French Painter

DIY – Painting Faux Painting Techniques

Faux painting is a method for painting a surface to resemble some natural finished material, such as wood or marble. 'Faux' in French means 'false', or 'not genuine'. Paint is used to make the plaster, dry wall and other surfaces appear like another material with a veined or grainy look.

In most house painting jobs, we strive to make the final result look smooth, unstreaked without any visible surface effects. The paint is spread to completely cover any underlying surface or primer or other color.

Faux painting stands those rules on their heads. Faux painting actually relies on having more than one surface visible, in order to create contrasting looks. Streaks, lines, swirls, blotches and more are essential to creating the faux appearance of veined marble, grainy wood and other natural looks.

Faux painting techniques cover a wide variety, but many are done with a simple sea sponge, a large and porous piece of round sponge. Add two kinds of paint – an ordinary wall paint and a container of Faux Glaze – and you’re ready to go.

Faux painting comes in many styles, using a wide variety of techniques, but the results are actually very easy to achieve. For most faux painting applications, simply mix the two paints using 1 quart of regular to 4 parts of glaze. That will cover about 400 square feet of wall space.

For new surfaces, it's best to lay down one coat of base color. Generally, a brighter color such as a pale yellow will do well. That gives a good undertone on which to lay a darker contrast, such as a burnt orange. Or, one could use ivory or pale blue and lay on a faux layer of darker blue or purple to achieve a dark, marbled effect.

In either case, let the undercoat dry well before applying the faux, just as you would for an ordinary painting job using primer and topcoat. Then, get out the sponge.

About Author: David Hueber is an online expert in roofing industry. He also offers top quality tips like: House Painting, Interior painting, Exterior Paint & House Painters etc.

Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun French painter VIVALDI Concerto RV 576- per LAURAPITTRICE