Glaze Ideas for White Textured Walls

Marbling

• The cost of constructing a wall of marble makes it unachievable, yet creating the same feel with a glaze is completely within your grasp. To achieve this effect, brush a thin coat of tinted glaze onto a white wall, then mute it with a sponge or crumpled plastic. Once dry, apply veins with oil paint and a small brush. Blur the lines by dry brushing. Marbling is best paired with an orange peel texture, creating an appealing work of art on a relatively flat surface. This laborious technique does not work well with raised textures, such as knockdown. The end result could be too busy and confusing to the eye.

Ragging

• Ragging is the easiest and most versatile of the glazing techniques. It creates a nonuniform and rustic appearance, similar to aged plaster. Working in small areas and with a helper, brush on a tinted glaze and blot it immediately with a cotton cloth or cheesecloth. Using two different cloths will result in a varied pattern. Ragging works well on all types of textures, yet a knockdown texture will enhance the impression of antique plaster due to its inconsistencies.

Rag Rolling

• Rag rolling, similar to ragging, involves running a rag over wet glaze. Where ragging leaves irregular wall patterns, rag rolling gives a more uniform look. Achieve this look by wrapping a regular paint roller with a cotton cloth, cheesecloth or a piece of burlap. Again, working in sections, brush on the tinted glaze and immediately roll the rag over the finish. For a deeper tone, repeat the application technique once more. Rag rolling is best paired with unvarying textures, such as orange peel, to create a less dramatic appearance of suede.

Combing

• Combing works best when using a contrasting top coat over your white wall. Mix the glaze with a colored paint to achieve a 50/50 ratio. Brush on the glaze/paint mixture and run a wide-toothed paint comb over the wet surface. The wider the teeth on your comb, the faster the job will go. The finished product leaves you with a wall that resembles wood grain on an orange peel texture or a basket weave on a knockdown texture. This procedure requires a very steady hand and knowledge of technique for superior end results.