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Faux painting is one of the most recent decorating trends, but it actually dates as far back as the Egyptian days, during the time when stucco and plaster finishes were popular.
During those times, faux finishes were used to change the appearance of cave walls and tombs. Today, homeowners widely use faux finishes for different types of finishes, including antiquing, crackling, and color washing, especially when improving interior design.
Before using faux painting for your home improvement project, it's important to know certain things about it, and in this article, we'll take you through everything about faux painting. Read on to learn more!
What is Faux Painting?
This is a painting technique that is used for decorating, especially in cases where there's a need for a finish to mimic other materials, like wood, fabric, or granite. This decorating technique is also called faux finishing in many cases.
The process of creating faux finish involves adding dimension and texture to the home, and it's usually done on ceilings and walls. However, there are other ways to experiment with the paint techniques and use them on furniture and doors. A key thing to understand is that this type of painting is usually trickier than the conventional paint jobs widely used.
Despite being a tricky technique, different methods make it easier for beginners. You can also hire a home improvement company or an artist for key projects and cases where you are not comfortable with doing it yourself.
How to Faux Paint
Before you perform a decorative paint job, one of the first things to do is determine the supplies needed and the quantity required for each product. This can be determined by taking measurements of the width, height, and length of your walls, after which you then determine the number of paint coats needed to get the paint color you desire.
You need to perform your research to know the tools you'll need for the project. You'll also need a sponge roller, paintbrush, and other supplies for the job. Keep reading for more about the tools you need.
Faux painting tools
One of the first things to do before stocking up on supplies is to determine the condition of your supplies. This includes determining whether the walls are in great shape or whether they are filled with rough patches and holes. You'll also need to ascertain whether the walls are coated with darker hues and if you'll need a primer.
All of this is to prepare your walls for the paint job, and after that, the next thing is to identify other supplies you'll need for the entire project. Irrespective of the type of faux finish you choose, here are some of the most important items that you'll need:
- Ladder or step stool
- Painter's tape
- Tarp
- Sponge roller
- Paintbrush
- Paint roller
- Paint
In addition to this, you might need paint sticks, a tape measure, and a pouring spout. If you're unable to get a tarp, an option to consider is old bedding, but note that the paint can leak through this material.
Faux painting techniques
Apart from the supplies above, it's important to note that the faux painting technique you use is also a factor that can determine the supplies you get. Here's an overview of some faux painting options to consider.
Beginner techniques
If it's your first time painting your wall, it's advisable to start with something simple, like rag rolling, color washing, or sponge rolling. This is because you won't need many supplies with these techniques and can get the job done within a day or two. You also won't need to worry about errors because they blend easily with the textured finish, and in many cases, they appear intentional.
One of the best options for DIYers with little experience with faux finishes is sponge rolling. You only need basic sponge rolling supplies, including a natural sea sponge, paint, and primer. For this approach, it's best to use a different sponge for each paint color. Simply dip the sponge into the paint, and dab it against the wall repeatedly, until you get your preferred effects.
Another approach to consider is color washing, which also requires only a few supplies, and finishing the project can be done very quickly. You'll need a roller brush, rag, glaze, paint, and primer for color washing. The first thing to do is to prime the walls and use your preferred hue to cover the wall.
Apply glaze in contrasting hues after the paint dries, and this should be done with a rag or sponge roller. Use the rage to wipe hidden debris on the wall. The last technique for beginners is rag rolling; it's equally easy and will give your wall a naturally weathered appearance without spending long hours formulating the design.
Advanced techniques
Using the simple techniques above is not compulsory; you can take on more advanced projects if you're confident in your skills. Advanced techniques to consider include cracking your walls and marbleizing. Marbleizing describes a paint finish that takes the appearance of marble, and this technique requires a lot of patience.
This is because you'll need to be careful when deliberating strokes so the wall doesn't appear cracked instead of looking like marble. To marbleize your wall, you first need to prime it, apply your base color of satin or flat paint, then apply a layer of lighter hue paint and leave it to dry. Use your paintbrush to draw thin swirls on your wall and apply neutral hues so it can look like human veins.
Cover the walls with glaze after the swirls dry, then add a sealant. Another advanced technique is wall stripes, which require the use of up to two paint hues. You'll need to determine whether you want vertical or horizontal stripes. Carefully measure the stripped areas if you don't want wavy lines but straight stripes.
Once you have selected the location of the stripe, the next thing is to use painter's tape to take measurements of the areas. You can then paint around or over the tape and remove it once the paint has dried out. The next thing is to create dimension using the paint hues and add different geometric shapes, depending on your taping and painting skills.
Furniture painting techniques
A key thing to consider is that faux paints are not only designed for wall painting and ceiling painting alone. You can also use faux paint on your old and outdated furniture to give it a better appearance and appeal.
There are also different techniques that you can use for your furniture, and the most common for DIYers is crackling. The use of wood grain and stenciling are also effective techniques that you can use for your furniture.
Try Faux Finish Painting Yourself
With faux painting, you can easily customize your home's appearance, and you only need basic supplies to do this. However, mastering some techniques comes with practice. Consider doing the job yourself before hiring an expert.
You can start with a small project and apply the tips we have provided in this article. What's certain is that with repeated practice, you'll become an expert and gain confidence and skills to take on more advanced finishing techniques.
Alternatively, you can get a professional faux painter to do the job for you. When hiring a professional, it's important to ensure they are highly experienced and have a proven track record.
The benefits of contracting the job to a professional are that you won't need to worry about getting the necessary supplies because, in most cases, they have all the supplies, tools, and equipment for the faux painting job, as well as the personnel to use advanced techniques to change the appearance of your building.
