Faux and Decorative Painting Sponge painting
Sponge painting is great because it is easy, fast, requires
little paint and materials, and did I mention it was easy? It
can be used on walls, furniture, and accessories, and can give
instant facelift to dull objects.
Don’t let anyone convince you that you have to go buy an
expensive 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 old
kitchen sponge, and here’s the secret….tear away all the hard
edges of the sponge, even tear chunks from the center to give it
an irregular appearance.
Now choose your paint, and sponge! Remember to sponge sparingly
at first, you can always add more later. Also, dab the paint off
on your plate first, you only need a little paint on the sponge,
or it will be too gloppy. Practice first on a paper bag, and
remember to change the direction of your hand occasionally, the
idea is not to get a pattern going.
Try combining sponge painting with stenciling or decorative
painting, tape off a border and use it just there, you can even
sponge paint over glassware with the new glass paints available
at your craft store.
Marbelizing
There is a very simple technique to marbleizing that is popular
in the home decorating world today, and you won’t believe how
easy it is until you try it. Simply choose two to four colors of
paint within the same color scheme, one light, one medium, one
dark.
Using a regular paintbrush, dip the brush into all the colors.
Now simply pounce the paintbrush over the surface to get a
mottled effect. It might help to keep a picture of a piece of
marble nearby to refer to. Use the different colors to add
shading, or tone down an area you think is too bright. When
finished with the surface, take a small artists liner brush, dip
it into either the lightest or darkest color you used, (thin
with a little water, if necessary) and paint veins by dragging
the brush over the surface, wiggling it as you go. Don’t go
overboard on the veining. Remember also to bring the veins over
the edges for a realistic finish. I think sealing it with a
gloss clearcoat or polyurethane gives the most authentic look of
polished marble.
Crackling
Crackling is very popular as aged finishes have become so much a
part of showcasing warmth and history in our homes. It can be
done without purchasing expensive crackling kits. Crackled
finishes are a simple chemical reaction. All you need are two
colors of latex paint, one a base coat that will peek through,
and one a top coat, that you will see the most of, and household
glue. That’s right, direct from your kid’s art box. Sand and
prime your piece if necessary, then paint with your base coat.
Remember, this will be the color the will just peek through, so
it’s best if it contrasts with the top coat. Let dry. Now mix
household glue with equal parts water, and brush onto your base
coat. This can be done easiest with a foam brush. Allow the glue
to dry until just tacky, about 30 minutes. Now for the reaction
part. Brush on your top coat directly over the glue coat. Don’t
brush over any one area more than once, you will ruin the
crackle effect in that area. You should start seeing the
crackling take place within a minute or so. The size of the
crackles has a lot to do with your technique in applying the top
coat, so experiment a little first. Long, smooth strokes tend to
produce larger more dramatic cracks than short strokes, and
if you really want a subtle effect, try sponging or ragging on
the final coat. Allow to dry overnight. If you wish to further
antique your work, simply dab or brush it with some wood stain,
then wipe off. Repeat until you get the look desired. You can
seal with polyurethane or clearcoat, or coat it with common
furniture wax.