objects because they are water based and won’t adhere well to synthetic materials. Maybe the fiber stone items, as I believe they are gypsum or cement based with fiber reinforcement.
Fiberglass would probably have to be painted with an oil based paint. In this case, if the items is already a gray stone-like color, a similar technique can be used using an oil based paint thinned out significantly with mineral spirits, painted on and rubbed off leaving the recesses darkened. If the item is not an appropriate color to start with, it should be painted a medium gray color followed by the dark shadow wipe color once the base color is thoroughly dry.
Hope this was helpful to you!
Mary in Iowa says
Thanks for the info, Kevin–and Michael.
Michael says
I was going to go buy an expensive can of concrete stain, but I got all this stuff lying around in the garage, thanks for the great advice.
Sharon says
Can I use this to age my new section of sidewalk that I had to replace due to cracks and sinking issues
andy slate says
Hi when wiping of with cloth , is it a try cloth ,thanks
Leslie says
My church just installed new parking lot lights on concrete cylinder bases. I plan to suggest this method to age the bright white cement. Do you have any other ideas to improve the look of these basic, ugly foundations?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Leslie – I think the above procedure is the best one for instantly aging any glaring-white cement. Of course, if you want to get really creative, you can faux-paint cement to look like marble. It’s a job, but the results can be spectacular.
Oriana says
I have a old concrete statue that has been painted with color. I’d like to use your technique, but wondering if This will cover the color?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Oriana – This technique is intended for unpainted cement.
Scarlett Johnson says
I can’t wait until our wet and cold weather will be over so I can do my statue like this. I bought my home from my favorite uncles family after he passed away. He had just bought a huge statue and got sick and never got around to painting so it’s stark white. I’m not sure who the woman is on statue one arm is behind her head and her mid section has a cloth around her. I hope he will be proud when I finish for him. It is near the entrance of my swimming pool and beside his favorite garden he had put in a beautiful waterfall. Thank you so much.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Scarlett – I’m sure your uncle would be VERY proud of you for finishing the statue. The aging-method is very easy. Have fun with your project!
Linda says
We have had a concrete bird bath for probably 15 or more years. This year my husband said he thought we had better paint it because it seems to be getting little crackling type cracks throughout it. I don’t mind the look of the crackling I’m just worried it might continue to degrade. Would this technique help to protect the bird bath?
Linda in South Jersey says
Kevin, it seems I’m always turning to you for your expertise! I just ordered a statue that I’ve been thinking about for months but the concrete comes pre-sealed. Do you think this technique would still be effective?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Linda – This technique is not likely to work on an already-sealed concrete statue. When exposed to the elements (wind, rain, etc.), the sealant will gradually shed. To hasten shedding, you can lightly sand the high points on the statue, then paint them as described above.
sonia harrell says
This procedure looked great at first but did not last. I sealed it several days after it dried thoroughly and it started to wear off after the first rainfall. I followed your instructions to the letter. So disappointed , It was for an angel that I placed in a memory garden to honor my friend who recently died. Not sure what i can do now since i have already sealed it. I used Olympic cement sealer.
Jeff says
Do you have to use quikrete bonding adhesive? can’t seem to get it here down under,have seen other latex based bonding adhesive thou.