Finishes

Last year I had the pleasure of working on a demanding but very satisfying project in the Dominican Republic. My assignment was to create a realistic finish based on indigenous coral stone that is found throughout the island (often used for stone walls surrounding properties) and apply it to the outside of a bungalow-style house in the country outside San Pedro de Macoris. I chose to use a cut-block shape that incorporated the many colors found in the coral stone.

(I wanted to show juxtaposed photos so please be patient if they take a little longer to download)

Before After

As you can see by the photo on the left and one above, the walls started out white. To achieve this a textured cement mixture was applied, primed & painted flat white. The front of the house shows the beginnings of the block layout. This was done by measuring & marking what would become the "mortar" lines. The black "mortar" lines pictured in the photo are actually made by applying black 1/4" tape over the entire surface.

During After

The above examples show that each block was individually painted using a pigmented glaze mixture after which the black "mortar" tape was removed to reveal the white surface beneath. Then using an artists' brush the "mortar" was painted on using another glaze mixture. The entire surface was then sprayed with a marine varnish as an extra precaution against the hot, humid weather and potential hurricanes experienced on the island.

During After

Another During & After image.

Two more After photos. Click on images for larger views.

This project is a good example of the steps required when producing realistic faux finishes.

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The following samples cover a wide variety of available finishes that can be applied to virtually any surface. Most of the faux finishes are created exclusively through the manipulation of paint. The gilded finishes are created using traditional techniques. These finishes are often "aged" to further add authenticity. Of course, Traditional Gold Leafing, both water and oil gilding, is available.

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Gilded Finishes

Patinated Silver Leaf

Patinated Copper Leaf

Patinated Metal Leaf

The verre églomisé pieces are reversed gilding on glass. A design is etched on glass that has been gold leafed. The back is then covered with a glaze or japan paint. They can then be framed or backed with felt.

(Scanning through glass does not fully capture the glow of the gold leaf design)