How to Faux Finish a Positive Effect

A positive faux finish is an application of adding paint and color to walls or the substrate of an item. This effect is popular in decorating and art.

The reader should keep in mind that 98% of all painting failures occur because of poor surface preparation. Whether the painter decides to do a positive or negative technique the surface needs cleaning and preparation before beginning to paint. Cleaning the substrate thoroughly with soap or Tri Sodium Phosphate (TSP) and water will create a grease and dust free surface.

When the surface is clean the painter should make sure all holes, scrapes, and blemishes have a patch and sealed with primer. By priming the walls, the basecoat on the wall is ready for a faux finish technique. A painter’s tip is to tint the primer to eliminate adding too many coats of paint to the wall surface.
Anything the painter does not want painted; he or she should mask off and cover with drop cloths. The painter may want to use tape or strips of masking paper to frame out the ceiling line. This process will eliminate paint on the ceiling as the painter begins the faux finish. Walls with existing texture will work for most faux finishes except for strie, a French form of streaking, dragging or wood-graining. Painters can smooth out the walls if he or she decides to use one of these three finishes and would like to eliminate the bumps in the finish.

A Positive Sponge Painting

After the primer coat or basecoat color is dry, the painter can begin the positive finish process. This effect is applied by using an organic sea sponge. This tool adds the most natural effect on the wall and it can be applied lightly by using a translucent glaze. Glaze is made by using one part color to five parts glazing liquid. For durability, use a polypropylene to the finishing glaze to protect the finish from marks. Faux finishes are very difficult to repair so it is important to use a protective finish coat for the faux finish.
The steps to faux finishing are easy to follow. The painter should pour the glaze into a flat painter’s tray or a pie tin. Rinse out the sea sponge before painting to remove any remaining salt water in the sea sponge. Moisten the sea sponge with enough glazing liquid to begin faux finishing. If the sea sponge has too much glaze in it, the painter should squeeze out the excess liquid until he or she has the desired amount to work with on the wall.

One way to test the effect of the sea sponge is by blotting the sponge on a piece of old newspaper or plastic drop cloth. The sea sponge should leave little blobs or spots of paint everywhere, and the painter can use it on the wall to give a positive effect for a faux finish.

When the painter has his or her wall prepared, the glaze ready in a flat tray, and the sea sponge full of glazing liquid; the painter can begin to apply the faux finish. With the sea sponge, the painter should blot, twist, and turn the sponge in different directions to create an irregular pattern. The painter should attempt to keep the amount of glaze consistent as the appearance of the faux finish should look uniform. If the finish becomes too thin, the painter should add more glaze to the sea sponge to make sure the finish is even in shade.
After a short time, the painter should step back and review the pattern. This frequent inspection will make sure that the pattern is even. If there are any missed spots, the painter can lightly blot in that area without changing the consistency of the finish.

Once the painter has finished the first coat of color, he or she should rinse out the sea sponge and repeat the process for the next color. Most of the time the painter does not have to wait for the paint to dry between coats, but if the painter wants to have the colors not blend, he or she should wait for the glaze to dry before starting the next coat.

Corner and Ceiling Tips for Faux Finishing

• When the painter comes to a corner in the wall or the ceiling line, he or she should take a brush and blot lightly in those areas to keep the regularity in glaze finish.
• Another process is using the back side of the sea sponge cut with a clean edge, like a wedge, to fit as close to the opposite wall as possible.
• The painter can place a large piece of thick matting board against the ceiling line as he or she blots the wall with the brush or sea sponge. Any of these techniques will aid in making sure the evenness of the faux finish is accomplished.

Patterns vary from painter to painter and day-to-day so the person painting should try to stop at the end of the wall and not in the middle. If possible, the painter should try to finish the wall in one process per glaze coat. This will guarantee a consistent finish every time until the entire faux finish is complete. The painter can use this same process if using other applicators like rags or plastic. The painter should remember to have fun and relax; this will always create a positive effect.