Mount Vernon Faux Painting Project - WallDreams.com

WallDreams latest project was in the Mount Vernon area, near George Washington's home. The following pictures are of the master bedroom and office, which were both faux painted by WallDreams. The bedroom was done in a parchment effect, 2 glazes applied with cheesecloth over a lighter basecoat and the office was was finished in a strie, or dragging technique of a deeper blue glaze over a light blue basecoat.

The master bedroom:



The office, light blue basecoat:

If the technique had been applied in two directions (and with the addition of using a check roller tool), it would take on more the appearance of denim.

Til next time,

Donna of WallDreams

What is a Faux Finish

If you have any experience in terms of buying a new home or in building one for yourself, you have realized one thing: raw materials are expensive! There is a reason why materials such as marble, hardwood, rare woods such as mahogany and even finer paints drive up the prices of homes exorbitantly: hey are very hard to get a hold of, and very pricey as well.

Expensive and rare materials are nothing new, when it comes to adding value to a home. The marble pillars you hear of in Rome were no less expensive then than now; it was the rich people that furnished their homes with this type of decoration. Some people even make the argument that back when people lived in caves, a false finish added to the home in the form of art would increase its value!

In essence, that is what a faux finish is: an addition to a home which makes it appear more desirable either through its emulation of a certain type of in demand material, or which adds a sense of originality.

In particular, faux finish refers to a type of paint applied to a structure, either inside or out, which gives the appearance of a certain material. There are several different types of paint, each representing a material.

They include:

Marble, which can be either plaster or glaze.

Graining, which impersonates rare and exotic expensive wood types.

Venetian plaster, which looks textured but is in fact quite smooth.

In addition to the different types of materials involved, different techniques are also applied in order to create certain faux finishes. The brush technique will determine how the paint is applied and the appearance it creates within a certain room or on a certain exterior. By combining the type of material with a specific technique, it is possible to create a faux finish that is entirely unique to one’s own home.

Besides giving a value added appearance, faux finishes can be incredibly fun to experiment with as well as to apply. Homeowners everywhere will be satisfied when they use this ancient technique to improve upon the appearance of their homes!

About Author:

Rob Parker - When looking for a premium faux painting instruction class you should keep in mind the number of students in the class and professional quality of the tools.

Article Source: http://www.article-exposure.com

WallDreams Paint Ideas!

Clarifications in terms...

Faux Painting and Trompe L'Oeil are two terms used to describe painting techniques.

Trompe L'Oeil is a French term meaning to "trick the eye" referring to an art technique that is extremely realistic, with exact colors and shading creating an optical illusion of an object(s) to appear three dimensional. The look should be so realistic, that the viewer may have to reach out and try to touch it to see if it is real or not.

Faux Painting describes a wide range of decorative painting techniques that not only include stone, marble, wood, brick, slate, and metal but other materials such as linen, leather, burlap and denim. Faux is a French term as well, meaning "false" or "fake". By using paint and applying it to a surface, the artist can create the illusion of other materials and/or texture. A few other techniques including in Faux Painting are:

Distressing - giving the appearance of age and wear.

Strié - French word for "stripes" or "streaks", dragging through the glaze to create soft lines of color.

Crackle Finish - gives the look of aged paint with cracks intentionally created on the surface

What Sheen Level of Paint Should I Use?

Explanation of paint sheen
Are you confused about which paint sheen level to use in which room, or which will be the most durable for your project? This guide will show you the advantages and disadvantages of paint sheen along with what sheen to use in which room.

Flat - A matte finish that provides a dead flat sheen.

Advantages
Excellent touch-up ability
Provides a dull, soft look
Hides imperfections

Disadvantages
Typically not washable, premium quality flat finishes may have washable characteristics

Eggshell (Velvet) - A very dull finish with a slight angular sheen.

Advantages
Low sheen, yet washable
Looks flat but has an angular sheen
Good touch-up qualities

Disadvantages
Not as washable as paints with higher shine

Satin - An enamel finish with a medium amount of shine.

Advantages
Very washable
Great for trim work and doors
Good for bathroom and utility rooms

Disadvantages
Poor touch-up
Magnifies imperfections on walls

Semi-gloss - A glossy finish used for high-traffic areas.

Advantages
Great wash-ability

Disadvantages
Poor touch-up
Magnifies imperfections more than satin on walls

Full Gloss - The shiniest paint sheen available. Used on products that need superior protection.

Advantages
Great for high-traffic areas
For use in schools, doctors offices
Can be used on floors and counter tops

Disadvantages
Very shiny, not intended for walls

Sheen by room (walls)
Kitchen - Satin or semi-gloss
Dining Room - Flat or eggshell
Bathroom - Satin or semi-gloss
Bedrooms - Flat or eggshell
Hallway - Flat
Basement - Flat or waterproofing paint
Ceilings - Flat
Trim work & doors - Satin

About Author:

Mike R. Smith - Check out http://www.how2instructions.com/ for more How-To articles.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_R_Smith

In Addition:

All paint sheens are available for interior and exterior usage. Generally for exteriors, satin is more commonly used as it is better at repelling water and dirt.

Each manufacturer may have a slightly different translation of sheen, so do check their sheen levels before making a final decision on which to use. Satin, eggshell, pearl, low-luster and matte are additional terms used to describe sheen levels.

Color will have a variation on appearance according to the sheen selected. A higher gloss deep color may be more intense.

Flat paint has better stickiness to the surface while semi-gloss and gloss might have less adherance. Allow for addition amounts of high-luster finishes because of the addition coats needed as opposed to a flat finish.

WallDreams Paint Ideas!
In faux painting techniques, a suggestion is to use a combination of sheens such as stripes of varying sizes and/or flat and satin finishes. Or perhaps a flat wall color with a gloss stencil or stamp.

Many faux painters do not use flat at all - to the extent that it is a faux pas to even mention the word!

When painting murals or many of the faux painting techniques, it is far easier to apply paints to a satin finish base coat than a flat finish that will absorb the paints being used. A satin, eggshell or semi-gloss allows you to push the glaze around as you need to, giving you a bit more time to finesse the technique being applied.

The great news is that your better paint stores now have developed some flat paints that are more washable and durable as well as suitable for some of the faux techniques that you might master.