How To Create a Faux Stone Look Trompe L'Oeil Part 2

Well, it has definitely been more than a few days. Time sure

goes by faster these days. You know, life is like a roll of

toilet paper! The closer it gets to the end the faster it goes.

Anyway, let's finish this canvas. Let me share with you

this trompe l'oeil (to fool the eye) technique.

Measure in about 2" and applied painters tape. Leave 

1/2" and apply another row of tape. In the upper right

corner you will see a little piece of tape at a 45% angle.

Top and left side is deep gray. Note the miter corner.

Right side and part of the bottom is white or pale

gray. This would indicate the the light source is

on the left.

The white or light gray will touch the edge of the scroll

design. I transferred the design onto the canvas using

graphite paper (not shown).

 I photographed this great piece of scroll work on

an old building in Mineral Wells. You can see the 

light is on the left side of the raised areas.

Side load your brush with light gray. Apply to light areas.

Again using a side loaded brush, use dark gray to add

shadows. Go easy!!! You can always add more but

it can be frustrating to try to lift color that is too dark.

Also, This is IMPORTANT. The paint needs to be thin

and a bit transparent so the texture of the base will show

through. Now you can add text or just about

anything you want to.

Hope you enjoy this project!

How To Create a Faux Stone Look

 It has been a while since I have posted a decorative how-to

project for you. I recently painted the above faux stone effect on canvas.

Then I added a quote in a fancy lettering style. Anyway, I thought you

might enjoy this step by step instruction.

 Start with 3 similar paints. These are latex wall paint but you could use

acrylic craft paint. You will need a small liner brush or 

a feather (goose or chicken), a spray bottle with water, and
you will need a sponge. A sea sponge is good.

The one I used was an inexpensive wanna-be from WalMart.

 Puddle/swirl the 3 different colors of paint. I like them 

mingled on the plate and then mingled on the canvas.

This technique can be used on the wall, a board, a countertop,

a  floor, just about anywhere.

 Spray the surface with water. This will help mingle the paint

and slow the drying time so you don't feel pressured.

 Dip the sponge in the paint catching some of all the colors.

 Dab, dab, dab onto the surface. Be sure to change directions 

with your sponge so you get a random pattern not a repeated pattern.

 To get a good stone effect don't just dab, occasionally press 

the sponge into the surface so that

more paint is released and the edges are softened.

Before the paint starts to dry, spritz a little water here and there.

This will cause the paint colors to flow together. Don't over spray!

And this part only works if your surface is laying flat.

To create the veins use the edge of a feather or a small

liner brush. Using the feather, drag thru a couple of the colors

then pull across the surface. Using the small brush, touch 

into a couple of colors (not mixed) 

then roll and pull (at the same time) across the surface.

The effect is nice if the paint is still a bit damp on your surface.

Also a little spritz of water here and there can soften the

vein and make it appear to go into the stone.

I hope you will get a chance to use this technique and I would

love to see your project. 

I will be back in a day or two to show you how to 

make the stone look like it has been carved.

Trompe L'Oeil for a Wood Floor

Or "What To Do 'Til The Carpenter Arrives?"

Well, here goes. We have been remodeling our house - some contract but mostly DIY and elbow grease. I love old houses. Every board you remove opens the way to have to remove and replace at least four more.

In our living room we removed 2 doors and widened them and built arches (which I love). One doorway was an easy fix because we laid tile in the kitchen. But, the one leading into the hall had a 2 X 4 in the floor with a 1 inch gap all the way around.

What to do? Tear up about three foot of floor and splice in new? (Professional and $$$) Install a raised threshold to cover the gaps? Easy fix!!! The carpenter was suposed to have been have before Christmas. He didn't show. So, I did what I knew to do!

PATCH IT! and PAINT IT!

If you are interested, here are the steps.

1. I used Rock Hard Water Putty to fill the gaps. Let it dry. I waited overnight. Sanded it smooth and cleaned up the excess dust and residue.

2. The paint is acrylic that comes in the little squeeze bottles. I selected 3 colors that I could see in the actual wood grain (raw seinna, burnt umber, and antique gold). The clear stuff is a little bit of Floating Medium. This retards the drying time and gave me just a little more time to move your paint around.

3. Using a 1" brush, I worked each board one at a time. I base coated each board in the color that was the closest match to the undertone of the wood. Sometime I had to blend the colors just a bit to get a good match. The base color varied from board to board. (More old house charm!)

4. I used a liner and a small round rough bristle brush to create the details of the oak grain. I watched the grain line coming into the repaired area and matched the flow of the grain.

5. I replicated water spots, knots holes, and distressed edges to match the other boards in the existing floor. I took advanatge of the occasional rough spot in the putty. That was a good place for a knothole.

6. I stood up often to see how it looked from all angles. Also, to stretch my legs and relax my shoulders. You might be wondering about the coffee cup - that's not part of the technique unless you count coffee break as part of the process.

It's beginning to look a little like a wood floor with no gaps. A couple of coats of polyurethane (the same kind that is on the rest of the floor) and I may not need that carpenter after all.

I may not need the carpenter from Texas but I will always need and enjoy the company of The Carpenter from Nazareth. I thought about Him alot as I was kneeling on the floor, paint brush in hand and a song in my heart.

Hope you can use this bit of information.