What is a faux finishing?

According to American Painting Contractor Magazine, "Faux finishing is an Americanized term for one form of decorative painting. Decorative painting encompasses a broad range of painting techniques including faux finishing, muraling, trompe l'oeil, stenciling, faux bois, graining, leafing and gilding, plaster and stucco techniques, and patination. Faux finishing is derived from the French word faux, meaning "to fool" or "to make believe." …Faux finishing is simply a variety of broken-color painting and glazing techniques used to create the illusion of texture on a surface. The finishes are more rich fantasy than an attempt to imitate anything closely."

Of the various decorative painting techniques mentioned, we can provide many forms of faux finishing. Is that table really that old or is that a "distressed" effect or "crackle" look? Does that wall really have that much depth or is that a "two-color" or "three-color" rag wash? Listed below are some of the many different faux finishes we can do for you:

Multiple Color Rag Wash:
	This is the most popular type of faux finish because the combinations and results are limitless. A base color with one or more glaze colors applied in a random fashion (additive or subtractive) to create a subtle depth.
Suede Finish:
	A base coat of a granular paint with a top coat brushed in small cross-hatch fashion to create the appearance of suede. Wall texture may limit the overall suede appearance.
Linen:
	This technique creates a subtle look of the classic rich fabric on the wall. This effect looks much better on a smooth wall versus a textured wall.
Clouds:
	We can do two different types of clouds for you. The first kind are hand painted with a sea sponge and cheese cloth and are more deliberate. These look best in a child's room. The second are painted with machine similar to an air brush and look extremely realistic. These look great anywhere from a child's room to a formal dining room ceiling! Examples of both are pictured to the right.
Striping:
	This technique is just what it sounds like. We can faux or paint in narrow or wide stripes.
Harlequin Diamonds:
	This involves applying any kind of faux finish or even solid colors in a narrow diamond pattern.
Tea-Stain, Tobacco-Stain or Antique Finish:
	A base coat of a paint with a top coat of a dark translucent glaze applied and wiped off, leaving some of the glaze in grooves, grain and corners to create the appearance of old character.
Historic Crackle Finish:
	A base coat of a color with another color applied over the base. A solution is then applied which makes the top color crack and split, revealing the base color below it creating an old, weathered look.

This is an area of painting in which we are constantly adding techniques as we learn them. If you do not see the technique you are interested in give us a call or email us - we may have added it or perhaps we will learn for you!

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