How to Tape Texture

Thin a batch of mud with water until it is almost pourable, then splatter it onto the wall with an old paintbrush. Let it firm up for about an hour, then run a 12-inch drywall blade lightly over the surface of the splatters to flatten them. This common texturing technique is called "skip-troweling" and produces an irregular pattern.

Thin the mud with water until is pourable, then transfer it to a texture sprayer and spray it on the wall. The texture pattern this technique produces resembles the peel of an orange, so it is called "orange peel."

Thin mud to the consistency of paint, and roll it on the wall with a paint roller. While it is wet, texture it by tamping it lightly with the bristles of a paintbrush, rotating the brush after each stroke to avoid producing a regular pattern. This technique is known as "slap brushing."

Apply a thick coat of unthinned mud to the wall with a 12-inch blade. Starting at one corner, make a series of swirl marks with the blade or with a wide paintbrush while moving toward the diagonal corner to produce a pattern known as "comb texture."

Trowel mud onto the wall with a 12-inch blade, and draw the blade in a straight line to form a tapered ridge. Do this repeatedly, always stroking the blade in a straight line but in random directions. This technique is called "Spanish knife" and produces a highly stylized pattern.