Becoming A Decorative Painter

At Faux Masters Studio, we understand that exploring the world of Faux Finishing & Decorative Painting is expansive and complex—but it’s a skill that is totally worth cultivating!

Becoming a Decorative Painter can seem like an ambitious journey for anyone. Whether you’re someone who dabbles with paint as a hobby or an Interior Designer who is looking to incorporate specialty paint finishes for your clients, you might be considering a career as a Decorative Painter.

Being a Decorative Painter Requires An Open Mind

With anything in life, don’t let the unknown stop you from trying something new. Every master has to start somewhere, and there is nothing quite as rewarding than being able to build the skill of producing beautiful, custom paint finishes yourself.

Decorative painting and faux finishing can be a more elaborate process that regular painting. You might be asking yourself what makes it different from regular painting?

Well quite frankly…everything!

When you think of standard painting, you are usually only applying one or two coats of paint either by brush or rolling, which doesn’t require many tools or supplies to get the job done.

Decorative Painting and specialty finishes includes so much more.  Using products that range from basecoats to metallics, plasters to glazes, becoming a Decorative Painter can seem a little overwhelming in the beginning. Let’s break it down and demystify this big world of decorative painting for you.

The Three Basics

We have the mentality that anyone can learn decorative painting. Whether you’ve painted for decades or you’ve never even picked up a paint brush. Why do we believe that? Because once you understand the 3 basic premises of custom painted finishes…it’s really as simple as 1-2-3.

The 3 basics are:
LAYERS
TECHNIQUES
PRODUCTS/TOOLS

LAYERS: If you know what you are trying to accomplish with your end result, you can break it down into individual layers that helps the end result make sense. Think of it as a recipe, which is exactly how we create our finishes here in our studio. From the first layer (the foundation) to the last step, the finish is telling a story. So it’s just following the story along! Most decorative finishes have multi-layers and they all have a purpose. Step by step is the key.

TECHNIQUES: The techniques come into play with HOW you are achieving each layer. How you hold your hand, or the angle you hold your tool or brush, this all has an effect on the finish. We don’t believe in a right or wrong way to achieve a finish, it all comes down to personal preference and what works for you. Everyone has their own unique handwriting, and finishing is the same premise. Don’t ever compare your result with someone else’s. You wouldn’t forge their signature, instead you would create your own individual style and concept. You also have to make it comfortable for you, if something feels awkward, you are not going to be enthused to finish your project. Find an easier system that you will enjoy. This all comes with practice but once you experiment with different methods, you’ll gravitate to your favorites.

PRODUCTS & TOOLS: Last but certainly not least…products! The right products and the right tools go hand-in-hand, but we’ll get to the tools in a minute. You can’t achieve any decorative finish without the RIGHT products! It’s like trying to bake a cake with everything but the flour or sugar. Maybe you can but you won’t enjoy it very much, let alone anyone else you serve it to. You need to know the right ingredients to get the perfect result. Whatever you may want to create you can always find what you need with Faux Effects® products.

Tools are also important when tackling any decorative project. Not being equipped with the right tools or supplies will hinder the success of your project. The last thing you want is to struggle with the application because you need supplies that you don’t have. Depending on the finish, there will be different tools needed, whether it is a specialty brush or a trowel. Again with practice, you can determine your own favorites along the way. When it comes to decorative painting, you can’t find everything you need at your local home improvement store. Specialty finishes require specialty products and tools.

You’ve Found the Space, But What’s Next?

So you’ve found yourself wanting to paint your own house, office, or business. You’ve realized basic walls are too plain for the atmosphere you want to create. You can picture where all the furniture will go, where you want to hang the wall art, and you can even imagine the furniture you want to use (if you don’t already have it). The last puzzle piece you’re trying to put together for your space is what you want the wall to look like. Decorative painting has the power to completely transform your space by adding personality to your walls (an extension of the space) in a way that regular paint simply can’t do. With that in mind, you’ve thought about doing decorative painting but you’re not sure how to apply it or even how to create the design, pattern, or texture you want.

We Have What You Need—Faux Finishing Classes

At Faux Masters Studio, we offer customized, unrivaled faux painting classes as well as the specialty tools and supplies for the job.  Let us help you find the right inspiration for your next painting project.  With our ever popular Furniture & Cabinetry Class, Designer Walls I and Color Theory Workshop, we provide an array of options when it comes to learning all about decorative painting and specialty faux finishing.  With Faux Masters Studio, you get a hands-on experience in small groups to ensure that everyone gets an equal amount of attention—even one-on-one with private lessons.  The various skills that you learn in our classes are essential for success in your decorative painting projects.  And what makes us unique at Faux Masters Studio is our more than two decades worth of experience in the decorative painting business.  We are working finishers who live what we teach.  Real world experience with a passion to share our knowledge brings you a top-notch class experience.

We are here to help you get started on your journey to becoming a decorative painter, check out our full list of classes and sign up today.  You will never regret the choice to pursue this skill!