Posts Tagged how to faux paint

Ragging Your Walls

Ragging is another easy faux treatment that may be used on many surfaces, including your walls. Turn your walls from plain to beautiful using a few different colors of paint, a few rags, and a paint brush. It really is as simple as that.

This painting technique may be painted over any type of sheen, but works well over semi-gloss and 100 % acrylic paint. In this technique, much like the color washing you will dilute your paint. This will allow the base color of the walls to show through.

Begin by diluting both shades of paint you are going to use in this technique. I normally choose two colors, but you certainly may use more if you like. I begin by choosing colors to coordinate with the base coat. In the sample given you will see a carmel brown. A slightly lighter golden brown color was chosen along with a white.

Start in a corner like you would the color washing technique. You will place a small amount of each color on the walls using a paint brush. Try to work in small areas at a time. No larger than about two feet in diameter. Do it in random shapes to avoid creating a pattern. Start at the top of a wall and move down toward the flower.

After you place the two colors of paint on the wall, pull some of the paint off the wall by placing the lint free rag on the painted area. You place it in the painted areas and pull straight up from the wall. Move your rag in different directions to deviate the design.

Rinse out the rag and ring it out well once it becomes too saturated with paint. This will allow your rag to pull the paint and create interesting designs. You may always add more paint to the walls if you do not like the look created.

As you continue to move around the room, your paint will start to thicken up. Add water to keep the inky consistency of the paint. If it gets too thick it will look more like a blob on the wall. You want to create visual interest. Your paint will be heavier in some areas, that’s okay, but you do not want it to look like it was put on too heavy in one spot. It should be pleasing to the eye.

This is also a wonder technique to add further decorative painting to it. Hand painted vines and other designs look nice with faux painted walls. It really is an affordable way to add to your home decor or office decor, without spending a fortune.

Always remember, if you try it and do not like it you just have to paint over it. You never know, you just may love it! Surprise yourself and give it a try.

Amy

http://www.aressa.etsy.com2nd Shipment of Dog glasses 90309 projects 0242nd Shipment of Dog glasses 90309 projects 0252nd Shipment of Dog glasses 90309 projects 0262nd Shipment of Dog glasses 90309 projects 0272nd Shipment of Dog glasses 90309 projects 028

Leave a Comment

Color Washing Your Walls

Color washing is a nice technique to use over walls that are already painted. It is an easy way to change the look of any room without having to base paint. It is just the right touch to add life to any room.

This technique can be washed over any sheen of paint, however it seems to work best over flat paint. You will be using diluted paint to wash the walls with. It is important that you use a lint free rag to apply the paint.

This faux technique can be a little messy. Make sure you lay down a drop cloth while you are painting. It is very likely you will have drips while you are washing the walls.

You will begin this process by pouring a small portion of your paint into a small container that will be easy for you to work with. You will add a little water at a time. Each time you add water make sure you stir the paint well. Keep adding a little at a time until your paint is an inky consistency. As you paint you will find that consistency will start to thicken. You can add more paint or water as needed. It is important to keep the inky consistency so that paint will not be too thick when applied to your walls.

After diluting your paint you will be ready to begin. Use a rag that is easy for you to work with. I recommend a size that fits within the palm of your hand. This will make it easy to work with and help keep the dripping down.

Place the rag into the inky paint, getting the entire rag wet. Squeeze your rag to remove excess water and paint. Your rag will still be wet but not drenched. Start at one corner of the room and move around the room from one wall to the next. Begin at the top corner and work your way down to the bottom. You will wash the paint on the walls just as you would wash your walls with water. Do it in a random pattern so that you are not creating a definite pattern. You will have a varied amount of paint from once section to the next. This is the look your are trying to achieve.

If you need to touch up the paint in the future, just repeat this process. You will do it in smaller amounts a needed to complete the touch up. This is a nice technique to cover up imperfect walls.

Get your rag ready and begin to paint!!!

Amy011012007008

Leave a Comment

Creating the Look of Leather

Leather is popular amongst many people today. You often see this material used on sofas, car seats, and many other objects. It can be pricey to upgrade to leather instead of using cloth.

Have you ever considered using this material for other home decor objects? Well, now you can create the look of leather for a fraction of the cost. Using this faux technique will enable you to have this look on other items, not just your sofas. You can use it on your walls, tables, lamps, and whatever else you may find.

The look of leather combines two techniques, stippling and drybrushing. You will begin by basecoating your surface with black. Next, you will mix Raw Umber with a texture medium. You are going to use a dry mob brush for this next step. You will load the brush with paint. Before pouncing on your surface, pounce it on a paper towel or similar product to remove excess paint. When you begin to pounce this color over the black, make sure you rotate your brush around so you are not creating a distinct pattern.

The next step will require you to mix Burnt Sienna with a clear medium, as well as Raw Sienna with clear medium. You are going to double load your mop brush with each of these mixtures. Pounce the brush on a paper towel or similar product as in the previous step. Once you have done this, pounce your brush over the entire surface, reloading when necessary.

Once this has dried you will use a fan brush to drybrush gold metallic paint randomly over your surface. If you need to thin the paint, it is okay to mix with water. This is a light application and should not completely cover the color below it.

The final step requires you to use a dry mop brush. Using the stipple technique, you will apply satin varnish over the surface. This will create more texture on the surface, creating the look of leather.

It is recommended before creating this look on your project, that you do this technique first on a practice board. You should be able to find these at your local hardware store. This will give you the opportunity to practice loading the different brushes, and get the feel of the pressure needed to create the desired look.

It is time now to jump in and begin working on your project. Relax and have fun!

Amy

<a href=”http://www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com/”target=”_blank”>The Painted House and More</a>

Leave a Comment

Create the Look of the Old World

A very popular style is Tuscany, or an Old World look. This can be a nice design style for a dining room, kitchen, or even a bedroom. It is often created with browns, golds, and greens and is considered a warm romantic style.

The look of stucco is definitely a painting technique which works well in a Tuscany style design. It works nicely if you are creating an exposed brick look in random places on the walls. It also adds to the look of aged and cracked walls. This is perfect to be used on imperfect walls to distract from the imperfections.

You are going to begin by basecoating your walls with the desired color. This color will typically be darker than the additional colors that will be added later. In the next step you will be using a mop brush. This type of brush has long bristles. Use light and airy movements while pouncing the brush over the surface. The brush should be loaded with a lighter coordinating color. Make sure you continue to move your brush around to keep the design in a varying pattern.

The next step will call for you to use a darker color than the previous one, but not one which is darker than the basecoat. You will mix this color with a blending gel. Using a flat brush do random strokes over the painted area, leaving some of the pattern darker than in other areas. This is a great way to add depth and texture.

Next you will grab the mop brush and pounce on the surface a lighter color than used in the second step. This will bring out the lighter color more. Be careful not to over pounce. You want to concentrate primarily on the lighter sections.

The final step in the stucco technique is to spatter white paint over the entire surface. You may use a special tool for this process or use another brush hand to spatter the paint filled bristles from another brush. This is done by hitting the brush with paint on it, on the handle of the other brush. Continue to move around the surface. You will need to mix your paint in this step with water or a flow medium to achieve an inky consistency.

When you are finished just remember the importance of cleaning your tools, especially the mop brush. This will keep them in good condition, allowing you to use them again on future projects.

Leave a Comment

Can’t Afford Granite?

Buying granite is very costly and often many cannot afford it. You can still have the look without the cost. You are probably wondering how that might be possible? If you are a faux painter, the sky is the limit.

An important part of creating a look of granite, is learning the spattering technique. There are many tools that may be used when spattering paint. Keep in mind this may be messy. It is definitely one of the messier faux technique that you can use. You may consider doing this outside or covering your work area well before you begin.

You are going to begin creating your granite look by first applying a smooth basecoat. Often the basecoat is going to be a darker color. The paint color you will be using to spatter with needs to be thinned with water to make it an inky consistency. After you achieve the desired consistency place the brush you will be using in to the paint. Make sure it is fully loaded with paint. You will hit the loaded brush onto the handle of another paint brush, while moving evenly across the surface of your project. If you want to add another color or coat of the same color, allow the first coat to dry.

One of the best brushes to use for this faux finish is a fan brush. You may achieve a different look when you turn the fan brush in different direction. Each one will create a slightly different look.

This is all there is to creating the granite look. It truly is easy, however I still recommend using practice boards or even waxed paper to practice on. The key to doing this style of painting is to get the feel for which tool works best for you, as well as learning the correct amount of pressure to use when hitting the paint loaded brush on to the handle of the other brush.

You never can practice too much when it come to painting techniques!

Amy

http://wwwamyspaintedhouseandmore.blogspot.com

http://www.aressa.etsy.com

aamilou@aol.com

Leave a Comment

On The Chisel Edge

If you are a decorative painter it is very important to your work, to be familiar with and learn the different brush strokes.  Learning to do them properly will also improve your work.  If you do the different strokes correctly, your work will be crisp and cleaning looking.  It will also make you aware of the different strokes that you can do in your designs, allowing them to be more interesting and unique.  This could be just want you need to be different and stand out from the competition.

If you ever hear the word “Chisel” in reference to your paint brush when you are painting, that is the very tip of the bristles. Often when you are doing strokework, you will start on the chisel edge, apply pressure and move the brush in a certain direction. It will then call for you to end back up on the chisel edge. This will allow you to create a very nice crisp stroke.

You can also use the chisel edge of your brush to create a “line stroke”. You must keep your brush perpendicular to complete this stroke correctly. You will need to work on applying the correct pressure when doing this stroke. If you push down too much the line will be too fat. If you raise up off the surface too much, then you will have a broken line. Just the right amount of pressure is needed to make a nice thin line.

Always remember, practice makes perfect!  Take a little time each day to work on your strokes.  This is a good idea even if you are an experienced painter.  Often we rush and sometimes get sloppy. This is a great way to keep our skills up and remind us of the proper way to do our strokework!

Amy

http://www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

aamilou@aol.com

614-530-0219red-pepper-oil-bottle-001

Comments (1)

Glazing Wall Technique

014There are a few ways to create a glaze when you are painting. My favorite way to create one is to add water to your paint. This works when you are using acrylic paints, but is not recommended when you are painting with oils. You should either use oil or a product recommended by the manufacturer of the paint you are using.

The one problem you will find when using water when you are glazing, is that it will actually dry quicker, and not slower. Often when you are doing a glazing technique, you are going to find that you need more time to manipulate the paint. If this is the case, then you will need to buy a glazing medium specifically for your project.

When you are glazing it will be important that each layer of paint dry before placing the next layer on. Glazing is often used to bring out a certain color. It can actually increase the intensity of the color and can alter the color below it.

Leave a Comment

Sponging

Sponging is one of the most popular faux treatments. The reason for this is because it is fun and easy to do. It can be done as the main feature or used as a background for additional decorative painting to be done on top of it. It would definitely be great for vines or other designs to be painted on it.

There are a variety of sponges that can be used. Each one will give a slightly different look. The stiffer the sponge the more distinct the effect will be. If you are using a softer sponge the pattern will be smoother and blend in more.

When you sponge you can make a neat look buy using the same color, but different sheen. You can stick with using one color that compliments the base color. You can use multiple colors and you will obtain a bolder look. If you use colors that are close to one another, the look will be much softer.

You can also do this technique in a few ways. You can put the color on with the sponge, allowing the base color to peek through. You can also roll or brush the color on and use the sponge to pull the color off. This also gives a next look.

When you get started doing this, you will have to play with it a little. It may take some trial and error to get it just right. Remember, it is just paint. If you do not like it, paint over it!

 

Amy

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

master-bedroom-001aamilou@aol.com

Leave a Comment

Creating a Faux Finish

master-bathroom-007Have you ever looked at a wall and just thought to yourself, “How boring!”? I often find myself doing that and feeling a little life could be added to your room with a faux paint treatment, or maybe even a hand paint border or spray of flowers in different places throughout the room. You can add just a little and make a big difference in any room of your home or office.

Faux painting is an inexpensive way to create interest on walls, glassware, and even furniture. It is a wonderful way to cover up flawed walls too. Remember, if you do a technique and find that you really do not like it, all you have to do is paint over it. It really is just that easy.

Faux actually means “fake”. You can use several different techniques to create interesting designs. A combination of different techniques can mimic many different products such as stone, marble, and even granite.

Often there are different tools and products that can be used to create the same look. You may find yourself trying different products and tools that are out on the market today, in order to achieve the desired look you are going for. In this learning process you will determine what works best for you. The main thing is to not be afraid to try. It is just paint!

There really is not wrong way to do it. The main thing to remember is to keep trying until you get the look you are after. Just like with anything else in life, the more you practice the better you will get.

Amy

www.amyspaintedhouseandmore.com

aamilou@aol.com

614-530-0219

Leave a Comment