Specialty Rollers: DIY Loops

IT'S TUESDAY-LET'S GET LOOPED!

Our DIY project today uses our new Loop Roller. Like the other rollers, Loops may be used to create both raised and imprinted patterns just by varying the products used.  Let's start with a imprinted sample.

My favorite product to use with the rollers is Faux Effect's Venetian Base Coat. This is a creamy white plaster that dries to a semi-opaque matte finish.  It may be tinted with any of the FE colorants including Setcoat.  I find that it dries slower then some of our other plasters making it a good choice when you are troweling and rolling across 6ft-8ft tall walls.  For this finish I am leaving the Venetian Base Coat un-tinted. Start by troweling a section of wall from top to bottom and double the roller width.

You may place the roller at the top or bottom of the wall and just roll.  This is a non-directional pattern so the roller may be turned different ways at ceiling and baseboard areas.  I usually flip the roller when I am connecting areas.  Proceed across the wall by troweling in your next area of plaster and lapping the wet edges.

Remember that the rollers may be cut to a smaller size to get into tight areas.  The plaster will dry and be ready to sand in one hour.  Use a sanding block to knock down any rough raised edges to the pattern.

I mixed FE Designer Metallic Charred Gold (1 quart Charred Gold + 2 TBSP Silver Concentrate) and rolled this over my finish.  After I rolled this- I decided to foil the finish and could have saved myself a step by mixing this color into my Venetian Base Coat. Only the tips of the loops show in the end so even a good latex flat paint would also work for this sample.  When the paint dried, I rolled a layer of foil size and let it set up an hour.

I placed our new Antique Gold foil over the pattern and scrubbed it with a Robert Rubber brush. Don't worry about getting the foil down into the loop pattern.

Foil is pulled and ready for glazing. I used a mix of 3 parts FX Thinner :1 part American Walnut Stain & Seal : 1 part Rich Brown Stain & Seal and applied it with a pointed glazing brush to swirl color into the surface.

While this color is wet, I added 3 parts FX Thinner mixed with 1 part American Walnut and 1 part Van Dyke Brown Stain & Seal. I applied to areas using the same brush and swirl technique.

Use a lightly damp cloth to blot the stain and soften the swirl marks. 

My other sample is made by dipping the loop roller in Wundasize.  Knock the roller against the side of the bin to remove the excess.



This finish shows best over a darker well sealed base.  You will get a few sags in the loops. Roll back through the pattern without re-dipping the roller-this will break up the drips.

Apply the pattern to the whole wall and let the size set-up at least one hour before applying the foil. I used the Antique Gold foil again and applied it in the same manner as the previous sample.

I love this color-it the perfect "dirty gold" with some brown undertones. The best part of using foil is you may apply your next layer immediately.

I rolled FE's Charred Olive Lustersuede over the loops and softened with a damp cloth. When the Lustersuede dried, I glazed with the same American Walnut/Rich Brown stain mix. For added depth, I sealed the finish with C500 gloss when the glaze dried. This was more for effect then protection but in a wet room a topcoat might be needed.

Of course, there are harder ways to make loop patterns if you want....



Faux Finish Rollers: DIY Embossed and Metallic Alligator

UIP Photo

"That's not a special gator...this is a special gator..."

Thanks Paul, I'll handle the skins from here.  BTW, what happened to him? Croc hunter's don't have long careers, do they?  Good thing Faux Finishers do! As promised here are two specialty variations using our new alligator roller.

Isis: Embossed Alligator.

My favorite product for skin finishes is Faux Effects Venetian Base Coat. This is a creamy slow-setting plaster that dries to a semi-opaque white. I love it because you get nice medium thick coverage in one coat and it tints easily with Setcoat, Stain, or any of the Faux Creme/Faux Color Colorants.

It is thicker then O'Villa Plaster and stiffer then Softex or Lusterstone.  It also dries to a matte sheen compared to using Venetian Gem or Stuco Lux.  I use this for many finishes and think it is a really under-used product...and it is silver label.  I troweled on a medium thick layer of plaster twice the width of my roller. Graceful trowel lines are fine because the roller eliminates most of them.

Just like the Classic Gator finish, I roll down one way and then flip the roller to roll the next section. This creates the backbone of the skin. The Venetian Base Coat holds the shape really well without smearing. 

For this finish I left the plaster un-tinted.  When it dried (about one hour), I rolled one full coat of Wundasize 100% over the surface.



I let my Wunda set-up several hours and then placed my new favorite reverse stencil #3083 Donatella Damask from Royal Design Studio.  I placed our Bright Silver Foil with the shiny side up and scrubbed it over the stencil. Remove the foil.  With the stencil still in place I used a black foam roller to apply a sheer black glaze over the pattern.  This makes the embossed "background" stand-out better.

After I pulled the stencil, I applied our Champagne Gold Foil over the remaining exposed Wundasize.  I like this foil because it is not a brassy gold like some of the other gold foils I've seen.

The whole piece is glazed with a mix of 3 parts FX Thinner + 1 part American Walnut Stain & Seal + 1 part Ebony Stain & Seal.

Sobek: Metallic Alligator

For this finish, I rolled the Alligator roller in Wundasize and tapped the excess on the edge of the paint bin.

This finish shows best on a dark well sealed surface.  I rolled vertically first.

Right away the Wundasize will run but that is OK. Without re-dipping in the size, I rolled back through it horizontally.

This rolled through any sags and removed some of the Wundasize. You will not create a crisp alligator skin (like using a plaster) with this method. Your pattern will be more like a lizard skin.

Did anyone ask for Alligator Lite?

I used the Hologram Gold foil for sparkle.  After the foil was applied, I rolled Cocoa Lustersuede over the texture and rolled the Alligator Roller through the wet Lustersuede removing the chocolate brown color to reveal more of the gold pattern underneath.



 I opted not to glaze this finish but that is certainly an option. So one roller and 3 different looks.

So I will either " See You Later" or "After A While."

Specialty Rollers: DIY Ostrich Finish

Let's create an Ostrich Skin Finish!

"Say What?"

Don't worry big guy this is a cruelty free finish. There are lots of ways to create an Ostrich Finish. You can use paper and stencil or plaster with a stencil. Each has a great look and like everything else it often comes down to how much will a client pay to achieve a certain look. This approach is a fast and funky way to create Ostrich using our new Spots Roller.

I'm using Faux Effects' Venetian Gem as my base. Here is a side note. I read about a lot of people having problem with foil. First, we test our foil before shipping by using a piece of Scotch Tape on the backside. Rub the tape on the backing and pull-off. If the foil comes off-it is a good roll.  Secondly, I use Wundasize and never have problems with this size.  Usually it is one of two problems.  The base you are working on is absorbent or the base is stippled and not truly flat. This happens a lot when paint is applied with a heavy hand or a lamb's wool roller.

If you roll your size and come back an hour later and can't feel it-then your surface is absorbing the product.  If you feel the size and scrub your foil, but the piece looks hazy when you pull it -the walls are stippled and the foil is catching the upper part of the texture.

That is why I like to foil on Venetian Plaster. I trowel one coat (gentle trowel lines are fine) to get a nice opaque well sealed surface to work on. Compare the cost of 1 gallon of Venetian Gem and going around the room once for a base to rolling two coats of foil size and applying multiple layers of foil.

OK-Where were we?

Trowel a layer of Venetian Gem Chamois (a pale butter color) in a section. While this section is wet, press a thin trash bag or piece of plastic into the plaster.  Repeat across your wall working in manageable sections.

This creates the lines that you see in Ostrich Skin.  Go to a local Western Wear or Tractor Supply Store and check out the cowboy/girl boots. You will see the folds.

Let the Chamois Plaster dry at least an hour.

Next, put some Wundasize in a paint bin and roll your Spot Roller in the bin to coat the surface. Shake or tape the roller over the bin to remove the excess size.  Roll this over the dry plaster a few times. I find that I may roll about 3 times before I need to drip the roller again.  I went a little spot crazy on this sample-most Ostrich Skins don't have this many spots! Some spots will be more distinct then others and That Is OK-we are talking nature here.

As I work, I use a cloth to wipe the excess Wunda off the roller. To clean the roller use cold water. I soaked my roller in cold water and Windex. The size turned white on the roller and I peeled it off-I like to peel sunburns so I didn't mind that so much.  The key is not to let the roller sit in the Wundasize all day. Both the Wunda and the roller will get gloppy.

Let the spots set up at least an hour. I used our Toasted Bronze Foil for my spots. Cut a piece of foil and place it over the spots with the Bronze color facing you and scrub with a stiff bristle scrubbing brush.

Cover all the spots.  Mine looks like a hybrid Cheetah and Ostrich-A Cheetrich!

I bet Dr. Mephisto from South Park knows about the Cheetrich!

I mixed a glaze of 3 parts FX Thinner + 1 part American Walnut Stain & Seal + 1 part Rich Brown Stain & Seal. Brush this over the surface and soften with a cloth.

To really pop the finish I rolled C500 Gloss when the glaze was dry but this is not a necessary step. The FX Thinner and stain mix is strong enough to protect the finish in most rooms.



Later this week we will add to our sample menagerie.

Don't look so smug there little fella!







Dark Lux DIY Part Two:

I've been jumping around with lots of things lately so let's return to Part 2 of the Dark Lux DIY sample. For this sample that I call Clayton Copper, I am using one of my favorite products for ceilings: Faux Effects's Palette Deco. Why Palette Deco for ceilings you ask? Well, it is thick so it won't fall easily on your head. You can get it in a pre-tinted metallic (gold, silver, pearl, bronze, or red) that is very rich and reflective for ceiling finishes. It is thick enough for great single coat coverage or it can be tight pulled for a nice finish layer. Finally, Palette Deco dries very hard so I rarely top-coat unless I want to pop the colors.

I started with a Dark Brown Setcoat because I want the surface well sealed and I let the Dark Brown peek through in the finish.  First, I butter my trowel with Palette Deco Bronze:

Then I pop this onto my surface creating connecting peaks. Use a Japan Blade to clean your trowel as you work-Palette Deco dries fast.

As I work, I lightly compress the plaster peaks with my blade almost flat to the surface.  This layer should dry 1-2 hours depending on how thick your trowel your Palette Deco. If your surface is not well-sealed or the Palette Deco is too thick-it will crack.

When the Palette Deco is dry, I use a sea sponge to spot in Wundasize. The key to this layer is not to make snowballs. Use different sponges and alternate sides. Inside of doing the same size dabs, create connected chains of Wunda in different lengths and widths. This should set up at least one hour.

 I used our New Penny Copper Foil which is a soft copper with an apricot undertone. With the pretty side facing up, I scrub it with a stiff metal or plastic bristle brush. The nice thing about a foil layer is you may proceed immediately to the the next layer.

I thinned Antique Cherry Stain & Seal with FX Thinner (1 part : 3 parts) and brushed this over the surface. Using a lightly damp cloth, I blotted the surface to blend and remove brush marks.

And that's it-a super easy finish that will work on ceilings, walls, and range hoods among other surfaces.

A Cut Above Finish

I received this recent Faux Woe from a follower: "Help. I need a Wow finish for a hair salon in an upscale shopping center.  The colors in the salon are dark brown with orange leather chairs, and silver/black accents."

This is the view of the salon as you enter. You can see that the salon gets good natural light and needs something on the walls to attract the attention of possible walk-in clients.  The wall for the finish is behind the ostrich art and this room divider:

The wall space is relatively small. Several walls will be painted with a dark brown paint but will feature large mirrors. This is a detail of the mirrors:

To me, these resemble a modern take on a Zebra Wood. The orange is also present in the salon chairs:

My suggestion is to play-up the mirror surround design using metallic foils and glitter for a WOW.  First the walls should be well-sealed with either Dark Brown, Camel, or Brown Setcoat and allowed to dry overnight.  The next day roll a coat of Wundasize using a black foam roller. Be aggressive in rolling as this will lay out the bubbles. A dry roller may also be used for back rolling.  Let the Wunda sit up at least one hour-this will add foil off-load. If you are unsure of coverage, a second coat of Wunda may be applied.

I applied Moonglow Pewter Foil.  Place the foil with the pretty silver side facing you and scrub with a stiff scrubbing brush. Lap areas as you work across the surface avoiding scrubbing over the previous foil. I use 2 foot long pieces because they are easier to manage.  The slight areas where the foil did not come-off (they look like small scratches in the photo above) will not matter to the finish.  The best thing about this foil finish is you may proceed to the next step immediately.

I mixed fine black glitter into my Wundasize and rolled a Bark roller in this mix. Then I rolled the coated roller on the surface to off-load the Wundasize glitter in a pattern. Roll multiple times to create a random pattern.

Let this layer sit-up until the Wunda is clear and you can see the glitter without the haze.  The bark roller should be washed in cold water to remove the Wundasize.  Before applying my next foil and while the Wunda is still damp, I use a blade to lightly compress any drips in the Wundasize.

Next, I applied our Paprika Foil (pretty side up) with the scrub brush. The foil will cover some areas more solidly then others depending on the amount of glitter in an area.



To seal the finish and add more interest, I mixed Aquawax with Fine Silver Glitter. I troweled the Aquawax 100% over the finish lightly padding with a cloth to soften the chatter lines.

When the Aquawax is dry, I brushed a glaze of 2 parts FX Thinner + 1 part American Walnut Stain & Seal + 1/2 Part Van Dyke Stain & Seal. This will bead up slightly over the wax-that is why I like using Stain & Seal and FX Thinner-it bites in more over this slick surface. I used a soft brush to pull my glaze in a linear fashion.

FX Thinner dries very hard and the Aquawaxwill protect the foils so no additional top-coat should be necessary.

Copper Canyon Strands.

From Faux Woe to Faux WOW!