As a professional in the faux & decorative painting industry for 11 years, I notice that the consumer consistently misunderstands the term “faux painting”. Unfortunately some of the home improvement shows misrepresent the term over and over. I now use the term “decorative wall painting/art”. Too many consumers attach things like sponge painting and rag rolling to a decorative wall artist, lowering the value of what a professional brings to a project. The term “faux” loosely means an imitation of some natural material. (i.e. marble, leather, wood, etc.) Sponging and rag rolling do not imitate anything natural and therefore do not qualify under the true definition of “faux”. These are merely painting techniques. I sometimes use a sea sponge, rags, and other such tools in creating decorative walls; however, it is the process and end creation that make the project qualify as faux, not the tools used.
Knowing what a color combination creates is both an acquired skill and a priority prior to commencing a project. Understanding glazes, what they do and how they react with paint or colorant added is yet another required artistic skill. Is it going to be a translucent or opaque glaze, what sheen will be the final finish, do you clear coat between the base coat of paint and the top coat of glaze, do you need to put a protective coating over the entire surface when you are finished, are there pets and/or small children that need to be taken into consideration, is priming and base coating the walls necessary or may you clear coat and then start the decorative finishing? Knowing the answer to each of these questions is critical in achieving a final finish that looks fantastic, is durable and will be safe for the specific household. Many of these questions can only be answered by a professional with experience. Hiring just anyone to finish your walls is much like taking your car to an unskilled mechanic – the results are dubious.
Most professionals use products not available to the general public for reasons that are pretty obvious. Professional products have been created to extend drying times, flow better, and generally create better finishes. A professional wall artist knows the product and the limits of the products with which they work. Professionals study these products to know what will work best in which situation. In addition, professionals create sample boards and experiment rather than using customers’ walls for their chemistry lesson. You and your neighbor may have identical houses, your house may have a flat base color while theirs has a satin, and your house may have different light sources, different furniture and a different family lifestyle. An identical painting technique may not look or feel the same as your neighbors, just like an elegant dress on one person may not suit or flatter another. A professional learns about you and your living style and then matches your wall décor with the specifics of your house, tastes and lifestyle.
Numerous times I find myself talking a customer out of a technique that they loved in their friend’s house, but the technique would have been inappropriate in their home with their lifestyle.
So the next time you think of “faux” painting, take a step back and truly look at the work of art that the wall/room truly represents. The artist who created it will be very appreciative.
Article Source: http://www.artsymmetry.com
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