Color Wash Faux Finish

This September I’m starting a paint meme –

 A Passion for Paint.

Any paint projects are welcome – furniture, walls, spray painting, crackle – you name it! So, please check back!

 

Daily Inspiration
Feng Shui – Walls connect Heaven (ceiling) and Earth (floor). When they’re taller than 10 feet it moves ‘Heaven’ too far upward. Add a decorative touch to bring the wall height down. Line up pictures. Add molding or shelving. Anything that divides the wall space.

Before I started painting murals, I did faux finishes back in 1995. Or, let’s just say I tried. After a year or two, I soon realized that faux finishing is an art form, in and of itself. That being said, I stick to simple color washes.

Supplies for a wash are pretty basic –

1. latex or acrylic paint
2. glaze or Floetrol
3. water bucket
4. two rags – one for glaze, one for water
5. foam brush to get into the corners and tight spots
6. Latex gloves

Glaze Mixture
First I pour some paint into the bucket, then add about twice as much glaze as paint, then add water – about the same amount as paint.

Application
There are three ways to apply a glaze –

1. positive application – applying glaze with rag, roller or brush and manipulating with rag
2. negative application – after glaze is applied to wall, remove parts of glaze with damp rag
3. positive/negative combination – this is what I use.

I apply the glaze with my rag or foam brush, take the same rag with glaze, and smoosh it around. Then I take a damp, relatively clean rag and remove parts of the glaze, which allows the basecoat to show through.

I say ‘clean’ rag because I periodically rinse it in water. Then it’s a matter of how much pressure you apply to the wall. More pressure = more glaze removal. Simple. Really!

This wall was tricky because there was light streaming down from a skylight in the ceiling – 20 feet up. I should’ve just left it until the sun changed position, but I didn’t.

This is the ‘after’ – really a bit too dark. But we’ll have to see once the entire space is done. As you can tell, the scaffold isn’t set up yet so I just started on the bottom half of the wall. Not recommended, believe me. Always start at the top!

This front pony wall is in the dining area. Behind it is a stairwell. The wash looks awfully dark here too. It’s a hard space because of all the windows. Lots of reflections, shadows, direct light. It can change in a matter of 15 minutes!

The house is being totally renovated and there are all kinds of contractors on site. I wanted to share some of the extraordinary views from the main rooms I’m painting in.

Here is a bank of windows in the living room.

Another bank of windows. I’m standing in the dining area which steps down to another area. The walls are a deep, deep brown.

And even more windows!

Here’s a pretty good shot of what you look down upon – a gorgeous golf course, nestled in a valley among the foothills in El Dorado County.

One last picture today – this is walking up to the front door. Obviously, the homeowners are avid golfers with this putting green right in their front yard!

Colleen