Sandstone Painting Techniques

Paint Selection

• When selecting paint for your sandstone painting project, you will have to choose two colors. One color will be the base coat. The base coat needs to be several shades darker than the top, texture coat. Shades of tan, brown, beige or khaki are all typical choices for sandstone painting. The technique can be used with a range of colors, however. Grays and shades of warm white are also options. The top color needs to be tonally similar to the base coat. A good rule of thumb is to choose two colors that are on the same swatch at the paint store. Use a base from the lighter end of the swatch card and a top layer from the darker side. Gather equal amounts of each color.

Application Techniques

• Cover the walls with two coats of your base color. Use a 1-foot roller in a zigzag pattern, crossing back and forth along the wall, then use long vertical and diagonal strokes with the roller. Do not worry if the first coat does not entirely cover the wall. Let the paint dry and complete the second coat and wait until it dries completely. To apply the top color, use a 3-inch brush to create a cross-hatching pattern in one section of the wall. Be mindful not use much paint on the brush. Scrape excess from the brush before applying the paint. Once you have covered one section of the wall with the "x" pattern, use the brush with no fresh paint on it, to blend the colors. A "pouncing" technique is an excellent choice here, bounding the end of the brush on the wall at the border of the two colors.

Finishing Techniques

• Step back as far as you can in the room and consider the effect. You want to see the lighter base color through the topcoat. If there is too much paint on your brush, you will wind up covering the base and losing the splotching, textured effect of sandstone. Use a clean brush to move the wet topcoat paint around further. If needed, return to the base color with your brush and add more of it to the top to balance out the colors.

Alternative Materials

• There are other ways of achieving the sandstone texture effect in painting. Spray paint that includes a texturing agent can be applied easily and is effective for sandstone painting on furniture or accessories rather than entire walls. Textural brush-on paint is also available and is a one-step way to achieve the look of stone on a wood, plaster, concrete or wicker surface. Both of these options require no specialized painting techniques, as they rely on the paint alone to provide the sandstone appearance. The drawback is the lack of control the painter has over the finished look of these paints. Some combination work is also possible, using textural paint as a topcoat in the two-color technique.