I've got a few words to say today about custom mixes....
and when I say custom mixes I mean
mixing colors together
making waxes and glazes
mixing color and wax
and so on
and so on
Here is my unofficial rule....which still has failed me on occasion....
MAKE TWICE AS MUCH
I have screwed myself a few times over. I've estimated how much I will need and I RUN OUT before finishing up my piece! I've tried to duplicate what I've made and I've failed, causing 2 and 3 times the amount of work I ever would have had to do if I had not made TWICE AS MUCH as I had estimated needing!
I know it can seem wasteful. You are thinking "why waste what I don't use?" "Will I ever use this shade again?" Chances are "No". But, you have saved your self a lot of additional product you may have to use trying to recreate your original formula. Plus, you save yourself a lot of time!
Time is MONEY!
I charge more for custom mixes knowing that I will be making more than I need. I've learned the hard way too many times!
I always make extra and find a use for it! The WORST is when I do a custom mix and someone buys the item, then, a month later, wants me to paint a desk or a mirror or something to MATCH it...and I don't even have the original piece to try to match the color...lol Of course, I could just WRITE DOWN my formulas, but where is the fun in THAT??
ReplyDeleteGreat advice!!
ReplyDeleteThen there is the issue of "touch up's also. It seems that every time I move a piece in and out of our truck, it needs touching up. So I better have some that that custom color left over.
I do use standard mesurements like 1/4 1/2 or 1 cup (1 Tablespoon/2 Tablespoons)so it makes it easier to duplicate. I do write the amount's down just in case I need to "match."
!
Still adore that green/gray color combo....it's a stunner!
Small House / Big Sky Donna
BLOG: http://smallhouseunderabigsky.wordpress.com
So did you use a custom mix for the photo in this post? I love it.
ReplyDeleteI agree I really like that green/ gray combination. So pretty!!
ReplyDelete