# Needing to replicate a faux look



## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

I do very little faux, and even then generally don't have to specifically match something else so asking for input. The pics are of a chair, but I'm supposed to do it to kitchen cabs. Luckily A) the chairs and cabs won't be in the same place. (She was just "inspired" by the look and color). B) we're talking a farmhouse cottage, not a fancy McMansion. The cabs are bare particle board inside for gosh sakes. C) I also only need to do the blue on white - no distressing spots down to bare wood. In other words, the stakes really aren't all that high and I want to avoid overthinking it (or anyone here overthinking it). Just nice to have experienced eyes.


Anyway, it looks to me like the way it was done was to lay down the white (with heavy brushstrokes), then the blue, then just a simple sanding to pull the blue back off the high spots. It seems most obvious in that pic of the top of a leg where there's end-grain, but maybe even then not enough to go on by the pics. Finally maybe just a clear? Tho that's not likely necessary.


----------



## mug (Dec 22, 2010)

Images broken on my end. I absolutely hate when someone shows me a picture of faux finished cabinets (usually from pinterest). There are way too many variables... sample board time!


----------



## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

Yes! Samples will be prepared. The pics are showing up in my view, but if it's an issue for others, now I'm trying to attach as files (rather than just pasting them in).


----------



## fauxlynn (Apr 28, 2011)

Yes I think you have the right idea. Unfortunately you’re not going to get that look on the large flat panels, unless the white coat has some dimension. Have you ever gotten lazy and used a crappy chip brush to apply some Bin and it starts drying mid stroke? That’s what you need in the first layer.


----------



## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

fauxlynn said:


> Yes I think you have the right idea. Unfortunately you’re not going to get that look on the large flat panels, unless the white coat has some dimension. Have you ever gotten lazy and used a crappy chip brush to apply some Bin and it starts drying mid stroke? That’s what you need in the first layer.


 Right, so if I was on the right track, how to leave brush marks that sloppy in the white was to be question 2. I spend all of my time trying to make sure paint levels well, but now I guess I need to practice the other way around.


Thanks!


----------



## fauxlynn (Apr 28, 2011)

Well, I think I would test if this would work:
Maybe do a nice first coat. Then on the second coat, let it set up a little then brush it out so it’s dragging through half dried paint, with a coarse brush not a nice brush.
IDK.


----------



## MikeCalifornia (Aug 26, 2012)

Wallpaper brushes are great for large areas using glaze.


----------



## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

MikeCalifornia said:


> Wallpaper brushes are great for large areas using glaze.



Thanks. I think I'll do as fauxlynn suggests letting some coating set halfway an then yeah, a wallpaper brush might have the right coarseness to make those marks good and wide and sloppy. I'll play with it on some test pieces.


----------



## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Im sure you already knew, but the blue should probably be mix in a glaze, or just use a crappy paint that doesn't accidentally cover in 1 coat losing your effect. lol. Also, if your distressing at all, a clear coat may be a good idea just for a little protection..


----------



## fauxlynn (Apr 28, 2011)

I gave my ‘not overthinking it’ response.


----------



## Respec (Sep 13, 2015)

Another option instead of sanding the top coat with sandpaper is to rub it down with solvent like you were trying to clean it off, or "chemical sand" it. I have done it with lacquer and lacquer thinner to create a distressed effect. If you are painting, I probably wouldn't use lacquer thinner but denatured alcohol instead. I would think it would be easiest shortly after it set up so it was still a bit soft. I would do a test piece first though. Follow that with clear coats.


----------



## Joe67 (Aug 12, 2016)

A couple of recent threads have reminded me to finally follow up with a report, tho it won't be very exciting and from my point of view I didn't succeed so that's never fun either. But I think it's always just polite to follow up after people were nice enough to help. On a better note, I did succeed just because the HO is happy with the result. I just say that I didn't succeed because my replication of the look was quite imperfect - toward not even close. (And I also think they're ugly as sin, but I didn't tell her that!) Luckily, as I mentioned, the chairs and cabs are in two different structures, it was a low stakes and tiny job so no big deal, and she was more after the "feel" of it than something precise.

Anyway, the sanding method gave the right "feel" - those chairs basically give the effect of having rolled around in the surf for a while. And I think that I _could_ have gotten the "look" too with a little practice. I went into Regal for the white base because it sets up so fast that I happen to *know* that it's not hard to leave big, ugly brush marks if you let it set up a bit. (Gee, ask me how I know...) Just a play piece:










The problem was that I hadn't yet looked closely enough at the substrate on the cabs (duh) - under a couple/few coats of paint was a pretty heavy grained oak. So there was just no way to overcome the interference patterns from the grain without going to extremes, and we'd ruled out Herculean efforts on day 1. This was a somewhat oversanded sample I brought to her:










Since I knew it wasn't working I just made up some different samples - the sanding thing, some dry-brushed blue on white, some dry-brushed white on blue, some blue/clear glaze mix over white and dragged off with a chip brush, and vice versa. The blue glaze on white was best for the "look" but didn't get the "feel." Too "slick."

But in any case, she really liked the glaze, and also a little less "streaky" than the chairs, so I did that and she's very happy. I found 2:1 clear to paint easiest to work to keep the color and make it easy to streak it out. Good thing for me it was a tiny little thing of a kitchen. I did top it with 2 coats of low lustre Stays Clear (BM 423). Maybe not the best choice but that's what my BM store sold me when I asked and it looks ok.


----------

