Combing Painting Technique

Paint a base color onto your wall or piece of furniture with latex paint. This color will be visible in your finished pattern so choose a color that works with your design. Wait for the base coat to dry before you continue.

Combine one part paint thinner, two parts alkyd glazing liquid and one part oil-based paint in a plastic bucket to create a paint glaze. Keep in mind that the other ingredients will dilute the oil-based paint and soften the final color, so choose paint a few shades darker than your desired glaze.

Pour some of the glaze carefully into a paint tray. Take care not to overfill the tray or spill the glaze.

Apply the glaze to a small section of your dry painted surface with a paint roller. The glaze should remain wet for approximately 30 minutes after it has been applied to the surface, so do not apply more glaze than you can comb through in 30 minutes.

Hold a rubber comb firmly in one hand and drag it through the glaze from top to bottom or side to side. Wipe away the glaze from the teeth of the comb with a rag after each vertical or horizontal pass.

Continue to apply the glaze and comb through it until you have covered the entire surface. Avoid touching the surface until the glaze is dry.