Faux Painting Techniques

Learn how to create different faux finishes with paint.

There are two categories when it comes to faux finishing: broken color and imitation. Broken color is simply combining colors to get what you want, while imitation means trying to mimic the look of something, like stone, marble or wood, on your walls.

Prep Work

In older homes, to remove dirt, grime and grease from the walls simply use a bleach solution (bleach and a lot of water) and a sponge to wipe down the walls. Once the walls have dried, you are ready to add primer. Be sure to remove switch plate and outlet covers, move furniture out of the way and tape off windows, doors, baseboards and window trim. Put down drop cloths, especially if you have carpet.

Venetian Technique

You'll be using joint compound for this technique. Joint compound is thick. If you find it is too thick, just add a small amount of water to the compound as you go to get a thinner product. This will allow for a thin coat, which is key to the technique. You will also need drywall mud knives and a drywall mud tray.

You will be creating a swirling texture. Do this by using the mud knife to spread a thin layer of compound to the wall using short, curved strokes. There should be only slightly raised sections of compound throughout the wall, creating varying depth. Once the compound is dry, lightly sand any sections that are too high or don't create the depth that you desire. You can also apply more compound to create more depth in certain areas.

Once you've finished adding compound and the wall is completely dry, it's time to add paint — in this case, burgundy flat latex wall paint. Use a roller to apply paint to larger areas, a brush for tighter areas. For a lightly-colored wall, use two coats of paint. Next, use an artist's brush to apply a mixture of black paint and glaze (a 50/50 mix) to the low areas in small strokes.

We offer free estimates before starting each job to ensure that we understand the needs of each client. By doing this we strive to provide the best possible personalized service that we can.