Colorwashing How To
Colorwashing a wall is a design technique that falls under the faux finishing's category. It is a simple decorative painting technique where a thin, translucent layer of color (latex wash) is floated over a white or off white basecoat and blended together with a rag or dry brush. This light colored wash applied over a darker basecoat produces a frosty effect. It can really add some flare to your paint job, and if done properly will be enjoyed by all. However, if you don't do it right you can make a mess of things. The following are some simple steps to colorwashing so that you get the best results possible:
- Colorwashing starts with applying base coat. This is important as it is your foundation for your wall. You should probably use a quality flat latex, many of which can be found on PaintingSupppliesDirect.com. Depending on the surface and the paint choice, you may need two coats of paint on some colors.
- Make your latex wash, using a formula such as the following: Use an eggshell latex paint for color and thin the paint with water. Your color will be much lighter once it is thinned, so you may want to try a few variations and see what you like best, but to start, try:
- 1 part eggshell latex paint
- 9 parts water (less may be used if desired)
- Stir this mixture frequently during use.
- Prepare your wall for Colorwashing. You start by putting tape at the ceiling and baseboard, a 4 inch tape works best. It is important not to worry if your latex wash is runny and a bit messy, it is this thin quality that produces the translucence, which is the effect you are going for. You will want to take the time to cover all heat registers to prevent your latex wash from drying too quickly, and you will want to put down drop cloths etc. to protect your floors and baseboards. Colorwashing requires cotton or cotton-blend rags to remove some of the latex wash while it is still wet, so make sure you have plenty of rags available for use. You do not want your latex wash to dry too quickly, so a tip to slow down the drying time is to wet down the wall area with a damp sponge.
- Work As A Team. For the best results you will probably want to do the colorwashing with another person. For example, one person apply the latex wash, and the other person follow behind and wipe it off, and create whatever patterns. Do not trade off who does what as you want the work to be consistent.
- Work quickly in small sections. For best results you want to do this quickly, and you don't want to have sections larger than 3' x 3'. So, you and your partner should start at the ceiling line, apply the latex wash in irregular, haphazard strokes using a sponge brush or paint pad applicator, and then with a dry cotton rag, wipe off some of the latex wash while it is still wet. Use random strokes leaving more latex wash in some areas, less in others, blending in as you go. This is how you get the desired look. Work from corner to corner, starting at the ceiling and moving down to the floor in small sections, repeating the process of applying the latex wash, then wiping it off with a dry rag.
- Finish what you start. This process may take more than a day, but to try and keep things consistent and looking uniform it is best to finish one wall before starting another, and try to get it done without a large break.
