Wood Grain Faux Glazing Tools

Brushes

• Decorative painters use a variety of brushes to mimic the subtle look of natural wood. Flat flogging brushes, composed of very long hairs, create the appearance of pores when tapped against a glazed surface. Stiff, wide-bristle brushes leave a wood grain pattern when they are dragged through wet glaze. Knotholes and other irregularities can be added by hand with thin, lettering brushes.

Steel Wool

• Pads of fresh steel wool produce a soft-looking grain. Less pronounced than the lines left by a brush, steel wool's subtly dispersed glaze is ideal for imitating a pickled wood surface. Avoid steel wool with any added soaps or detergents. Wipe off your piece of steel wool after each pass through wet glaze, and replace it often. Protect your hands with gloves while working with steel wool.

Graining Combs

• Metal graining combs come in a few sizes to produce grains of different width. Soft woods such as pine have more space between the grain than hard woods. Study a wood sample to see which comb is most appropriate. You can create your own generic faux wood surface with either comb. Use the finer comb for an understated finish or create a dramatic look by using a graining comb with wide teeth.

Rocker Tools

• Rockers embossed with a wood-grain pattern are the tool of choice when trying to duplicate the complex look of heartwood, with its wavy lines and knotholes. Depending on the varying angles that you use while rotating the rocker through the painted surface, you can produce an endless array of wood-grain patterns. According to Martha Stewart, using a rocker with unnatural glaze colors can turn ordinary furniture into hip, contemporary pieces.