Page 17 - The Decorative Painter Summer 2018

Faking It
by Nanette Hilton
Fake nails, fake dia-
monds, fake fur...these
all carry connotations of
inferiority. Assuming the
authentic item were as
aesthetically pleasing as
its substitute, wouldn’t
the real thing be more
desirable? Not necessarily.
Many people prefer fake
nails because of strength.
Many people prefer cubic zirconia and fake fur because of ethical and financial reasons. Fakes are sometimes superior to the real thing. But
the words fake, fraud, forgery, and phony imply negative connotations. No one wants a fake. Faux is the sensitive term. It is a French word, pronounced fō, which rhymes with snow. Appar- ently, the French form for fake gives it a sense of panache instead of inferiority.
Imagine painting on a piece of weathered, knotted wood. Of course, this would never work without first sealing it so sap didn’t perpetually ooze out. Furthermore, the rough surface would be problematic, and the knots would probably
be in exactly the wrong place pursuant to the painted design. Obtaining that piece of wood might be difficult. Thus, faux painting was invented. Simulating the weathered, knotty wood can be less challenging than actually finding and painting on such a surface. Painting simulated wood employs specific techniques and tools. Simulated surfaces include wood, marble, tor- toiseshell, fur, metal, brick, burlap, etc. If you can imagine the surface, you can attempt to simulate it with paint.
Simulating, replicating, and imitating an actual item, like marble, is an independent art form worthy of and requiring considerable effort to master. Decorative artists may include this
in their work, but ofttimes instead employ faux finishes that merely hint at the item they mimic. Sometimes the finish is solely a creation of the artist, simulating nothing. Nevertheless, these finishes are also termed faux finishes because they were artificially created. These include sponged, crackled, smoked, spattered and scraped surfaces employing specific techniques and tools.
An artist may choose to create a faux finish background upon which more detailed painting is done. However, it is more common for faux painting to decorate a blank space adjacent to detailed painting. Often the simplicity of a faux finish complements an intricate design. Faux finishes are popular wall treatments for this fact
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Faux crackling using Weathered Wood by DecoArt Americana
since they create interest in an area without being too busy or dominating.
Because a simulated finish mimics reality,
it requires careful steps, techniques, tools and mediums. For example, most simulated finishes include several coats and colors of paint. Each paint affects the appearance of the next layer of paint. Sometimes acrylic paint is first applied with oil base paint overtop, possibly thinned with a medium and then manipulated with a tool, like a feather or graining comb. Painting a simulated finish is like following a recipe: if you want your cake to turn out, follow the recipe carefully. Recipes for faux finishes abound. They are to be found online and in books or passed along like family recipes.
Alternatively, faux finishes of your own con- coction can be methodical experiments or happy accidents. You may enjoy playing in your paint, even using your fingers at times, to discover a wonderful faux finish result. Paints + plastic wrap, paper towel, sea sponge, drywall tape, celery stalk, spattered alcohol, etc., provide end- less possibilities in texture.
Give it a try. If you’ve never painted a faux finish before, I recommend you start with a sea sponge – or any sponge, though each will yield a different texture. First, dampen a piece of sponge that easily fits in your hand. Dip it in wet paint. Pounce it upon your surface. Notice the patterns in the paint as you pounce the sponge. If you continue holding the sponge in the same man- ner, pouncing again and again, you’ll achieve a repetitive pattern. But if you rotate the sponge a bit between pounces, you’ll create more variety and randomness. Try using multiple colors and values of paint. Use a wet-on-wet technique, OR DON’T! The point is, your possibilities are end- less. Do the same thing with a piece of crumpled plastic wrap and you’ll get a different appearance. Basecoat your surface and allow it to dry. Apply wet paint on top through which you gently pull a feather. Voila! (French again.) You are a faux art- ist! (not to be confused with a fake artist).
Continue to page 16
to see the tools and finishes of faux painting.
TheDecorativePainter • SUMMER 2018 15