Mel and I were out antiquing last weekend and came across a cement Snow White statue. This was a great find for us because a while back we found a whole set of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Unfortunately, our Snow White had been decapitated and Sneezy was busted off his base.
It would be really difficult to find and purchase this statue online. Snow White weighs about 200 pounds. The shipping alone would kill you!
Once I got Snow White home I light sanded all of her surfaces. After I finished all the sanding, I rinsed her off and let her sit for two days to dry. The next thing I did was primer the whole piece. I used Zinsser primer because it covers really well.
I did not primer the bottom of this piece because I read somewhere that it should be left unpainted to allow for moisture to escape.
The first thing I painted was her skin pigment.
I decided to use outdoor house paint because the statue will be placed in our backyard. I had to buy various colors of paint, but fortunately Lowe’s allows you to buy sample sizes that run just under four dollars each. It’s a lot better than buying more paint than you need. The only finish the samples come in is eggshell.
The hardest part about painting these pieces is the face. The concrete is a rough surface, so it’s challenging to paint detail. It’s also really difficult to get the symmetry right because of the uneven surfaces, but I think I managed to do OK.
I did take some liberties with the style of her eyes and her hair. I’m really satisfied with the way she turned out!
The next statue I started on was Grumpy. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the before condition of this piece.
I used the same process as I did with Snow White.
I’m really happy with the detail in his face.
Only six more statues to go! This is going to be a long process, and I will keep you abreast of any new developments. These will be going in our backyard. I’m too worried that someone will steal them if we put them in front of our house. It’s almost a shame to put them outside, but I could always repaint them if needed. I do want to find a way to coat them with UV protection to prevent fading. If anyone out there has any suggestions let me know!
Hepcats Haven 