Faux Painting

Faux finishing examples featuring ragging, antiquing and the use of metallics and pearlized finishes.

Ragging in a sense is self-explanatory - it's the use of rags to apply paint to a surface. However, depending on the type of material used and just how it is used, a wide variety of finished effects can be achieved. A common technique is rag rolling where the material is either formed into a ball or a sausage like shape and then rolled across the wall. Depending on the material quality and the number of colors used, this alone can produce very different textures and appearances. Ragging can also be used as the basis for more complex finshes such as marbling and other stone finishes.

Antiquing is the application of a tinted glaze to give the appearance of aging and dirt. While it might sound rather unsavory, the effect can provide character and warmth to an otherwise bland surface. This technique can be a useful way of warming up a room and disguising minor imperfections as an alternative to applying a new base coat. And depending on how the glaze or paint is applied, it can produce a similar effect to colorwashing. Colors used are usually dark brown or sometimes black depending on the base coat and the color theme of the room.

Metallic paints can be used in combination with other materials to add sparkle and shine to a room and either on their own or in different shades to provide a rich, opulent and, if applied appropriately, an elegant accent.

Pearlized finishes provide similar characteristics to metallics bit with a softer sheen. They make excellent protective top coats, while giving an all-over shimmer that allows the under colors and textures to show through. I often use them in Fantasy Marbling as a way of blending the surface before the final veining is applied.

Venetian faux is a term I use to describe a finish achieved by combining layers of Venetian Plaster and layers of paint - whether regular or metallic. Applied either with a rag, brush or a trowel in the same way as Venetian plaster, the combination enables a different range of visual effects than traditional Venetian plaster and can be significantly cheaper while providing the same smooth, marble-like feel.

Click on the faux finishing images to the right for larger pictures and more detail about each project. Some of these are big files so they may take some time to show up.

Faux Stone, Tile, Concrete
Faux Painting - Color Washing, Woodgraining, Sponging

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