Welcome to:
Faux Painting Strie' Tutorial.
Faux painting strie' patterns are created using either a dragging brush or a rubber dragging comb. Using a brush for walls, instead of a comb, will make it easier to keep your pattern straight and blend it together. A comb requires more precision to keep each stroke straight and aligned with the next. For this reason combing techniques work best for small areas where the strokes can be controlled, like on wainscoting or furniture. See the Faux Painting Prep and Mixing Glaze pages for instructions on surface preparation, base coating and mixing glaze before beginning this strie' painting project. |
Strie' Brushing Technique
Lightly fill a 3|8in. nap roller with glaze, avoid overfilling. Too much glaze in the roller will put too much glaze on the wall. Roll a thin coat of glaze over a 3 foot section of the wall. Along the edge, roll a border of extra thick glaze, about 6 inches wide. This will keep the edge wet and make it easier to blend the finish into the next section. 
Flatten the bristles of a dragging brush against the wall. Start at the ceiling and drag the brush thru the glaze in one continuous motion. When working on large areas it may be necessary to hand the brush off to a helper to keep the brush moving to the floor. Clean the brush on a dry rag after each stroke. Drag the brush in parallel rows across the first 3 foot section of glaze. Overlap the brush marks of each stroke to blend the lines. Keep each stroke as straight as possible. Work across to the thick glaze border but don't touch it. Coat another 3 foot section of wall with glaze spreading the thick border from the first section out into the second. Leave an extra thick coat at the edge to form a border to work into the next section. Drag the brush, overlapping the first area a little to blend the lines. Continue this process until you’ve reached the end of the project. When applying a strie' effect, don't stop in the middle of a wall. Work all the way to the next corner before stopping to avoid leaving an unwanted pattern. Work quickly so that the glaze doesn’t become too tacky. If this happens, coat the area with fresh glaze before it has time to dry and start again.
A second dragging pattern can be added to this finish if desired. Perpendicular lines to the first ones will create the appearance of woven fabric. This is sometimes called a linen finish. You can use the same color or a slightly different tone. Experiment with this process to find an effect you like. If the second coat of glaze is too thick, it will not be transparent enough to allow the first coat to show thru. Add a little water to the glaze to thin it a bit. Use about a 4 to 1 ratio. For a quart of glaze, this would be about a cup of water. Thin the glaze with more water until you have a consistency that works. Roll a thin coat of glaze over the finish and drag the brush thru it immediately. This effect will require dragging the brush in one continuous motion from one corner to the next. Therefore, it will be necessary to roll horizontally, across the wall. Leave a thick coat of glaze at the bottom to work into the next section. Start at the ceiling and work down to the floor. Drag the brush across the wall in one continuous motion. Hand the brush off to a helper if necessary to keep it moving across the wall. Wipe the brush clean after each pass. Overlap each brush stroke to blend them together. |
Strie' Combing Technique
When working with furniture, disassembling the piece will produce a better result. Work on each logical section of the piece, one at a time. Work from the smaller parts to the larger ones. Finish rails and stiles first, then drawers, side panels, etc. Leave handles and other small parts in the base color for an accent to the finished project or do everything in the same finish. Coat small parts with a brush and large parts and areas like framed wainscoting or door panels, coat and drag an entire section at once. If not it can be very difficult to blend the strie' marks together when stopping and starting. Lightly fill the roller with glaze, avoid overfilling. Roll or brush a very thin coat of glaze onto the whole section at once. If the glaze coat is too thick, squeeze some of the glaze from the roller onto newspaper or the paint tray and roll the project again. 
When using a combing technique, use a straight edge to aid in keeping the comb aligned. This works best with framed spaces because the frame provides a resting point for the straight edge. For open spaces like door panels, tape a block of wood to the ends of your straight edge. Rest the block against the door to avoid touching the wet glaze. Hold the comb at a slight angle and pull it along the side of the guide to form the first row of glaze lines. Wipe the glaze off the comb using a dry rag. Form the second row of marks by placing the straight edge squarely over the first lines. Rest the comb against it and line the teeth up with the first glaze lines. Overlap a couple of teeth onto the first row. Hold the comb at a slight angle and pull it along using light pressure against the guide. Wipe the comb on a dry rag after each stroke. Work to the end of the glaze without stopping. If the glaze coat is too thick it may bleed or run between the comb marks. This is a particular problem with combing techniques but not so much with brushing. If the glaze runs and bleeds between lines, immediately roll it out again. Squeeze excess glaze from the roller and use it to absorb some of the glaze from the surface as you roll. Repeat the combing process. When the first glaze coat is dry, if you like, you can add a second to create a more interesting finish. You can use the same color, a slightly different tone or a contrasting color. Experiment with this process to find an effect you like. For furniture and doors with distinctly separate parts, such as drawers or panel, you can add the crosshatch pattern to some feature and leave others with a single strie' finish. If the second coat of glaze is too thick, it will not be transparent enough to allow the first coat to show thru. Add a little water to the glaze to thin it a bit. Use about a 4 to 1 ratio of glaze to water. Thin the glaze with more water until you have a consistency that works. Roll a thin coat of glaze over the project and drag the comb using the same method described above. |
Points to Remember
|