Top COAT S
Lightly thinned emulsion in one or more darker shades. The top coats here are a darker grey with coral to liven up the effect (right) and pale plum and taupe (far right). Use similar tones of the same shade for a subtle effect.
SPECIAL TOOLS
Natural sea sponge to apply the top coat(s), Color washing produces a subtle variation in tone, giving a comfortable faded appeal to walls.
BASE COAT Pale emulsion (cream), thinned with water in the ratio of 10 parts paint to one part water.
Top COAT This effect can be achieved in two ways. Use two or more washes of emulsion in slightly darker tones thinned in the ratio of 5 parts paint to one part water (or add more water). Or, as here, use one top coat of glaze in yellow to give a more lustrous effect.
SPECIAL TOOLS
Apply the top coats with a 10 cm (4 in) wide decorator's paint brush. Ragging produces a more obvious color effect. Oil-based paints give a richer finish than emulsion.
BASE COAT Oil-based eggshell paint or emulsion (pale duck-egg blue), Top COAT Oil-based eggshell thinned with white spirit or turpentine, and possibly mixed with an oil-based scumble glaze, or thinned emulsion. Here, pale taupe and pale smoke has been used.
SPECIAL TOOLS Apply the top coat with a pad of lint-free rag, or an improvised tool, such as paper or a scrunched-up plastic bag. Ragging off involves applying a glaze top coat which is lifted off by dabbing with a rag. DIRECT orag-rolling is similar to ragging, but the top coat is applied with a brush and then lifted off the surface by rolling a rag over it.
BASE COAT Oil-based eggshell paint (cream).
Top COAT Tinted, thinned glaze, usually in a darker tone than the base coat (in this case, sapphire blue).
SPECIAL TOOLS Lint-free rag. Rag-rolling 011 involves applying the paint by rolling a rag dipped in tinted glaze over the surface. Distressing is a technique which can only be used on relief surfaces: heavily textured or relief pattern wallpapers (as shown here), wooden moldings, such as those on paneled doors or architraves and skirting, and traditional Victorian or Edwardian cast-iron fireplaces are all suitable surfaces.
BASE COAT Oil-based eggshell paint in a pale color (grey). Top COAT Tinted and thinned glaze, in a deeper tone or contrasting shade (jade green). SPECIAL TOOLS Lint-free rag to wipe off the glaze.
DECORATING
Mainly for woodwork Dragging is a softly striped effect which is often used on woodwork, and may also be used on walls. When used on woodwork, the technique can be developed to create a wood grain effect, using natural tones and varying the brush marks to imitate knots and other characteristics of wood.
BASE COAT Oil-based eggshell in a pale color (rose right and ivory far right). Top COAT Thinned eggshell or tinted and thinned oil-based glaze (burgundy glaze right and grey- green glaze far right).
