Panel Matching Real Patina with Faux Patina

DIY Patina Matching with Water and Spray Paint
DIY Patina Matching with Water and Spray Paint

You thought you’d never, but here you are looking up how to do a convincing faux patina paint job that matches existing panels.

Generally, were panel beaters and spark makers, we find painting to be a chore, but we find that painting faux patina is one of the funnest painting processes we do with any regularity because it’s an art form — it encourages experimentation and it’s pretty tough to mess it up.

It doesn’t require a paint booth or a ton of equipment — just some rattle cans, masking supplies, and other basic stuff you’ll likely have around the house like salt, water, cotton swabs, and rags.

No pressure; you can spatter, rub, and wet the area. If the paint surface bubbles or has defects, bonus; these defects are desirable and add to the overall weathered appearance, and how convincing the final patina will be.

Patina Matching a ’56 Chevy Wagon

This Chevy long-roof known as Duke gets a DIY patina match from Uncle Frank using a spray bottle with water, several colors of spray paint, and a rag…

In this next example, YouTuber Jonathan W makes a valiant effort to match primered panels on a 1959 Ford Galaxie Fairlane 500 to the original patina on the rest of the car using a similar process with spray paint and water…

DIY Panel Matching Real Patina and Faux Patina
DIY Panel Matching Real Patina and Faux Patina

Matching the patina