The differences between Annie Sloan & van Gogh chalk paint

SHOP Annie Sloan vs. SHOP van Gogh

Before I begin, let me just say Annie Sloan and I are connected for life. My walls, shed, and many pieces of painted furniture are coated in her glorious color palettes! That being said, my Eco-friendly heart cringes every time I use Annie Sloan's soft clear wax. The wax has noxious fumes and if you accidentally get it on your skin it is very irritating. Not very Eco-friendly. Of course, I am merely reporting my personal experiences. I have been looking for more Eco-friendly chalk paint alternatives to Annie Sloan and that's when I found van Gogh!

I have been looking at van Gogh chalk paint for awhile now. The natural furniture wax is sooo natural you can manicure your fingers with it and if you felt inclined edible too! My Google research turned up barren when looking for more van Gogh vs. Annie Sloan comparisons. So, I decided to do a little research of my own. This is not a sponsored post and you are getting my true and unbiased opinion. I have way more experience with Annie Sloan's system, which will surely come through in this post.

                     Annie Sloan VS. Van Gogh Chalk Paint

1.} Where are you from? Annie Sloan is from Europe. van Gogh is Canadian.

2.} Opening the can. Annie Sloan's chalk paint is 99.9% spot on and ready to paint when you first open the can{no stirring required}. van Gogh chalk paint requires vigorous stirring.

3.} Clear wax difference. Annie Sloan's clear wax requires gloves and proper ventilation. Made from high grade mineral spirits. The wax is very soft{margarine consistency}. I find I go through it quickly. I feel because it is so soft that it is easy to over wax your pieces and for a beginner accidentally ruin your piece from over waxing. You can buff your piece as you apply the wax. Less is more.

van Gogh's natural wax is a refreshing change of pace. I waxed my first piece and it smells delicious! I did not fret over my boys leaning on the table afterwards or accidentally getting some on their skin. It worked great and because the wax is stiffer it stretches much further than Annie Sloan's.

Obviously, it is best to use any chalk paint system as a system, but curious minds want to know. I am waxing a few of my Annie Sloan pieces with van Gogh's natural clear wax and do you know what? It works just fine. No problems thus far. I will keep you updated on my research.

4.) Color palette. Annie Sloan's color palette is the stuff of dreams. Classic colors that are fresh and co-mingle effortlessly with one another. Obviously, I am in love. van Gogh's palette is bolder and feels tacky at times. I do believe the bolder colors will look awesome in the play rooms. I am going to give it a whirl!

"...And then one note about the color palette- it's vibrant because Kathy says you can always make a vibrant color more pastel but never make a pastel color more vibrant. Have you tried mixing colors? It's very easy and the colors of Van Gogh were specifically chosen for color mixing. You can make just about any color you want with our palette. " -Scottie Vosburgh at Saved by Scottie

5.) Paint. Both are water based. They both apply nearly the same. van Gogh's seems a tad more thick. After drying, van Gogh's dries matte with a velvety feel and has great coverage. Annie Sloan dries matte as well, but feels more Organic. You can see and feel the ridges of your piece a bit more.

5.) Where are you from? Annie Sloan is from Europe. van Gogh is Canadian.

6.) Can you paint the walls and floor? Annie Sloan, absolutely. You can paint anything. van Gogh makes it clear on the can that it is primarily for furniture use. van Gogh looks very velvety on the walls and I am going to seal it with the wax as well.

"You "can" use our paint on walls, it's just not recommended because latex does a good job as a wall paint and you have to seal it- because it is absorbent and will show the oils from hands etc... Much sooner and easier than latex." -Scottie Vosburgh at Saved by Scottie

7.) Thinning the chalk paint with water. Annie Sloan, yes...yes you can. Thin down Annie Sloan as much as you want. If you thin it down too much just let it sit to thicken up. van Gogh says it discourages thinning the chalk paint more than 10%. I thinned it a tad during use and it needed it. If you thin van Gogh more than the recommended 10% it is a mess. The paint will go everywhere but on the surface you are trying to paint.

8.) Prepping the area. My friend Nikki of Nikki Lynn Jewelry, brought up a good point. Do you need to prep the area first? No. The answer is the same for both Annie Sloan and van Gogh. You want to start with a clean and dry surface, but other than that paint over everything! No prep necessary.

9.) Do you need to wax your piece. Annie Sloan no. van Gogh yes. I noticed van Gogh wipes off very easily with just a little water. You will want to wax your van Gogh furniture. Annie Sloan's chalk paint will stay put when dry and would require vigorous scrubbing to get even some of it off your piece.

10.) Can I use it outside? Annie Sloan absolutely. 12 to 24 hour cure time and you are good to go. I have painted my shed here and my outdoor enamel table here. DO NOT wax your outdoor pieces. Water will get underneath your paint and flake it right off. I will be posting updated photos of their winter survival and you would be shocked! It still looks really good and our winter here in Northern Virginia has been terrible!

"You absolutely can use it{van Gogh} outside, just let it cure for 48 hrs first. You don't have to wax it- and it'll be super soft to the touch." - Scottie Vosburgh at Saved by Scottie

This is just the beginning of my Annie Sloan vs. van Gogh exploration! Please leave your questions below and I will try my best to answer them for you! I will add it to the collection of questions above, because if you have a question someone else does too! Thanks for stopping by and Happy Refreshing XO.