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Faux finishing is the technique of using paint to simulate a surface or material like wood, marble, brick, tortoise shell, and much more. Paint and technique are combined to fake or counterfeit another material. Although the art world holds faux finishes in high esteem, the methods are really more craft in nature. According to the experts, most finishes are easy to learn and quickly mastered with experience. The true craft of faux finishing is to perfectly duplicate the material such as marble or stone, the more realistic the finished design, the truer the faux finish is considered. Wood can become stone, stucco, leather, moiré, or sky of clouds. Fabric can become copper, brick, granite, or marble. Paper can become wood, rusted metal, leopard skin, or malachite.

Faux finishes are the hottest techniques in home decor. Not a new trend, mind you, most of the basic techniques involved in faux finishes have been around for centuries. As the craft industry gets savvy and sophisticated, faux finishes are finding the way into everyone’s home. Thankfully, the new materials and products presented by the industry have made marbleizing, texturing, sponging, and other finishes easy to handle and simple to complete. Faux finishes range the spectrum of deep, rich hues to sparkling, airy pastels. The processes add variety and interest to wall surfaces, show pieces, and more. Faux finishing is versatile and adaptable to any craft and in a time when the customer is demanding sophistication, you can’t lose with a faux finish.

In most cases the investment into faux finishing is minimal. Paint plus an assortment of items commonly found around the house will be all that is needed. Items such as Spanish moss, plastic bags, cheap sponges, rags, cardboard, or a scrap of wood become the tools of the trade. As skills and detailing develop, brushes, sponges, and combs of every size and texture can be added to the toolbox. Many craft professionals find that learning from kits available on the market provide excellent product knowledge and technique lessons. Great sources for information can also be found on the Internet.

Craft industry manufacturers are also on top of the game with faux finished. New and more exciting techniques are being introduced on a regular basis. From realistic rust to buffed marble, there are few finishes not available to the professional crafter. The process for most finishes is as simple as 1, 2, and 3. Clean up is easy and the craft industry is providing safe water based materials to the professional crafter. Some techniques to require that your work surface be covered and that the crafter has some space to move the surface and oneself to complete the object being finished. Yet, the techniques once saved for walls and flooring are now being seen on everything from the smallest of decorative boxes to large pieces of furniture. Discover the world of faux finishes.

Antiquing to make a new design or object look old.
Basic Technique: A sealer is brushed over entire surface. Allowed to dry. An Antiquing gel or medium is then sponged, brushed, or wiped on the surface. Quickly it is rubbed off leaving a dull coating and often left thicker in some areas of the surface. Allow to dry. Apply a sealer coat over the Antiquing. One can also use a wash, tea, and other medium to age.

Combing is drawing or sliding a comb or toothed instrument through wet glaze or medium.
Basic Technique: Basecoat surface. Apply glaze or paint to surface. Drag or comb a toothed instrument or metal brush over wet glaze or paint leaving a design or pattern like Moiré or wood graining.

Crackling is a process of Antiquing, giving the look of peeling or aged paint.
Basic Technique: A basecoat of one color is painted onto a surface. The crackle medium is then brushed over the basecoat. A second color of paint is added over the crackle. Then effect is an aged or weathered look with the basecoat color peeking through the cracks. A final coat of sealer is then added to the surface.

Decoupage is the art of decorative cutting.
Basic Technique: Color paper prints are delicately cut out and glued to a surface. Several coats of varnish or glue are used to coat and protect the paper. The objective is to have the effect of painted work rather than paper work as the design. Up to 25 coats of sealer can be used on the finest pieces of decoupage. The layers are lightly sanded between coats. Decoupage may also be placed under glass.

Distressing is a form of antiquing or aging a surface
Basic Technique: A surface is distressed by chipping, over-sanding, and nicking. A hammer, chain, or other hard object is struck against the surface to dent and give weathering and age to the surface.

Foiling is applying a very thin film of metal to a surface.
Basic Technique: A basecoat of color is placed on surface. A foiling glue is painted over the basecoat color. Allowed to dry for 24 hours. A sheet of foil is then placed on top of glue and gently rubbed into the glue. Once the sheet is lifted a thin layer of metal foil is left on the surface. The surface maybe entirely covered or just spots of foil applied depending on the effect desired.

Gilding is to apply gold leaf or other metal leaf to surface.
Basic Technique: Just like foiling, but materials are true metals.

Glazing is to apply a transparent coat of paint.
Basic Technique: Transparent tint is applied to the surface by brush, sponge, or rag. The transparent color may or may not need additional sealing depending on the desired result wanted. Different from pickling and washes, in that detailed designs can be created and stand-alone.

Marbleizing is to give the look of marble
Basic Technique: Basecoat surface. Apply second color or glaze in dabbing fashion with sponge or rag. Apply third and fourth glaze or paint in same fashion. Feather out or blend colors to soften the texture. Apply veining (linear pattern of marble often metal toned) and seal

Pickling is to add color is to a sealing medium to give protection to surface with a hint of color.
Basic Technique: Paint is thinned with water a sealer. Usually in a 1 to 3 part ratio. Paint or Pickling is then brushed on surface. The surface does not need additional sealing. The pickling allows the grain of the surface to show through the color.

Texture is to give the appearance of 3-D to a smooth surface
Basic Technique: Basecoat surface. Layer glaze or paint and use tools to give the look of a raised surface or textured pattern when surface is really flat and one-dimensional.

Texturizing is o give raised effect to a flat surface.
Basic Technique: Using different styles of gel or chalk materials and mediums, gesso being one of the best-known mediums for texturing, a flat or smooth surface is given dimension. The texturing medium is brushed or applies to the surface and tools like trowels, palette knifes, combs, and more give texture to the surface. The texturing medium is allowed to dry. The textured surface may now be sealed, painted, or faux finished.

Sponging is to apply color or hue with sponge with a light dab stroke.
Basic Technique: Paint may or may not be thinned. Sponge is dipped into paint and then patted down on a paper towel or rag removing all excess color. The sponge is then used to dab color onto surface. Different effects are achieved with different sponge textures.

Wash is when paint is thinned to an ink consistency so grain of surface shows through color.
Basic Technique: Paint is thinned with water or other medium to give transparent color. Craftsperson must work quickly and not over paint with the wash.

Wipe Off means to remove color after color has been applied to surface.
Basic Technique: Color is placed on a surface and then removed quickly with a sponge or toweling. In other words, color is removed to give a light airy effect, highlighting, or shading.