Art-Faux.com

Archive for January, 2009

Ashton place, originally uploaded by artmorehead.

Faux painting ideas go far beyond the typical color wash that most have familiarized themselves with. There are a whole aray of other decorative techniques that can add  into the decor of a room, but with this post I am going to focus on murals. There are many different styles and techniques and it can be a bit overwhelming for most home owners to go through trying to find that right artist for the commision.

It is important to find an artist that is the right fit for you and your work, myself, I prefer to meet the client for a first consultation to find out if they have a preference as to what kind of look or feel the client is wanting to accomplish. Usually an artist can do a rendering from your thoughts and ideas of what interests you, which would determine the style of the mural. With so many styles and techniques to choose from its up to the artist to get you going in the right direction and if an interior designer is involved that even makes the process a little easier for the artist

Interior designers have the experience and training to communicate their visions of the final outcome of a rooms decor and are a great addition to a team of craftsman and artists, they especially know how to communicate color to other trades so as not to overwhelm the client in what could be a difficult decision.

On the other hand an artist should be able to communicate with the client well enough and be able to gather enough information to not have to involve a designer if the client chooses not to, which brings me back to my first point in choosing the right kind of artist.

I have a questionaire that has 5 very important question that I believe should be asked of any artist wheather they just to do wall glazing or are into all aspects of faux because every professional artist will know the answers to such questions, after all these are the basics and as we all know in life you must learn the basics to anything that you choose in order to advance to a professional level.

You can get access into this protected area of my blog by following this link and signing in to get this FREE download of questions that are available ……….

Metallic Suede, originally uploaded by artmorehead.

This is a product called Luster Stone made by Faux Effects and is one of the plaster mediums that I have grown to love because of the versatility of it
For more information you can contact me at http://www.art-faux.com

Ceiling texture finishes, originally uploaded by artmorehead.

Faux painting idea for 2008 turns into a repeating experience. This creation gave this narrow hallway a unique look all its own. Foils are one my favorite mediums for base colors because of the depth that can be created.
In the coming weeks I will demonstrate how easily the foil can be applied and will also make available many color choices which will be sold in the store along with a few other things that I use in my many techniques. I will be passing on information and product recomendations of the very same products that I use myself that are tried and true by my standards

This is one of my favorite plaster finishes, it’s a combination of different mediums which is what I love about the versatility of today’s water base products, Although I still use oil base products for that non mistaken look of authenticity , I still love the water base lines for the low VOC’s and easy cleanup aspects. With today’s development of these new innovative products I have found some are better than others ,but what one artist likes another artist may not, so its really personal preference on what you, as an individual like.              

   In my blog you will see that I will mention certain products by name or color but that doesn’t mean that this is the only one to use. There are certainly a vast amount of manufacturers that have sprung up over the last 5 years and new ones showing up in the market all the time, but I will give a word of advice to all. Make sure the product you use has a tried and true track record and is not some “miracle” product that has bounced onto the shelf from a manufacturer who came up with some concoction in his garage. There are quite a few product lines that I use and all for different reasons for my finishes. I have many years of experience in the finishing industry and I know what will work with what and when and where to use it.

 Now back to the ceiling lol I designed this finish a few years ago based on a clients love for gold. He is a well respected surgeon and highly sought after for his expertise and for him to choose me for this project was an honor and I must say I was a bit overwhelmed to say the least.

  There are 9 steps to this finish so if you have neck or back problems this probably isn’t the finish for you to be doing on your own unless it’s a small area. This doesn’t mean that it’s only for ceilings; you can use it for accents in niches, ceiling trays, accent walls. You could use it in larger area’s and even in whole rooms if you like but be ready to pay a hefty price because the materials used in this finish are right at $100.00 per gallon, and with the other materials involved it could fetch a price of $2.50-$3.50 per square foot just for the materials alone plus you have to make 9 passes over the surface to which you are applying the finish to.

  A lot of the finishes that I have designed are budget based with the simpler glazed wall finishes being the least expensive and the plaster finishes being the next. Then of course you have the artwork which could be anything from a one color, single overlay stencil design to using an airbrush with several stencil designs.

  Murals, ornamental, trompe’ l’oeil, grotessca ,graiselle, buon fresco, I mean the world of faux and decorative painting is such a huge array of techniques and styles that its really to vast to try and catch in just one blog post which is why I have started this blog for all my clients and friends to follow to see what I am getting into next lol, because most times I don’t even know what level of decorative art I am going to be doing next. As with all artists throughout history we are always thinking outside the box and venturing outside of our comfort zones. That’s what makes it exciting and fresh!  All artists no matter what their passion is, weather you’re a musician, photographer, choreographer, acting, we all    have a need to release this creative energy within us all, and brave enough to try something different and creative  

The close up on this next photo gives a little more detail of the beauty of a plaster finish  

 
Gold Dome, originally uploaded by artmorehead.

I love this finish on domed ceilings, especially with a combination of rope and up lighting is involved. This is a synthetic venetian plaster with a couple of layers of gold to create the depth i wanted. Due to the ceiling only being 8ft high, I like to create finishes that give depth to enclosed or tight areas, achieving this concept will make the area appear larger or deeper.

I did this work at a clients at St Raphael in Naples Fl. There are two different colors of plaster , and not over blending is critical with this treatment , In order to do this type of finish it is important to know and understand “color value” .

  This is a medallion with a faux paint finish that consists of using a foil and a few overglazings. This looks really nice with some chandelier up lighting …….

  As you can see the intensity of using foils as a background to a faux finish really kicks up the “wow” factor. I love the foils because they have their own look as does gilded finishes. 

This is not to say that foils are a replacement for gold leaf by any means, this is just an alternative for a unique look that has a wider range of colors with some being in a halogram  

This thread is an introduction to foils which have been used for many years for a wide range of different applications. They are used on everything from cereal boxes to credit cards and until recently have made an appearance into the decorative arts. Foils have been a great addition to my portfolio for when I want a really rich metallic look that you just cannot get with a metallic paint. There are a variety of colors including the basic gold and silvers which have a variety of hues and I really love the choices of the hologram colors. From a clear to even more dramatic interference colors, which change from one color to another is dependant on the lighting that’s around it.

  The ceiling medallion above was done with a gold foil, stained and then over glazed. I custom make these for my clients when I am designing a ceiling finish, most times they just don’t fit with the treatment so Ill have to make the adjustments in order for everything to flow with the design. Foil applications are a rather simple application but it does take a little practice with timing for your “tack” time, and they are also cost effective when covering a lot of area like in the photo’s below where we had done this library in its entirety with a nautical theme. 

  The close up below, shows how everything works together as a whole when it come to working a theme room as a design. The cool green foliage compliments the copper in a couple of different ways in which it kicks back some of the warmth of the copper and yet the green compliments the red in the finish.

  The leather chair and other furniture also add to the theme for its masculinity and earth tones to pull everything together and harmonize the entire room. It’s very important to me to know everything that’s going into a room such as fabric, furniture, drapery, blinds, flooring, lighting incandescent or fluorescent and even halogen can make an impact on color. All these things play in a room design and an artist MUST know color for all these elements to work together. I hope I have brought some insight to the visitors looking for some answers as to why it’s so important to hire a professional artist when considering decorative painting and a room design.

 Again I would like to invite my readers to sign up and get my FREE download to the questions; “What You Should Know Before You Faux” before hiring anyone to do your decorative painting and I do welcome questions and comments.

  In the near future I will be demonstrating a foil application via video for everyone to view if they are interested in taking on some smaller foil projects and will be able to order everything they need right here from this site with the very products that I use myself. I use only the best materials for their quality and ease of use because as I am sure most of you know that cheaper is not always better especially when it comes to labor……