"Alhambra" decorative finish
DECORATIVE FINISH HOW-TO

Alhambra

Artist: Robin Belisle

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PROJECT SUPPLIES:

INSTRUCTIONS:

NOTE: All mixed colors will reference a Benjamin Moore paint color where needed to guide you while you are mixing your colors. They are for reference only unless it is actually a basecoat.

1 | Basecoat in Benjamin Moore HC-40 Greenfield Pumpkin and let dry. Once dry, roll the Golden Paintworks Roman Gold in a smooth even layer and let dry.
(Photo 1)

2 | Spray the back side of the Wallovers Medina Stencil with a stencil adhesive and let it tack up. While it is tacking up, mix Golden Paintworks Soapstone with Dioxazine Purple, Raw Umber, Raw Sienna, and Titanitum White Slow Dry Fluid Acrylics. You are using Benjamin Moore 1418 Oriental Iris as your color guide.
(Photo 2)

3 | Attach the stencil to your surface and using the bondo scraper, trowel over the entire surface with the custom Soapstone mix, making sure not to bleed through the lines. Try to create a consistent, even layer.
(Photo 3)

4 | Pull the stencil off carefully and soak in hot water. Let the surface dry completely and clean the stencil. You will use it again.
(Photo 4)

At this point, I really, really loved the sample as is. It has a beautiful, clean and very modern tiled look. It can always be left at this point, but I wanted a lot of color. So if you are in for the higher road, continue on.

5 | Mix the following colors with Golden Paintworks Glazing Medium and Slow Dry Fluid Acrylics using your Benjamin Moore paint deck for reference:
BM1420 Softened Violet: Dioxazine Purple, Titanium White, and Raw Umber
BM1392 Fire and Ice: Dioxazine Purple, Van Dyke Brown Hue, Raw Sienna, and a small amount of Carbon Black
▪ BM1421 Bistro Blue: Dioxazine Purple, Phthalo Blue (Green Shade), and Titanium White
▪ BM1385 Cupid’s Dart: Titanium White, Raw Sienna, and a small amount Dioxazine Purple
▪ BM1377 Caribbean Sunset: Titanium White, Raw Umber, Raw Sienna, and a small amount Dioxazine Purple
▪ BM1472 Silver Chain: Titanium White and a small amount of Carbon Black and custom Bistro Blue mix.
(Photo 5)

6 | Spray the back side of the Wallovers Medina Stencil with a stencil adhesive and let it tack up. After tacking up, carefully lay back over the raised design exactly as it was before.
(Photo 6)

7 | Stencil your tinted Glazing Medium colors, making sure your colors are somewhat transparent, as it will give a more glazed tile look. Color in the entire pattern and let dry. Use the attached color map for reference to color placement.
(Photo 7)

Here’s the final texture.
(Photo 8)

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About the Artist
Robin Belisle, owner and Decorative Artist at Faux Couture, is a self taught artist who began her decorative painting career in 1998 after an extraordinary encounter with a faux finishing class. From there, she made a pointed decision to become the best decorative painter she could be and searched out award winning designers and builders to work with. She has traveled to Italy, Paris, many times to Morocco and all over the world leaving her mark on homes and hotels in need of artistic interpretation. This in turn has helped her hone her craft and create many signature finishes based on her travels. She has been featured in magazine articles, trade shows and the local news as trends to watch. She began teaching in her own studio and then taught many classes across the US. She joined the Board of Directors for the International Decorative Artisans league (IDAL) as education chair. As that chapter drew to a close, she knew she would eventually be teaching more. She has since joined other instructors on THE PAINT HIVE teaching online decorative painting classes.

More from this artist

Looking for more inspiration? Click here to view all of the decorative finishes from our Limited Edition Collections.