White Marble Effects

Soft White Marble Effect

• This marbleizing technique is used to create a look of soft marble. Apply clear shellac or a tinted glaze base coat to a white surface and dab lightly with a sponge to give the surface a marble-like appearance. Before walls are marbleized, a minimum of two coats of primer is applied with a soft brush before painting on the glaze. This gives the walls a shiner, glassy look. Sometimes, a topcoat of varnish is put on for longer lasting results.

White Marble Veining Effect

• To obtain a more dramatic effect, this marbleizing veining technique features black veins painted on. Oil colors are applied to the surface using either goose feathers or turkey feathers. Before the paint dries, the lines are dry-brushed to blend them in slightly. An alternate vein-making method is to make wrinkles and marble features by bunching up plastic wrap and pressing it onto the surface.

Combined Smooth Marble and Veining Effect

• Incorporating the look of both clean, smooth marble and black veins, a white stain or paint is used along with a black stain or paint. All paints, wood stains and topcoats are water-based. Two coats of stain or furniture paint is applied and allowed to dry between coats. The furniture is then lightly sanded with a very fine foam sanding pad or number 320 grade sanding pad to obtain a smoother surface.

  A feather is used to slowly draw veins diagonally in a twisting motion. The end of one drawn vein begins the start of a new one. After about five minutes of drying time, a damp sponge is dipped into a mixture of white stain or paint and a topcoat. A paper towel absorbs the excess from the sponge and then it is blotted on the surface.

  The surface is blotted with a clean cloth and the veins are drawn again using black paint. After drying for about two hours, a topcoat is applied and then allowed to dry. The surface is lightly sanded again before another one or two more topcoats are applied.