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Faux Finishes, Part 1

1/9/2023

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Here is another one of my favorite books from my library...
“The Art of the Painted Finish
for Furniture and Decoration”
Antiquing, Lacquering, Gilding & The Great Impersonators
By Isabel O’Neil
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'The Art of Painted Finish for Furniture & Decoration: Antiquing, Lacquering, Gilding & the Great Impersonators' comes with 38 color plates, including 80 life-style samples,
and 100 how-to drawings.
Painted finishes can be applied almost everywhere -- on furniture, decorative objects, even the walls of rooms.
This book rescues and re-creates this nearly lost art
and does so with the realistic and practical use
of modern tools and materials.
Generously illustrated, this is a reference book,
studio manual, and art book all in one.
It is indispensable to professionals -- architects, interior designers and decorators, artists, art teachers and students, and furniture designers -- and to all those interested in arts, crafts and antiques. 
Table of Contents:
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Color Plates
How to use this Book
Historical Background
___
Part I) Painting, Antiquing & Distressing: Mediums and Methods
Color
Preparation of Surface:
Basic Tools & Methods
Paint
Antiquing
Varnishes
Distressing

___
Part II) Glazes, Lacquer & Casein:
Old Techniques Updated
Glazes
History of Lacquer
 Lacquer Techniques
Casein

___
Part III) Leafing, Gilding and Burnishing: Traditional Techniques
Introduction
Mat Gilding
Antique Patina for Leaf
Burnishing

___
Part IV)    The Great Impersonators:
Faux Finishes
Introduction
Bamboo
Porphyry
Faux Marbre
Faux Tortoise Shell
Lapis Lazuli
Faux Bois
Malachite
Six Fantasies

___
Subject Outline
Craftsmen and Students workin the Color  Plates
Suggested Reading
About the Author

​     "Decorative painting is any painting that serves to adorn or embellish a surface with design motifs, decorative accents, trompe l’Oeil and/or painted faux finishes. The techniques of decorative painting are complex and require years of study and practice to master. 
     This book is based on the course of study devised through years of detailed instruction, research and experimentation at Isabel O’Neil’s Studio/Workshop. This well written book can take an absolute novice through the many levels of skill required for the creation of breathtakingly beautiful finishes.”
     -Roberto Quintana



​ISABEL O’NEIL
Isabel O’Neil (1908-1981) was an acclaimed authority in the field of decorative arts. A New York-based conservator, teacher, and inventor of painted finishes, she was often called upon to restore painted finishes on antique furnishings. She found great inspiration in the techniques and materials used by European craftsmen. 
 
The publication of her 1971 book, The Art of the Painted Finish for Furniture & Decoration, gave her further acclaim as an authority in painted finishes. Featuring more than one hundred and fifty finishes, it remains the standard for the most comprehensively-written reference and instructional guide on the subject.

 
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Anamorphic illusions

9/19/2022

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Anamorphic illusionism:
             anamorphic | ˈanəˈˌmôrfik | adjective
Denoting or relating to a distorted projection or drawing that appears normal when viewed from a particular point-of-view.

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VF Corporation headquarter’s office in Switzerland. By the collective Truly Design – Urban Artists.


​
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Felice Varini is a Swiss artist who paints on architectural and urban spaces,


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http://www.varini.org/

​
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By muralist Peeta
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​​Portuguese artist 
Sergio Odeith creates remarkable anamorphic murals that appear to pop out of the walls on which they are painted. Odeith began making graffiti in the 1980s, before branching out into large-scale murals and his signature anamorphic works.​
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​
​And of course a few murals by the Queen of 3D
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Pandora
Tracy Lee Stum
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Tracy Lee Stum:
“Today, artists have a wide range of tools to achieve what’s called contemporary anamorphic art, a designed method or technology used to create the illusion of 3D on 2D surfaces. It’s a method of drawing founded on the geometry of perspective, often using photography or computer programs as tools to achieve the final chalk-and-paint illusion.”




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Break-Through Murals!

8/8/2022

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Break-Throughs are playful illusions utilizing the wall-surface as a design element to create an opening or a break-away effect, thereby revealing a hidden world or an emerging subject. Break-Throughs often incorporate linear perspective techniques, trompe l’oeil and/or faux finishes, quadrature Illusionism, and/or anamorphic effects.
I’ll do future posts on all of these Illusion techniques.
Here are a few examples:
​

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John Pugh: Taylor Hall, California State University, Chico, California
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Roberto Quintana for Carrow’s restaurant interior
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Roberto Quintana: private residence entryway
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Roberto Quintana: Oculus ceiling mural for Tourmaline Studios
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Morgan Mural Studios: Santa Clara County Fairgrounds
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Tracy Lee Stum: Raider Power
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Roberto Quintana: Grand American Fare/ Paddy Boots, Denver, Colorado
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Boss Graphics
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Roberto Quintana for Boss Graphics
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Laurence ‘Link’ Linkus: ‘An Hows Yur...?’ for Grand American Fare
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A Purple Portrait!

8/1/2022

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I just put the finishing touches on this portrait
of my beloved, Susan.

It is an Oil painting on a canvas panel, about 24”x18”
​
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     Susan liked to wear and surround herself with purples, so I chose a split-primary color scheme using Ultramarine Blue (semi-transparent) and Quinacridone Red (semi-transparent), which when mixed together makes a very lively Purple, with a tad of Burnt Umber (a purple-like earth tone) and a micro-tad of Perylene Black (semi-transparent). The Perylene is a greenish-black used as a foil against the Quinacridone. I prefer using Lead-White when mixing flesh tones because it is more transparent than Titanium-White, and doesn’t make for ‘chalky’ colors.
    The difficult task was to paint a 'Purple Portrait' which didn’t look ghoulish, and to try and capture Susan’s big ‘toothy’ smile, which I love so much and which was such a joyous aspect of who she was, while not turning her beautiful grin into 'a Grin'.
     I started this during the last year that she was with us and I have been noodling with it until just recently when I added the Black and Burnt-Umber to the background behind her jaw and neck. At some point you just have to let go... and call it ‘done’.

​
Susan My Beloved,
​Farewell...

​

On a forgotten journey
to somewhere once
a long time ago
I found myself
distracted by a beautiful
wildflower,
bright and true,

growing amid the roses.
I came to you
down by the river
like a perfect Fool
as Parsifal to Blanchefleur.
Your scent filled my senses
and I became drunk with you!
And dreamed…
The Drunkards’ Dream
of hearth and home
and contentment.
My cup overflowing
as you poured your love into me.
Your love transformed me.
Transformed my World.
Transformed my Universe.
My Forever Love.
My all. 
My ally.

My Wild Iris
Mi Corazon.

...But now the banquet is over,
the courtyard stands empty
the drawbridge withdrawn.
The Grail Castle has vanished!
Now I know the treachery
of the lost precious.
The bewilderment of Parsifal
abandoned and lost
in a wilderness of pain and sorrow.
Now I know the despair of Rumi
at the murder and loss
of Shams of Tabriz.
Queen of my heart
My Forever Love.
My Perfect, Perfect Love.
I miss you so much…
Without you
I am like a speck of dust
blown away
in the breeze...



​


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Fun with Paint! / Pour-Painting

7/11/2022

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I recently had a visit from a good friend of mine from up-state New York, and he reminded me about a pour-painting project his fiance' worked on during her collage years. I looked up the YouTube video and there she was! Pouring her little heart out.
Nice job, Rita!
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If you think this looks like fun...
Here are a few great blog-sites for some cool
​Pour-Painting techniques and materials:


Jerrys Artarama
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Acrylic Pouring Painting Art – 3 Acrylic Pouring Techniques & Supplies

​Fluid Painting Blog:
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acrylic-pour-techniques

​Ken Bromley Art Supplies
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9 Basic and Advanced Acrylic Pouring Techniques 

​Olga Soby
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Pouring TIPS! Gorgeous VIOLET + TURQUOISE + GOLD ~ Acrylic Pouring
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       ...to Roberto's Blog!

      "Duit-On-Mon-Dai"
     
        Roberto has been pestering the ‘Marketing’ staff here at Art and Soul for some time now to get together with ‘Research and Development’ to come up with a fun way for him to share all the great work out there of all the many other talented muralists and artists he's been "influenced by" over the years. ‘Sales’ was totally against the idea! ("How could that possibly improve the bottom-line?!"). ‘Marketing’ remains split, as usual ("We need more data"). ‘R&D’ thought it might be a fun way to "show off a little", and to showcase all those great ideas they keep finding out there on the internet. ‘HR’ said it might be a good way to keep 'The Crew' distracted ("Since they are all so bored since Covid hit, and Roberto is spending more and more time in his studio working on all those silly little easel paintings").
    'The Crew' said: ’'Sure, We've got nothing else going on …but only if we get to share stuff about technique, materials, and equipment." ‘Receivables’ said: "It obviously won’t make more work for us, so why not!". 'Legal' said: "No Way! You are NOT going to reveal where you steal all your ideas from!" (Although Roberto values their legal advice, He rarely listen’s  to their hysterics anyway). So... here we are! Welcome to Roberto’s new blog:
     
     "Duit-On-Mon-Dai"
    ​
         "As the title implies, I will post once a week (on Monday, more or less). Feel free to leave a family friendly comment. Dialogue and praise is encouraged. Creativity, passion and wonder should be expected. Politics and personal grievances hopefully kept to private emails. And please… no Whining! and no sales pitches either (you can make your own damn blog for that).
       I expect to start becoming a little more savvy with all this social media stuff, but for now ‘Bookmark’ my website and check back every once in a while. I hope you will find it interesting. Don’t be too persnickety over my whimsical spelling and creative punctuations either, my
    Editorial Department is not what it used to be… I am seriously understaffed these days."   
     Peace and Love...
    ​     -Roberto Quintana, WFA

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Permission Statement: The contents of this web site are protected under copyright and other intellectual property laws. All images and text on this web site are copyright 1980-2021 Roberto Quintana dba Art & Soul Productions and/or their respective owners. All of the artwork on this web site has been hand-painted and/or designed by Roberto Quintana, one of his talented associates, or provided by an affiliate or a client. No portion of this web site may be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold, or otherwise exploited without the express written consent of Roberto Quintana. Any artwork on this web site that resembles your wonderful and precious artwork is purely accidental, and a huge coincidence, really. Oh, and any representation or likeness to anyone famous, living or otherwise, is most likely also an accident. Every effort has been made to give credit where it is due to clients, associates, and affiliates. If I have left you out please contact the studio, let's get this straightened out right away! Students and teachers may quote images or text for their non-commercial school activities. You also have my permission to quote images or text on your non-commercial blog, website, or Facebook page as long as you notify me by e-mail, give credit on your site, and provide a link back to this web site. For use of text or images in traditional, or non-traditional print media, or for commercial licensing rights, please e-mail the studio for permissions.