Fauxology: Studying the Visual Magic of Faux Finishing and Interior Design (brought to you by Garay Artisans)

May 29th, 2008

OMG, I can’t wait to show you pics of some of our latest works. They take time to crop and get to the right pixel size so it might be over the weekend/early next week that I might have some time to put it all together. I can’t believe I get to be creative every day and leave people happier with their homes. I just want to pinch myself sometimes, I’m so lucky. In the meantime, let’s talk Part II of our “Aged & Old” discussion. (OK, so it’s really a one-way discussion…but you can always comment!)

One of our favorite antiquing agents is Faux Effect’s Earth Brown AquaColor mixed with glaze. We call it ”Age in a Bottle”. Other good tints to use to create an aging glaze would include Burnt Umber, Raw Umber and Black. Using Van Dyke Brown water-based stain mixed with a little glaze followed by a flat topcoat also works quite well, too. One of my artist friends told me years ago to go take pictures of aged buildings, rust formations, verdigris — basically, anything that could be used as inspiration — and it was invaluable advice. I noticed that corners and deep grooves usually remain darker than other areas since these are the areas least exposed and most prone to the accumulation of grime throughout time. Conversely, raised sections would receive the brunt of wear & tear and so they would naturally fade more than the rest of the piece. Some aged pieces (esp. wood) also have a light spatter pattern. Most surfaces expand and contract in reaction to temperature changes (and the weather, if outside) and so the paint may start to flake, crackle and/or craze. Amazing what you can learn from having photographs for visual reference. Before aging a piece, some thought as to its composition and balance is helpful — you don’t just want to make it look old…you want it to be authentically old. Now for the really fun part…pictures!!!!

Some nice weathered wood…