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Paints and Glazes
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.
After a decision has been made as to the
desired faux effect, one must choose whether oil or water based paint will
be used. There are many finishes that can be created using either medium;
however, many are created most effectively using oil based paints and
glazes. As a paint medium, oils can be more easily manipulated, making it
ideal for the creation of faux finishes. Oils also typically have a longer
drying time, giving the faux finisher more time to work with and manipulate
the finish. Oils are hardier than water based mediums, making them
particularly well suited to high traffic areas such as kitchens, and items
that get frequent use, such as furniture.
Unless well varnished, water based mediums are less hardy. Because they dry faster than oil based mediums, they are typically only used when creating finishes that require a fast build up of layers, like sponging or color washing. An advantage of quick drying time is that an area can be completed quickly, even when building up several layers of color.
There are some faux finishes, such as verdigris, that require a mixed medium.
Regardless of the medium used, glazes are far easier to work with and manipulate than are paints. Glazes permit the slow and gradual build up of color, which enables the creation of great depth so typical of faux finishes.
Glazes are an essential component of faux painting. Proprietary scumble glaze is the primary ingredient of most glazes. It is an almost transparent medium that functions to extend drying time and to retain the marks that you make to a surface. When working with glazes, the most important thing to keep in mind is maintaining a 'wet edge'. This is particularly true when working on large surface areas and avoiding the appearance of any breaks in the flow of the finish. Proprietary scumble glazes can be purchased from most decorating stores.
Most scumble glazes are mixed, 50-50, with turpentine. Color is then added, whether from a tube of oil paint or from oil based eggshell paint. Using artist's oils from a tube to add color provides pure color without the loss of the clear consistency of the glaze. Using eggshell to add color offers a thicker mix. In mixing glazes, keep in mind that the more scumble glaze added, the longer the drying time. The more turpentine added, the faster the drying time and the thinner the glaze.
Professional faux painters usually have an in depth understanding of the creation of glazes. This comes from experience. For the amateur, it is recommended that a 50-50 mix of glaze and turpentine be used, with adjustments made depending on desired consistency and color. The glazes required will differ for each finish, so practice and experimentation is the key to learning. Always test colors on a color board, using small quantities of the glaze mixture.
For water based finishes, purchase the color in a proprietary emulsion and then thin it with water or a water based emulsion glaze. Any alteration of colors should be achieved using acrylics, or their equivalent. As with oil based glazes, always test out the colors using a small amount of the glaze mixture.
Below is some additional information about the many varieties of paint products used to create faux finishes.
Artist's acrylics:
Artist's acrylics are purchased by the tube and are available in a variety of colors. They are water soluble. They are typically used for tinting white, latex emulsion glazes and washes. Artist's acrylics can be easily thinned with water in order to produce translucent glazes and washes, and they are waterproof when dry. They have very fast drying times and are usually only used in a finish requiring rapid layers of color, as they do not offer much time to produce more time consuming finishes.
Artist's gouache:
Artist's gouache pigments are used for the same purpose as artist's acrylics. The difference is that they provide glazes with a very delicate, brushy texture. Unlike artist's acrylics, they are not waterproof when dry.
Artist's oil paints:
Artist's oil paints come in a tube and are made of pigment and linseed oil. A wide variety of colors is available. They are typically mixed with transparent oil glaze and mineral spirits to create translucent glazes. These glazes should be protected with at least one layer of varnish. These paints can also be used to tint opaque oil based paints to the desired color.
Eggshell paint:
Eggshell paints come in a variety of premixed colors and offer a slight sheen finish. They are commonly used for creating base coats in preparation for the addition of translucent glazes. White eggshell can be tinted to the desired color with artist's oil paints.
Egg tempera:
Water based egg tempera paint comes in a tube in a variety of colors. It is most often used for mural work and freehand painting and provides a durable, washable finish.
Flat oil paint:
Flat oil paint can be tinted with artist's oils to the desired color, and is sometimes used for basecoats, in preparation for the addition of translucent glazes. Because these paints are less hardy than oil based eggshell, they are used less often.
Latex (emulsion) paints:
Water based latex (emulsion) paints are available premixed in white and a wide variety of colors, and come in various finishes, including matte and satin. They can be thinned out with water and clear latex glazes to create washes and glazes. Artist's acrylics or gouache can be used to achieve the desired color.
Latex (emulsion) paints have certain characteristics that make them less suitable for some finishes than oil based eggshells. They offer a rougher surface, regardless of whether the finish is matte or satin. They are also more porous and therefore glazes applied on top dry more quickly. They also dry faster after application, making them suitable only for fast application jobs. When applied over virgin wood, they have a tendency to raise the grain and when applied over metal, will result in rusting over time.
Metallic paints:
Metallic paints are opaque oil based paints that are available in various metallic colors, such as gold, silver and bronze. They are popularly used for premixed basecoats for various metallic finishes, such as verdigris.
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