Real Faux Stone

This a real faux stone because it mimics cut stone and not just a textured surface, which is a common mistake when creating faux stone.  This may look ok, but it isn’t realistic.  Real, cut stone would be smooth to the touch but pitted (recesses).

To start, a tinted (off-white) primer was applied.

The texture coat consisted of a mixture of  SAT (Proceed smooth absorbent texture),  RRT (Proceed Rough Regular Texture), and a matte base coat for a chalky, texture.
Apply the texture with a domed glazing brush.

Stipple with a refined tool like a badger 2-header for a small area.

A standard stippler could be used with a light touch, but the smaller brush allows for excellent control over the texture.

Let dry.   Repeat the same process one more time.  Let dry and cure.

Sand with a 220 grit to flatten the peaks so it looks like it has pits and feels smooth to the touch.  Don’t over sand.  Dust.

A mother glaze was mixed for a cool grey tonality (RawUm, PaynesG, WHITE).   The glazing liquid was a mixture of 50% low viscosity glaze, 30% matte medium, and 20% glazing acrylic liquid.  The small baseboard sample did not require a glaze with a long open time.   Decrease the amount of matte medium or acrylic glazing liquid for a longer open time.

Glaze the surface generously but evenly with a pointed glazing brush.

Using a palette with RawUm, UltBl, and YOchre and the cool grey mother glaze,  create zones of color with a smaller pointed glazing brush.  Avoid straight lines with strong color.

With a 2 headed flat badger brush, stipple, with enough pressure to melt the tonalities together.

Using a samina chiqueteur,  loaded with only water and rung out, texture the surface which will dilute the glaze and create texture by removing the glaze.

Lastly, add more warm grey glaze to reinforce the cuts of the stone.

Using a spatter brush and a palette knife to create a spatter.  Start with RU plus water, then switch to BU, and then an off-white.

Paint grout line with an off white, generally.
Create an illusion of more pits by using a pointed brush with a transparent mix of RU, UB, and white for a cool grey.

Within the pits, add a darker tonality for the shadow on the top part.

Finish the trompe l’oeil grout with a thin shadow and highlight.

Varnish with dead flat.