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How to Apply
Faux Venetian Plaster
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Marmorino Veneziano Classico
Technique: Trowel on the plaster in a cross hatch manner of arcs and wavy "s" types of patterns. Apply the first color leaving space between arcs. Do five or ten arcs, and then switch to the other color and fill in and overlap the previous color arcs. Try for a random mottled look. You don't need to get 100% hide or coverage of the primer on the first coat, but most (90%) of it should be covered.
- Work in 4' x 4' sections and keep the edges of the section ragged and random, this will help in blending the sections together invisibly.
Second Coat (skim coat)
This fist coat will need to dry for about 4 hours (check label for manufacturer's recommendation), after which you may apply the second coat. The second coat is a "skim" coat. You will apply the material "tighter" to the wall and very thinly using a little bit of pressure (don't overdo the pressure). The spackle knife will be at about a 80 degree angle to the surface on this coat.
Repeat the two tone technique as in the first coat. Be sure to cover all bare areas left from first coat where primer is still showing.
Allow the second coat to dry for a couple of hours (minimum - overnight drying is best), and then precede on to "finishing the plaster - sanding".
Method Two (one color plaster technique)
Prime the surface
Prime the surface with a quick dry oil primer such as Coverstain or Latex primer such as 123 Bullseye. You should tint the primer to match one of the finish colors or at least tint the primer to a similar color if you can't match.
First Coat (texture coat)
Using a heavy nap roller, roll the plaster on the wall. After you roll out a 4' X 4' section, you need to lightly knock down the roller stipple. Repeat this procedure for the rest of the wall until the whole wall is completed.
Second Coat (skim coat)
Apply the plaster in the same say as explained above under method one, except you will be using only one color. Apply five or ten arcs and wavy "s" patterns, then back track and fill in and overlap. Continue down the wall in this manner until complete.
Allow the second coat to dry for a couple of hours (minimum - overnight drying is best), and then precede on to "finishing the plaster - sanding".
Finishing the Plaster
Sanding
Allow the Venetian plaster to dry before sanding as per the manufacturers label.
Sand the wall with 220 grit sandpaper in a circular pattern, follow this up with 400 sand paper in the same manner if you will be burnishing the plaster. If you will be clear coating sand with the 220 only. Sanding brings out and adds to the detail of the plaster.
You can use a random orbital sander and attach it to a HEPA filtered vacuum for dust free sanding, or you can hand sand. If hand sanding use a circular sanding motion.
Once the sanding is done, vacuum the dust off the wall with a properly filtered (HEPA) shop vacuum and then follow this up with a micro mesh tack rag and then a damp soft cotton rag or sponge. Allow this to dry before either burnishing or clear coating.
Burnishing
You may follow up the sanding with spackle knife blade burnishing for a higher sheen. Press the knife against the surface and rub the surface in a circular motion with the flat edge of the spackle knife while applying pressure. Do not burnish the surface if you are going to clear coat.
Protective top coat
Most of the Faux Venetian Plaster manufacturers make a clear top coat for special protection. This clear top coat is designed for Faux Venetian Plaster in high traffic areas or in high moisture (bathrooms) areas. The top coat is usually a satin sheen. Apply the clear coat with a trowel or spackle knife in a cross hatch manner.- cover the wall completely with the clear coat. The top coat is used in lieu of burnishing. If you are going to top coat , do not burnish the plaster - either before or after top coating.
Metallic clear coats. For a little more pizzazz you can use a metallic clear coat which adds a sophisticated metallic shimmer to the plaster.
Faux Venetian Plaster Video
This video shows trowel application of Venetian Plaster. This particular product is called Marmorino - Fine.
Two tone application of faux Venetian plaster including waxing and burnishing are demonstrated.
Authentic
Venetian Plaster
Below are a couple of videos of authentic Venetian Plaster. The two are of different proprietary products and the videos are the manufacturer's directions for application of their specific products.
Click here to purchase
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Product Description
Once reserved for highly trained artists, the techniques for creating Italian plasterwork are now available to all. With the help of the newest user-friendly materials, and these incredibly detailed and wonderfully illustrated instructions, do-it-yourselfers can easily create exquisite wall treatments. The focus here is on acrylic plasters--particularly Polished or Venetian Plaster and Textured Plaster--and their many possible applications. Find out about tools, color schemes, and surface preparation, as well as every single step involved in applying the plaster. Drying times, adding a topcoat, burnishing, polishing, and glazing: it's all covered. Do crosshatch, stenciling, Venetian lace patterns, and lots more. The lovely finishes range from old world Tuscany to contemporary iridescent, and they're displayed in inspirational photos of finished homes.
Faux Venetian Plaster
Techniques
See Related Article
Painted
Faux Italian Plaster Technique
Two tone Faux Venetian Plaster with metallic clear coat
Faux Tools
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The mottling effect of Faux Venetian Plaster comes from toweling on the material. It is best to use the special spatulas made for application of this material. These "spatulas" have rounded edges and are non-marking or graying.
The old world method of applying Venetian Plaster is with a trowel. Most faux finishers use spackle knives for application - as do I. Use stainless steel spackle knives for application. If you decide to burnish the plaster you should use the special spatulas, standard spackle knives including stainless steel, can cause graying of the plaster. If you clear coat the plaster rather than burnish the plaster, there will be no problem with graying.
Faux Venetian Plaster is an imitation of real lime based plasters and the specific techniques used by the practitioners of the craft of “Scagliola” -an Italian plaster technique originating hundreds of years ago. This technique produced plaster work that looked and felt like real marble.
Faux Venetian Plaster is made from a tintable acrylic plaster. Faux Venetian Plaster is not a painted finish as are most faux finishes, but rather a trowel finish.
The following are generic instructions for doing Faux Venetian Plaster. These are intended to give the reader a general overall understanding of the process. You should follow the manufacturer’s labeled directions for their specific product when applying a particular brand of Faux Venetian Plaster.
First Coat (float coat)
On the first coat you want to trowel on the plaster keeping the trowel or spackle knife almost flat to the surface. This coat should be “floated” on with light pressure applying the material at 1/16” or so. This is kind of a "skip trowel" type of application. Try to apply the plaster smoothly, you want to avoid leaving ridges and scratches. Keep your spackle knives or trowel clean to avoid dry grit from forming on them which will scratch the plaster.
Use two spatulas or spackle knives: one to dip into the can and hold the material (as a “hawk” used by drywallers and plasterers), the other to apply the material. If you are working out of a gallon can, use a 4" spackle knife to scoop and hold the material and a 6" knife to apply the material. You will need a 4" knife for application to narrow areas on the wall (and maybe even a 1" knife for the same).
Method One (two tone plaster technique)
For those who are familiar with the Faux Italian Plaster Technique and the color blending done with that technique - well this is essentially a toweled on version of the painted Faux Italian Plaster Technique with a few modifications.
The two color method uses two tones of a color to help create depth and a variety of color blends. Note: You can use more than two tones if you'd like: click here to see a three tone sample.
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Tinting
Have the paint store tint your plaster to match to the paint color(s) of your choice. With Modern Masters Venetian Plaster, there are two bases: a "standard" tint base for off white, pastels and mid tones and a Ultra deep base for deep tone colors. Each base can be tinted with up to ten ounces of universal colorants.
Prime the surface
Prime the surface with a quick dry oil primer such as Coverstain or Latex primer such as 123 Bullseye. You should tint the primer to match one of the finish colors or at least tint the primer to a similar color if you can't match.
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