The Decorative Artist Pantry: 3 Tint Bases to Try

A common question is: "What products should I keep in stock?"  Unless you are recreating a specific class sample, it is hard to know exactly what to keep on hand with so many choices. I thought about my practice of going through our family pantry. Just like a good cook knows with a few staples you can whip up a pretty good meal the same is true of stocking a studio pantry.  

With that in mind, this is my criteria for product staples:

1.  Can this product be tinted or mixed easily with other items to alter the color, texture or appearance?

2.  Is the material adaptable to a range of design styles? For example can it be used for both modern and rustic finishes? 

3.  Will I be able to use the product on a variety of surfaces such as walls and cabinets?

4.  And does the product have a good shelf life-most of the items from Faux Effects International™ are good for a year or more unopened. Putting plastic wrap over wet product and making sure the lid is on tight will keep these products fresher once opened.

So, let's start building our Decorative Arts Pantry!  The three items I am starting with are all Tint Bases which means they meet my 4 criteria above. Plus they are simple to use and best of all....

You can get them on sale right now during the NEW YEARS SILVER LABEL promotion.

LUSTERSTONE TINT BASE®

Lusterstone and Metal Glow

We all know that Lusterstone comes in beautiful colors from pale white to deep black, but did you know there is a tintable version?  We often get requests from clients to match a specific paint color while making samples when we don't have a pre-tinted Lusterstone available. Lusterstone Tint Base to the rescue.  

You may tint this product with Faux Effects Colorants like FauxCreme Color™ or Metalglow® Metallic Paints like the sample above which uses Metal Glow colors in Sea Spray and Wheat mixed with Lusterstone Tint Base.  

Lusterstone Tint Base mixed with MicaGlow Powder

A favorite finish is to tint Lusterstone Tint Base with MicaGlow Powder™ (seen in the sample above).  Just a tablespoon of mica powder per quart of tint base yields a pretty silky look.

Palette Deco Silver and Lusterstone Tint Base

You don't always need to add something to the Lusterstone Tint Base-it works just fine on it's own.  It dries to a neutral pearl finish (neither too blue or brown). A simple and effective application is to trowel a layer of Palette Deco ™ Metallic Plaster (my sample is Silver) and top with a layer of Lusterstone Tint Base

Below Lusterstone Tint Base is pulled over Stucolux™ Fine Polishing Plaster in White on White and Vanilla Bean.  For the pattern, I added a little silver colorant to the Lusterstone Tint Base and rolled it over the stencil. 

                                                                                                                                                               And speaking of patterns! Lusterstone Tint Base is troweled for a base in this finish below. Next I mixed the tint base with Silver MicaGlow Powder and silver glitter- a nice (clean) way to apply a glitter finish! 

You may also use quality paint tint from your local favorite paint store if you are matching a specific paint color.  Add it slowly and always swatch out the wet color to see how it dries. Then write down your formula. Adding too much paint tint may overcome the "luster" of the product.

VENETIAN GEM TINT BASE®

The same attributes of Lusterstone Tint Base are useful for the Venetian Gem Tint. The biggest difference is the opacity of the products with the Venetian Gem Tint Base drying more opaque (not a great choice for a glitter finish) but works fine with many other colorants!

Below, the Venetian Gem Tint Base is mixed with Setcoat™ Metallic Taupe and is shaped with a trowel and an Alligator Roller.

Venetian Gem Tint Base is mixed with FauxCreme Color and some is left natural for the trowled finish below:

Because of the well sealed and smooth quality of the Venetian Gem Tint Base it is a great choice for using with foils.  Above, Venetian Tint Base is used for the base layer and the raised pattern. A pewter foil is applied over the plaster and our other staple, Lusterstone Tint Base is pulled over the top to blend and soften.

AquaWax™

The most translucent of the 3 tint bases discussed here is AquaWax.  And like the other two, AquaWax may be used both over and under other products. Below AquaWax is mixed with Sea Spray Metal Glow, Old Bronze Metal Glow and Elephant Hide Metal Glow.

This finish above is AquaWax is divided into 2 parts. One part is mixed with Metallic Toffee® Setcoat and the other part is mixed with Metallic Toffee Setcoat and some Silver Concentrate. 

And since it dries so clear, AquaWax is a perfect binder for glitter.

Or used on it's own as a see-through texture over things like foil.

An added bonus with Aquawax is you may use it as a protective and durable topcoat over your finishes! 

What you should notice is that many of the finishes using Lusterstone Tint Base, Venetian Gem Tint Base and AquaWax are 2-3 steps making these economical finishes as well.  Take advantage of the sale and try a quart of one (or all) for your decorative art  product pantry.

The New Year Silver Label Sale is being offered from Faux Effects and at participating studios. Use N2018Y code at check out or call your local studio for information.

Check out my post tomorrow when I write about my favorite Cabinetry stock items.

Stay Warm,

Rebecca

Start the New Year with "Timeless Creations"

Taking the time to invest in yourself

Rust finish by The Faux Finish School

We just came off the season of gift giving and, if you're like me, when it's all over there is one person who might have missed-Yourself!  Making time for creative growth is a major investment I've enthusiastically valued as both an instructor and a student.

Now I understand the challenges of taking classes. There is travel and time away from work. Plus the cost of a class. Sure there are on-line classes or videos. Those are all viable options for expanding education and a welcome addition to our profession.  But I am here to share with you the first class of 2018 hosted by a Faux Effects Studio and why it's an example of how nothing will ever replace the experience of a hands-on class.

This the Class:

"Timeless Creations...Interpretation by Inspiration...

The Art and Business of Faux Finishing Workshop

Louisville, Kentucky

January 8th-12th 2018

This workshop is designed for those looking to expand their portfolio of decorative finishes with 30 samples over 5 days. The perfect class for the beginning finisher to the seasoned professional. 

"Timeless Creations" Samples by The Faux Finish School

Reason One:  A hands-on class gives you time to explore a variety of products and techniques. This class is divided into 3 current categories:  Classic Old World, Black, White & Grey, and Hollywood Glamour.

The Faux Finish School

The Faux Finish School

You are able to see how Faux Effects' products work together from simple layers to developing more complex finishes. Asking your own questions as you work and listening to the questions of others as you work leads to new insights and ideas that go beyond the samples actually made in the class. Which leads me to:

Reason Two: Meeting and interacting with leading instructors. This class is taught by Martin Alan Hirsch, Founder & Director of The Faux Finish School.

And Morey Dunbar, Lead Instructor for The Faux Finish School.

There is something special when you watch an experienced teacher lead you in a finish, guide your hand as you work and share their own personal stories about the business. This class includes time to talk about bidding, managing a job and marketing.

Now is your chance to get up close to a technique-watch exactly how to hold a brush or angle the trowel.  Notes will guide you in a class but a good instructor makes a career come alive!

Reason Three: Working in a world class studio environment.

Classroom at The Faux Finish School

Isn't it nice to show up to a place where you have space to work? This studio has lots of natural light with a cool industrial vibe. 

When you take a class like "Timeless Creations" all your supplies and tools are provided. Product is there and ready to use. There is a written notebook ready so you may concentrate on the demonstrations rather then trying to keep up with a recipe. You have areas to safely hang your samples and room to enjoy your own work and the work of others...leading to my favorite reason for attending a class

Classroom at The Faux Finish School

Reason Four: The friendships you form with instructors, studio staff and the other students are invaluable. Many finishers work by themselves. This is where you find your tribe. During class you get to see how someone else approaches a finish. It's your time to give praise and accept accolades of your own! 

The Faux Finish School Business Discussion

After class, in a relaxed environment, you get to process all the things you learned that day.  My fondest memories of any training are the sharing of meals, stories and laughs.  I always leave inspired and recharged-so will you!

Ready to find out more about the class?  You may visit the website at www.fauxfinish.com or The Faux Finish School on Facebook. Registration is available at www.fauxmarketplace.com. Want to connect in person? Call (502)583-0102.

Can't wait to see your pictures and samples from the class, 

Rebecca 

Faux Fluenza

We all have hobbies, right? Things that interest us.  Look at a friend's bookshelf.  My friends have colorful books on art, design, and fashion.  Mine?

"Level 4. Virus Hunters of the CDC."

"The Black Death."

"And the Band Played On."

"The Stand."

"World War Z. An oral history of the Zombie War."

Yes. I am obsessed with disease hunting.  I even worked with the CDC and let me tell you nothing is more scary then reading the monthly World Health Organization updates. Unless you google search a medical term. All I can say is don't eat before you do it.

So what does this have to do with Faux? I read a recent article that asked, "Is Faux Dead?"  It got me thinking...

Fauxpocalypse? Or just a sniffle?

The answer is no but I can tell you that our profession is a bit ill. Not dead but more then a cold.  

How did we end up with Faux Fluenza?

All illness follows a pattern. In public health it's called Epidemiology. It begins with etiology or the origin of the disease.  Next is transmission or how is it spread.  Then there is an outbreak or sudden increase in occurrence.  We engage in screening, which facilitates diagnosis. And finally treatment.

THE ORIGINS.

Remember when you finished every room because the costs were folded into the mortgage? Builders included big allowances for decorative painting. Old World was hot. And then like Old World Pompeii-it all blew up.

THE TRANSMISSION.

First we lost the builders and designers unless your job was getting a house ready to sell. I did say something.

Then we lost the part-timers who pursued other part-time jobs that paid better and had some benefits. I again said something.

Then they came for the older finishers with faulty shoulders and bad backs.  Who needs it! I said something then too.

And then they came for me! Since everyone else was gone no-one said anything. And by this time I was horse from saying too much.

People don't take classes if they don't have money. They don't buy product if they can't get a job. The illness had spread up and down the decorative community.

 

THE OUTBREAK

While decorative artisans were facing fauxmageddon, the world of the DIY'er rose out of the ashes.  All of a sudden you didn't need a professional just a great pin board and you-tube video.  Access to information is unprecedented with a barrage of gurus and experts handy with Instagram filters.  Making over things yourself is fun, cheap, and satisfying. I do it myself!  But the un-intended side effect is the notion that "good-enough" is great, quality pricing is price gouging, and Internet learning is the same as hands on training and experience.

THE DIAGNOSIS

The defining symptom is Faux Fatigue. Those infected looked at their walls and cabinets and ceilings covered in chippy plasters and aged patinas.  Even when it is beautiful and well-done it make them tired and heavy.

The next symptom is a grey tinge that develops to a white on white pallor.

Finally, they begin hallucinating and repeating the words "Grieg" "Shiplap," "Vintage," "Upcycle" and in a final breath you hear the whisper, "grass cloth."

That's it. You have a full blown FAUX FLUENZA epidemic!

THE TREATMENT

The key to many treatments is giving people an altered version of the disease. Think of vaccinations. For finishers this means studying and offering finishes that mimic expensive wallpapers. Learn how to layer patterns effectively and render printing techniques on a vertical surface.

Work with the trends.

Take your favorite Old World Samples and update the colors to lighter greyer shades.  Think of all the potential sick people that won't pay to get the texture removed but do want it refreshed.

Learn the language of the trends like Rustic Modern, Farmhouse, and Bohemian Chic.  Make design boards of the trends and set aside time to interpret the looks in faux finishes. Those of us who teach have switched to more modern and sleek finishes with less steps.

Create mini portfolios that focus on how finishing pulls together a trend in a wall, ceiling, and cabinet designs.

Set yourself apart. Don't be afraid to include the unique. While everyone is offering the same thing you can offer the alternative. You need samples that set you apart and make people remember you!

Focus your efforts. You will never be cheap enough for some people.  Research the healthy markets that include custom builders, custom designers, and up-grading homeowners. As my friend Suzanne told me yesterday, "upper clientele want a turn-key job." You need to be a skilled finisher in walls and cabinets as well as a project manager.  The less the client has to coordinate, the better.

Go through your samples and let go of dated boards.  Assign a price per square foot to the samples you keep. You should have a range that starts at $2 a square foot and on up.  Make sure you have a low, medium and high offering for a finish.  For example, here are 3 different off-white cabinets at different price points.

And finally accept that you have to hustle harder to get your work out there. You are competing against an endless stream of information and visual stimulation. Web-sites, blogs, Instagram, Facebook, and Pintrest are major sources for information. Of those people, 80% are just shopping ideas. But you never know who is looking to buy.  I tagged a friend in a Facebook post and her older client saw it. He contacted her to do that finish!

Hopefully there will be a day when Faux Fluenza is no more. Until then, we will work on treatments that lead to a healthy, interesting, and profitable faux finishing world!

Wild Things

Bring a bit of the exotic home! Animal prints have an enduring quality that span a variety of interiors from traditional to contemporary.

These stylish interpretations have been a favorite of interior designers for decades.

 Used on wallpapers and fabrics, Animal prints are a classic!

Join us at Surfaces on Thursday, March 17th from 6:30-9:30 to create 3 animal skin finishes.

We will work with specialty rollers, plasters and glazes. Class fee is $75 per person and includes all materials.

Register on-line or by calling 913-888-9996.