How to mix paint and glaze in a painting.

A faux painting glaze is a translucent liquid that mixes with paint and coloring to create a see-through decorative finish for walls and furniture.Because glaze dries slower than paint, it allows time to manipulate the finish with a sponge or other faux finishing tool.A broken color painting is when the decorative designs are applied over a solid base color and the top coating is patchy, allowing the underlying colors to show through.The impression of depth is created by this effect.

There are several techniques for creating these finishes using tools like sponges, paper, rags, feathers, and floppy brushes to move the glaze around and shape the design.This craft paper technique uses 2 or more colors of glaze to create more interest in the finish and is one of the techniques that range from simple to complex.You can find a list of faux painting techniques and links to create them at the bottom of the page.

To make a basic formula for most faux painting processes, use a ratio of 1 part paint to 4 part glaze.You can use flat or glossy paint and have the color mixed by your paint supplier, or you can mix your own colors using the techniques described in the next section.Some finishes, like comb dragging, may require a longer working time to blend the finish together before it dries.To slow drying in a case like this, add a bit more glaze to the mix, but don't go more than a 1:6 ratio or the finish will not be as durable as needed.

If you want to mix oil and latex glaze, you should always use latex paint.Add the correct amount of pre-tinted paint to the neutral glaze and stir until you have a uniform color.A small amount is needed for most faux painting projects, for example, a one-color technique like simple sponging will require about a quart of mixed glaze to cover an average 9x12 room.The craft paper technique requires about a quart of glaze for each color.If you are doing a large room with a high ceiling, you will need to increase the quantity by as much as a gallon of glaze for each color you use.

Premixed paints can be a little pricey for faux finishing projects.It is possible to make your own paint colors for mixing with the glaze.You can get a gallon of white paint or a light premixed color from your local paint supplier and use the rules of the color wheel to change it.A few basic tints will be sufficient to mix any color you want and small, 1 or 2 ounce tubes will color enough paint for this and other faux finishing projects in the future.

All the colors pictured here can be mixed at home with a little lamp black and white paint.If you have the primary, secondary, and intermediate colors in hand, you can change them to any color you want.Because multi-coat glaze techniques work well using different shades of the same color, this can be a good way to get all the glaze coats you need for a particular project.

To create a new color, start with the primaries and go from there to the final color you want.First mix some paint to the primary colors you need and then mix any secondary colors.You can mix any intermediate colors you need with the secondaries.To get the secondary color of orange, mix equal parts of yellow and red paint.To get the intermediate color of red/orange, mix your newly-made orange paint with an equal part of the red paint.These rules are helpful, but not hard and fast.If you want to get a red/orange that's closer to the orange side, you could use less than an equal amount of red paint.If you want to make it darker, add a bit of lamp black.White paint can lighten a color.You can use this method to create any color you want.

To mix colors, add some paint to a mixing pail and then tint it a little at a time to "sneak up" on the color you want.Make sure to mix in any strays by stirring well after each tint addition.Keep stirring until you get a uniform color.Before adding the mixed paint color to the glaze, make sure you test it on a sample of the base coat you will be using for your project.Add only a small amount of tint at a time until you get the color you want.

To blend the paint and tint together, use a small pail for each color and add the correct amount of paint.For a standard glaze mixture of 4 to 1 you'll need a cup of tinted paint for every quart of glaze extender.To make sure you have enough for the final cup of tinted paint, it's best to start the mixing process with at least a cup each of the primary colors.

Light shades should be used in small rooms and darker shades in large rooms when choosing a color for a room.The effect is to make a small space seem larger with a lighter tone and a larger room feel warmer.

If you want to create a light faux finish, use a dark base coat with a lighter glaze.The lighter shade on top will be brought out by the darker base.Try a tan base coat and a lighter tan or cream over it for a simple sponging effect in a small powder room.The bright, open feeling in the room will make the cramped spaces seem larger.

In a larger room, use a light base coat and dark glaze to make the finish seem darker.In a large living room with a high ceiling try a more complex finish like craft paper painting or opaque sponging and choose a light shade of gray for the base coat followed by darker shades to bring the walls in closer and make things feel warmer.

You can get a sample card from most home and paint supply stores to help you choose the colors for your faux painting project.The chips of several complimentary colors on the same card will help you choose an appealing scheme for your room.You can use these to choose the base coat and glaze colors for your project.You can either buy premixed or match them using the tips above.

It may be difficult to get the exact mixture again if you run out of premixed paint.A gallon of base coat paint is usually enough for an average 9x12 room, but if you want to change the color, you will need more than that.

Getting the effect you want with a faux finish requires good preparation.Evaluate the surface you will be working on.If the existing finish is sound with no damage or peeling paint, the surface is ready for painting.The faux painting must be repaired if there is peeling or other defects.If you have to repair it, remove any loose material first.Sand smooth the surface and apply a primer to prepare it for the base coat.

You will need to use one of the wall repair solutions at this link if you have cracks or peeling paint on your walls.If you want to apply a faux finish to rough wall surfaces, use a sponge painting or plastic wrap process.Most other faux finishes don't work well to hide wall damage, so smooth out any rough areas before creating those effects on walls.

The first step in the decorative painting process is the application of a base coat of paint.eggshell or semi-gloss paint is the best base coat for most effects.In most cases latex is the best and easiest paint to use here.

While you are at it, coat a scrap piece of cardboard or other thin material to use as a test board for color matching and to practice the technique you will be using.It's a good idea to give the base coat plenty of time to dry.If the paint is too soft, applying a wet glaze may loosen it and cause it to run.Allow latex paint to dry for 24 hours and oil for 12 hours.

The basic process for each faux painting technique can be found below.Instructions for creating these finishes yourself can be found in most of these.

Adding glaze to furniture and walls creates an aged or distressed appearance.A coat of glaze is followed by a base coat.While it is still wet, a lint-free rag is used to wipe the excess from the finish leaving hints of the glaze color in the crevices.

A rag is used to apply a glaze over the base coat.The strokes should be random and over a small area.If it has set slightly, drag a dry brush across the finish to make the rag marks go away.

Pulling a dry, natural bristle brush or a rubber comb through the wet coat leaves a subtle striping in the finish.This effect can be used to decorate furniture or on walls where you want a wallpaper-like appearance.There are two coats of glaze that can be used in this process.

Crackled Paint finishes are used on furniture to create an old, cracked paint look.Paint or brick can be covered with liquid hide glue.A paint coat is applied when the glue is dry.When it dries, the paint begins to separate, leaving cracks in the finish.

A painting technique called faux wall painting can be used to create an alligator skin look on walls or household items.This technique can be used to create a wallpaper-like finish.The crinkled appearance in the finish is caused by crumbled plastic wrap or craft paper being disturbed by the wet glaze.

The leather finishing process involves the use of rolled rags, plastic wrap or wadded plastic.It's not well suited for large areas and is very similar to the wall finishing process mentioned above.A fine-grained leather or suede look can be created by this process.This technique can be used to create leather effects on furniture.

The process of marbling is more complex than previously mentioned.The manipulation of the glaze to create the "veins" found in real marble requires some skill that only comes from practice.feather painting is a process in which a feather is used to recreate the veins.