Vote: Faux Schools

The votes are in on the following topic:
In selecting a "faux school", what would be most important to you?

100% of voters said the instructor's credentials were important to them.
44% said "avoiding the use of a specific product".
33% desired a good facility and workspace.
11% wanted a nearby location.
0% said low cost was the reason.
0% said they wanted to learn on a specific proprietary product.

If that is what you're looking for in a school then you're on the right site.

To respond, if you're not yet familiar with my credentials in the faux world, here's a bio
http://decartctr.tripod.com/fauxinstructor.html

We are a non-product oriented school, read more about that here
http://decartctr.tripod.com/fauxproduct.html

Our facility and workspace is one of the best in the nation. Check out those schools, you don't want to be learning in a garage without lighting and utilities.
http://decartctr.tripod.com/fauxschool.html

As far as a nearby location, if you live in the metro area, fine. If not, we have a special of $200 towards your travel and hotel for any class lasting three days or more. 90% of our students come from other states.

Concerning pricing, it seems our people know that "you get what you pay for". We are priced appropriately, and we will teach you to do the same inb your business.

Please vote in our new poll and thanks for visiting!

Mural Class & Art Show Invites

I just finished the e-invite for the Exterior- Mural Painting Class Experience!

If you live in the St. Louis Metro area and would like an invite to the art show and gallery opening at "SoHa Art Gallery" for Friday, May 16, 6pm to 9m, please email me at Decartctr@aol.com, subject line: Art so I know it's not SPAM, please!

Douglas Coggeshall

We are proud to welcome back Douglas Coggeshall of "Coggeshall Artistry" in Chicago, Illinois, for the Exterior- Mural Painting Class Experience! Douglas will be participating in the mural class as well as exhibiting in the grand opening of "SoHa Art Gallery" on Friday night.

It's Curtains for the School!

It's curtains! For the classroom, not for us! Whenever I'm designing a classroom (this is my fifth) it's sort of a pivotal moment when the curtains go up. We opted for off-white tabtops from Target (tar-jschaaaay) to keep the natural light coming through.

Sky Painting with Clouds

Recent Project: Working on a sky painting for a Trompe l'oeil window.

With the background blended in a blue fade with incidentals, warm tones are laid in on the thin horizon clouds. The same value is then lightened for a second application on the highlight side, covering approximately 2/3rds of the cloud. With the value lightened again, work begins on the highlight side, covering the upper 1/3rd of the cloud.
In the final stage, blue is used sparingly for corrections and the final highlight value is applied. Learn something? We hope so, this is one of the many techniques taught in our "Trompe l'oeil - Mural Painting Class", click the link for more images / info!

VIDEO: Burnishing Venetian Plaster

This is the last step of six, with four layers of venetian plaster in all.

Dave Market at Our SoHa Art Event

We are proud to present muralist and fine artist Dave Market during the May 16th, 6-9pm Art Exhibit at our "SoHa Art Gallery" opening. Dave recently completed all levels of training at DAC, having graduated from all three of our core classes, and went full time with his field business last year.

Dave will also be a team member for the Exterior- Mural Painting Class Experience!

VIDEO: Venetian Plaster Third Closed Layer

The third venetian layer. Learn more about the class at our faux finishing school http://decartctr.tripod.com/fauxvenetian.html

"Threeday" Faux Finishing & Business Class

Our famous "Threeday" Faux Finishing & Painting Business Class is a condensed and easy to understand faux finishing business class which will teach you how to paint, price, and sell faux finishing with success as a business! If you are starting a faux finishing business or improving existing skills, this course is for you!

Day 1- Basic Faux Finishing: Learn the basic faux finishing techniques which are the foundation of the faux finishing business: blending, colorwashing, layering, and "shooting", painting stunning finishes including leather, parchment, stone blocks, cracks, and other finishing effects. Extensive instruction on mixing the faux finishing glazes with any brand of paint and "Basic Painting & Preps Made Easy

Day 2- Advanced Faux Painting: Using the same techniques to create realistic faux finishes for your business. Portoro, Carrara, and Granite marble, graining Burlwood, Bird's Eye Maple, advanced block painting, inlays and more. Learn to analyze in layers, enabling you to paint any faux finish that you will be faced with.

Day 3 Faux Business Design: Color cards, mixing, and matching, selecting the proper value, color and faux finish, creating mock-ups, identifying given settings, elements and more are covered in the "design" portion of the class. A faux finishing scenario is given to each student and they paint a faux finish design sample for a mock project with help from the instructor. Students also create an itemized list of services and prices on a contract.


Day 3- The Faux Finishing Business $$$: Easy to understand but everything you need to know: the business of decorative painting. Specifically for establishing a new or revising an existing faux finishing business.
Topics include registering the business, liability and disability insurance, essential faux business inventory, naming the faux finishing business, where and how to advertise your faux business, website pro and cons, buying painting materials with business discounts, quarterly and annual taxes, deductions and how they work for the faux finishing business, pricing all faux finishing services, unintimidating contracts that protect the faux business, lowering business costs, merchant accounts, printed materials for your business, expanding areas for increased income, business vehicles, portfolios, faux business marketing, working with designers, paying commissions, selling clients on faux finishing projects, settling business disputes, care of a faux finishing project, collecting payment and more. This is vital business information pertaining specifically to the business of decorative painting and faux finishing.
More info at the link http://decartctr.tripod.com/fauxfourday.html

VIDEO:Completed Woodgraining on Doors

"Fly-by" on the woodgrained door, just after the clearcoat. The gold inlay is metallic.