Faux, You Want to Learn Something New?

There is an old saying, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he may feed himself and others forever.”

The same can be said for teaching someone to make art. It might go something like this:

“Share a work of art and it will be enjoyed; Teach the art to others and they will color their world and bring great joy and happiness to it.  If they, in turn, teach someone else, then happiness will continue to spread throughout the world.” MonaLisa

Art influences are all around us, where we live, where we shop, where we learn, where we work, and where we play. What we see, smell, hear, touch, and taste has everything to do with how we are inspired and what we create. For artists, it can be intoxicating just getting through a normal day.

Not everyone has the knack to immediately put paint to canvas. This is where learning something new continues to be important.

Thankfully, great art instruction can be found everywhere, in art supply stores, craft stores, and sometimes, even just an ordinary paint store. More than likely, any classes or demos will be offered completely FREE right in the business, making it easy and convenient for you to participate! Creative businesses of all kinds know and understand that if you teach someone something new and interesting or how to use the latest tools and products, then, the products will sell themselves. And even better, participants will go away with a refreshed excitement and desire to be creative, whether it means passing a craft project onto vacation bible school kids, or maybe completely changing the look of your living room at home by trying a new texture technique or color combination.

Recently, I signed up for a faux finishing class at the Sherwin Williams Paint Store in Boone, N.C.  Now, I have been hand painting murals and faux finishing for quite a long time now, but it is my belief, that the creative arts industry is ever changing, and always evolving. New discoveries of materials and techniques are made everyday. Constant research and development of new products is ongoing in the arts and design industries. So, when the opportunity to take the class came up, I was in!

You know, they’ve been saying it for years, “Ask Sherwin Williams” and today I was going to find out why!

 

The class was held in the back of the store with plenty of room for the demo. Everyone arrived about the same time and were seated.

 

Olivia Schoeff, an employee of Sherwin Williams, introduced herself and got right down to business. She had prepared four 4’x4? panels in different stages and would demonstrate two unique faux finish techniques, Textured Fresco and Tissue Texture.

With notepad and camera in hand, I was all eyes and ears!

TEXTURED FRESCO-

Follow this link to Sherwin Williams for online instructions, complete with video demonstrations of the Textured Fresco technique.

NOTE: All of the materials we used during the demo were water based and water clean up!

TEXTURED FRESCO-

STEP ONE- Prime new drywall or apply directly to painted wall. Apply the dimensional base coat with a 6? sea sponge roller using a random pattern leaving heavy and thin areas.

STEP TWO- Olivia informed us to inspect the 10? trowel to find the slight curvature of the long edge.  The trowel is designed to eliminate unwanted lines caused by sharp edge trowels. (NEW INFO! I didn’t know that!) Use the trowel with the curve facing away from the surface and drag lightly to “knock down” the texture. Take your time. If needed, the texture can be removed and reapplied while wet. Allow the surface to dry completely.

STEP THREE: Apply two coats of paint color using roller, drying in between. Olivia recommended Duration Home Matte latex paint. She had one side of the panel already prepared and was ready to glaze!

STEP FOUR: Mix glaze with equal amounts of the paint color for a heavy application. You can lighten the glaze by mixing 2 parts glaze to 1 part paint. Thin with a bit of water to adjust to your specifications. Then load your sponge mitt with the mix and apply in a circular manner. Lots of elbow grease is needed for this!

This takes a little time but when Olivia was finished, the wall looked great! (NEW INFO! I loved the sponge mitt! Great time saver! Olivia recommends wearing rubber gloves under the mitt as the glaze comes through when saturated.)

Some of the ladies tried out the process.

 

When dried, the technique has enormous potential for variety!

TISSUE TEXTURE TECHNIQUE-

Follow this link to Sherwin Williams for online instructions, complete with video demonstrations of the Tissue Texture technique.

NOTE: All of the materials we used during the demo were water based and water clean up!

TISSUE TEXTURE TECHNIQUE-

I was really excited about this demo, as I have never applied tissue to the wall for texture!

STEP ONE: Apply a wet coat of base coat paint the size of the tissue paper, so the area will remain wet until you have applied the tissue.

STEP TWO- Working quickly, crunch up the tissue and open to reveal great creases and folds that will form the texture on the wall. Position the paper on the wet area and lightly press

STEP THREE- Position the paper on the wet area and lightly press into place, smoothing slightly. Do not over work the area.

Easy, Huh?

STEP FOUR- Apply second wet coat of paint over tissue paper to smooth and seal the layer. Do not overwork the area, as it saturates the paper and turns it to pulp. This will cause the tissue to look mushy.

Overlapping randomly will give the area a more natural look. To avoid seams and visual lines, tear the edge of the tissue to break up the edges. Allow to dry completely before applying the glaze.

Take time to practice on a smaller panel before you attempt a larger wall. You can use the panel as a base for your next painting or collage!

(Note: Olivia made the process look easy, giving me confidence that it was going to be a breeze! WRONG! I tried my hand at it, and made mush, just like she said! It was more difficult that it looked. But after a couple of tries, I achieved an acceptable result!)

Other ladies took their turn at the process.

STEP FIVE- Olivia applied a metallic layer using the Faux Impressions Metallic Paint. She had a panel already prepared and dried.

STEP SIX- Olivia applied the final glaze just like she did with the Textured Fresco process. However, she lighten the glaze mix with 2 parts glaze to 1 part paint. Then, applied it in the circular motion with the sponge mitt. (Be sure to wash your tools in water between each step to keep them from drying out.)

 

NOTE: Faux Textured finishes such as these should be considered somewhat permanent when applying. The longevity of the finish should be seriously considered before committing to the process. Removal of these finishes can be messy, labor intensive, time consuming and costly to reverse.  However, when applied correctly, they will provide years of service and enhancement to your home.

 

So, again, I learned something new and exciting! And even though these processes are designed for the wall, there is no reason you cannot use them in your fine art! Think about it, when has there ever been a time when artists didn’t take something unconventional and use it in their art!

(Did  you know that many pigments that are used in artist’s paint today, were originally mined for the auto industry? Ever hear of Quinacridone Gold?)

 

SIMILAR FINE ART ACRYLIC MEDIUMS–

We have many mediums and tools available to us that are similar to the ones demonstrated in the class, just used on a smaller scale and on more portable substrates.
Below are several examples of artist grade products that can be used with these same techniques!

Golden Paint Company probably has the most unique variety of acrylic mediums used for texture.

Gel Mediums– Soft, Regular, Heavy, and Extra Heavy. Also, Matte Medium, Glazing Liquid, Polymer Medium. These are added to acrylic paint to achieve transparency and fluidity for glazing, collaging, and other techniques for creating texture.

Specialty Gels– High Solid Gel, Clear Tar Gel, Self- leveling Gel, Glass Bead Gel, Coarse Pumice Gel, Clear Granular Gel. These are used to create unique textures that enhance the surface of your art.

(NOTE: I would recommend the Golden Intro Gel Set if you are unfamiliar with Acrylic Gels.)

Paste Mediums– Coarse Molding Paste, Fiber Paste, Coarse Crackle Paste. (These have similar results to the Textured Fresco)

ARTIST TOOLS TO CREATE TEXTURE-

Besides the “normal” brushes and palette knives, Princeton has a complete line of silicone based tools that are flexible and pliable to allow you to spread heavy materials and to conform to uneven surfaces for better adhesion.

The Princeton Catalysts tools come in a variety of shapes and sizes and textures including the Wedges, The Contours, The Blades, and the Mini Blades. Each line comes in many sizes and shapes to give you the most variety of texture. Use with all moist mediums, thick or thin, to enhance your art!

Sea Sponges are great tools for creating texture as well!

ASK SHERWIN WILLIAMS–

A big thank you to Sherwin Williams of Boone for hosting this great workshop! And to Olivia Schoeff for taking the time to present the workshop so thoroughly! Olivia was well prepared and presented the information very enthusiastically and I want to thank her for spreading her passion to new artists, young, and young at heart!

Sherwin Williams has a great and very user friendly website online. You are sure to find more information than you can imagine. And If you have a question about these faux finishing techniques, don’t hesitate to “Ask Sherwin Williams!”

Or you can email Sherwin Williams of Boone direct at sw2537@sherwin.com or call 828 264 9133.

I really do look forward to future faux finishing workshops at Sherwin Williams!

So, Fe Fi Faux Fum, this technique was not the “Giant” undertaking that I thought it would be, thanks to Olivia and Sherwin Williams. They make learning fun!

Don’t miss an opportunity to learn something new or to teach someone something you know about art. This really is the best way to keep those old and new ways of creating going on and on. You really never know what you will learn or who you will meet when you take the time to participate in some of those great FREE demos or classes offered in your area! And it is always worth your time and money even if there happens to be a small fee! Because you can’t put a price on knowledge!

Get Out And Try Something New, And Pass On Your Passion!

Happy Fe, Fi, Faux Day!

And keep your brushes wet and your substrates textured!