|
|
|
Sponge
Painting - Faux Painting |
Sponge painting usually involves 2
colors, one is your base coat, which may be your existing
wall color. Note: Your existing wall color may be used as a
base only if it has an eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss sheen.
Do not sponge over matte finishes. The other coat is a glaze
coat that may be sponged “on” or sponged “off”. See our
article on Faux Painting for more information on glaze,
color, and the look you want to achieve. You can sponge “ON’
for a mottled effect, or sponge “OFF” for a more muted
effect.
Tools: Buckets, paint tray, rollers, small paint
brush, spray bottle, sea sponge, ladder, stirring stick.
Sponging “ON”
Apply your base coat and allow to dry. You may use store
bought glazes or make your own by mixing 1 part paint to 1 ˝
parts water, and 1 cup water based polyurethane to 1 gallon
mix.
You may add 1 part paint to 2 parts water for a more
transparent look.
TIP: Practice your technique on cardboard before you begin.
Paint your base coat on the cardboard, allow to dry, and
sponge over. This will give you an idea of the eventual
color and pattern you wish to achieve, and will prevent you
doing a whole wall over because you don’t like the color.
Technique: Dampen your sponge with water and wring
out excess. Dip your sponge into the glaze mixture and pat
off excess onto a rag or paper towel, leaving very little
glaze on the sponge. You don’t want to use a lot of glaze or
it will look gloppy. Start in one corner and gently tap the
wall with your sponge, turning it in all directions to get a
random look. Once you have started, you need to complete the
whole wall at the same time. Do a 3x3 foot area at a time,
and overlap your areas, keeping in mind you want to overlap
an area while it is still wet. Do the whole wall, then step
back to see if you need to go over any areas. You can cut a
small piece of sponge and tape it to a screwdriver or pencil
to get into tight areas. If you are not happy with your
finished wall, play with it; adding more or less color. You
can add another color to make it richer, darker, grayer,
more golden, or whatever you wish. If your walls are darker
than you imagined them to be, add a little cream or white to
the glaze and blot over in a random pattern.
Sponging “OFF”
In this technique, glaze is painted on an entire section of
wall and sponged off, leaving a small amount of glaze on the
wall. You may use store bought glazes or make your own by
mixing 1 part paint to 1 ˝ parts water, and 1 cup water
based polyurethane to 1 gallon mix. You may add 1 part paint
to 2 parts water for a more transparent look.
Tip: Practice your technique on a cardboard before
you begin. Paint your base coat on the cardboard and allow
to dry. Next paint over your base coat with glaze and gently
dab at the glaze. This will give you an idea of the eventual
color and pattern you wish to achieve, and will prevent you
doing a whole wall over because you don’t like the color.
Technique: Use a roller and start at the top corner
of wall, painting a 3x3 section. Dampen your sponge with
water, and wring out excess. Starting at the outer edges,
gently dab at the glaze so there are no harsh edges, and
continue dabbing to the middle of the section, continually
rotating your sponge to obtain a random effect. Continue
doing 3x3 foot sections, overlapping the color and making
sure the glaze does not dry in between. If the glaze does
start to dry before you have gotten to it, mist the wall
with a spray bottle of water. You will have to rinse your
sponge in warm water occasionally to get rid of excess
glaze. Be sure to wring it out before you begin the sponging
off technique.
Do the whole wall as quickly as you can to prevent
overlapping dried areas. You can cut a small piece of sponge
and tape it to a screwdriver or pencil to get into tight
areas. If you are not happy with your finished wall, play
with it; adding more or less color. If your walls are darker
than you imagined them to be, add a little cream or white to
the glaze and blot over in a random pattern. |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
eHomeResource.com
Home Tips &
Related Articles |
|
