How to achieve a two tone stain with a black and a weathered gray stain in a wash-type stain job

[MissWoodWonders]

A client sent me a picture of a nursery round someone had or that she had seen. The stain on the wood round was black on the edges of the circle and in the middle it had both colors throughout. The easiest way to explain it would be either to say it looked like a wash type stain job OR... if it was paint that would have been used I could achieve this look by maybe painting the whole round back and then possibly using a dry brush technique to go over it (in the middle only, excluding the edges) with a weathered grey or white-is grey by doing a dry brush technique. My mom uses the technique all the time on ceramics. I have mocked her technique and have achieved similar results on roughed up wood. But is there a way I could go about this with a black stain and a weathered grey stain? If my my unpunctuated and run on paragraph/sentences of discombobulated words makes any sense.

I have included a picture. Forgive me about the quality, it is now a picture, of a picture, of a picture! Since I had to call my daughter and have her snap a picture of it and then print it out and snap a picture with my phone to get it on this computer. Crazy, I know. But I am not good at explaining things running on no sleep! Thankyou in advanced!!!!

[wtnhighlander]

Greetings, @MissWoodWonders, and welcome to the forum!

If I were trying replicate the coloration of the disk in your photo, I would go one of two ways. Use a 'barnwood' style gray weathering stain over the whole piece, then 'feather' the edge with black spray paint (eaisier with an air brush than a rattle can). Alternatively, I would age the entire surface with a chemical, such as ammonia or iron acetate, then darken the edges and highlights with a propane torch or hot-air paint stripper gun.

Can you confirm that piece is actually natural wood? The photo makes me think the surface may be a printed vinyl decal.

[Ronn W]

I'll suggest a different approach.  I looks like the black over most of the surface is i the more open grain - Grain filler tinted to black.  After dry,  until you have bare wood on the high parts with filler remaining in the grain but san only very lightly around the edges so they remain mostly black.  The over stain with gray wiping it off fairly soon after application.  This is just an idea - i have not actually done it.

[BonPacific]

8 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

Can you confirm that piece is actually natural wood? The photo makes me think the surface may be a printed vinyl decal.

This was my first thought as well. The perfectly smooth edge and lack of any sort of grain texture on the lettering makes me think this could just be a print. Not to mention the drop shadow on the lettering would be hell to try and achieve with any sort of decals or die-cut.