Decorative Painting Made Simple!

If you are of the notion that repainting your walls is never fun, then obviously you never tried your hand at letting your creativity run wild with decorative painting! Also known as “faux painting”, this process involves using various methods such as sponging, rag rolling and dragging to create a range of decorative paint finishes. These are pretty easy to carry out and create dramatic finishes even if you’re not paint expert. You know what they say: if you don’t have it, make it! 

Types of Faux Painting:

SPONGING:

One of the easiest faux painting techniques, sponging creates a light and airy effect which covers wall surface imperfections in a jiffy. You will need prepared and tinted glaze with acrylic paint in a color that nice complements your base wall color. Pour this tinted glaze into a roller tray. 

Dip a sea sponge into a bucket of water to wet it then wring out all excess water. Dip one side of the sponge into the glaze on the roller tray, but avoid drenching it with paint- the glaze should only be enough to cover the surface of

the sponge. Press the sponge into a paper towel to absorb excess glaze. 

Finally, on to your walls! Press the sponge lightly into the wall and rotate your

wrist from left to right as you dab the sponge onto the wall. Keep on dipping the sponge into the paint, removing the excess then dabbing it onto the wall till then entire wall is covered.

RAG ROLLING:

This is most recommended for first-time faux painters, and gives a nicely unstructured and loosely textured effect on the wall.Prepare the base wall color and tinted glaze with acrylic paint in your desired color just as you would for sponging, then pour it out into a roller tray. Dip a rag,about 2 foot square in size, into the glaze, and then wring it out to remove excess glaze. Roll the rag up as if you were wringing it, and then tuck in the edges. Holding the rage loosely, dab it lightly against the wall, then twist your wrist from left to right as you press it lightly against the wall. Reiterate until the entire wall is covered. 

However, do avoid turning the rag around while it is still touching the surface of the wall as this will cause the paint to smudge instead. You can also continually refold and bunch up your rag in different ways to experiment with random textures.

DRAGGING:

This faux painting technique creates thin, vertical stripes and works best on a wooden paneling or smooth wall. Again, the same procedure applies for painting on the wall’s base color and tinting the glaze with acrylic paint. Then, as a protective measure, tape a plastic sheet to the baseboard of the wall you are painting so that the floor and trim are protected from dripping paint.

Using a brush, apply the glaze onto the bottom of the wall for about two feet up wards. Firstly, brush vertically from top to bottom, then side to side, and then top to bottom again in a criss-cross pattern over the same 2 foot high strip. Following that, drag a clean wide brush vertically downwards through the wet glaze, pressing hard enough so that you create vertical lines through the glaze. Wipe the excess glaze off the brush then continue adjacent to the lines you just created. Repeat the entire process of criss-cross glazing then brush-dragging until the entire wall has been covered.

STIPPLING:

This technique adds a lovely, aged look to wall surfaces. But be warned that this method will highlight a wall’s imperfectionsinstead of camouflaging them, so make sure your wall is looking its best before you start stippling! Again, the preparation of the wall’s base color and tinted glaze are as per normal. Apply the tinted glaze to the wall with a large, flat brush in a criss cross pattern ( as per dragging). Brush from top to supply, and side to side, and finally top to bottom again, working on 3 foot square sections at a time. 

Using the same brush, drag it downwards perpendicular to the wall, then dab the brush on the wall to break up the vertical lines and add texture. Afterward, use a stippling brush to dab the entire glazed surface using light, bouncy tapping motions in a random manner. After removing excess glaze from the brush, repeat till the entire wall is covered.

STRIPING:

Striping recreates the effect of wallpaper and can be easily modified for a variety of different effects if you use your imagination. It is best applied on a wall with a smooth surface. The preparation steps are the same as all the other faux painting techniques, up to the point where the glaze is tinted with the appropriate hue of acrylic paint.Using a yardstick and a piece of cloth or light pencil, measure and mark off regular intervals along both the top and bottom edges of the wall.Use painter’s tape to tape off vertical strips that correspond with the markings at the top and bottom of the wall. Your wall will now look like it’s covered with evenly spaced and parallel strips of painter’s tap Then apply tinted glaze with a small roller to the un-taped portions of the wall.Carefully remove the tape after the glaze dries. 

Fun alternatives:

o Instead of a roller, try using a sponge or rag to apply the glaze

   between strips of tape.

o Use a flat brush to stipple the glaze after applying the paint.

o Stripe with a darker shade of the base color to create a really

   subtle striping effect.

o Your stripes don’t have to be even spaced! Vary between narrow

   and wide spaces between strips of tape.

How to do Faux Painting in your home:

First, you will need to paint your walls a solid basic color, and allow it to dry overnight or at least for 4 hours. Since this will be your background color, you will need to select an acrylic paint for the faux painting that will contrast nicely. 

Important notes: 

• It is crucial you use paint with a glazed finish especially designed for faux painting because these provide a certain translucence and depth. On the other hand, flat paints will turn out look dreary and lifeless. For your bas coat.

• A satin or semi-gloss base coat it absolutely necessary, because practically all faux paint effects need a somewhat glossy surface to adhere to so it will dry slower. Never attempt to do faux finishes on matte paint as they will be a nightmare to work on. 

• Try to stick to white or light colored glossy base coats try to Practice your technique before you start working on your wall to ensure you get the most desirable finish.