Paint Finishes for Faux Columns

Now that you have created your faux pedestals, why not try one of these three painted finishes to complete the look.

Materials:

• B.I.N. or Kilz
• Two colors latex paint
• Small artist brush or turkey feather
• Glaze
• Tuquoise
• Metallic Paint in Copper and Bronze
• Sponge
• McClosky Glaze Coat
• Paint thinner
• Spritzer

1. Marble Finish: Treat the ABS pipe or Sono Tube with a non-porous primer such as Binn or Kilz. Select two colors of ordinary latex paint. Stick with two colors that are subtle without too much contrast. You will see the paint color differentiation instead of the texture. Load a paintbrush with a little of each of the two colors and stipple the paint onto the surface, blending the two. If you want a little more of one color, use more of that paint. Mix a little of the darker color latex paint and add it to the glaze. Brush it onto the base coat. Then immediately with a sea sponge, dab it off. That gives it a very nice background for the marble effect. Dip a small artist brush, charger or turkey feather in a darker color of latex paint for the veins of the marble. Hold the brush at about a 30-degree angle to the surface and with a pulling, dragging and twisting motion, apply the paint, creating a vein look. Most of the veins should go in the same direction, although you can pull the brush in the opposite direction and create offshoots as well. If you decide that it feels a little too strong, with a dry brush pat the color back into the background. Start subtle, because you can always put more on.

2. Verdigris: Another really popular finish is verdigris. Again, you want to stay pretty subtle ? not that this turquoise is very subtle, but you're not going to see very much of that when it's all done. Use turquoise in latex paint in one good even coat. Once that's dry, use metallic paint in copper and bronze, mix them with a little clear coat glaze and sponge them on. Don't cover up all of the turquoise, because it's that color showing through that gives it that wonderful rich patina.

3. Tinted Glaze: We're using a combination of Japan colors. The thing with Japan colors is that they take forever to dry unless you mix them with a medium. Here we're using a product called McClasky Glaze Coat. Those two are mixed. We're doing a combination of a beige and a burnt sienna. Then, after we do that, we're going to add a little bit of the glaze with tint. Paint the background color first. Then spritz the surface with paint thinner and paint the glaze over the top, dragging the brush through. I would recommend doing it on the diagonal. This is going to give you a subtle background. Take a little spritz again and it will begin to mottle. Then go back with the darker color and streak a couple of veins through there. Remember there are no straight lines in nature.