Props look great!!! these are wonderful ecl!!!!I decided to snap a few pictures of my Potter collection so far. It's a mixture of stuff I've made and replicas purchased from members here and elsewhere.
Wanting to make and build a collection of Harry Potter props was the main reason I registered here, and it's been amazing seeing so many things being created and people sharing too.
I'll add more photos as it grows! But this is probably pretty much it for now...
Keep it up
For aging, I use the same technique on most of my props. I use a very thin mixture of matte acrylic medium mixed with a very small amount of paint. You want to keep it translucent. Like you said, sandpaper the surfaces first. The medium is then brushed on, and I will use a paper towel to tap on the surface, which helps to blend and eliminate any brush strokes you might see. I try not to brush the first coat on too thick or wet, as you don't want to smear anything (inkjet inks can run if too wet.). A very thin coat will do, and if necessary, you can add more layers after it dries. This creates some nice depth on the surface. If you want, you can then take a high grit sandpaper, like a 1000-2000 grit and lightly sand again to smooth out any imperfections.
