Wood Graining or Faux Bois

Wood graining (also known as faux bois) takes some specialized tools, glazes, and a whole lot of technique. While the basic technique is fairly simple to understand, and a very good job can be achieved with a little study of the wood you are trying to replicate, fooling the eye into believing that the surface is actually wood can be a rather complicated and lengthy process. Each type of wood has it's own unique grain pattern and color and requires different tools and tints to really give the desired effect.

Following are the basic steps we used to turn a plain painted door into a cherry beauty. Initially the client had contacted the general contractor to have the door replaced. It was a solid, raised panel door with sidelights all around as you can see. It is also 14' high at the center and would have taken a rather expensive custom built door to replace it. She wanted beveled glass in the doors themselves in order to let more light into the house as well as to enhance the view of the outside. After consulting with a local glass company and carpenter it was determined that the panels could be replaced with glass without too much difficulty. We were then contacted for the wood graining. (You may click on the thumbnails to see larger images.

 

First the door needed to be primed.  It was decided to retain the wood panels until we were finished.
Door was then painted a base coat of eggshell enamel of the lightest color contained in the wood we were trying to replicate and a basic woodgrain applied in a darker color.
Here is a closeup of one of the stiles. Grain on the flatter surfaces was created with a rocker type tool and comb. A graining brush was used on the more detailed areas. Extra striations were added by lightly dragging a dry graining brush through the wet glaze. The woodgrain was then softened somewhat with a softening brush.
Another coat of glazing was added to give final color and depth. Darker highlights were added to simulate knotholes and streaking.
Closeup of the same section.
Finally, after installing glass, a clear varnish was applied for protection. Varnish was also tinted to give an aging effect. New hardware installed and we have a finished project at about half the cost of replacement!

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Last modified: July 10, 2008