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

The Shape of Things: Venetian Gem Plaster

We hope everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving! Welcome back to work! 

With the Holiday Season in full swing it is a busy time to get finishing projects done. It is also the final week of our November Sale on Faux Effects Venetian Gem Plaster. So let's take advantage of Venetian Gem's unique properties and a discount.

Tribeca Bronze Finish with Faux Effects Venetian Gem Plaster

Venetian Gem is an excellent base coat for creating pattern and designs. The thick nature and easy spread ability of the plaster makes it a  great match for shaping with a trowel, sea sponge roller or specialty roller.  The finish above is called Tribeca Bronze and it begins with Tiger's Eye Venetian rolled on with a sea sponge roller. This leaves the plaster with a texture similar to knock-down. In fact, this technique will go over orange peel walls.   The peaks are flattened with an application trowel. Then Palette Deco Bronze is pulled over the top followed by Lusterstone in Charred Olive. The Venetian Gem will polish on the flat areas creating a pleasing sheen.

In the above picture, I'm simply shaping Moonstone Grey Venetian Gem Plaster with a pointed Japan Trowel. The horizontal lines elevate the finish to something more like a wallpaper. Next, I tightly pull Faux Effects' New Stuco Lux Shimmer Tint Base over the Venetian Gem base. When this layer is dry I glaze it with Dark Brown Faux Crème Color and Faux Crème Clear glaze medium. The Stuco Lux has a soft twinkle that really creates a modern finish-love this new product! 

Venetian Gem is the perfect medium to use with specialty rollers.  If you add 1/4 cup (up to half a cup) of Faux Effects' Spatter Add to a gallon of Venetian Gem Plaster then you will have time to trowel the plaster from the top of the wall to the bottom in a width double your roller.  

The Spatter Add will keep the Venetian Plaster thick while slowing down the dry time-giving you time to roll through the base, create your pattern and then trowel/roll in the next section! This helps you go across longer walls or ceilings, keep the pattern shape and clean your roller easier. Bonus points.

The finish above is created with Venetian Gem in Black Oynx, a specialty roller and Old World Finishing Paint troweled on top and sanded back. 

Another plus for Venetian Gem is how well it seals. After shaping the plaster, it is an excellent base for foiled finishes. The nature of the plaster doesn't absorb the foil size and the slightly slick nature of the dried finish gives a nice release to the metallic foil.

The finish below uses the Faux Effects Snakeskin Stencil in Tiger's Eye Venetian Gem, Faux Effects Foil Size and Faux Effects Bronze Foil. 

This leads me to the final way to shape Venetian Gem-over stencil patterns.  I start with a simple troweled flat layer of Venetian Gem in my selected color and I use this same color for my pattern. That was if some product bleeds under my stencil it is no big deal.  

This is Venetian Gem in Ruby over the Faux Effects Alligator Stencil and is a durable classic furniture finish.

Although Venetian Gem has enough build for patterns it also has enough flexibility for canvas work as well. I build all my canvas art with a Venetian Gem base.  From this...

to this..

For canvas work, you may combine all the best features of Venetian Gem:  

• Rolling with a Sea Sponge Roller
• Shaping with a trowel
• Using over a stencil pattern
• A non porous base for foiling

         So many options with Venetian Gem!   If you're feeling inspired why not give this plaster a try.

          

Contact your local Faux Effects Distributor or Faux Effects International at www.fauxstore.com to place your order.

As always, thanks for reading!

Rebecca

Metallo Spazolatto: A Wonderful Venetian Gem Sample Worthy of It's Name

Look at this contemporary sample using Faux Effects Venetian Gem in Moonstone Grey which hits all the current design trend sweet spots: metallic, grey and horizontal/vertical lines.  It has an industrial look that is very hot for home and commercial interiors. But it also reminds me of an interesting take on wood the more I look at it-I love finishes like this!

So who are creators of this striking sample? This fab finish is brought to you by the talented duo of:

Martin Alan Hirsch, owner and director of The Faux Finish School (A division of Decorative Finishes Studio) located in Louisville, Kentucky

and

Morey Dunbar, Lead Instructor for The Faux Finish School.


For the Metallo Spazolatto Sample (which wins for best name) you will need the following Faux Effects Products:

Charcoal Setcoat
Moonstone Grey Venetian Gem Plaster
Aquawax
Metallic Concentrate in Silver and Rich Gold
Aquacreme Glaze Medium
Ebony Stain & Seal

And the following tools:

An Application Trowel and/or German Scrapers
A Bristle Linear Trowel 
12" Magic Trowel
Cheesecloth
Chip Brush
Roller head, roller handle and paint tray.

Step One:  Roll, brush or spray your base surface with 1-2 coats of the new Charcoal Grey Setcoat.
This layer should dry overnight.

Step Two:  Use a German Scraper to butter your application trowel with Moonstone Grey Venetian Gem Plaster.

The Moonstone Grey Plaster should be applied generously to the surface for approximately 100% coverage and 1/8" thickness-you need it thick enough to shape. 

While the plaster is wet, swipe vertically with the Bristle Liner trowel.

With the same vertical movement, smooth the texture SLIGHTLY with the Magic Trowel:

This step will create the wider vertical bands.



For finishes with multiple actions, you want to do areas in manageable sections.  The randomness of the trowel work should make this easier. You may also use a retarder such as Spatter Add (1/4 cup to a gallon of plaster) to keep the plaster thick but slow down the dry time while you work.


Step 3:  When the Venetian Gem layer is dry, you will apply a mix of Silver Concentrate mixed with Aquawax (1-2 tsp per cup). Silver Concentrate is the additive for Designer Metallic but may be purchased separately in small bottles or 16oz pots.  The Aquawax will provide the binder for the Silver concentrate.  You will use Cheesecloth as a pad to apply the metallic Aquawax. 

Dip the cheesecloth into the Aquawax and rub over the entire surface, making sure the the final pass is vertical.  Let this layer dry.

Step 4:  Mix Aquawax with Rich Gold Concentrate.  Yes, there is a Rich Gold additive as well. Again, it doesn't take much of the concentrate. In this case it is 2-3 TBSP per 1 cup of Aquawax). This mix is troweled on in a vertical manner-the troweling will give you more control for placement.  The gold Aquawax covers 30%-45% of the surface.  

This is applied in sections because you will use the Bristle Linear Trowel again to swipe through vertically. Then you will knock the texture down slightly with the Magic Trowel, also in a vertical manner.    You are repeating the actions from Step One.

Step 5:  When the Gold Aquawax layer is dry, mix Aquacreme (2parts) + Ebony Stain & Seal (1part).
This mixture will be a bit "stiff" but that is good-you want it to catch in the texture. Brush the Black Glaze mix generously over the entire surface.  Remove the excess using the Magic Trowel by pulling the trowel across the wet glaze both vertically and horizontally.

Metallo Spazolatto Venetian Gem Sample by The Faux Finish School

There you go! Not only a great sample but lots of inspiration for using specialty tools! Thanks so much Martin & Morey for sharing.

Interested in the tools and products used for this sample? Please visit the online store for The Faux Finish School at www.fauxmarketplace.com.

You may also start your year by taking a class with Martin and Morey. The next class is January 8th - January 12th for their "Timeless Creations" The Art and Business of Faux Finishing Workshop "Interpretation by Inspiration."

The Faux Finish School, A Division of Decorative Finishes Studio

 414 Baxter Avenue, 3rd Floor Loft, Louisville, Kentucky 40204

www.fauxfinish.com

(502)583-0102

Don't forget-Venetian Gem is the November Product of the month and on-sale now!

As always, thanks for reading!

Rebecca

Venetian Gem & Aquawax: Why you should make this match

Looking for a stylish, durable and cost effect finish for your clients?  Please consider the pairing of

Venetian Gem and Aquawax!

Why does this pairing work so well?  Venetian Gem comes in many versatile colors and the consistency gives it great coverage and build.  Aquawax is easily tinted with a variety of Faux Effects products giving you a large range of color options. Here are a few ideas for inspiration:

The lead photograph is a beautiful bathroom in a traditional home. The base is Ultra-polishing Venetian Gem Tint Base left un-tinted. It is also used for the faded damask pattern.  Aquawax was mixed with Caterpillar Gold Metal Glow and Luna White Metal Glow and troweled over the Venetian Gem.

In this darker option, the base is Venetian Gem in Tiger's Eye. The Aquawax is mixed with Sunburst Gold Metal Glow and Toasted Coconut Metal Glow. This is a favorite finish for ceilings paired with oil-rubbed light fixtures.

Here is a similar finish in a cool silver version.  The Venetian Gem is Black Onyx and the Metal Glow colors are Pewter Gold and Wheat mixed with Aquawax.

In the above finish the Venetian Gem Black Onyx is applied with a sea sponge roller. It is then flattened with a trowel creating a texture that gives good coverage to bad walls or orange peel. Aquawax is mixed with Bronze Stain & Seal and Silver Stain & Seal then troweled at the same time over the Venetian Gem.

Verdigris is a classic finish. Our finish starts with Sage Venetian Gem.  The Aquawax is mixed with Faux Effects Light Green and the Blue Green Verdigris Faux Crème Colors. While troweling in the Verdigris colors, we add in some Aquawax mixed with Bronze Faux Crème Color. 

Another interpretation of Verdigris starts with Brown Sapphire Venetian Gem.  The Aquawax is mixed with Turquoise Faux Color, Bronze and Gold Metallic Faux Crème Colors.

We love Moonstone Grey Venetian Plaster-perfect mix of grey and brown, The finish above is Moonstone Grey with Aquawax mixed with Pearl Mica Powder troweled on top.  

The modern fireplace surround is White Venetian Gem Plaster. For the marbled effect we mixed Silver Mica Powder and Pearl Mica Powder with Aquawax. 

A few of these finishes are glazed. This is another advantage to our pairing of Aquawax and Venetian Gem-it is easy to glaze! The shiny and well sealed surface allows you glaze mixes to glide over the surface. Sometimes the glaze will appear to "bead"-that's OK-just pad it out. It will stick.  I recommend this type of finish for large ceilings.

Hope this post gives you several ideas for using Venetian Gem with Aquawax! I know with the holidays the crunch is on and these are all quick and lovely transformations.

And don't forget the November Sale-just in time to get projects wrapped for the season! 

Wax on.....

Rebecca