How to Faux Painted Marble (Portor) by Marc Potocsky CT.

Brushes and Tools:
different size small round and pointed brushes
veinette or 2 header
Badger softener
Golden Fluid Acrylic Paints:
Artist fluid acrylics
white chrome yellow
raw sienna
yellow ochre
red ochre
burnt umber
black
white pencil
All glazes are a basic combination of:
Acrylic glaze
Matte Medium
water
Step 1: Apply Two Coats black satin finish acrylic or alkyd , sand between coats, spray or roll , allow to dry.
Step 2: For beginners, lightly draw structure lines white pencil palette white, raw sienna

Step 3: Initial palette – white, chrome yellow, raw sienna, yellow ochre, red ochre
step 4: Take a long pointed round brush. Dip one side into yellow and the other into raw sienna, then tip it with white. Make candle like flames starting your veining with the tip then adding pressure to the heel of the brush at the end of every stroke. Press and release without leaving the surface. As you add and twist the brush the color will change.

Steps 5 and 6: Use different combinations, adding the yellow ochre, red ochre and white.

Step 7: Continue top to bottom.

Step 8: Left to right add some faded light structures

Step 9: Link the chains together with thin, sometimes trembling, horizontal lines. Add some tiny chains here and there.

Step 10: Add some white fissures and deposits across and over the chain structure. Also add some white accents in the chain structure.

Step 11: Using a veinette or a 2 header you can horizontally brush across the chains with a glaze of burnt umber and black. Add some long, thin veins and fissures going perpendicular with the chains.

Step 12: Make a transparent dark gray glaze: black, white, raw umber. Using a round brush make some different size clouds and spots in the black areas.

Step 14: Continue adding the dark gray clouds from left to right in the dark areas.

Step 15: With the dark gray shapes complete, you can consider this a finished piece.

Step 16: Or you can take the option of darkening and pushing back some chains with a 2 header using transparent black or brown glaze, darkening some chains and then let dry. Once the surface is fully dried, apply smooth topcoat/varnish in either Satin or Gloss finish. Sand between coats, spray or roll/ tip.

Marc Potocsky’s business MJP Studios is located in Branford, CT. In addition to teaching work shops and classes on Faux finishes, marbling, wood graining, trompe loeil, molding and ornament, he also hones his skills in photo realistic still life and portrait drawing. If you would like to see more of Marc’s faux painted marble check out His Faux Marble page. He has a DVD on marbling, beginner to intermediate. MJP Studios
241 Branford Road, #254
North Branford, CT. 06471
203.488.1265
mjpfaux.com