Faux Painting Techniques
- The
Internet's best
destination for faux painting information and resources.
Site Navigation:
Main Pages:
Specific Finishes:
Stone:
Painted Effects:
Metals:
Stenciling:
General Information:
Surfaces:
Website Features:
Other useful sites:
vision information and resources
Materials and Tools
There are many tools that can be used to achieve any variety of faux finishes. The desired finish will dictate what tools are required. Below is a brief explanation of some of the most popular tools required to achieve many of the most popular faux finishes.
Want to Learn some great Faux Painting
Techniques?
Our Learning Faux downloadable e-book (fully printable), has been written with one primary goal in mind. To introduce the novice faux painter to the most popular faux painting finishes.
Brushes:
Artist's brushes:
)
Artist's
Brushes are available in a variety of sizes and are round or flat bristled.
There is a wide variety in the quality (and expense) of artist's brushes.
Sable artist's brushes are typically the most expensive, but they are also
the best type of artist brush to use for any freehand work, as well as
highly detailed work. A good example of one use of a sable brush is when
adding the veins in a faux marble effect.
Badger softeners:
Badger hair softening brushes are available in a number of sizes. They are typically used for blending and softening oil-based glazes and water colors while they're still wet - often after having been applied with another implement, such as a sponge or rag. The tips of these brushes are used to work a glaze into the desired finish. Large badger brushes useful for large working areas can be very expensive. As a result, a hog's hair softener or dusting brush will often be used instead. These brushes are harder to work with to achieve the same result as a badger hair brush, and substitutes are not recommended for amateurs. Note that badger hair brushes, with proper care, can last for many years, through many faux projects.
Dusting brushes:
Dusting brushes are soft bristled brushes used to remove any dust from a surface prior to painting or glazing. Sometimes called jamb dusters, they can also be employed as a blending or softening brush, as well as a dragging brush. Many use these brushes in place of the more expensive badger softening brush.
)
Fitches:
Both hog's hair and white lily bristle fitches
come in many sizes and shapes, usually flat, angled or oval. They are used
for smaller applications of both oil and water based paints and glazes. An
angled, coarse textured fitch will often be used to create antiquing
finishes.
Flogging brushes:
Flogging brushes come in a variety of sizes and bristles. The most popular flogging brush is a long bristled, coarse flogger used to produce the wood grain, with it's fine surface pores. These brushes are also used for dragging wet glazes in the production of the lines characteristic of many wood types.
Hog's hair softeners:
A hog's hair softener, like the badger hair
softener, is usually used for blending and softening still wet glazes;
however, it is far less expensive. The bristles on a hog's hair softener are
coarser than those of a badger softener, making it more difficult to work
with to achieve the desired result.
Spalters (Mottlers):
)
Made
from sable or hog's or squirrel hair, spalters, also called mottlers, come
in a variety of sizes and are typically made of sable, hog's hair or
squirrel hair. These are most often used in the creation of wood grain
effects, by dragging glazes to create parallel stripes.
Squirrelhead mop:
These are typically used when working with a
metal surface. They enable the removal of even very fine metallic powder
prior to any addition of glaze.
Standard decorator's brushes:
These brushes are available in many sizes that range from l inch to 6
inches. These brushes are typically used for the application of primer coats
and base coats and are usually used when working with flat oil, eggshell and
latex paints. Many people use these brushes in dragging and flogging;
however, they will not produce as fine a finish as can be achieved with
brushes specifically designed for use with these techniques.
Stenciling brushes:
Stenciling brushes come in a variety of sizes and bristle types. The most popular stencil brushes are stiff bristled and are used to apply paint or glaze to a surface through the stencil. These brushes are specifically designed to hold a small quantity of paint and are useful for achieving a gradual build up of color. This, in turn, lessens any risk of paint seeping behind the stencil. When completing large stenciling jobs, many professionals prefer to use small rags or sponges, as stenciling brushes used for these bigger jobs require a great deal of time to complete.
Swordliners:
These brushes are available in a variety of sizes and are sometimes used instead of artist's brushes in the creation of veins for a marbling technique. They are typically used to create very straight lines of color on a variety of surfaces.
Varnishing brushes:
Varnishing brushes come in several varieties.
The thin, flat bristled varnishing brushes are also referred to as gliders
and are most often used in the application of very thin coats of varnish
that will then be brushed out. The larger flat or oval shaped varnishing
brushes are typically used for the application of thicker coats of varnish
that require less brushing out. These brushes are designed to achieve a very
smooth application. Varnishing brushes should never be used to apply paint
or glaze, as they are designed with many, very fine bristles and any old
paint will likely appear during the next use.
Other Popular Tools and Materials:
Combs:
Combs are available in a variety of sizes, and manufactured using a variety of materials, such as plastic, steel, rubber and oiled card. Combs are ideal for the dragging techniques popular in wood graining. For particular wood graining effects, specialized combs are used, such as a rocker comb used for pine wood graining effects.
Cotton swabs (buds):
Cotton swabs are an essential piece of the faux painter's toolkit. They are very helpful when removing small traces of glaze or paint and are often used when creating detailed finishes.
Craft knife:
A craft knife is a multipurpose faux tool used to cut masking tape, to trim wallpaper, to manipulate an artist's sponge and to create your own stencils.
Dust sheets:
Also known as drop cloths, dust sheets are used to protect furniture and floors from unwanted paint spills or splashes. Cotton dust sheets are preferable to plastic.
Erasers:
Both soft and hard erasers are used in a
variety of ways. Soft erasures are used to eliminate any pencil lines,
whereas hard erasures can be used to manipulate wet glazes in a variety of
techniques, including the veining typical of marbling.
Feathers:
Feathers are popular for use in veining a marble finish. Alternatives to feathers include hard erasures or artist's brushes.
Masking (drafting) tape:
Masking tape is available in a variety of widths and is most frequently used to mask off areas where no paint or glaze is wanted. Another common use for masking tape is in marking out the positioning of grout lines when creating stone finishes. Important when selecting masking tape is to acquire the 'low-tack' type, so that the tape is not sufficiently sticky as to pull off underlying paint during removal.
Mixing containers:
These are essential for the purpose of preparing paints and glazes. These containers are usually either plastic or alloy and come in a variety of sizes. Most faux painters will keep 5-10 two liter containers on hand, as well as smaller vessels for mixing very small amounts of paint and glazes and at least one larger 10 liter pail for tinting and mixing large amounts of latex or oil based paints.
Paint trays:
Paint trays are used to hold paint or glaze
while working. Most paint trays have a raised inner section which is ideal
for removing excess paint or glaze from a brush prior to paint surface
application.
Palette knives:
Palette knives are used to mix pigments, solvents and mediums. They are ideal for mixing small quantities of glaze on an artist's palette.
Pencils:
Always use soft lead pencils for outlining work, particularly when creating stone blocking, trompe l'oeil or grisaille effects.
Plasterer's float:
Plasterer's floats come in both steel and plastic and are used to apply a skim coat of plaster in the production of a distressed plaster finish. These are also handy during the surface preparation stage, when large sections of plaster need repair.
Plumb line:
Plumb lines offer an excellent way to mark out the lines required in stone blocking, to assist in wallpaper application and for the layout out of repeat stencils or patterns.
Rags:
The rags required should always be lint free. A generous supply of rags is required regardless of what technique is being used.
Sandpaper:
Sandpaper is most often used in surface preparation to smooth out any surface imperfections. Sandpaper comes in grades from soft to coarse. Sandpaper is also used in the reduction techniques typical in antiquing.
Spoons:
Spoons are handy for the purpose of measuring out pigment and mediums when mixing paints and glazes.
Spirit-level:
Large spirit-levels can be used as an alternative to plumb lines.
Sponges:
Sponges comes in many varieties. Always use natural marine sponges in favor of any type of synthetic sponge. Those who choose synthetic sponges will use a crafter's knife to texture the sponge surfaces. This allows them to destroy the uniform pattern typical of synthetic sponges. The goal in sponging is to create a random displacement of paint or glaze, and marine sponges are ideal for this purpose.
Steel (wire) wool:
Steel wool is commonly used in the preparation of metal surfaces. As well, it is used when preparing furniture and when creating an antiqued effect.
Steel spatula:
Also know as a wallpaper scraper, a steel
spatula is vital for successful removal of wallpaper and plaster during
surface preparation.
Steel tape measure:
A tape measure is handy when measuring out surface sizes for the purpose of assessing the amount of paint required to complete a project. As well, it can be used to mark out surfaces for stone blocking or grisaille.
Tracing paper:
Semi-transparent tracing paper is used for
copying pattern outlines and motifs from books or prints.
Triangle:
A triangle, also called a set-square, is useful for ensuring that precise right angles are being creating when marking for stone blocking or for creating a tortoiseshell finish.
Health & Safety:
Face masks:
Many of the pigments and solvents used in decorative painting are toxic. Toxicity will be clearly indicated on the side of containers. Always wear a respiratory face mask when working with any toxic materials. Face masks are also useful to avoid breathing in dust.
Gloves:
Chemical resistant gloves help to reduce skin exposure to toxic substances, such as pigments, solvents and lime wash. Always wear gloves when mixing paints and glazes and while cleaning brushes.
Protective goggles:
Goggles help to protect the eyes from splashes of toxic materials. They are also useful to keep the eyes safe from dust and should always be worn when sanding or repairing plaster.
Copyright 2003 Faux Painting Techniques.com All Rights Reserved. All Rights Reserved. Images remain property of their respective owners.