Furniture and Furnishings - Faux Painting to look like stain?

I am in the process of refinishing some old furniture which was painted. I was going to stain the pieces, but that is impossible because the furniture is not all wood (pressboard, particle board).

My question is, is there a paint that I could use that would appear as a stain? Such as a dark cherry, or an Asian finish?

Thank you for your advice in advance.

Faux finishes such as you describe combine multiple colors of paint (and layers) to achieve the look you're after.

First is the background color, usually one or more closely allied colors - varying shades of teh same color,a ctually.

Then comes the 'graining. Different color entirely, different technique.

Rather than list a bunch of links, here's one that will ead you to others for a more detailed explanation of what's involved.

http://interiordec.about.com/homegarden/interiordec/msubpaintfaux