The Art of FAUX FINISH

Faux painting or Faux finishing are terms used to describe a wide range of decorative painting techniques. The naming comes from the French word faux, meaning false, as these techniques started as a form of replicating materials such as marble and wood with paint, but has subsequently come to encompass many other decorative finishes for walls and furniture.

History:

Faux finishing has been used for millennia, from cave painting to Ancient Egypt, but what we generally think of as faux finishing in decorative arts began with Plaster and Stucco Finishes in Mesopotamia over 5000 years ago.

Examples of faux paintings:

Faux became hugely popular in Classical times in the forms of faux Marble, faux Wood, and Trompe l'oeil Murals. Artists would apprentice for 10 years or more with a master faux painter before working on their own. Great recognition was rewarded to artist who could actually trick viewers into believing their work was the real thing. Faux painting has continued to be popular throughout the ages, but experienced major resurgences in the neoclassical revival of the nineteenth century and the Art Deco styles of the 1920s. Throughout the recent history of decorative painting, faux finishing has been mainly used in commercial and public spaces.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s faux finishing saw another major revival, as wallpaper began to fall out of fashion. At this point, faux painting started to become extremely popular in home environments, with high end homes leading the trends. While it can be quite expensive to hire a professional faux finisher, many faux painting methods are simple enough for a beginning home owner to create with a little instruction. People are also attracted to the simplicity of changing a faux finish, as it can be easily painted over compared with the hassle of removing wallpaper.

In modern day faux finishing, there are two major materials/processes used. Glaze work involves using a translucent mixture of paint and glaze applied with a brush, roller, rag, or sponge, and often mimics textures, but it always smooth to the touch. Plaster work can be done with tinted plasters, or washed over with earth pigments, and is generally applied with a trowel or spatula. The finished result can be either flat to the touch or textured.

Golden Marble Faux Finish

The creation of golden marble consist of four tones which is golden beige, light brown, light yellow ocre and light yellow.

Green Marble Faux Finish

In creating a marble faux finish, it needs green acrylic paints in light, medium, and dark green colors. Pour the paints onto a plastic dish or pallet. Use a sea sponge and dip the sponge into all three colors. Dab and smear the paint over the surface.

Add the veins of the faux marble by dipping a detail artist's brush into a diluted white or very light color paint and add fine lines for veins, going off on the sides of the table as well. Sponge on some lighter color to add depth and to soften the colors. Finish by applying a high gloss polyurethane or light varnish.

Antique Wood Faux Finish Painting

The process of antiquing a wood surface is both simple and versatile. It can be used to give a variety of appearances from the ‘old world' look, to the rustic look, to and ultra-modern finish. Best of all, the surface preparation is simple and virtually any wood surface can be antiqued if it is in fairly good condition, regardless if it is a bare wood or previously finished surface. There are three types of preparation such as textured natural, stain-on-paint and paint-on-paint .

Wood Grain Wenge
Faux Finish Painting

A simple technique of the application of graining tool that creates the wood patterns. The method are: the preparation of surface, the prime and base coat, the first layer of glaze, the second glaze with veining brush and final top coat protection.

Bamboo Stipes Faux Finish Painting

Cross section of bamboo stripes creates beautiful organic texture of native and exotic neutral colors. Bamboo as the stongest natural materials was design for furnitures and moldings but the most widely application is for the faux bamboo wall texturing.