Techniques for Paint Finish & Depth Glazing

Sponging

• The sponge painting technique may look dated when used with the wrong colors. Avoid painting with two very opposite base coats, such as red and blue. For a modern looking and subtle sponge paint finish, choose a color on a paint strip and apply it as your background color. Next, choose a color about one or two colors away from your base coat on the paint strip. Dampen your sponge and lightly stamp and press the second color over the first, without going over any area twice. Sponging resembles a light monotone texture. Popular colors include light browns, beiges and golds.

Bagging and Ragging

• Mix one part latex paint with one part glaze. Again, choose colors in the same color family for your glaze mixture and base coat. Use items such as plastic grocery bags (with any wording or graphics inside the bag), trash bags or simple painter's rags. Roll up and dip into your glaze and create a surface design with these everyday household tools. Similar to sponging, change the position of your tool to create variation rather than a pattern on the wall. Crumple and roll up the bag or rag to change the shape every few sections.

Paint Trowel

• Use plain paint--three to five different colors from the same paint family--and no glaze to give your walls a creative look. Pour paint into empty bottles, such as mustard or ketchup picnic bottles. Squirt one to two colors onto a drywall trowel. Blend the paint onto the wall with the flat surface of the trowel. Only a small amount of paint is needed for this project. One popular look is to blend colors from very dark to very light on the wall, starting from the floor board and up to the ceiling. The look mimics aged, peeling paint and is ideal for contemporary to old world Tuscan homes.

Additional Paint Tips

• Learning paint finishes and glazing techniques requires practice. Before you start painting your walls, practice is important. Drywall, styrene and even poster board can be painted several times until you achieve the desired look. Ask a friend to help you with your paint project. Paint finishes take several hours to complete, and sometimes several days.