[.ca] Professional Painted Finishes: A Guide to the Art and ... (ISBN 0823044181)

From Amazon.com:
One lovely feature of this volume is that it shows the real material that inspired different faux finishes next to the excellent painted imitations. After extensive coverage of all aspects of getting started (tools and materials, preparation, safety concerns, and design and color considerations), and of working with glazes, there are dozens of detailed recipes for various marble and graining effects. The final chapter, "Professional Practice," explains how to set up your own decorative-painting business, including assembling a portfolio, identifying and reaching your market, financial planning, calculating rates and expenses, preparing samples, organizing the workspace, and working with clients. You'll even find a prototype contract and a checklist of supplies to bring on the job. Those who want to produce spectacular faux-finish results will learn a lot from Professional Painted Finishes.

Very throurogh, great high quailty painted finishes:
This is a wonderfully thorough book on creating the highest quality specialty painted finishes. It is advanced enough for the serious decorative painter while the instructions are detailed enough to allow the amateur or novice to try these techniques with outstanding results. The interior designer will also find it to be a valuable source book for fresh exciting design ideas. Overall, the projects are more sophisticated and time-consuming than those in most books. A great deal attention is paid to tiniest details that make these finishes really stand out. The instructions are excellent, showing you how to create each finish step-by-step with a complete text description and demonstrative photos. Complete material and supply lists and recipes accompany each project. The book starts out with the basics such as materials, safety, surface preparation and finishing coats. The glaze section is next with information on multi-layer glazing, novelty effects and techniques for glazing in small and large areas. There is great chart of problems and solutions and another on how tools affect glazing as well. The simulation of marble and stone follows. Here the author talks about the formation and replication of stone before going on to the projects, which include fifteen marble and stone types such as malachite, granite, red levanto and French grand antique. The section on graining is fantastic. It contains the most in-depth information on graining I have found anywhere. There is an analysis of patterns, a discussion of color, techniques for creating knots, troubleshooting section and color swatches of straight gained wood styles. There are over 20 wood types covered. Some include American oak, Brazilian rosewood, orientalwood, burl and birds-eye maple. The final section of the book talks about setting up a professional practice. It contains financial planning, estimating, sample-making and much more. The appendix gives a great list of sources, lists English and metric equivalents and has a nice glossary of terms. If you want to create truly professional looking finishes, this is the book to get.

A "MUST HAVE" for faux painters! Great for beginners & pros:
Excellent examples and how-to's for faux finishes. Even though it uses oils, the techniques for application can be used for water-based paints, but remember, oils give much more depth and translucency than water-based. I, now, use water-based paints in my business and still refer to this book. Book details TECHNIQUES step-by-step with beautiful color PICTURES, gives MATERIAL LISTS & PAINT COLORS. ALSO,includes chapter on building a professional BUSINESS. Another plus to this book, is it is one of the few that discusses the polishing and finishing of the work. Good price from Amazon also.

Superb book - Knowledge of teaching & Painting -:
Great book for all levels. Ina and Allan Marx run a great faux finishing school that has spawned this great book. Complete and through it a bible for novice to expert painters. Not only do they teach you the technique, but alos how to "look and see" the item you are painting from nature. They are true professionals and above all both are excellent teachers. I have taken their classes, and as there is no substituion for taking one of their classes, this book is a great how to guide if you can't take one. Excellent. Their knowledge of teaching and superb knowledge of faux painting marry in this books.

Good variety:
I liked this book because it contained great illustrations and it also had helpful information about the business side of faux finishing. The text is compact, so each page contains alot of data.

An essential for the serious artist.:
I have a library full of books on painting techniques but this and the Finklestein book are the two that I consider "must haves." While most new books on decorative finishings repeat and repeat and repeat . . . the same pedestrian information on faux treatments, these give much more indept information on the techniques involved.