Move all furniture away from the project area. Keep a 3-foot to 4-foot walkway in front of the wall to be painted. Lay drop cloths on the floor and smooth out all wrinkles. Cover any fixtures or furniture remaining in the room with sheets of painter's plastic. Wipe down the area to be painted with a damp sponge and allow the space to dry.
Apply painter's tape horizontally on the space. Spread the tape about 4 inches apart. Add vertical strips of tape to complete the sizes and shapes of the bricks or stones. Cut excess tape with a razor blade. Burnish the tape on the wall with a plastic putty knife.
Pour three shades of brick- or stone-colored paints into paint trays or on paper plates. Dip a damp sea sponge in water and ring out the excess. Dab the sponge into the different colors and then dab the paints on the wall until the area is covered. Pull the tape from the wall. Use a hair dryer to help remove the tape.
Dip an angled artisan brush into gray paint and begin to paint in the brick grout lines. The grout lines are the sections left unpainted underneath the tape. Use black for the edges if you are trying to create a stone look. Add shadowing to the project with additional dark gray or black paints.