Painting Techniques: Add a New Dimension to Decorating

If you are looking for a way to jazz up your walls with a little bit of money and a lot of creativity, look no further than the faux painting techniques available. With a little paint and some know-how from books, websites and home improvement stores, you can create effects on your walls that will add color and texture to your rooms. Many of these painting techniques are very easy to learn and simple to accomplish if you are willing to take the time to do so. Others will be more successful with the aid of a class that instructs students on proper technique.

Sponges are not Just for Cleaning Anymore

Sponging is one of the easiest painting techniques to learn. It requires a base coat of one color that is painted over with another one. The second coat is applied with a sea sponge that is lightly dabbed randomly over the entire wall. Depending on the colors that you use and the way you handle your sponge, the effects that you can enjoy from this painting technique are nearly infinite.

There is really no right or wrong way to sponge paint, but there are a couple of rules of thumb to make your walls most pleasing to the eye. First, keep the touch of the sponge fairly light, so your effect is a subtle one. You also want to maintain an even tone to the walls, without lighter and darker spots in areas. It is a good idea to practice on a board or other sample material before taking the sponge to the walls of your room.

Comb Your Walls

Another painting technique that requires a little more practice is combing. This technique is done with a squeegee that has teeth like a comb. Just like sponging, combing begins with a base coat of one color that is allowed to dry thoroughly. Next, a second color is applied and the comb is drawn through the paint while it is still wet. The effect is a textured appearance that can look like straight lines, zigzags or waves. Painting techniques are usually very inexpensive, since the tools involved are simply two hues of paint and a squeegee comb.

For the Creatively Inclined

If sponging and combing seem too basic for your artistic flair, there are many other painting techniques that involve multiple colors and additional tools for application. There are techniques that can give you a faux marble or granite look by using special paints in three or more colors and a sea sponge for blending.

You can create a stencil border over your base coat using templates and stencil paint. You can even paint murals and stories across one wall that will serve as a focal point for a room. This technique works especially well in children’s areas. There are patterns available for murals as well. Decorating is no longer just about applying paint to walls. With the many faux finishes you can achieve through various painting techniques, you can give any room an artistic flair.