by Jamie Swenning

Created on: August 05, 2008

Doing a faux finish depends on how much time and energy you what to put into it. There are several different ways of doing it.
The next step is to decide what kind of faux finish you what to do and what colors you are going to use. Most faux finishes use three different colors.
after you have picked your colors now you need to get your paints and the items that you will need for doing your finish.

Then you must prepare the walls for paining, Priming is always good and will soak into the walls instead of the paint and it will allow you to use less of the expensive paint.
the darkest color will be the first color you paint with and you will want to roll this one on, make sure you cover the entire wall with this color.
Most faux painting you will need a glaze for the next colors.
Depending on what you decided to do will depend on what items you will need and chances are you wont need as much paint as you did for the first color.

RAGGING- you will take part of you second color and mix it with part of the glaze and use your rag, twist the rag and keep it tight and dip it into the faux mixture and roll it onto the wall only working in a small section like 4 X 4 not an entire wall, remember your rag should have ample paint on it at all times. Do not move in one direction roll in all different directions this will give you different effects.

SPONGING- is where you will take a sponge and dip it into the faux mixture and dab on the wall always move you hand in different directions, you do not want to dreate a pattern. work in a 3 X 3 ft section.

BELLAGIO FAUX- is where the second and third color is mixed at the store and you do not need to add the glaze to this one. The second and third colors look like runny cottage cheese. you will need a paint brush for this one and you bursh it on making an X and work in a small section of the wall like 4 X 4 as this color starts to loose its shinyness you will take a scraper and not hard but not lightly will make the X in different directions eventually you will get the feel for this one and will know how hard and witch way to make your X.

there are several other types like Lenin, Venitian Plaster, Suede, Leather, Crackle and these are just a couple more. Most times if you go to your home improvement store in the paint department they will have samples and instruction booklets to help you. My suggestion is once you have decided to do when you go get the paint read through the instructions and if you don't understand them ask. Chances are they have themselves or someone else that had done that type, and should be able to explain so you will understand what you need to do.
These effects are totally up to you and what you think you want and how much. So all I can say is try it you wont know what you think of it unless you do, However I suggest that if you are going to do this that you make sure you have enough time to at least finish the wall with one color do not stop in the middle of doing a color or when you get back to doing this your mood may be different and then part that you did the first time will not match the way you are doing it this time and then you won't like the outcome.
Then again say you do one of these types and you decide when you are done that you done like it just prime over it and try something else.

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