CDA Faux Finishing & Special Effects Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: To replicate the appearance of marble veining in a faux marbleizing technique, what tool is traditionally used to paint the veins?
- A standard artists round brush
- A feather or fine liner brush held loosely (Correct answer)
- A palette knife
- A sea sponge torn into strips
Correct answer: A feather or fine liner brush held loosely
A feather or a very fine liner brush held loosely and rotated slightly while being pulled across the surface creates the irregular, natural-looking veins characteristic of marble.
Question 2: Which faux technique involves applying two or more thinned paint colors in an irregular, overlapping manner to create a soft, aged appearance reminiscent of Italian walls?
- Crackle finish
- Color washing (Correct answer)
- Crackling
- Graining
Correct answer: Color washing
Color washing involves brushing or wiping thinned paint or glaze layers over a base coat in loose, overlapping strokes to achieve a soft, translucent, weathered appearance.
Question 3: In a wood graining faux technique, a 'rocker' or 'heart grainer' tool is used primarily to create what effect?
- Straight grain lines along the wood length
- Heart-shaped pore clusters and cathedral grain patterns (Correct answer)
- Knothole and burl details
- End-grain cross-section patterns
Correct answer: Heart-shaped pore clusters and cathedral grain patterns
A rocker or heart grainer is rocked and pulled through wet glaze to produce the distinctive heart-shaped or cathedral grain patterns seen in quarter-sawn and flat-sawn wood.
Question 4: A client requests a finish that will show fine random cracks resembling aged paint on antique furniture. Which product and technique should be used?
- Apply two coats of the same color latex paint
- Use a crackle medium between two latex paint layers (Correct answer)
- Sand the top coat while still wet
- Apply a thick coat of oil-based varnish over latex paint
Correct answer: Use a crackle medium between two latex paint layers
A crackle medium is applied between a base coat and a top coat; as the top coat dries over the crackle medium, tension causes the surface to split into random fine cracks.
Question 5: When mimicking the appearance of aged verdigris (oxidized copper) on a decorative element, which color palette is most accurate?
- Rust reds, oranges, and burnt sienna
- Blue-greens, teals, and pale aquas over a copper base (Correct answer)
- Silvery grays and blacks over a white base
- Golden yellows and warm browns over a silver base
Correct answer: Blue-greens, teals, and pale aquas over a copper base
Verdigris is the result of copper oxidizing, producing characteristic blue-green patina tones including teal and pale aqua applied over an underlying copper-metallic base coat.
Question 6: A decorative artist is creating a strie (also called 'dragging') finish on a large wall. To maintain consistent vertical lines across the wall, what practice is most important?
- Using only one continuous brush stroke from floor to ceiling
- Working in manageable sections and keeping a wet edge (Correct answer)
- Applying extra glaze at the top of each section
- Using a roller to apply the glaze before dragging
Correct answer: Working in manageable sections and keeping a wet edge
Working in sections while maintaining a wet edge prevents lap marks and ensures the dragged lines remain consistent across the entire wall surface.
Question 7: Which faux technique uses a twisted, crumpled piece of plastic wrap pressed into wet glaze to create an irregular mottled or stone-like surface texture?
- Combing
- Plastic wrap texturing (Correct answer)
- Stippling
- Bagging
Correct answer: Plastic wrap texturing
Plastic wrap texturing involves pressing crumpled plastic wrap into wet glaze and lifting it away to leave an irregular, crystalline, or stone-like textured imprint in the glaze.
CDA Faux Finishing & Special Effects Techniques 2
To replicate the appearance of marble veining in a faux marbleizing technique, what tool is traditionally used to paint the veins?