By using a layering process with spray bottles you can easily create incredible faux rock painting effects. There is a little more to it than simply spraying paint onto whatever it is you are painting - to get a realistic faux granite finish there are a few key steps to remember:
1) Water down your paints
2) Choose complimentary colors
3) Allow time to dry between layers
4) Always finish with black
If you follow these four steps you are sure to create realistic looking granite colors. Once you have mastered this art of faux rock painting you will be amazed at how realistic you can make a two dimensional surface like a wall or a concrete floor - just think of the 3-D results like making artificial rocks with concrete.
Water Down Your Paints
The type of sprayer you use will depend largely on your budget, but for most people trying their hand at faux granite painting would likely use regular hand held spray bottles like normally used for water. There are available everywhere and relatively cheap. The down side of these sprayers compared to more expensive pressurized models is their inclination to clog or spray in less desirable splotches as opposed to a fine mist which is preferred.
By watering down the water based paints you are using you can get most sprayers to pump them. A mix of 3 parts water to 1 part paint as the minimum is a good starting point for trying your mixture. Practice adjusting the stream of your paint into a bucket to get as fine a mist as possible before painting your subject matter.
Choose Complimentary Colors
To create a realistic looking faux rock pain finish you need to decide which color you want your subject to be overall. This is usually gray, red, light brown and dark brown which are the most common faux rock color choices. If you were to choose light brown as the color for your rock you will need to have at least two or three different shades of brown to use. Since you want a light brown coloured rock you would start with the light brown applying a heavy misting layer to cover at least 80% of the total surface.
Be sure not to have the paint drip or run. You can apply two coats of the same color one after another to avoid the paint running. Once the main base layer has been applied the remaining layers are all painted in a much lighter - misting fashion.
In addition to the light brown, and then a light misting of dark brown, you will want to add two or thee highlighting colors which you will apply sporadically to your subject. These highlighting colors are usually blue, red, yellow, tan, orange, gray and green and are intended to provide inconsistency and depth overall. Not every color goes well together and you must learn and practice to develop a strong feel for color combinations.
Allow Time To Dry Between Layers
By allowing the paint to dry in between layers you can create a much more dynamic finished product where the different colors overlap each other but remain sharp overall. If you add layers when the paint is still wet you will find that the colors will bleed into one another which detracts from the desirable speckled look of a faux granite finish.
Worth noting is that you can use the color bleeding as another artistic tool choosing to blend together colors - especially in the base color stages where you are applying a heavier coat of paint.
Always Finish With Black
If you have one sprayer that works better than all the rest, you should use that sprayer for your black paint. Once you have achieved a color combination that you are happy with and are ready to proceed to the final layer which is a list misting layer of black overall. Some areas you can go slightly heavier on to create an interesting finish, but ultimately the entire surface receives as light of a misting of black as possible.
The goal is to have the black speckles to be as small as possible which will transform a mediocre looking faux granite finish to a magnificent and realistic colour. There are hundreds of different color options and applications for faux granite paint finishes including stamped concrete, artificial rocks, statues, fireplace covers, drywall, decks, stairs, patios and much more.
