Checker Plate 1

After priming the surface with grey, you should grind it using fine sandpaper. Then take a slightly lighter shade of grey and dilute it with equal parts of water. Best apply this mixture with a neoprene roller. This way, it will stay moist longer and you will achieve a light structure.

Before the paint has dried, you may splash a few drops of ethanol onto the surface, which will immediately create an interesting pattern.

Afterwards, go over the surface with the neoprene roller once more; you may also repeat the ethanol splashes.

If any roughness has occurred, I recommend treating the surface with 1000 grit sandpaper once more.

If the pattern has become too strong, you may reduce the whole thing with a thin layer of priming color.

Your surface is now prepared. If you only want to create certain areas of checker plating, I advise you to use adhesive stencils.

Now position your Checker Plate 1 stencil on your painting surface, and best mark it on one side (cf. picture 1) in case it will slip.

After that, spray the basis for the shadows with black, diluted with 50% water.

From time to time you should check if the contrast is strong enough.

For the next step, move the stencil 1 mm up and attach it again. The marks you have applied before will help you place it correctly.

Now spray the bright contrasting sides of the checker plate with white (70% opacity).

Be careful not to spray your light reflections too evenly. This way your result will seem more realistic.

Every now and then you should check if the contrast is right; then work your way through the motif step by step.