How to Blend Colors for Faux Finishes

Mix tints to your desired color.

There are many different types of faux finishes and any color can be utilized. One step in the process is to prepare a glaze of the particular color you wish to use. This is done by mixing tints with the translucent glaze. Sometimes, the exact tint shade you desire is not available. For these cases, you will need to blend a custom color for the faux finish.

Things You'll Need

• Palette or plate
• Tints
• Palette knife or mixing stick
• Glaze medium
• Mixing container, optional
• Stir stick or drill with blending attachment

Instructions

1. Squeeze out tints onto your palette. Look at the color wheel, and use colors on either side of the color you want to get to if you don't have the exact tube color. For example, you can get green by using blue and yellow. Red, yellow and blue cannot be created by mixing; they are the primary colors and you must have a tint of the color if one of these primary colors is your target color. Use white to lighten a color. Black will darken colors but use a dark brown to darken yellow (or there is a possibility the yellow will turn green).

2. Use the palette knife to mix the colors on your palette well. Make sure the color is uniform.

3. Put the mixed color into the glaze. Use a separate container for smaller amounts. That way, you do not tint the whole gallon. Add just a bit of your tint color at a time if you are not sure about how strong you wish the glaze to be.

4. Stir vigorously. A drill attachment is helpful. You can slowly add tint as the drill blends.

5. Continue stirring until you have a translucent glaze of consistent color for your desired finish.

References

• Color Matters: Color Theory
• "Fifty Ways to Paint a Wall"; Gail E. McCauley; 2005
• School of Decorative Arts: Soft Glaze and Faux Bois Moldings
• "The Art of Faux: The Complete Sourcebook of Decorative Painted Finishes"; Pierre Finklestein; 1997