Transform Your Interiors With Decorative Painting Techniques

Decorative painting techniques allow you to add textural dimension to your walls

, giving them a unique appeal that may complement your decorative style. Your local home improvement stores carries everything you need, from paint to glazes, brushes and supplies. The personnel in the paint department can also answer many of your questions about techniques and how to achieve desired results. Here is a primer on six decorative painting techniques to get you started.

1. Color Washing

Color washing produces a dreamy, cloud-like effect that is perfect for a bedroom or bath, or wherever you want a relaxed ambiance. The effect is produced by applying the base color to the walls followed by a glaze that is applied with a sponge or rag using a swirling motion.

2. Rag Rolling

Rag rolling involves one of two techniques: Ragging On or Ragging Off. With either technique a base coat is applied and allowed to dry, then a darker or lighter secondary color is ragged on with a dabbing motion that produces a crinkle effect on the walls. With ragging off, the second coat is dabbed on, then wiped away with another rag to create a softer, random effect.

3. Sponging

The effect produced by sponging depends on the texture of the sponge that is used and the contrast of colors chosen. A rougher sponge can produce an appearance similar to rough stone while a finer sponge can produce a softer effect; excess paint reduces the textured effect, so make sure that you don't allow the sponge to become over-saturated with paint. Choose two similar colors for a subtle effect and choose colors with greater contrast for more dramatic layering. You can use more than two colors if desired, blending to create a custom look.

4. Combing

Create a formally symmetrical look with evenly spaced vertical lines or go for a casual look with random squiggles, wavy lines or cross hatching with combing technique. You literally drag a rubber toothed comb through wet paint to create your desired pattern. Since paint can dry quickly, work on small sections at a time, finishing each section in its entirety before painting and combing the next section. Remove excess paint from the comb after each pass to keep your pattern consistent.

5. Crackling

Use a crackling medium to create an antiqued finish on furniture or walls; this technique allows the base color to show through the cracks in the top coat. Apply your base coat and allow it to dry overnight and then apply the crackle medium. As soon as the medium is dried, apply the second coat. You'll create larger cracks if you apply the second coat with a brush; using a sponge will produce smaller cracks.

6. Stippling

Stippling creates a dotted texture and is created with two colors of paint and glaze. A base coat of paint is applied and once it is dry, the glaze is applied. Before the glaze is dry, a stiff stipple brush is used to apply the second paint color with a quick dotting motion that creates the signature stippled look.

by: Aja Klena

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