Search Amazon.com merchandizes using this form   - Books

Home & Interior Design books:
It’s Faux Easy with Gary Lord

Today's info: "Best is reviewing several books first prior to purchasing at Amazon.com."

---

NOTE: All online transactions are processed at Amazon.com's secure server,
using the latest technology on internet's secure transactions.

Manufacturer: North Light Books

List Price: $24.99
Our Price: $4.94
You Save: $ 20.05 ( 80% )
(prices subject to change)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Average Customer Ratings:

Since the beginning of time, society has valued a hand-painted finish as an alternative to other forms of decorating. For centuries, decorative painting techniques were kept as "trade secrets," with artisans working behind closed doors so no one could learn their techniques. Today, authors and schools throughout the world are sharing many of those "Old World" decorative painting techniques, but none better than Gary Lord. This book brings together Gary Lord's popular series of instructional brochures into one handy, at-your-fingertips volume. Readers will discover 30 fantastic ways to put the finishing touches on a room, from simple projects any beginner can complete to more advanced projects for the serious do-it-yourselfer. Each step-by-step faux finish project is comprehensive and contains: A "shopping list" of materials, tools, and paint colours; Paint colour samples that readers can use to buy matching paint of their preferred brand; Professional tips and advice on how to successfully complete the project; Gorgeous full-colour photos of the featured decorative finish; From start to finish, this book has everything readers need!


PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS:

Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 698.14
EAN: 9781581805543
ISBN: 1581805543
Label: North Light Books
Manufacturer: North Light Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 144
Publication Date: 2004-12-01
Publisher: North Light Books
Studio: North Light Books


SIMILAR ITEMS:

• Spectacular Walls!
• Professional Faux Finishes Made Easy
• Painted Illusions
• The Paint Effects Bible: 100 Recipes for Faux Finishes
• The Art of Faux: The Complete Sourcebook of Decorative Painted Finishes (Crafts Highlights)


CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

From a professional's view point -
I have done at least half of these techniques, and would
highly recommend some professional instruction as well as the
recipes provided in this book. Most products are attainable
for the general public - if anything, I would recommend getting the
DVD as well..this helps explain the book part even clearer, as you
watch Gary actually apply the products etc.

Anyone venturing into this profession, or even as a hobby, has to understand the process is about 'layering'...for the most part.
And you will need to allow for overnight drying times in alot of cases.
Patience is key, and not for the faint of heart. Once finished,
you can be amazed, or not. The whole affair of Faux, is that this
is something you WILL want to keep on your wall for years to come.
It is not a fad - it is a true artform, as much as it is about understanding product application.

Juliana
[...]

It's Faux Easy -

Well written and easy to understand. Gives great visual examples of different finishes as well as how to do it and what materials one will need for each example. I highly recommend this to any one who has no experience with this craft.

Gary does make it faux easy! -
Gary has a passion for teaching, whether in person or in the pages of a book. He is constantly inventing fresh finishes that push the envelope. I can highly recommend this book, especially to beginning artists (as well as intermediate) I can't wait till he comes out with a book on his new 3d paint techniques!


To see more of Gary's work see the Chicago church section of the book: "The House that Faux Built: Transform Your Home with Paint Plasters and Creativity." The House That Faux Built He uses his signature metallic foils, lace and shimering plaster to create a beautiful finish that looks amazing but is deceptively easy.

Best book I've found for pure surface treatments -
I've been looking at faux finish books for the past 15 years. This is, hands down, the best I've come across. The photos and instructions are fantastic.

Great if you want to buy stock in Aqua products -
Gary Lord is a fantastic artist, but this book is far from great. While his introduction to this book encourages the reader to experiment with combining techniques, you are limited, according to his instructions, with products in the Aqua Finishing Solutions line. These products, though excellent, are more expensive than the same products that can be found at any paint or hobby store. Unless the reader is familiar with the use of faux finishing products or has taken one of Mr. Lord's classes (as one lucky reviewer had the opportunity to do), this is not a book for those who wish to learn the basics of the art of faux finishing.
Some other of Mr. Lord's books at least offer alternatives to the professional line of Aqua products that he uses exclusively in this book. Perhaps Mr. Lord uses these products daily, and he can afford to purchase expensive tints that he will use for additional projects, but the average home-users will end up with unused portions of product that they will have purchased at a premium, especially if they wish to experiment with colors.
In addition, these products are not easily found; I lived in a small town that was miles from the nearest supplier, and the only way to order the products on-line was to pay a hefty shipping fee! My local paint store, on the other hand, had plenty of Mr. Lord's counterparts' books' suggested supplies, such as basic untinted glazes, drywall compound, and interior house paint!
Another critique that I would have of this book is that the majority of the finishes have that heavy, thickly applied look of some faux finishes. There are only two or three lighter applications, and many of the finishes are heavily textured (with a dimensional product), which leave the user with finishes that will have to be scraped off the wall to get rid of them when the novelty factor is gone. The beauty of other finishing books are that they teach the reader how to do a variety of classical finishes. The finishes in "It's Faux Easy" are like sponge painting in the 80's: they will be outdated in just a few years. Most are much too trendy.
If you, the reader, wish to learn how to do limited finishes that use extra-expensive and hard-to-find products to complete them, that result in popular-today-gone-tomorrow wall treatments, and that leave you with a cupboard full of products that you will likely never use again, than this is the book for you! If you really wish to learn the art of faux finishing, try Pierre Finkelstein's "The Art of Faux." If you are not interested in artistry, but just wish to beautify your home, try the less expensive alternatives such as Linda Sheldon's "Decorative Paint and Faux Finishes" or Gail McCauley's "50 Ways to Paint a Wall". Many of these and other books also instruct the user on how to choose the best finish for their application, how to choose color, and how to experiment with color using easily and inexpensively purchased craft paint.
There are a treasure trove of great faux finishing books out there. Choose the one that is right for you! This one was not for me.

---

NOTE: All online transactions are processed at Amazon.com's secure server, using the latest technology on internet's secure transactions.

| Home Design | Interior Design |