What's in store for 2011 with faux painting?

With 2011 around the corner, I am excited about the new faux finishing DVDs that should be available to my customers.  I apologize for the long wait.  Since I like trying out a technique myself on real walls before I create a step by step instructional on it, it does take time.  Once I see a difficulty, whether it be with open time, getting into tight spaces or doing the corners, I set out to find the solution.  Those who have read some of my other articles or read about Murals and Faux Painting, realize the importance I put on making it easy for everyone to DIY.  I want others to learn from a faux painting professional that has "been there, done that"in order to save them the trouble I went thru when I started out.

Faux Wood DVD

Garage door faux painted like wood

Using faux painting to make surfaces look like wood has always been popular.  I hope to have a DVD that will teach a simple faux finishing technique I have developed, again by the help of Almighty God, to achieve a faux wood look.  Using the same tools of the patented (7472450) Triple S Faux System, like the Poofy Pad and Multi Color Faux Palette, I was able to simplify the way I have faux painted garage doors to look like real wood in the past.  What had kept me from producing the instructional DVD for it was that I wanted to be able to recommend a good top coat varnish or sealer to add to the finish.  With certain products not available in the stores, I wanted to use a product that any of my customers can order online from another company or thru my website.  I think I have narrowed down the choices to two products.

Faux Texture DVD

 Texture was added and faux finished for back splash 

Another popular faux finishing technique is adding texture to surfaces before faux painting them.  There are a few methods out in the market but they tend to use only specific products that usually require having to take a class in order to be able to purchase them.  In addition, some require the usage of bulky equipment.  I love simplicity and less mess and some methods of adding texture with a spray gun require having to cover all the furniture because of the over spray.

Right before Christmas, I was able to add a back splash using a new technique that is similar to skip troweling but without the trowel.  Most of the techniques use the Tuck and Gather Tool which is one of the tools in the system I have developed.

Faux Granite DVD

Window sill with faux granite finish

And lastly, I have faux painted counter tops to look like faux granite.  The techniques I have used are simple ones and I am still in the process of playing with new tools I would like to produce to make it even easier to get a real granite look. I have used glitter and mica flakes to create gorgeous faux finishes but again, I am still working on the step by step instructions that will be easy to follow.

So if you happen to be a prayer warrior, please pray that I will be led by the Spirit when and how to produce these highly requested DVDs. I don't want to miss what I should be doing as far as serving the Lord goes and discerning how to manage my time has always been a challenge for me.  If you have any comments, please leave them or contact Murals and Faux Painting and drop me a line.

NEW! Send questions about your faux finishing project

We get calls with questions concerning particular faux finishing topics like what faux painting techniques are best to use on certain walls, what colors should be used, etc.  So I decided to add a section on my website where customers can submit their questions.  I really do like taking the time to answer as many questions as possible.  I appreciate all my customers and have a sincere desire to see them succeed in their decorative painting projects or careers.

I realize that getting quick answers is critical these days with lives being so busy.  Patience is not a virtue that many seek, either.  So I apologize if my website has many pages and is in any way difficult to navigate.  Constructive criticism is always welcomed. If you feel I can make the site easier, please feel free to give me your suggestions.  Especially if you find any broken links or 404 Not Found pages, too.

So go to this page where you can click on a link to send me a letter with your questions or comments. 

Send questions about faux finishing 

If I decide to post the question, I will not include any personal information and you can always leave off your last name, too.

Although I cannot promise to answer immediately, I will make time to do so within a few days.  If you want to send me a letter, please know that I value your privacy and will never sell your email address to anyone.  You can read our privacy letter by clicking here: 

Murals and Faux Painting Privacy Statement

I have tons of information about many different aspects of faux painting on my website and on this blog. In addition, you can find more areas of discussion on my Facebook page, too.  

I have also made a video answering the 3 most popular questions about faux painting that I get.

Should you start your own faux painting business?

I recently gave a class to a gentleman that was looking to not only learning the art of faux painting but also wanted to know how he could start his own decorative painting business.  Since he was totally new to this market, I gave him as much advice as I could.  In deciding what to blog about next, I thought it would be a good idea to submit an article I have written for some ezine publications as well as a new Google Knol I wrote.  The article is similar to the one I have on my website, too.  I look to adding to this post in the future with additional information and tips.  I welcome any other advice from professional faux finishers that can help newbies get started with their own faux painting business.


How much money can one expect to earn?
Just to give you an idea of how much you can earn starting your own business, I charge $2.25 - $8.00 per square feet. With the patented (7472450) Triple S Faux System that the Lord gave me,  I can faux paint a wall that measures 10 ft. high X 10 ft. long (100 square feet) in about 2 hours.  You can do the math.  Most faux painting professionals are charging an average of $3.00 per square feet for simple faux painting finishes.  They charge about double of that for adding a texture to the wall or for sophisticated plaster finishes.  If you are starting out, I would suggest charging about $1.50 a square foot so you can land some jobs (beat out competitors) and then once you gain popularity or word of mouth reputation, up your price.


What tools should you use?
The wonderful thing about embarking on your own journey into the beautiful art of decorative painting today is that there are a lot more faux painting tools, faux finishing classes, and books available than there was when I started out ten years ago.  My suggestion is to start out with the simple faux finishes such as sponging and color blending.  There are many textured faux finishes that you can learn but they are time consuming and the materials can be quite expensive.  After faux painting literally hundreds of walls, I can tell you honestly that 90% of my clients still choose “color blending” or “color washing”, including the “Old World Parchment” look.  Why, because some of the textured faux finishes are too “busy looking” and the cost for faux painting with texture is nearly double than what it is for non-textured faux finishes.  Besides, once you get your foot into the door, then you can offer them.


How I started my faux painting business
I never dreamed that I would be in the business of Faux Painting or Decorative, considering I was a graphic artist by trade. The thought never crossed my mind. I was unaware of how popular this beautiful form of art was becoming, though.  Back in 1996,  there was only limited information on the various faux painting techniques.  Most referred to faux finishing as “sponging” or “glazing”.  In essence, the term was misused and for the most part, still is.  I am referring to the fact that “FAUX” means “FAKE”, therefore, to faux paint a wall means to paint it in a way that makes the wall resemble a specific surface other than just a plain wall, such as “marble”, “wood”, etc.  The sponges or glazes are just tools to achieve a certain effect on the wall.  I’ve read comments on faux painting message boards indicating the perturbation of professional faux finishers when uninformed clients refer to any type of decorative painting (besides murals) as “fauxing”. It used to bother me, too, yet through the years I’ve learned to accept the fact that those unfamiliar with the details of faux painting could care less about the terminology and more about the beauty of decorative painting instead.  So although you have not been professionally faux painting walls, if you learn how to achieve a few easy faux finishing techniques, you can offer your services to friends and family and they won’t care if you’re uninformed with the terms.  As long as you can make their walls look beautiful, you can make some extra income on the side.  Who knows - maybe you’ll end up with your own faux painting business like I did. Start off by painting your own walls, then invite others to see your work.  If they ask how much would you charge to faux paint their walls, give them a relatively low price since you are just starting out and use it as practice.  If you ever plan to start your own faux painting business, you can get quite a few “practices” in and you can begin gathering photos for your portfolio. That’s how my journey began.