Faux Finishing Tips

Although faux finishing takes some level of skill, it's doesn't mean you shouldn't try it. I recomend finding some books on faux finishing.

Here are some books to go look for : Paint Magic. The art of faux. Country Paint.

Some big box stores like The Home Depot have faux painting books also.

If you are a complete novice, please read up on the subject first. Start with a small area, maybe a bathroom or closet.

The first thing is to paint the area being faux finished with the base colour. This also should be considered very carefully. The colour you use underneath will transmit through the glazes applied over it. White is a safe start but often a buttery yellow will give a soft glow when other colours are applied.

Faux finishing glazes can be obtained from many paint stores. They tend to dry slower than regular clear acrylic coatings. The old way of preparing glaze is to use Linseed oil and paint thinner. If you do use this method be aware that used Linseed oil rags self ignite when left bunched up. This could ruin your day, and burn down someones house.

Another method of making glaze is to purchase a deep base paint from the paint store without any tint in it. The bases that your colours are made from are quite transparent before the colour is added. Also you can purchase an extender, this helps slow the setup time of the paint.

So there are two types of proccess to consider, dabbing on and dabbing off. The dabbing on is easier because it doesn't matter how fast the

paint dries. The trick is to spread out you efforts all over the wall and not try to perfect one area. This way you will avoid unattractive area's that are uneven and hard to fix.

Dabbing off is removing glaze with a rag after it is applied. This requires slow setting glaze and fast moving painters. Always practice somewhere that doesn't show too much before you attempt a big wall. We always have one person applying the glaze and one frenzied painter dabbing off right behind. The looks are wonderful but the proccess is not that easy. The correct mix of glaze is the most important part of success.