Faux Painting

Faux Painting
By Kathleen Wilson, Fri Dec 9th

Faux and Decorative Painting Sponge painting

Sponge painting is great because it is easy, fast, requireslittle paint and materials, and did I mention it was easy? Itcan be used on walls, furniture, and accessories, and can giveinstant facelift to dull objects.

Don’t let anyone convince you that you have to go buy anexpensive sea sponge to do this. I’ve used plastic grocery bags,cloth diapers, even old clothing…(Ok, now it’s called ragging,same technique, more subtle look.) But you can use a plain oldkitchen sponge, and here’s the secret….tear away all the hardedges of the sponge, even tear chunks from the center to give itan irregular appearance.

Now choose your paint, and sponge! Remember to sponge sparinglyat first, you can always add more later. Also, dab the paint offon your plate first, you only need a little paint on the sponge,or it will be too gloppy. Practice first on a paper bag, andremember to change the direction of your hand occasionally, theidea is not to get a pattern going.

Try combining sponge painting with stenciling or decorativepainting, tape off a border and use it just there, you can evensponge paint over glassware with the new glass paints availableat your craft store.

Marbelizing

There is a very simple technique to marbleizing that is popularin the home decorating world today, and you won’t believe howeasy it is until you try it. Simply choose two to four colors ofpaint within the same color scheme, one light, one medium, onedark.

Using a regular paintbrush, dip the brush into all the colors.Now simply pounce the paintbrush over the surface to get amottled effect. It might help to keep a picture of a piece ofmarble nearby to refer to. Use the different colors to addshading, or tone down an area you think is too bright. Whenfinished with the surface, take a small artists liner brush, dipit into either the lightest or darkest color you used, (thinwith a little water, if necessary) and paint veins by draggingthe brush over the surface, wiggling it as you go. Don’t gooverboard on the veining. Remember also to bring the veins overthe edges for a realistic finish. I think sealing it with agloss clearcoat or polyurethane gives the most authentic look ofpolished marble.

Crackling

Crackling is very popular as aged finishes have become so much apart of showcasing warmth and history in our homes. It can bedone without purchasing expensive crackling kits. Crackledfinishes are a simple chemical reaction. All you need are twocolors of latex paint, one a base coat that will peek through,and one a top coat, that you will see the most of, and householdglue. That’s right, direct from your kid’s art box. Sand andprime your piece if necessary, then paint with your base coat.Remember, this will be the

color the will just peek through, soit’s best if it contrasts with the top coat. Let dry. Now mixhousehold glue with equal parts water, and brush onto your basecoat. This can be done easiest with a foam brush. Allow the glueto dry until just tacky, about 30 minutes. Now for the reactionpart. Brush on your top coat directly over the glue coat. Don’tbrush over any one area more than once, you will ruin thecrackle effect in that area. You should start seeing thecrackling take place within a minute or so. The size of thecrackles has a lot to do with your technique in applying the topcoat, so experiment a little first. Long, smooth strokes tend toproduce larger more dramatic cracks than short strokes, and

if you really want a subtle effect, try sponging or ragging onthe final coat. Allow to dry overnight. If you wish to furtherantique your work, simply dab or brush it with some wood stain,then wipe off. Repeat until you get the look desired. You canseal with polyurethane or clearcoat, or coat it with commonfurniture wax.

About the author:Kathleen WIlson is the editor of a free ezine and newslettercalled The Budget Decorator, dedicated to the "budget impaired"home decorator. Visit her at http://www.thebudgetdecorator.comfor more free ideas and projects, and for info on her workshop.