How to Make Faux Boards Using Paint

Creating a wood or faux board finish with paint is a way to add texture and a “real wood” appearance to plywood or other surfaces. The effect can also be used on furniture to replicate the appearance of hard-to-find hardwoods such as mahogany, walnut and chestnut. The faux wood appearance is relatively easy to create but requires you to work fast. It’s best to practice the technique on a practice board to perfect it before attempting to create the technique on the actual furniture piece, door or trim you want to paint. The supplies to create the faux wood technique are available at many paint, home and hardware stores.

Primer
Rust brown eggshell base coat
Whiting
Mid-brown water-based glaze
Darker brown glaze
Clear gloss urethane
Paintbrush or roller or both
Clean rag
2-inch paintbrush
Small mottling tool
Soft-bristle brush
1-inch artist’s brush

Instructions

- 1
  Prime the area with one to two coats of primer using a roller or paintbrush, depending on the size of the project and your preference. Allow the primer to dry completely.
- 2
  Apply a thin coat of whiting over the primer using a clean, damp rag.
- 3
  Apply mid-brown glaze to the trim and center areas of the piece.
- 4
  Drag a mottling tool vertically through the glaze in a sweeping motion with overlapping strokes. Start at the bottom and work up to create heart-shaped grain patterns, sweeping the mottling tool in elongated arcs.
- 5
  Soften the grain effect using a soft-bristle brush, beginning at the center and stroking outward. Use a light hand, wiping off any buildup of glaze regularly with a clean cloth.
- 6
  Apply the glaze to molding or other smaller areas using a 1-inch artist’s brush. Use long, sweeping motions from corner to corner and use mottler to create the grain pattern.
  Allow the glaze to dry for four hours.
- 7
  Apply a top coat of clear urethane and allow it to dry for 24 hours.
- 8
  Apply another coat of whiting and allow it to dry.
- 9
  Apply the darker glaze using the glaze application technique described above. Allow the dark glaze to dry for four hours.
- 10
  Apply a top coat of satin or gloss clear urethane.

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Faux Finishing